Ezekiel Encourages the People To Turn Back to the Lord
1 One day, some of Israel's leaders came to me and asked for a message from the Lord. 2 While they were there, the Lord said:
3 Ezekiel, son of man, these men have started worshiping idols, though they know it will cause them to sin even more. So I refuse to give them a message!
4 Tell the people of Israel that if they sin by worshiping idols and then go to a prophet to find out what I say, I will give them the answer their sins deserve. 5 When they hear my message, maybe they will see that they need to turn back to me and stop worshiping those idols.
6 Now, Ezekiel, tell everyone in Israel:
I am the Lord God. Stop worshiping those idols I hate so much and come back to me.
7 Suppose one of you Israelites or a foreigner living in Israel rejects me and starts worshiping idols. If you then go to a prophet to find out what I say, I will answer 8 by turning against you. I will make you a warning to anyone who might think of doing the same thing, and you will no longer belong to my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord and that you have sinned against me.
9 If a prophet gives a false message, I am the one who caused that prophet to lie. But I will still reject him and cut him off from my people, 10 and anyone who goes to that prophet for a message will be punished in the same way. 11 I will do this, so that you will come back to me and stop destroying yourselves with these disgusting sins. So turn back to me! Then I will be your God, and you will be my people. I, the Lord God, make this promise.
Judgment on a Sinful Nation
12 The Lord God said:
13 Ezekiel, son of man, suppose an entire nation sins against me, and I punish it by destroying the crops and letting its people and livestock starve to death. 14 Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were living in that nation, their faithfulness would not save anyone but themselves.
15 Or suppose I punish a nation by sending wild animals to eat people and scare away every passerby, so that the land becomes a barren desert. 16 As surely as I live, I promise that even if these three men lived in that nation, their own children would not be spared. The three men would live, but the land would be an empty desert.
17 Or suppose I send an enemy to attack a sinful nation and kill its people and livestock. 18 If these three men were in that nation when I punished it, not even their children would be spared. Only the three men would live.
19 And suppose I am so angry that I send a deadly disease to wipe out the people and livestock of a sinful nation. 20 Again, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were living there, I, the Lord, promise that the children of these faithful men would also die. Only the three of them would be spared.
21 I am the Lord God, and I promise to punish Jerusalem severely. I will send war, starvation, wild animals, and deadly disease to slaughter its people and livestock. 22 And those who survive will be taken from their country and led here to Babylonia. Ezekiel, when you see how sinful they are, you will know why I did all these things to Jerusalem. 23 You will be convinced that I, the Lord God, was right in doing what I did.
Ovafimaneki voikalunga tava ka handukilwa
1 Ndele ovalumenhu vomongudu yovakulunhu vomuIsrael ve uya kwaame ndele va kala omutumba moipafi yange. 2 Opo nee ondjovo yOmwene ye uya kwaame ndele tai ti: 3 “Kaana komunhu, ovalumenhu ava ova tambula momitima davo oikalunga yavo, ndele va kaleka koipala yavo osho she va pundulila moulunde. Otashi dulika tuu ngeno vo va konge ounongo kwaame? 4 Onghee hano va popifa noku va lombwela: Omwene Kalunga ta ti ngaha: Omuisraeli keshe ou ta tambula momutima waye oikalunga yaye ndele ta kaleke koshipala shaye osho tashi mu pundulile moulunde ndele te uya komuxunganeki; Aame, Omwene, ohandi ke mu nyamukula, heeno, pouhapu woikalunga yaye, 5 opo ndi kwate epata laIsrael momutima walo, osheshi vo aveshe ve liteeka nge mokushikula oikalunga yavo. 6 Onghee hano lombwela eumbo laIsrael: Omwene Kalunga ota ti ngaha: Lidilululeni nokulialuluka koikalunga yeni ndele oipala yeni inamu i taalelifa koixuna yeni aishe. 7 Osheshi Omuisraeli keshe umwe ile omunailongo ou ta kala muIsrael, ngeenge ye te liteeka nge, ndele ita shikula nge ndele ta tambula momutima waye oikalunga yaye, ndele ta kaleke koshipala shaye osho tashi mu pundulile moulunde, ndele te uya komuxunganeki, a shiive okulipulila ounongo kwaame, heeno, ye, ohandi ke mu pa enyamukulo, Aame mwene, Aame Omwene. 8 Ame ohandi ka taalelifa oshipala shange komulumenhu ou moku mu lwifa, ndele handi mu ningi edidiliko nondjovo yesheko, ndele handi ke mu hanauna po mokati koshiwana shange, ndele nye otamu ka shiiva nokutya, Aame Omwene. 9 Nongeenge omuxunganeki te lipukififa a popye ondjovo, Ame Omwene nda pukifa omuxunganeki ou, ndele Ame ohandi ka yelula eke lange moku mu lwifa, ndele handi mu kombo momoshiwana shange Israel. 10 Ndele vo ve nokuhumbata oulunde wavo, ngaashi oulunde womupuli nosho yo oulunde womuxunganeki, 11 opo epata laIsrael lihe liteeke nge vali, novehe linyateke vali nomatauluko avo aeshe. Opo nee vo otava ka kala oshiwana shange, ndele Ame ohandi ka kala Kalunga kavo, Omwene ta ti.”
