Ohola na Oholiba
1 Dama la Yahwe lakazha kundili liti, 2 “Nkololo we nthu, kwakabe kuna bakadzi babili bali bana be nkadzi, 3 bebe beyenda bufukula ku Egipiti, bakatangisa bufukula bali batjetjana, ikoko mazhamu abo akabhakhwabhakhwa ngono bakalashikigwa nge buanadi gwabo. 4 Hwola wakabe edang'wa kuyi Ohola, ntjetjana eyi Oholiba. Bakabe bali bangu ngono bakawana bakololo ne bakololokadzi. Ohola i Samariya, Oholiba i Jerusalema.
5 “Ohola wakabe fukula atjiwangu, eyemula badiwa babe Baasiriya, babhayani 6 bakaambala zwiambalo zwe mbala we gova, babusi ne batungamili be ngwa, bose koga bali bazhuzha babuya bakatatha mbizi. 7 Kangina mu bufukula nabo bose be mamo be Asiriya ngono kazwitemapadza nge midzimu yose ye baakadana nabo. 8 Aazolasha bufukula gugwe gwaakatangisa ku Egipiti kwaakati atji ntjetjana balume bakalala naye bakabhatabhata buanadi bakafukula naye. 9 Ndizo wali ndakanlonga mu maboko e badi babe Baasiriya ibo baakabe eshaka. 10 Bakambula bakasiya ali mbujo, bakatola bakololo ne bakololokadzi babe, bakambulaya nge thumo. Wakabe tjiyeye pakati kwe bakadzi ngono kalobgwa shamu.
11 “Nnung'una uwe Oholiba kakubona ikoku, koga iye bufukula gugwe gukanyanya kupinda gwe nkulu uwe. 12 Naiyebo kasalana shule ne Baasiriya, balauli ne batungamili be ngwa ne babhayani bamu tjiambalo tje bubhayani bakatatha mbizi, bose bali bazhuzha babuya. 13 Ngono naiyebo ndakabona kuti wakazwitemapadza, bose bubili bakatobela zila inofanana. 14 Koga wakanyanyisa bufukula gugwe. Wakabona balume bakanyembiwa mu guma, zwifano zwe Bakhaladiya zwakanyembiwa nge bushaba, 15 bakasunga thunji dzabo nge mimwandabula, bakaambala zwiala zwakanaka mu misholo yabo, bose be lingika se makulukota e Bhabhiloni, bazwagwa be Khaladiya. 16 Wakati ebabona kabayemula ngono katuma batumwa ku bali mu Khaladiya. 17 Ngono Babhabhiloni bakazha kunli mu bulalo gwe ludo ngono bakantemapadza nge ludo gwabo gusiigo, ngono shule kwe asinozwitemapadza ndibo, kabashandukila kabashima. 18 Wakati bufukula gugwe eguthama patjena ezwiambula mbujo iye, ndakanshandukila nge kushima koga sekwa ndakashandukila nkulu uwe. 19 Nenguba kwakajalo wakapaphidza bufukula gugwe, ekumbula mazhuba e butjetjana gugwe paakabe ali fukula mu Egipiti. 20 Ngono ikoko kasalana shule ne zwamba zwizwe zwina bulume gwazo gunonga gwe madonki ne kutebula kwazo kunonga kwe mbizi. 21 Ndizo wali wakabe ne nyota ye bufukula gwe butjetjana gugo Baegipiti pabakabe bebhatabhata buanadi gugo, bebhatabhata mazhamu awo.
22 “Ndizo wali Oholiba, She Yahwe bakati, Ndowothama kuti badi babo babhayane nawe, ibo ibaba bawakashandukila ngoshima, ndowobazhisa kubhayana nawe bedwa mu mbizho dzose, 23 Babhabhiloni ne Bakhaladiya bose ne balume be Pekodi nebe Showa nebe Kowa bana Baasiriya bose ne bazhuzha babuya bose balauli ne batungamili be ngwa ne makulukota ne balume be mamo apezhugwi bose bakatatha mbizi. 24 Banowokunginilila nge zwibhayano ne koloyi dze ngwa ne dzimwe koloyi dzabanoyenda nadzo, banowobe bana bathu banjinji, banowokukomba bakabhata zwiviko zwikulu ne zwitukununu bakaambala hwutshe dze ngwa. Ndowokulonga mu maboko abo kuti ulobgwe shamu ngono banowokuloba kuyendidzana nge zwilizanyidzo zwabo. 25 Ndowokulakidza kugwadzamoyo kwangu kuna fupa ngono banowoshinga nawe nge bushongola bukulu. Banowothubula tjimilo tjitjo ne zebe dzidzo ngono ibabo benyu banowobe basala banowobulawa nge thumo. Banowotola bakololo ne bakololokadzi babo ngono banowobe basala benyu banowopisiwa nge moto. 26 Banowomumbula zwiambalo zwenyu bakamutolela minakiso yenyu yakanaka. 27 Ndizo ndowomisa bupombgwe ne bufukula gwawakatangisa ku Egipiti. Zwithu izwezwi autjowozwilinga nge kushuba kene kuli kukumbula Egipiti kakale.
