Those Who Sin Will Die
1 The Lord said:
2 Ezekiel, I hear the people of Israel using the old saying,
“Sour grapes eaten by parents
leave a sour taste in the mouths
of their children.”
3 Now tell them that I am the Lord God, and as surely as I live, that saying will no longer be used in Israel. 4 The lives of all people belong to me—parents as well as children. However, only those who sin will be put to death.
5 Suppose there is a truly good man who always does what is fair and right. 6 He refuses to eat meat sacrificed to foreign gods at local shrines or to worship Israel's idols. He doesn't have sex with someone else's wife or with a woman having her monthly period. 7 He never cheats or robs anyone and always returns anything taken as security for a loan; he gives food and clothes to the poor 8 and doesn't charge interest when lending money. He refuses to do anything evil; he is fair to everyone 9 and faithfully obeys my laws and teachings. This man is good, and I promise he will live.
10 But suppose this good man has an evil son who is violent and commits sins 11 his father never did. He eats meat at local shrines, has sex with someone else's wife, 12 cheats the poor, and robs people. He keeps what is given to him as security for a loan. He worships idols, does disgusting things, 13 and charges high interest when lending money. An evil man like that will certainly not live. He is the one who has done these horrible sins, so it's his own fault that he will be put to death.
14 But suppose this evil man has a son who sees his father do these things and refuses to act like him. 15 He doesn't eat meat at local shrines or worship Israel's idols, and he doesn't have sex with someone else's wife. 16 He never cheats or robs anyone and doesn't even demand security for a loan. He gives food and clothes to the poor 17 and refuses to do anything evil or to charge interest. And he obeys all my laws and teachings. Such a man will live. His own father sinned, but this good man will not be put to death for the sins of his father. 18 It is his father who will die for cheating and robbing and doing evil.
19 You may wonder why a son isn't punished for the sins of his father. It is because the son does what is right and obeys my laws. 20 Only those who sin will be put to death. Children won't suffer for the sins of their parents, and parents won't suffer for the sins of their children. Good people will be rewarded for what they do, and evil people will be punished for what they do.
21 Suppose wicked people stop sinning and start obeying my laws and doing right. They won't be put to death. 22 All their sins will be forgiven, and they will live because they did right. 23 I, the Lord God, don't like to see wicked people die. I had much rather see them turn back from their sins and live.
24 But when good people start sinning and doing disgusting things, will they live? No! All their good deeds will be forgotten, and they will be put to death because of their sins.
25 You people of Israel accuse me of being unfair! But listen—I'm not unfair; you are! 26 If good people start doing evil, they must be put to death, because they have sinned. 27 And if wicked people start doing right, they will save themselves from punishment. 28 They will think about what they've done and stop sinning, and so they won't be put to death. 29 But you still say that I am unfair. You are the ones who have done wrong and are unfair!
30 I will judge each of you for what you've done. So stop sinning, or else you will certainly be punished. 31 Give up your evil ways and start thinking pure thoughts. And be faithful to me! Do you really want to be put to death for your sins? 32 I, the Lord God, don't want to see that happen to anyone. So stop sinning and live!
Ourizirira womundu kourike
1 Muhona wa hungira ku ami a tja: 2 “Omuano mbwi ovandu mbu ve kara pokuhungira mehi ra Israel, owo uṋe?
‘Ooihe va rya omandjembere omangura,
nungwari omayo wovanatje onga hara ouwe.’ ”
3 Muhona Ndjambi ma tja nai: “Tjiri, otja ngu mbi ri Ndjambi omunamuinyo, eṋe kamu nakuhungira omuano mbwi rukwao mehi ra Israel. 4 Omuinyo womundu auhe owandje, okutja omuinyo wa ihe na imbwi owomuatje. Omundu ngwa tjiti ourunde ongwa sokuṱa.
5 “Ngatu tje pe nomurumendu womutima omupore nomusemba nomuṱakame tjiri. 6 Eye ke rikotamene koomukuru vovisenginina vyOvaisrael, nu ka ri ozombunguhiro nḓe punguhirwa ovipunguhiro ovizere kozondunda; eye ka yamburura omukazendu womukwao mokurara pu ye, nu ka rara pomukazendu ngunda e ri komayuva we woukazendu. 7 Eye ka ṋiṋikiza omundu nu ke mu pundu oviṋa vye, u yarurira omuyazeme otjiṋa otjiyamba; u parura ovanandjara nu u yandja ozombanda ku imba mbe ri muzu. 8 Eye ka yazemisa ovimariva kutja a mwine po ovihohe. U panḓa okutjita ouhasemba nu u pangura osemba pokati kaimba mbe nozombata kumwe. 9 Omurumendu otja ingwi u kara nonḓuviro komazikamisiro wandje nokuṱakamisa omaraerero wandje nouṱakame. Eye omusemba, nu ma kara nomuinyo.” Muhona Ndjambi ongu ma tja nao.
