A Cooking Pot
1 Nine years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, the Lord spoke to me on the tenth day of the tenth month. He said:
2 Ezekiel, son of man, write down today's date, because the king of Babylonia has just begun attacking the city of Jerusalem. 3 Then tell my rebellious people:
“Pour water in a cooking pot
and set it over a fire.
* 4 Throw in the legs and shoulders
of your finest sheep
and put in the juicy bones.
5 Pile wood underneath the pot,
and let the meat and bones
boil until they are done.”
6 These words mean that Jerusalem is doomed! The city is filled with murderers and is like an old, rusty pot. The meat is taken out piece by piece, and no one cares what happens to it. 7 The people of Jerusalem murdered innocent people in the city and didn't even try to cover up the blood that flowed out on the hard ground. 8 But I have seen that blood, and it cries out for me to take revenge.
9 I, the Lord God, will punish that city of violence! I will make a huge pile of firewood, 10 so bring more wood and light it. Cook the meat and boil away the broth to let the bones scorch. 11 Then set the empty pot over the hot coals until it is red-hot. That will clean the pot and burn off the rust. 12 I've tried everything else. Now the rust must be burned away.
13 Jerusalem is so full of sin and evil that I can't get it clean, even though I have tried. It will stay filthy until I let loose my fierce anger against it. 14 That time will certainly come! And when it does, I won't show the people of Jerusalem any pity or change my mind. They must be punished for the evil they have done. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
Ezekiel's Wife Dies
15 The Lord said, 16 “Ezekiel, son of man, I will suddenly take the life of the person you love most. But I don't want you to complain or cry. 17 Mourn in silence and don't show that you are grieving. Don't remove your turban or take off your sandals; don't cover your face to show your sorrow, or eat the food that mourners eat.”
18 One morning, I was talking with the people as usual, and by sunset my wife was dead. The next day I did what the Lord had told me, 19 and when people saw me, they asked, “Why aren't you mourning for your wife?”
20 I answered:
The Lord God says 21 he is ready to destroy the temple in which you take such pride and which makes you feel so safe. Your children who now live in Jerusalem will be killed. 22 Then you will do the same things I have done. You will leave your face uncovered and refuse to eat the food that mourners usually eat. 23 You won't take off your turbans and your sandals. You won't cry or mourn, but all day long you will go around groaning because of your sins.
24 I am a warning sign—everything I have done, you will also do. And then you will know the Lord God has made these things happen.
25 The Lord said, “Ezekiel, I will soon destroy the temple that makes everyone feel proud and safe, and I will take away their children as well. 26 On that same day, someone will escape from the city and come to tell you what has happened. 27 Then you will be able to speak again, and the two of you will talk. You will be a warning sign to the people, and they will know that I am the Lord.”
Omasanekero wonyungu ondereke
1 Meyuva oritjamurongo komueze outjamurongo wombura oitjamuvyu youhuura wetu Muhona otja hungira ku ami a tja: 2 “Muatje womundu, tjanga eyuva randinondi kutja oritjangapi, oro tjinga ari ri eyuva ombara ya Babilon mu mai utu omakoverero wa Jerusalem. 3 Raera otjiwaṋa tjandje otjipirukire omasanekero wokutja ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, me tja nai ku tjo:
Twa onyungu momuriro
nu u i urise nomeva.
4 Twa mo onyama indji ombwa tjinene mu yo,
eyambi netumbo,
i urisa nomaṱupa inga omawamawa wina.
5 Toora onyama yonḓu indji ombwa tjinene;
twako ozonguṋe konyungu.
Omeva ngaye sume;
tereka omaṱupa nonyama wina.”
6 Muhona Ndjambi ma tja nai: “Owee kotjihuro tjovazepe! Otjo tji ri otja onyungu ndji nomureru, ndji ha roro okukohwa. Oundimbu pekepeke wonyama mau isiwa mo mu yo, nu kape na kemwe ku make sewa mo. 7 Mwa ri omazepero motjihuro, nungwari ombinḓu kai rimbarere mehi mu mai sokusiriwa i oruuma; oyo ya rimbara koruuwa ndu ri tjo. 8 Ami mba isa ombinḓu poṋa mbo pu i hi nokusora okusiriwa nu pu mai ningire omasutisiro omandandi.”
