Ezekiel Acts Out Israel's Captivity
1 The Lord said:
2 Ezekiel, son of man, you are living among rebellious people. They have eyes, but refuse to see; they have ears, but refuse to listen. 3 So before it gets dark, here is what I want you to do. Pack a few things as though you were going to be taken away as a prisoner. Then go outside where everyone can see you and walk around from place to place. Maybe as they watch, they will realize what rebels they are. 4 After you have done this, return to your house.
Later that evening leave your house as if you were going into exile. 5 Dig through the wall of your house and crawl out, carrying the bag with you. Make sure everyone is watching. 6 Lift the bag to your shoulders, and with your face covered, take it into the darkness, so that you cannot see the land you are leaving. All this will be a warning for the people of Israel.
7 I did everything the Lord had said. I packed a few things. Then as the sun was going down, and while everyone was watching, I dug a hole through one of the walls of my house. I pulled out my bag, then lifted it to my shoulders and left in the darkness.
8 The next morning, the Lord 9 reminded me that those rebellious people didn't even ask what I was doing. 10 So he sent me back to tell them:
The Lord God has a message for the leader of Jerusalem and everyone living there!
11 I have done these things to show them what will happen when they are taken away as prisoners.
12 The leader of Jerusalem will lift his own bag to his shoulders at sunset and leave through a hole that the others have dug in the wall of his house. He will cover his face, so he can't see the land he is leaving. 13 The Lord will spread out a net and trap him as he leaves Jerusalem. He will then be led away to the city of Babylon, but will never see that place, even though he will die there. 14 His own officials and troops will scatter in every direction, and the Lord will track them down and put them to death.
15 The Lord will force the rest of the people in Jerusalem to live in foreign nations, where they will realize that he has done all these things. 16 Some of them will survive the war, the starvation, and the deadly diseases. That way, they will be able to tell foreigners how disgusting their sins were, and that it was the Lord who punished them in this way.
A Sign of Fear
17 The Lord said:
18 Ezekiel, son of man, shake with fear when you eat, and tremble when you drink. 19 Tell the people of Israel that I, the Lord, say that someday everyone in Jerusalem will shake when they eat and tremble when they drink. Their country will be destroyed and left empty, because they have been cruel and violent. 20 Every town will lie in ruins, and the land will be a barren desert. Then they will know that I am the Lord.
The Words of the Lord Will Come True
21 The Lord said:
22 Ezekiel, son of man, you've heard people in Israel use the saying, “Time passes, and prophets are proved wrong.” 23 Now tell the people that I, the Lord, am going to prove that saying wrong. No one will ever be able to use it again in Israel, because very soon everything I have said will come true! 24 The people will hear no more useless warnings and false messages. 25 I will give them my message, and what I say will certainly happen. Warn those rebels that the time has come for them to be punished. I, the Lord, make this promise.
26-27 Ezekiel, the people of Israel are also saying that your visions and messages are only about things in the future. 28 So tell them that my words will soon come true, just as I have warned. I, the Lord, have spoken.
Omuprofete otja omutaure
1 Muhona wa hungira ku ami a tja: 2 “Muatje womundu, ove mo tura mokati komuhoko omupikapike. Owo ve nomeho, nungwari kave na tji ve muna; ve nomatwi, nungwari kave na tji ve zuva, orondu owo ovapirukire.
3 “Nambano, muatje womundu, kuta omutwaro otja omutaure tjinga e tjita, nu mutenya u kumuke. Auhe nga mune kutja ove mo tjindire kotjirongo tjarwe. Ngahino ovapirukire mbo mave ku munu, 4 ngunda e ri mutenya, kuta omutwaro woye otja omuhuurwa tje tjita kokutja ve ku mune; nu tjita kutja ve ku mune, tji mo i ongurova aayo mo i kouhuura. 5 Ngunda amave ku tarere, topora ondovi mekuma rondjuwo yoye nu u pitisire mo omutwaro woye. 6 Ngave ku tarere tji mo toora omutwaro woye komutenge; nu tji wa piti konḓorera, kutjira omurungu woye kutja o ha munu ehi ku mo i. Imbi mbi mo tjiti mavi rire otjiraisiro tjomaronga kOvaisrael.”