28 “Ngoti She Yahwe bakati, Ndowokulonga mu maboko e bathu baunobenga ibabo baunoshima. 29 Banowoshinga nawe nge lubengo bakatola tjimwe ne tjimwe tjawakashingila. Banowokusiya uli mbujo wakati piti ngono shoni dze bufukula gugo dzowolakidziwa. Bupombgwe gugo ne bufukula gugo 30 zwazhisa ikoku mukuli nge kuti wakayemula njudzi ngono ukazwitemapadza nge midzimu yabo ye zwifano. 31 Wakatobela zila ye nkulu uwo, ndizo ndowolonga bhepe lile mu maboko awo. 32 She Yahwe bakati,
“Unowong'wa mu bhepe le nkulu uwo
bhepe bhabi gulu,
unowodadigwa ne kugongobogwa
nge kuti lizhele.
33 Unowolaladza ukalingika wakashoba
bhepe le kukolomoka ne kuthukudzika
bhepe le nkulu uwo Samariya.
34 Unowoung'wa mulili ukakunika
unowolipkhwanya likabe zwikambgwa
ukamwaulanya mazhamu awo.
Ngoti imi ndikajalo.”
Koleba She Yahwe.
35 “Ndizo wali She Yahwe bakati, ‘Se wakandikangang'wa ukandifupatila, wakafanila usengane ne mbhayilo we bupombgwe gugo ne bufukula gugo.’
36 “Yahwe bakandidwa bakati, ‘Nkololo we nthu, apa ungasumikilisa Ohola na Oholiba kene? Ngono ubabudze mishingo yabo inoshimisa. 37 Kana bakathama bupombgwe ne malopa amu maboko abo. Bakathama bupombgwe ne midzimu yabo ye zwifano, bakabuya bakadusa bana babo babakandizwalila zwibhayilo zwe zojiwa. 38 Tjimwe tjabakandithamila ndietji, Nge tjibaka itjetjo bakatemapadza bugalo gwangu gwakayengemala, bakatemapadza bo Sabata bangu. 39 Mu zhuba ilelo labakadusa bana babo zwibhayilo ku midzimu yabo ye zwifano, bakangina mu bugalo gwangu gwakayengemala bakagutemapadza. Ikoku ndiko kwabakathama mu ng'umba yangu. 40 Bakabuya bakatuma batumwa kunokoka balume kudwa kulekule, bakati baswika ukangula ukanyemba mesho awo ukazwinakisa nge zwinakiso, 41 ukagala pa tjigalo tjakanaka tjina tafuli yakabigwa mbeli kwatjo kuna motsha wangu ne mafuta angu. 42 Zhoba ye goko lisina anya yakabe yakampoteleka, kwakabe kuna balaladzi basina mazwiibhato bedwa ku tjilambanyika ngono bakambadza bakadzi maseka mu maboko ne zwiala zwakanaka mu misholo yabo.
43 “Ipapo ngekwe wakashakadziwa nge bupombgwe abe nditi, ‘Ngabashingise iye se fukula ndiko kwakanfanila.’ 44 Ngono bakawalilana naye, se nthu ungabe ewalilana ne fukula, ndizo bakawalilana na Ohola na Oholiba fukula dze bakadzi. 45 Koga balume bakalulwama banowobapa nlandu we bupombgwe newe kutebula malopa nge kuti baphombgwekadzi ne malopa amu maboko abo.
46 “Ngoti She Yahwe bakati, ‘Ubadanile mbunga unobatjisa ukabatapila thundu. 47 Mbunga unowobakikithidza nge mabgwe, ukabanginilila nge mathumo ukabulaya bakololo ne bakololokadzi babo ngono ukapisa ng'umba dzabo. 48 Ndiyo zila yandinowopedza bupombgwe ndiyo mu shango iyeyi kuti ndizo bakadzi bose babone batjenjele basitongo idzelela imwi. 49 Mowouwana mbayilo we bupombgwe gwenyu mukaamutjila mbuyilo ye zwibi zwenyu zwe kunamata midzimu ye zwifano. Ipapo mowoziba kuti ndimi She Yahwe.’ ”
The Sinful Sisters
1 The Lord spoke to me. 2 “Mortal man,” he said, “there were once two sisters. 3 When they were young, living in Egypt, they lost their virginity and became prostitutes. 4 The older one was named Oholah (she represents Samaria), and the younger one was named Oholibah (she represents Jerusalem). I married both of them, and they bore me children. 5 Although she was mine, Oholah continued to be a prostitute and was full of lust for her lovers from Assyria. 6 They were soldiers in uniforms of purple, noblemen and high-ranking officers; all of them were handsome young cavalry officers. 7 She was the whore for all the Assyrian officers, and her lust led her to defile herself by worshiping Assyrian idols. 8 She continued what she had begun as a prostitute in Egypt, where she lost her virginity. From the time she was a young woman, men slept with her and treated her like a prostitute. 9 So I handed her over to her Assyrian lovers whom she wanted so much. 10 They stripped her naked, seized her sons and daughters, and then killed her with a sword. Women everywhere gossiped about her fate.
