1 Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: 3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; 4 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. 6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.
7 ¶ So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. 8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man , thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. 9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? 11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? 12 Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. 13 When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. 14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; 15 If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. 16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.
17 ¶ Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal. 18 When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. 19 But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.
20 ¶ Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways.
21 ¶ And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month , in the fifth day of the month, that one that had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, The city is smitten. 22 Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening, afore he that was escaped came; and had opened my mouth, until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb. 23 Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 24 Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land: but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance. 25 Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall ye possess the land? 26 Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour’s wife: and shall ye possess the land? 27 Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence. 28 For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through. 29 Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.
30 ¶ Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD. 31 And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. 32 And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. 33 And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.
Ezekiele nlindi we Iziraela
(Ezekiele 3:16-21)1 Dama la Yahwe lakazha kundili liti, 2 “Nkololo we nthu lebeleka ne bathu babo ubadwe uti, ‘Ha ndizhisa thumo mu shango, ngono bathu be shango iyeyo bebe beshalula mmwe wabo bebe benthama nlindi wabo 3 ngono ebe ebona thumo laswika kuwobhayana ne shango ngono iye ebe elidza lunyanga kutjenjedza bathu, 4 ngono ipapo ha mmwe ebe ehwa lunyanga gulila ngono ebe asingatole thambo ngono thumo libe limbulaya, malopa awe anowobe mu maboko awe. 5 Se akahwa nsindo we lunyanga ngono kasitole thambo, malopa awe amu maboko awe. Ha akabe atola thambo ungabe akazwitjidza. 6 Koga nlindi ha angabona thumo laswika ngono kabe asingalidze lunyanga kutjenjedza bathu ngono thumo libe liswika libe libulaya mmwe wabo, ihwoyo nthu wafa unofila mu tjibi tjitje, koga malopa awe amu maboko e nlindi.’
7 “Ndizo wali nkololo we nthu, ndakuthama nlindi we bathu be Iziraela, uti uhwa dama langu utjenjedze bathu. 8 Ha nditi ku nthu mbiimbi, ‘Iwe nthu mbiimbi nge malebeswa unowofa,’ ngono iwe ube usingalebeleke kun'dusa mu mipanga iye, iwoyu nthu mbiimbi unofila zwibi zwizwe koga malopa awe ndoashaka mu maboko awo. 9 Koga ha unga tjenjedza nthu mbiimbi kusiya mipanga iye mibiibi koga ebe asingathame eijalo, unowofila mu zwibi zwizwe, koga iwe unowobe wazwitjidza.
Ndulamo ye Ndzimu ne ngoni dzawo
10 “Iwe nkololo we nthu idwa bathu be Iziraela uti, ‘Tjamunoleba etji, “Milandu yedu ne zwibi zwedu zotilemela, ngono zotishakadza. Ngono tingatjila tjini wali?” 11 Ubadwe uti, “Se nditjila, koleba She Yahwe, akuna tjinondishathisa mu lufu gwe mbiimbi koga ndoshathisiwa nge kuti babi ngabashanduke mu zila dzabo batjile. Shandukani, shandukani mudwe mu zila dzenyu mbiimbi, apa mungafa mufilani wali bathu be Iziraela?” 12 Ndizo wali iwe nkololo we nthu, idwa bathu babo uti, “Ndulamo ye wakalulwama ayingantjidze ha asingahwe ne bubiibi gwe mbiimbi agungathame kuti awe ha eshanduka edwa mu guli. Nthu wakalulwama ha etjinya aatotjila etjidziwa nge ndulamo yaakatongo be nayo.” 13 Ha ndidwa nthu wakalulwama nditi unowotjila, koga iye ebe egalabgwe mu ndulamo iye ebe ethama tjakabipa, akuna tjimwe tje zwakalulwama zwaakatongo thama zwingakumbugwa, unowofa efila tjibiibi tjaathama. 14 Kakale ha ndingadwa nthu mbiimbi nditi, “Iwe unowofa,” koga ipapo iye ebe shanduka esiya zwibi zwizwe ebe ethama tjakalulwama tjakatambunuka, 15 ha ebgwiliza tjaakabe atola tjilimilile tjaakaadzima, ebe ebgwiliza tjaakatolela, ebe etobela milayo inopa butjilo, ebe asingashinge tjibiibi, nge malebeswa unowotjila aangafe. 16 Akuna tjimwe tje zwibi zwaakathama tjinowokumbugwa nge kukwe. Iye wathama tjakalulwama, tjakatambunuka ngono unowotjila.