9 Muhona Ndjambi ma tja nai: “Owee kotjihuro tjovazepe! Ami omuini me tendeke ozonguṋe ozengi kumwe. 10 Eta ozonguṋe ozengi! Yakisa omuriro! Tereka onyama! Pwirisa omanyuṋe! Ningiririsa omaṱupa! 11 Nambano twa onyungu yongoporo ndji ri tjo pomakara; nu ngai pye i ruvaere. Onyungu mai rire ongohoke rukwao, omureru wayo tji wa zu ko. 12 Nungwari omureru auhe kamaau yandisiwa i otururumo. 13 Jerusalem, ozondjito zoye ozohakohoke ze ku yamburura. Nangarire kutja ami mba kondja okukukohorora, ove wa panḓera pouyamburuke. Komoo rire omukohoke rukwao ngandu ndi tji wa munu omasa aehe womazenge wandje. 14 Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, mba hungire. Omayuva ye ya ami mu me yenenisa omambo wandje. Ami me keve ko komauvi woye, nu hi nokukuṱira ondjenda nu hi nokukutjariparera. Ove mo pangurirwa ozondjito zoye.” Muhona Ndjambi ongwa hungire nai.
Onḓiro yomukazendu womuprofete
15 Muhona wa hungira ku ami a tja: 16 “Muatje womundu, ami me ku yeka omundu ngwi ngu wa suvera tjinene nonḓiro yatjimanga. Ove ko nokuunauna, nu ko nokurira poo okupupisa nangarire ehoze rimwe. 17 Omahekununino woye nga rire ngumumu. O kara uhungu poo huuna otja otjiraisiro tjoruhoze rwoye. O kutjire omurungu woye, nu o ri ovikurya mbi riwa i ovanaruhoze.”
18 Omuhuka omunene ami ee hungire kuna ovandu. Ongurova ndjo omukazendu wandje wa koka, neyuva nda kongorera ndo ami mba tjita otja pu mba raererwe. 19 Ovandu ve ndji pura ave tja: “Okutjita nai maku hee tjike?”
20 Ami otji mba zira nai ku wo: “Muhona wa hungira ku ami ne ndji raere 21 kutja mbi mu pe ombuze ndji, Vaisrael: Eṋe mu rihivira omasa wondjuwo ya Muhona Ndjambi; mu suvera okutara ku yo nokukeivarura, nungwari Muhona me i yamburura. Nu imbwi ouṋepo omitanda womaṱunḓu weṋu mbwa sewa mOjerusalem, mau ṱu movita. 22 Mamu tjiti imbi mbi mba tjita. Kamu nakukutjira omirungu vyeṋu, nu kamu nakurya ovikurya, mbi riwa i ovanaruhoze. 23 Kamu nakuyata huuna poo okukara uhungu, nu kamu nakukara moruhoze nokurira. Eṋe mamu sepunuka mena romauvi weṋu nu mamu kamburirasana mokutjema kweṋu. 24 Notji me rire otjiraisiro ku eṋe; mamu tjiti avihe mbi mbi mba tjita. Muhona ma hee kutja imbi tji vya tjitwa, otji mamu tjiwa kutja eye onguri Muhona Ndjambi.”
25 Muhona ma tja nai: “Muatje womundu, nambano me isapo ondjuwo yandje onamasa ndja ri omerihiviro wawo nondjoroka yawo, nu ndji va suverere okutara ko nokuivarura. Ami me twara ovanatje vawo ovazandu novakazona. 26 Meyuva mu me tjiti otjiṋa hi, umwe ngwa taurira omayandekero meya ne ku raere ombuze ndji. 27 Meyuva tjingero ndo ove mo kara nomirya, mbi wa pandjarisire, nu mo hungire nomundu ngwi. Komuhingo mbwi ove mo rire otjiraisiro kovandu, nowo mave tjiwa kutja owami ngu mbi ri Muhona.”