7 Ami mba tjita imbi Muhona mbye ndji raera okutjita. Eyuva ndo mba kuta omutwaro wandje otja omutaure tje tjita; nongurova tji kwa zorere, ami arire tji mba topora ondovi mekuma rondjuwo nomake wandje nu arire tji mba piti. Ngunda amave tarere, mba twa omutwaro komutenge ne i.
8 Mependukirwa Muhona wa hungira ku ami a tja: 9 “Muatje womundu, nambano ovapirukire mbo tji mave ku pura kutja mo ungura tjike, 10 ve raera imbi ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, mbi me hungire ku wo. Ombuze ndji oyomupingene wombara ngu honapara mOjerusalem, noyOvaisrael avehe mba tura mo. 11 Ve raera kutja imbi mbi wa tjita, ovyo otjiraisiro tjaimbi mbi mavi katjitwa ku wo, owo mave taura nave rire ovahuurwa. 12 Omupingene ngu ve honaparera ma toora omutwaro we komutenge konḓorera na henene mondovi, ndji ve mu toporera mekuma. Eye ma kutjire omurungu we kutja a ha munu ehi ku ma i. 13 Nungwari ami me yara ombate yandje ne mu kambura na yo. Tjazumba me mu twara kotjihuro tja Babilon kehi ra Asur, ku ma kaṱira nokuhinokumuna ro. 14 Ami me piza kominda avihe ovandu avehe mbe ri puna ye, okutja ovayandjandunge ve novarwe ve wovita, nu meve paha kutja mbi ve zepe nomangaruvyo.
15 “Ami tji mba zu nokuverimba mokati koviwaṋa vyarwe na momahi wozonganda, mave tjiwa kutja owami ngu mbi ri Muhona. 16 Ami me tjiti kutja tjiva vawo ve hupe kovita na kondjara na komutjise omuzeu, kokutja imbo mokati koviwaṋa ve serekarere ozondjito zawo ozondjaukise, nokutja ovyo wina vi tjiwe kutja owami ngu mbi ri Muhona.”
Otjiraisiro tjomuprofete ngu ma zezera
17 Muhona wa hungira ku ami a tja: 18 “Muatje womundu, zezera tji mo ri omboroto yoye, nu u rihakihe mondira tji mo nu omeva. 19 Raera otjiwaṋa atjihe kutja indji oyo ombuze ya Muhona Ndjambi kovature va Jerusalem ingee mba rimbara mehi ra Israel. Owo mave zezera tji mave ri omboroto yawo nave rihakiha mondira tji mave nu omeva; orondu ehi rawo mari sewa tjo mena routwe wovature varo. 20 Ovihuro nambano mbye ura novandu mavi nyonwa, nehi mari rire ongaango. Nowo otji mave tjiwa kutja owami ngu mbi ri Muhona.”
Omiano omitjiukwa nombuze ndji he ri ondjiukwa
21 Muhona wa hungira ku ami a tja: 22 “Muatje womundu, okutjavi Ovaisrael tji ve yarukirapo omuano mbwi povikando ovingi nai: ‘Oruveze ru kapita, nomaukiro ye rira omungandjo’? 23 Nambano ve raera imbi ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, mbi me hungirire omuano mbwi. Ami me yandisa omuano mbwi. Kau nokuhungirwa rukwao mOisrael. Moruveze rwanao ve raera nai: ‘Oruveze rweya, nomaukiro maye rire ouatjiri!’ ”
24 “Mokati kotjiwaṋa tja Israel kamu nokukara ovirimunikise vyoposyo rukwao poo omaukiro omapukise. 25 Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, me hungire ku wo, nu imbi mbi me hungire mavi yenenisiwa. Kape nokukara omawombero. Moure wominyo vyeṋu, tjiwaṋa otjipirukire, ami me yenenisa imbi mbi mbe mu raera kutja me yenenisa. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, owami ngu mba hungire.”
26 Muhona wa tja nai ku ami: 27 “Muatje womundu, Ovaisrael ve tjangovasi ovirimunikise vyoye nomaukiro woye vi heya oviṋa vyoruveze ndu ri kokure. 28 Opu mo sokuveraera kutja ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, me tja nai: ‘Kape tji nokukara omawombero rukwao. Mbi mba hungira mavi tjitwa.’ Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, mba hungire.”
