1 Ngono bakandidwa bakati, “Nkololo we nthu, ija tjaunobona, ija lukwalo igogu ube uyenda unolebeleka ne itjaba tje Iziraela.” 2 Ndizo aashama ngono bakandipa lukwalo kuguja. 3 Ipapo bakati kundili, “Nkololo we nthu, ija lukwalo igogu gwandinokupa uzhadze ntumbu uwo ndigo.” Ndizo aguja ngono mu nlomo wangu guzipa se butji gwe nyutji. 4 Ipapo bakabe beti kundili, “Nkololo we nthu, tjiyenda ngwenu ku itjaba tje Iziraela uswike ulebe matama angu ku bali. 5 Ngobe anditokutuma ku bathu be ndebeleko isingazibgwe ne lulimi gwakasima, koga ndokutuma ku itjaba tje Iziraela. 6 Anditokutuma ku bathu banjinji be ndebeleko isingazibgwe ne lulimi gwakasima, bana matama ausingake ukahwa. Nge malebeswa ha ndabe ndakutuma kuna bakajalo, ibo babe bangakuhwilila. 7 Koga itjaba tje Iziraela atjingakuhwilile, ngoti atjitoda kundihwilila se tjili itjaba tje misholo inopanda ne tjina bukomba. 8 Bona, ndowosunganya buso gugo sekwa bakasunganya njiso dzabo, ndowothama kuti usime moyo bo sekwa bakasima moyo. 9 Phazha iyo ndathama kuti isime se bgwe lakasima kupinda hwulungwana, usibatje kene ukapaluka moyo nge kwabo nenguba bali itjaba tje bapanduki.” 10 Kakale bakandidwa bakati, “Nkololo we nthu, matama wose andinokudwa ualonge mu moyo uhwe nge zebe dzidzo. 11 Ndizo yenda ku bathu bakanyi kwenyu ba mu kutapiwa ulebeleke nabo. Ubadwe uti, ‘Koleba She Yahwe,’ kusingati tjimwe kene banohwilila kene abatohwilila.”
Ezekiele pa gwizi gwe Kheba
12 Ipapo meya ikandimilidzila pezhugwi, ngono ahwa hwi gulu shule kwangu liti, “Gudzo la Yahwe ngalikudziwe mu bugalo gwabo.” 13 Ngono ahwa nsindo we mapapilo e zwibumbiwa zwinotjila ekuthana ahwa ne nsindo we makumbgwana amu hwunde yazo, nsindo unodidima nge simba. 14 Meya ikandimilidza ikandisenga ngono ayenda ndilizhele shungu ndakagwadza moyo, luboko gwa Yahwe gwakandibhata nge simba. 15 Ndakanoswika ku batapiwa ku Tele Avivi ne gwizi gwe Kheba. Ngono agala pakati kwabo ndakakaabala mazhuba ali kutendeka ikoko kwabakabe begala. 16 Shule kwe mazhuba ali kutendeka dama la Yahwe likazha kundili liti, 17 “Nkololo we nthu, ndakuthama ntjengeti we itjaba tje Iziraela, ndizo wali ihwa dama landinoleba nge nlomo ubatjenjedze nge tjinodwa ku ndili. 18 Ha ndingadwa nthu mbiimbi ati, ‘Nge malebeswa unowofa.’ Iwe ube usingantjenjedze, kene usingalebe wakasima kubhatsha mbiimbi kuthubukana ne bubi gugwe kuti atjile, mbiimbi iwoyu unowofila zwibi zwizwe, koga malopa awe ndowoashaka mu kuli. 19 Koga ha ungatjenjedza nthu mbiimbi koga ebe asingathubukane ne bubi gugwe kene zila dzidze dzakabipa, unowofila jinyo lile, koga iwe unowobe wazwitjidza.
20 “Kakale ha nthu wakalulwama eshanduka mu kululwama kukwe ebe etjinya ndibe ndibiga ikuthi mbeli kukwe, unowofa. Se usakankumbuludza, unowofa efila mu zwibi zwizwe. Zwakalulwama zwaakashinga azwitowokumbugwa, koga lopa lile ndowolishaka mukuli. 21 Koga ha ungatjenjedza nthu wakalulwama kuti asitjinye ebe asingatjinye unowotjila ngoti waamutjila butjenjedu, ngono iwe wazwitjidza.”