10 “Nambano ngatu tje omurumendu ngwi u nomuzandu ngu tjita ozondjito zoutwe nokuzepa ovandu, nu ngu tjita oviṋa avihe mbi 11 ihe mbye hi na indu wa tjitire, okutja okurya ozombunguhiro nḓe punguhirwa kovipunguhiro ovizere kozondunda nokuyamburura ovakazendu vovakwao mokurara pu wo; 12 omuzandu ngwi u ṋiṋikiza ovasyona nokupunda ovandu oviṋa vyawo, nokuṱakamisa ihi omuyazeme tji me mu pe otja otjiṋa otjiyamba; nu wina u yenda kovipunguhiro ovizere vyovisenginina kozondunda e kerikotamena koomukuru ovayaukise vovisenginina, 13 na yazema ovimariva kutja a munine po ovihohe. Eye hapo nai ma kara nomuinyo are? Kako, eye kamaa kara nomuinyo. Eye wa tjita oviṋa avihe oviyaukise mbi, notji ma ṱu. Eye u nomerizirira konḓiro ye omuini.
14 “Nambano ngatu tje omuzandu ngwi u nomuatje omuzandu wina. Nomuzandu we ngwi ma munu ourunde auhe ihe mbe tjita, nungwari kahorere kotjikaro. 15 Eye ke rikotamene koomukuru vovisenginina vyOvaisrael, nu ka ri ozombunguhiro nḓe punguhirwa kovipunguhiro ovizere kozondunda. Eye ka yamburura omukazendu womukwao mokurara pu ye 16 nu ka ṋiṋikiza omundu nokumupunda. U yarurira omuyazeme ihi tje mu pa otja otjiṋa otjiyamba. Eye u parura ovanandjara nu a zarisa imba mbe ri muzu. 17 Eye u panḓa okutjita ouhasemba nu ka yazemisa ovimariva kutja a munine po ovihohe. Eye u ṱakamisa omaraerero wandje nokukara nonḓuviro komazikamisiro wandje. Omuzandu ngwi ke nokuṱa mena romauvi wa ihe, nungwari, tjiri, ma kara nomuinyo. 18 Nungwari ingwi ihe wa ṋiṋikiza ovandu nokuvepunda oviṋa vyawo, nu aruhe aa tjiti ouhasemba kovandu. Komuhingo mbwi eye otja ṱa mena romauvi eye omuini nga tjitire.
19 “Nungwari eṋe mu pura amu tja: Okutjavi omuzandu tje ha hihamisirwa omauvi wa ihe? Eziriro oro ndi rokutja omuzandu ngwi wa tjita ouwa nousemba. Eye wa ṱakamisa omazikamisiro wandje nu e ye yenenisa nouṱakame, neye, tjiri, otje hi nakuṱa. 20 Ingwi ngu ma tjiti ouvi, ongu ma ṱu. Omuzandu ke nokuhihamisirwa omauvi wa ihe, nu ihe ke nokuhihamisirwa omauvi womuzandu we. Omundu omusemba ma sutirwa ousemba mbwe tjita, nomunauvi ma hihamisirwa ouvi mbwe tjita.
21 “Omunauvi tja isa okutjita ourunde na ṱakamisa omazikamisiro wandje aehe, nu a tjiti ousemba nouwa, ke nokuṱa; eye, tjiri, ma kara nomuinyo. 22 Omauvi we aehe maye isirwa, neye ma kara nomuinyo, tjinga a tjita ousemba.” 23 Muhona Ndjambi ma pura nai: “Mamu tjangovasi ami mbi nonyuṋe monḓiro yomunauvi are? Kako, ami tjinene mbi vanga okumumuna kutja a kare nomuinyo.
24 “Nungwari omusemba tja isa okutjita ouwa na utu okutjita ouvi auhe ouyaukise omurunde mbwe tjita, eye hapo ma kara nomuinyo are? Kako! Kape notjiṋa otjiwa tjimwe tja tjita eye ku ma zemburukirwa. Eye ma ṱire ouhaṱakama nourunde we.
25 “Nungwari eṋe mamu tja nai: ‘Imbi Muhona mbye tjita ovihasemba!’ Purateneye ku ami, oweṋe Vaisrael. Eṋe mu tjangovasi omuhingo mbu mbi tjita oviṋa omuhasemba are? Kako, omuhingo weṋu ombu ri omuhasemba. 26 Omusemba tja isa okutjita ousemba na utu okutjita ouvi, nu tjazumba a koka, okutja nao wa ṱu motjimbe tjouvi mbwa tjita. 27 Omunauvi tja isa okutjita ouvi na tjiti ousemba nouwa, okutja ma yama omuinyo we. 28 Eye tja munu kutja imbi mbya tjita kavisemba na isa ouvi, eye, tjiri, ke nokuṱa, nungwari ma kara nomuinyo. 29 Neṋe Ovaisrael mamu tja nai: ‘Imbi Muhona mbye tjita ovihasemba!’ Mamu tjangovasi omuhingo wandje omuhasemba, ka tjiperi are? Kako! Omuhingo weṋu ombu ri omuhasemba.
30 “Nambano ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, me mu raere, Vaisrael, kutja me pangura auhe weṋu otja koviṋa mbya tjita. Ritanaureye nu mu ise ouvi auhe mbu mu tjita, nu amu riyandjere ko kutja omauvi weṋu ye mu yandeke. 31 Pokeye kouvi ngamwa auhe mbu mu tjita nu mu riutire omitima omipe nombepo ombe. Okutjavi, eṋe Vaisrael, tji mu vanga okuṱa? 32 Ami hi nonyuṋe monḓiro yomundu. Ritanaureye komauvi weṋu, nu mamu kara nomuinyo!” Muhona Ndjambi ongu ma tja nao.
