Kunamata midzimu kolambika
1 Ipapo kukazha sholotjena dze Iziraela kundili dzikagala mbeli kwangu. 2 Ngono ipapo dama la Yahwe likazha kundili liti, 3 “Nkololo we nthu, ibaba balume bakalonga midzimu ye zwifano mu moyo yabo, matjinyo abo bakaabiga mbeli kwabo se zwitsha zwinokutha. Apa ndibaamutjile ha bezha bekumbila ikumbuludzo mu ndili kene? 4 Ndizo wali lebeleka nabo ubadwe uti, ‘She Yahwe bakati, Ha mmwe we Baiziraela elonga midzimu ye zwifano mu moyo ebiga mbeli kukwe matjinyo awe se tjitsha tjinokutha ngono ebe eyenda ku nlebesambeli, Imi Yahwe ndowon'dabila kuyendidzana ne midzimu iye minjinji. 5 Ndowothama ikoku kuti nditape moyo ye Baiziraela bakandisiya beyenda ku midzimu.
6 “Ndizo wali idwa bathu be Iziraela uti, ‘Tjinoleba She Yahwe ndietji, shandukilani matjinyo enyu mufupatile midzimu yenyu, fupatilani mishingo yenyu inoshimisa. 7 Ngoti ha mmwe we Baiziraela kene mmwe we bataya bagele mu Iziraela ezwithubukanya nami ebe elonga midzimu ye zwifano mu moyo uwe ebe ebiga matjinyo awe mbeli kukwe se tjitsha tjinokutha ngono ebe eyenda ku nlebesambeli kukumbila ikumbuludzo mu ndili, imi Yahwe ndimi ndinowon'dabila nge kwangu. 8 Ndowobhayana ne nthu iwoyo wakajalo ngono anthama tjilakidzo ne tjiyeye. Ndowonthubula mu bathu bangu. Ipapo mowoziba kuti ndimi Yahwe. 9 Ha nlebesambeli atjengedzeka kalebesambeli, imi Yahwe ndimi ndinobe ndatjengela nlebesambeli ihwoyo ngono ndowontambunudzila luboko gwangu ambulaya, pakati kwe bathu bangu Baiziraela. 10 Ngono banowosengana ne shamu yabo, shamu ye nlebesambeli ne shamu ye wazha ewokumbila ikumbuludzo dzowofanana. 11 Kudwa ipapo bathu be Iziraela abatjowolashika bakadwa pandili, kene kuzwitemapadza kakale nge zwibi zwabo zose. Banowobe bathu bangu nami abe Ndzimu wabo. Koleba She Yahwe.’ ” Kusumikilisiwa akuna ungakuleya.
Nuwa na Daniele na Jobe
12 Dama la Yahwe likazha kundili liti,
13 “Nkololo we nthu, ha shango itjinya nge kusagalikabgwe ndibe ndibhayana nayo nge kutapudza zojiwa zwayo ndizhisa bhamba muili kubulaya bathu bayo ne phuka dzabo, 14 nenguba ibaba balume batatu, Nuwa na Daniyele na Jobe bakabe bali muili, babe bangazwitjidza ibo koga nge ndulamo yabo. Koleba She Yahwe.
15 “Ha ndingatumila phuka dze shango mu shango kuithukudza, kube kusina ungaipalama ngekwe phuka idzedzo, 16 nenguba balume ibaba batatu bangabe bali muili, anditjatjila, koleba She Yahwe, babe basingake bakatjidza bakololo babo kene bakololokadzi babo, ibo koga ndibo babe bangatjidziwa koga shango iyo yathukudziwa. 17 Kene ndingazhisa thumo mu shango ndibe nditi, Thumo ngalipalame shango libulaye bathu bose ne phuka dzabo muili, 18 kene zwako balume ibaba batatu bali muili, nge malebeswa anditjatjila, koleba She Yahwe babe basingake bakatjidza bakololo babo kene bakololokadzi babo, koga ibo boga babe bangatjidziwa.