11 “Even though her sister Oholibah saw this, she was wilder and more of a prostitute than Oholah had ever been. 12 She too was full of lust for the Assyrian noblemen and officers—soldiers in bright uniforms—and for the cavalry officers, all of those handsome young men. 13 I saw that she was completely immoral, that the second sister was as bad as the first.
14-15 “She sank deeper and deeper in her immorality. She was attracted by the images of high Babylonian officials carved into the wall and painted bright red, with sashes around their waists and fancy turbans on their heads. 16 As soon as she saw them, she was filled with lust and sent messengers to them in Babylonia. 17 The Babylonians came to have sex with her. They used her and defiled her so much that finally she became disgusted with them. 18 She exposed herself publicly and let everyone know she was a whore. I was as disgusted with her as I had been with her sister. 19 She became more of a prostitute than ever, acting the way she did as a young woman, when she was a prostitute in Egypt. 20 She was filled with lust for oversexed men who had all the lustfulness of donkeys or stallions.” ( 21 Oholibah, you wanted to repeat the immorality you were guilty of as a young woman in Egypt, where men played with your breasts and you lost your virginity.)
God's Judgment on the Younger Sister
22 “Now then, Oholibah, this is what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to you. You are tired of those lovers, but I will make them angry with you and bring them to surround you. 23 I will bring all the Babylonians and Chaldeans, men from Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians. I will gather all those handsome young noblemen and officers, all those important officials and high-ranking cavalry officers. 24 They will attack you from the north, bringing a large army with chariots and supply wagons. Protected by shields and helmets, they will surround you. I will hand you over to them, and they will judge you by their own laws. 25 Because I am angry with you, I will let them deal with you in their anger. They will cut off your nose and your ears and kill your children. Yes, they will take your sons and daughters from you and burn them alive. 26 They will tear off your clothes and take your jewels. 27 I will put a stop to your lust and to the obscenities you have committed ever since you were in Egypt. You won't look at any more idols or think about Egypt any more.”
28 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “I will hand you over to people you hate and are disgusted with. 29 And because they hate you, they will take away everything you have worked for and leave you stripped naked, exposed like a prostitute. Your lust and your prostitution 30 have brought this on you. You were a prostitute for the nations and defiled yourself with their idols. 31 You followed in your sister's footsteps, and so I will give you the same cup of punishment to drink.”
32 The Sovereign Lord says,
“You will drink from your sister's cup;
it is large and deep.
Everyone will scorn and mock you;
the cup is full.
33 It will make you miserable and drunk,
that cup of fear and ruin,
your sister Samaria's cup.
34 You will drink and drain it dry,
and with its broken pieces
tear your breast.
I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken.”
35 Now this is what the Sovereign Lord is saying: “Because you forgot me and turned your back on me, you will suffer for your lust and your prostitution.”
God's Judgment on Both Sisters
36 The Lord said to me, “Mortal man, are you ready to judge Oholah and Oholibah? Accuse them of the disgusting things they have done. 37 They have committed adultery and murder—adultery with idols and murder of the children they bore me. They sacrificed my children to their idols. 38 And that is not all they did. They profaned my Temple and broke the Sabbath, which I had established. 39 The very day that they killed my children as sacrifices to idols, they came to my Temple and profaned it!
40 “Again and again they sent messengers to invite men to come from a great distance, and the men came. The two sisters would bathe and put on eye shadow and jewelry. 41 They would sit on a beautiful couch, and in front of them they would have a table covered with good things, including the incense and the olive oil that I had given them. 42 The sound of a carefree crowd could be heard, a group of men brought in from the desert. They put bracelets on the women's arms and beautiful crowns on their heads. 43 And I said to myself that they were using as a prostitute a woman worn out by adultery. 44 They went back to these prostitutes again and again. They went back to Oholah and Oholibah, those immoral women. 45 Righteous men will condemn them on the charge of adultery and murder, because they practice adultery and their hands are stained with blood.”
46 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Bring a mob to terrorize them and rob them. 47 Let the mob stone them and attack them with swords, kill their children, and burn down their houses. 48 Throughout the land I will put a stop to immorality, as a warning to every woman not to commit adultery as they did. 49 And you two sisters—I will punish you for your immorality and your sin of worshiping idols. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.”