Kalunga ta handuka pauyuki
12 Ondjovo yOmwene ye uya vali kwaame ndele tai ti: 13 “Kaana komunhu, oshilongo ngeenge tashi nyono kwaame mokuteya ohombo, ndele Ame ohandi nane eke lange kusho, ndele Ame handi teya po eyambidido lomungome washo ndele handi shi tumine ondjala, ndele Ame ohandi mane po musho ovanhu noimuna, 14 nonande ovalumenhu aveshe ava vatatu, Noa, Daniel naJob va kale ngeno mokati kasho, vo otave lixupifile eemwenyo davo adike, Omwene Kalunga ta ti. 15 “Ame ngeno ndi efe oilyani i endaende moshilongo, opo shi kale shihe noludalo vali noshi ninge ofuka, paha kale nande umwe ta dulu okweenda mo vali molwoilyani, 16 ovalumenhu ava vatatu nande va kale mo, oshili ngaashi ndi nomwenyo, Omwene Kalunga ta ti: vo itava dulu okuxupifa ovana vavo ovamati noukadona. Vo aveke tava xupifwa, ndelenee oshilongo tashi ningi ofuka. 17 Ile Ame ngeenge handi eta eongamukonda kombada yoshilongo ndele handi ti: Eongamukonda nali ye nokutauluka oshilongo, ndele Ame ohandi mane mo ovanhu noimuna, 18 ovalumenhu venya vatatu nande va kala musho, oshili ngaashi Ame ndi nomwenyo, Omwene Kalunga ta ti, vo itava xupifa nande ovana ovamati vavo ile oukadona, ndelenee voovene aveke tava xupifwa. 19 Ile Ame ngeenge handi tumu koshilongo oudu u nolutapo ndele kombada yasho handi tilile oupyuhandu wange mohonde, ndi mane mo musho ovanhu noimuna, 20 nande Noa, Daniel naJob va kale musho, oshili ngaashi ndi nomwenyo, Omwene Kalunga ta ti, vo itava ka xupifa nande ovana vavo ovamati ile oukadona. Vo otava xupifa eemwenyo davo vene adike molwouyuki wavo.”
21 Osheshi Omwene Kalunga ta ti ngaha: “Ongahelipi hano, Ame ngeenge handi tumine Jerusalem omatokolo ange ane, nokutya: Eongamukonda nondjala noilyani noudu u nolutapo, ndi mane mo musho ovanhu noimuna! 22 Ndelenee taleni, musho tamu ka fyaala ovainhapo ovaxupifwa, ovamati noukadona ava tava ka kufwa mo nokutwalelwa ko. Taleni, vo otave uya kunye, opo mu shiive okutala eendjila davo noilonga yavo, nye mu hekelekwe molwomupya ou nde u tuma kombada yaJerusalem omolwaaishe ei Ame nde shi tumina. 23 Heeno, vo otave ke mu hekeleka, nye eshi tamu mono eendjila davo noilonga yavo; ndele nye otamu ka shiiva nokutya, hapwanga nda ningile aishe ei nde i ningila musho, Omwene Kalunga ta ti.”