19 “Kene ha ndingatumila bugwele mu shango iyeyo nge bushongola gwangu kube kutebuka malopa gubulaya bathu bayo ne phuka dzabo, malebeswa se nditjila, 20 nenguba Nuwa na Daniele na Jobe bangabe bali muili, koleba She Yahwe, babe basingake bakatjidza nkololo kene nkololokadzi. Babe bangazwitjidza ibo koga nge ndulamo yabo.
21 “Nge kuti tjinoleba She Yahwe ndietji, Kowoshingikala tjakabipa kungapani ha nditumila ku Jerusalema shamu dzangu nna dzinotjisa edzi, thumo ne bhamba ne phuka dze shango ne bugwele kulilita bathu bayo ne phuka dzabo! 22 Koga kowobe ne batjila, bakololo ne bakololokadzi banowobhuda muuli. Banowozha kumuli ngono mowoti mubona mazwiibhato abo ne mija yabo, mowonyaladzika mu tjiga tjandakazhisa mu Jerusalema, mu tjiga tjimwe ne tjimwe tjandakazhisa muili. 23 Mowonyaladzika ha mubona mazwiibhato abo ne mija yabo ngoti mowoziba kuti akuna tjandakashinga muili kusina tjathama kuti nditjishinge. Koleba She Yahwe.”
God Condemns Idolatry
1 Some of the leaders of the Israelites came to consult me about the Lord's will. 2 Then the Lord spoke to me. 3 “Mortal man,” he said, “these men have given their hearts to idols and are letting idols lead them into sin. Do they think I will give them an answer?
4 “Now speak to them and tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to them: Each of you Israelites who have given your heart to idols and let them lead you into sin and who then come to consult a prophet, will get an answer from me—the answer that your many idols deserve! 5 All those idols have turned the Israelites away from me, but by my answer I hope to win back their loyalty.
6 “Now then, tell the Israelites what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying: Turn back and leave your disgusting idols.
7 “Whenever one of you Israelites or one of you foreigners who live in the Israelite community turn away from me and worship idols, and then go to consult a prophet, I, the Lord, will give you your answer! 8 I will oppose you. I will make an example of you. I will remove you from the community of my people, so that all of you will know that I am the Lord.
9 “If any prophets are deceived into giving a false answer, it is because I, the Lord, have deceived them. I will remove them from the people of Israel. 10 Both prophets and anyone who consults them will get the same punishment. 11 I will do this to keep the Israelites from deserting me and defiling themselves by their sins. They are to be my people, and I will be their God.” The Sovereign Lord has spoken.
Noah, Danel, and Job
12 The Lord spoke to me. 13 “Mortal man,” he said, “if a country sins and is unfaithful to me, I will reach out and destroy its supply of food. I will send a famine and kill people and animals alike. 14 Even if those three men, Noah, Danel, and Job, were living there, their goodness would save only their own lives.” The Sovereign Lord has spoken.
15 “Or I might send wild animals to kill the people, making the land so dangerous that no one could travel through it, 16 and even if those three men lived there—as surely as I, the Sovereign Lord, am the living God—they would not be able to save even their own children. They would save only their own lives, and the land would become a wilderness.
17 “Or I might bring war on that country and send destructive weapons to wipe out people and animals alike, 18 and even if those three men lived there—as surely as I, the Sovereign Lord, am the living God—they would not be able to save even their children, but only their own lives.
19 “If I send an epidemic on that country and in my anger take many lives, killing people and animals, 20 even if Noah, Danel, and Job lived there—as surely as I, the Sovereign Lord, am the living God—they would not be able to save even their own children. Their goodness would save only their own lives.”
21 This is what the Sovereign Lord is saying: “I will send my four worst punishments on Jerusalem—war, famine, wild animals, and disease—to destroy people and animals alike. 22 If some survive and save their children, look at them when they come to you. See how evil they are, and be convinced that the punishment I am bringing on Jerusalem is justified; 23 then you will know that there was good reason for everything I did.” The Sovereign Lord has spoken.