Ezekiele unobe mbebebe
22 Luboko gwa Yahwe gwakabe gwakandibhata ikoko, ngono bakandidwa bakati, “Milika uyende ku lubala ngono ndowolebeleka nawe ikweno.” 23 Ndizo amilika ayenda ku lubala. Bonani, tjedza tja Yahwe tjakabe tjilimile ipapo tjinga tjedza tjandakabona pa gwizi gwe Kheba, ngono awila pasi nge buso.
24 Ipapo Meya ikangina mu ndili ikandimilidza ama nge makumbo. Ngono Yahwe bakalebeleka nami bakati, “Yenda unozwizhalilila mu ng'umba iyo. 25 Ngono iwe nkololo we nthu, bona, banowokusunga nge mitjili, unowosungwa ukasiboneke uyendayenda pakati kwe bathu. 26 Ndowothama kuti lulimi gugo gunamatile mu bgwasha ndizo unyalale usitubule ku batjemela nenguba bali itjaba tje bapanduki. 27 Koga ndowoti ndilebeleka nawe ndowozhula nlomo uwo ngono unowobadwa ukati, ‘She Yahwe bakati.’ ” “Iye unowohwa ngaahwe, naiye unowolamba kuhwilila ngaalambe, ngoti ba itjaba tje bupanduki.”
1 God said, “Mortal man, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.”
2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. 3 He said, “Mortal man, eat this scroll that I give you; fill your stomach with it.” I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey.
4 Then God said, “Mortal man, go to the people of Israel and say to them whatever I tell you to say. 5 I am not sending you to a nation that speaks a difficult foreign language, but to the Israelites. 6 If I sent you to great nations that spoke difficult languages you didn't understand, they would listen to you. 7 But none of the people of Israel will be willing to listen; they will not even listen to me. All of them are stubborn and defiant. 8 Now I will make you as stubborn and as tough as they are. 9 I will make you as firm as a rock, as hard as a diamond; don't be afraid of those rebels.”
10 God continued, “Mortal man, pay close attention and remember everything I tell you. 11 Then go to the people of your nation who are in exile and tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to them, whether they pay attention to you or not.”
12 Then God's spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the loud roar of a voice that said, “Praise the glory of the Lord in heaven above!” 13 I heard the wings of the creatures beating together in the air, and the noise of the wheels, as loud as an earthquake. 14 The power of the Lord came on me with great force, and as his spirit carried me off, I felt bitter and angry. 15 So I came to Tel Abib beside the Chebar River, where the exiles were living, and for seven days I stayed there, overcome by what I had seen and heard.
The Lord Appoints Ezekiel as a Lookout
(Ezekiel 33.1-9)16 After the seven days had passed, the Lord spoke to me. 17 “Mortal man,” he said, “I am making you a lookout for the nation of Israel. You will pass on to them the warnings I give you. 18 If I announce that someone evil is going to die but you do not warn him to change his ways so that he can save his life, he will die, still a sinner, but I will hold you responsible for his death. 19 If you do warn an evil man and he doesn't stop sinning, he will die, still a sinner, but your life will be spared.
20 “If someone truly good starts doing evil and I put him in a dangerous situation, he will die if you do not warn him. He will die because of his sins—I will not remember the good he did—and I will hold you responsible for his death. 21 If you do warn a good man not to sin and he listens to you and doesn't sin, he will stay alive, and your life will also be spared.”
Ezekiel Will Be Unable to Talk
22 I felt the powerful presence of the Lord and heard him say to me, “Get up and go out into the valley. I will talk to you there.”
23 So I went out into the valley, and there I saw the glory of the Lord, just as I had seen it beside the Chebar River. I fell face downward on the ground, 24 but God's spirit entered me and raised me to my feet. The Lord said to me, “Go home and shut yourself up in the house. 25 You will be tied with ropes, mortal man, and you will not be able to go out in public. 26 I will paralyze your tongue so that you won't be able to warn these rebellious people. 27 Then, when I speak to you again and give you back the power of speech, you will tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying. Some of them will listen, but some will ignore you, for they are a nation of rebels.”