17 “Nenguba kwakajalo bathu babo banoti, ‘Zila ya Yahwe aizolulwama.’ Koga i zila yabo isakalulwama. 18 Ha nthu wakalulwama esiya ndulamo iye ebe ethama tjibi unowotjifila. 19 Nthu mbiimbi naiyebo ha esiya bubi gugwe ebe ethama tjakatambunuka, tjakalulwama unowotjidziwa ngo thama saikoko. 20 Koga imwi moti, ‘Zila ya She aizolulwama.’ Imwi bathu be Iziraela, ndowomusumikilisa, mmwe ne mmwe kuyendidzana nge zila iye.”
Kuwa kwe Jerusalema
21 Mu gole le bugumi lina makole mabili takatapiwa mu mwedzi we bugumi mu zhuba le bushanu le mwedzi, nthu mmwe wakabe atizha kasiya kudwa ku Jerusalema kazha kundili kandidwa kati, “Nzi nkulu wawa.” 22 Tjiazha tja Yahwe tjakabe tjili pezhugwi kwangu madekwana ntizhi asathu kaswika, ngono bakazhula nlomo wangu nlume we ntizhi asathu kazha kundili mangwanana. Ndizo nlomo wangu wakabe wazhuka ndizo ndakabe ndisitji nyelele.
Bakasala mu Juda
23 Dama la Yahwe likazha kundili liti, 24 “Nkololo we nthu, bathu banogala mu matongo iyawaje mu shango ye Iziraela banoti, ‘Abhurahama wakabe ali nthu nng'ompela koga ngono kapiwa shango. Koga iswi tibanjinji, nge malebeswa shango yakapiwa iswi kube yedu.’ 25 Ndizo wali ubadwe uti She Yahwe bakati, ‘Se muja nyama malopa atjimuili ngono mube mulinga ku midzimu yenyu ye zwifano mube mutebula malopa, apa mobona kwakamulingisana kuti shango ibe yenyu kene? 26 Mogalabgwe mu mathumo enyu, mothama zwithu zwinoshimisa, mmwe ne mmwe wenyu unotemapadza nkadzi we mbakisani naye. Apa ngono shango ingabe yenyu kene?’ 27 Ubadwe uti Yahwe banolebeleka bakati, ‘Se nditjila, nge malebeswa ibabo bakasala mu matongo banowobulawa nge thumo, naibabo bamu shango ndowobapa zwibandana zwikabaja, bamu mbako dze matizhilo akasima ne mu makuhwu banofa nge bugwele. 28 Shango ndowoithama dukuthuku ne shakadzwa, bakasima bayo banozwida banoloba ne matombo e Iziraela anowothukudzika kunowoti kukasibe ne ungaipalama. 29 Ipapo banowoziba kuti ndimi Yahwe ha ndathama shango dukuthuku ne shakadzwa ngono kuyikhwa nge zwinoshimisa zwabakathama.
30 “Koga nge kuko nkololo we nthu, bathu be shango yenyu banolebeleka nge kuko bali pa makuma ne pa mikoba ye ng'umba bedwana beti, ‘Izhani muhwe ndayidzo inodwa kuna Yahwe.’ 31 Banozha ku kuli se bathu bangu, bebe begala pasi mbeli kuko behwilila matama awo koga abangashinge tjaanoleba. Banoleba nge milomo yabo koga mimoyo yabo izhele bugovu gwe kuzwiwanila mbuyilo. 32 Kubali iwe unonga mmbi unomba njimbo dze ludo, una hwi lakanaka elidza tjilidzo nge bunyambi. Banohwa tjaunoleba, koga abangatjishinge. 33 Ngono ikoku kowoti kube malebeswa kushingikala, ngoti iko kowoshingikala, ipapo banowoziba kuti nlebesambeli wakabepo pakati kwabo.”