Ezekiel Condemns Jerusalem's Wicked Leaders
1 The Lord's Spirit lifted me up and took me to the east gate of the temple, where I saw 25 men, including the two leaders, Jaazaniah son of Azzur and Pelatiah son of Benaiah. 2 The Lord said, “Ezekiel, son of man, these men are making evil plans and giving dangerous advice to the people of Jerusalem. 3 They say things like, ‘Let's build more houses. This city is like a cooking pot over a fire, and we are the meat, but at least the pot keeps us from being burned in the fire.’ 4 So, Ezekiel, condemn them!”
5 The Lord's Spirit took control of me and told me to tell these leaders:
I, the Lord God, know what you leaders are saying. 6 You have murdered so many people that the city is filled with dead bodies! 7 This city is indeed a cooking pot, but the bodies of those you killed are the meat. And so I will force you to leave Jerusalem, 8 and I'll send armies to attack you, just as you fear. 9 Then you will be captured and punished by foreign enemies. 10 You will be killed in your own country, but not before you realize that I, the Lord, have done these things.
11 You leaders claim to be meat in a cooking pot, but you won't be protected by this city. No, you will die at the border of Israel. 12 You will realize that while you were following the laws of nearby nations, you were disobeying my laws and teachings. And I am the Lord!
13 Before I finished speaking, Pelatiah dropped dead. I bowed down and cried out, “Please, Lord God, don't kill everyone left in Israel.”
A Promise of Hope
14 The Lord replied:
15 Ezekiel, son of man, the people living in Jerusalem claim that you and the other Israelites who were taken to Babylonia are too far away to worship me. They also claim that the land of Israel now belongs only to them. 16 But here is what I want you to tell the Israelites in Babylonia:
It's true that I, the Lord God, have forced you out of your own country and made you live among foreign nations. But for now, I will be with you wherever you are, so that you can worship me. 17 And someday, I will gather you from the nations where you are scattered and let you live in Israel again. 18 When that happens, I want you to clear the land of all those idols I hate so much. 19 Then I will take away your stubbornness and make you eager to be completely faithful to me. You will want to obey me 20 and all my laws and teachings. You will be my people, and I will be your God. 21 But those who worship idols will be punished and get what they deserve. I, the Lord God, have spoken.
The Lord's Glory Leaves Jerusalem
22 After the Lord had finished speaking, the winged creatures spread their wings and flew into the air, and the wheels were beside them. The brightness of the Lord's glory above them 23 left Jerusalem and stopped at a hill east of the city.
24 Then in my vision, the Lord's Spirit lifted me up and carried me back to the other exiles in Babylonia. The vision faded away, 25 and I told them everything the Lord had shown me.
Ovakulunhu tava tokolwa
1 Ndele Omhepo oya yelula nge po ndele oya twala nge koshivelo shomuvelo wotembeli yOmwene, sha ama koushilo. Ndele tala, poshivelo opa kala ovalumenhu omilongo mbali navatano, nomokati kavo ame nda mona Jaasanja yaAsiria, naPelatja yaBenaja, omalenga oshiwana. 2 Opo Ye okwa lombwela nge: “Kaana komunhu, ovo ovalumenhu hava diladila eshi inashi yuka ndele hava yandje omapukululo mai moshilando, 3 vo hava ti: ‘Efimbo lokutunga eengulu itali fiki diva. Oshilando eshi osho ombiya ndele fye ombelela.’ 4 Onghee hano xunganeka u va vele eembedi. Kaana komunhu, xunganeka!” 5 Opo nee Omhepo yOmwene ya wila nge, ndele ye ta ti kwaame: Popya, Omwene osho ta ti: Osho ngaha mwa popya, onye epata laIsrael. Ndele eshi tashi uya momhepo yeni, Ame ondi shi shii. 6 Moshilando eshi omu na vahapu ava va dipawa kunye, nye omwa yadifa omapandavanda eni novadipawa. 7 Onghee hano Omwene Kalunga ta ti ngaha: “Ovadipawa kunye, ava mwe va nangeka musho, vo ombelela, noshilando eshi ombiya, ndelenee Ame ohandi ke mu kufa mo. 8 Nye ohamu tila eongamukonda, ndelenee Ame ohandi ka eta eongamukonda kombada yeni, osho Omwene Kalunga ta ti: 9 ndele Ame ohandi ke mu kufa mo ndele handi mu yandje momake ovanailongo ndele handi ka wanifa omatokolohandu mokati keni. 10 Nye otamu ka fya keongamukonda. Pongaba yaIsrael Ame ohandi ke mu tokola. Ndele nye otamu ka shiiva nokutya, Aame Omwene. 11 Oshilando eshi itashi ka ninga kunye ombiya, nanye itamu ka ninga ombelela musho. Pongaba yaIsrael Ame ohandi ke mu tokola. 12 Ndele nye otamu ka shiiva nokutya, Aame Omwene, nye ava inamu enda paenghedimhango dange ndele inamu diinina omalombwelo ange, ndelenee mwa longa pamalombwelo oiwana ei tai mu dingilile.” 13 Ndele fimbo ame nda xunganeka, Pelatja, omona waBenaja, okwa fya. Opo nee ame nda wila eombe ndele nda ingida pombada, ndele handi ti: “Akutu, Omwene Kalunga, Ove wa hala okumana po mbela oshixupe shaIsrael?”
14 Opo nee ondjovo yOmwene ye uya kwaame ndele tai ti: 15 “Kaana komunhu, ovamwanyoko, ovamwanyoko, ovalumenhu vomepata leni, neumbo alishe laIsrael, aveshe kumwe, vo otava lombwelwa koonakukala muJerusalem nokutya: ‘Kaleni kokule nOmwene, ofye tuu twa pewa oshilongo tu shi nangale.’ 16 Onghee hano popya: Omwene Kalunga ota ti ngaha: Ame eshi nde mu twala kokule mokati koiwana naashi nde mu halakanifa moilongo ndele Ame nda ninga otembeli kunye okafimbo kaxupi moilongo muyo tamu ke uya. 17 Onghee hano popya: Omwene Kalunga ota ti ngaha: Ame ohandi ke mu kombelela moiwana noku mu ongela moilongo muyo mwa halakanifilwa, ndele Ame handi ke mu pa edu laIsrael. 18 Ndele vo otave ke uya ko, ndele tava ka kufa mo oixuna aishe noififahoni aishe 19 Ndele Ame ohandi ke va pa omutima umwe nomhepo ipe meni lavo. Nomutima wemanya ohandi ke u kufa mo ndele handi va pe omutima wonhumba, 20 opo mu shiive okweenda meenghedimhango dange nokudiinina omalombwelo ange noku a wanifa. Ndele vo otava ka ninga oshiwana shange, naame ohandi ka kala Kalunga kavo. 21 Ndelenee vo ve nomitima tadi shikula omitima doixuna yavo nodoififahoni yavo, okweenda kwavo Ame ohandi ku umbile kombada yomitwe davo, Omwene Kalunga ta ti.”
22 Opo nee ovakerubi va yelula omavava avo nomaluvalaulu a yeluka shimwe pamwe navo, fimbo oshinge shaKalunga kaIsrael sha kala kombada yavo. 23 Ndele oshinge shOmwene sha yeluka sha dja moshilando ndele sha kanghama komhunda ei ya ama koushilo koshilando. 24 Opo Omhepo ya yelula nge, ndele memoniko, meenghono dOmhepo yaKalunga, ya twala nge kovapika vomuKaldea. Nemoniko nde li mona ola efa nge. 25 Ndele ame nda udifila ovapika eendjovo adishe dOmwene, e di talifa nge.
