Mika unokayikanya batungamili be Iziraela
1 Ngono ndakati,
“Ihwani woku imwi batungamili ba Jakubo,
imwi babusi be bathu be Iziraela.
Apa ate kulikwenyu kuziba kutambunuka kene?
2 Imwi munobenga tjakanaka ngono mukada tjakabipa,
imwi muno mwawula ganda le bathu bangu,
ne nyama muyimwawula mu mafupa abo,
3 imwi munoja nyama ye bathu bangu
muviya ganda labo mulisundula mubali,
muvunilila mafupa abo ebe zwitibhutibhu
mubatemelela semunoti i nyama inolongwa mu ikajana,
se nyama inolongwa mu hali.”
4 Ngono ipapo banowolilila Yahwe
koga abatowobadabila.
Banowobasumbikila buso gwabo mu tjibaka itjetjo
ngekwe bubi gwabakashinga.
5 Yahwe bakati ngekwe balebesambeli banotungamilila bathu bangu ntome, belebeleka
beti, “Kunyalala,”
bedwa wabapa tjinojiwa,
koga usabapa tjinojiwa
bebe belulwamisila kugwa naye.
6 Ndizo wali kowobe busiku kumuli gusina mbono,
zhalima lowobe mu muli lisina ndakidzo.
Zhuba lowomilila balebesambeli,
ngono masikati anowobatundubalila balebesambeli.
7 Baboni banowolengudzika,
bakandili banowobhakhwa nge shoni,
bose koga banowozwimba njiso dzabo
ngoti kusina dabilo kudwa ku Ndzimu.
8 Koga imi ndizhele simba,
nge Meya ya Yahwe
ne kutambunuka ne masimba
kubudza Jakubo bupanduki gugwe,
kubudza Iziraela tjibi tjitje.
9 “Ihwani woku imwi batungamili be nsha wa Jakubo,
imwi babusi be bathu be Iziraela
banoshima kutambunuka,
mube muleyanya kose kwakatambunuka,
10 imwi munobaka Ziyoni ngotebula malopa,
mubaka Jerusalema nge mbipo.
11 Babusi bayo banosumikilisila tjizwimba nlomo,
bapirisiti banodiyila themba,
ne balebesambeli bayo banokandila bebona mari.
Koga benayila Yahwe bebe beti,
‘Apa Yahwe abateli pakati kwedu kene?
Akuna mbatsha dzingatiwila.’
12 Ndizo wali nge kwenyu
Ziyoni inowolimiwa se nnda,
Jerusalema inowobe duluthulu le malala
duthu le ng'umba ye Ndzimu likabe datha lakamela ishakana.”
Evil Rulers and Lying Prophets
1 Listen to me,
you rulers of Israel!
You know right from wrong,
2 but you prefer to do evil
instead of what is right.
You skin my people alive.
You strip off their flesh,
3 break their bones,
cook it all in a pot,
and gulp it down.
4 Someday you will beg the Lord
to help you,
but he will turn away
because of your sins.
5 You lying prophets promise
security for anyone
who gives you food,
but disaster for anyone
who refuses to feed you.
Here is what the Lord says
to you prophets:
6 “You will live in the dark,
far from the sight of the sun,
with no message from me.
7 You prophets and fortunetellers
will all be disgraced,
with no message from me.”
8 But the Lord has filled me
with power and his Spirit.
I have been given the courage
to speak about justice
and to tell you people of Israel
that you have sinned.
9 So listen to my message,
you rulers of Israel!
You hate justice
and twist the truth.
10 You make cruelty and murder
a way of life in Jerusalem.
11 You leaders accept bribes
for dishonest decisions.
You priests and prophets
teach and preach,
but only for money.
Then you say,
“The Lord is on our side.
No harm will come to us.”
12 And so, because of you,
Jerusalem will be plowed under
and left in ruins.
Thorns will cover the mountain
where the temple now stands.