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!
Keshe umwe ta pulwa okukala kwaye
1 Ondjovo yOmwene ye uya vali kwaame ndele tai ti: 2 “Oshike nye, eshi tamu longifa etumbulo eli lesheko mokupopya edu laIsrael, nokutya:
‘Ootatekulu ova lile oipele yeeviinyu,
nomayoo oludalo lavo okwa hangwa kouwe.’
3 Oshili, ngaashi ndi nomwenyo, Omwene Kalunga ta ti, olo itali ka dimbulukiwa vali, li longifwe muIsrael. 4 Taleni, eemwenyo adishe odange. Omwenyo waxe nosho yo omwenyo womona, do odange. Omwenyo ou tau nyono u nokufya.
5 “Ndelenee umwe ngeenge omuyuki ndele ta longo ouyuki naashi sha wapala, 6 ye ita li keemhunda noita yelula omesho aye koikalunga yeumbo laIsrael noita nyateke omukainhu womukwao noita ehene komukainhu pomafiku aye, 7 ndele ita fininike nande umwe. Nombabyona ye e i kwatelele oikolo, ote i shunifa; ita nyeka, ta pe ou e nondjala omungome waye, naau e li hamunghele, ote mu uvike noshikutu; 8 oikolo ite i kwatifa eliko ndele ita tambula oshishoshela, eke laye ite li kumifa eshi inashi yuka, ndele ta tokola pauyuki pokati komunhu nomunhu; 9 ndele ta ende paenghedimhango dange ndele ta diinine omalombwelo ange a longe pauyuki, ye omuyuki, ndele ta ka kala e nomwenyo shili, Omwene Kalunga ta ti.”
10 “Ndele ye ngeenge a dala omona ou a ninga omunyeki nomutilishi wohonde, ou ta ningi nande shimwe shomoinima ei, 11 fimbo ye mwene ina ninga sha shomwaaishe ei, ngeenge ye ta li keemhunda ndele ta nyateke omukainhu womukwao, 12 ta fininike omukwanaluhepo nohepele, ta nyeka, ita shunifa ombabyona, ndele ta yelula omesho aye koikalunga, ta longo oixuna, 13 oikolo ote i kwatifa eliko ndele ta tambula oshishoshela, ye ota ka kala tuu nomwenyo? Ye ita ka kala nomwenyo. Oixuna aishe ei ye e i ninga. Ye e nokuhandukilwa nefyo. Etimba laye lohonde li li kombada yaye.
14 “Ndelenee, taleni, ye ngeenge a dala omona ou ta mono oulunde aushe waxe, ou e u longa, ote u mono, ndele ita longo oinima ya tya ngaha: 15 ita li keemhunda noita yelula omesho aye koikalunga yeumbo laIsrael, ita nyateke omukainhu wamukwao, 16 ndele ita fininike nande umwe, ita kufa ombabyona, ita nyeka, ta pe omunandjala omungome waye, ndele ta uvike noshikutu ou e li hamunghele, 17 ita yelula eke komukwanaluhepo, ita tambula oshishoshela nokunyeka, ta wanifa omalombwelo ange ndele ta shikula eenghedimhango dange, ye ita ka fya molwoulunde waxe, ye ota ka kala shili e nomwenyo. 18 Xe, osheshi ye ta velwa ombedi molwefininiko, ta nyeka nokutinha komumwaxe ndele ta longo mokati koshiwana shaye eshi inashi wapala, tala, ye e nokufya molwoulunde waye.
19 “Ndelenee nye otamu ti: ‘Oshike omona ita humbata omanyonauno axe?’ Ngeenge omona okwa longa ouyuki naashi sha yuka nokwa diinina eenghedimhango dange adishe noku di wanifa, ye ota ka kala shili e nomwenyo! 20 Omwenyo ou tau nyono u nokufya. Omona ita ka humbata oulunde waxe, naxe ita ka humbata oulunde womona. Ouyuki wovayuki tau ka kala kombada yaye, nouhenakalunga wovahenakalunga otau ka kala kombada yomuhenakalunga.
Omwene ta hafele elidilululo lomuhenakalunga
21 “Ndelenee omuhenakalunga ngeenge te lialuluka koulunde aushe ou a longa, ndele ta diinine eenghedimhango dange adishe, ndele ta longo ouyuki naashi sha yuka, ye ota ka kala shili e nomwenyo, ye ita ka fya. 22 Omatauluko aye aeshe e a ninga, itae mu valelwa vali. Molwouyuki ye ou a ninga, ye ota ka kala e nomwenyo. 23 Ame ngeno ndi hokwe efyo lomuhenakalunga? Omwene Kalunga ta ti. Hasheshi ngeno, ye ote lialuluka keendjila daye ndele ta kala e nomwenyo?
24 “Ndelenee omuyuki ngeenge ta kanduka mouyuki waye ndele ta nyono ndele ta longo oixuna aishe ei tai ningwa kovahenakalunga, ye ota ka kala mbela e nomwenyo? Omauyuki aye aeshe e a ninga, itaa ka dimbulukiwa vali. Ye ota ka fya molweliteeko laye, eshi e liteeka po, nomolwoulunde ou a ninga. 25 Nye natango tuu tamu ti: ‘Ondjila yOmwene inai yuka.’ Pwilikina hano, akutu, eumbo laIsrael! Ondjila yeni hayo tuu inai yuka? 26 Omuyuki ngeenge ta kanduka mouyuki waye ndele ta longo oulunde, ye ota fi molwaasho. Heeno, molwoulunde, e u ninga, ye ota fi, 27 ndele ngeenge omuhenakalunga te lialuluka mouhenakalunga waye, e u ninga, ndele ta longo ouyuki naashi sha yuka, ye ota ka xupifa omwenyo waye. 28 Ye e shi koneka ndele okwe lialuluka komatauluko aye aeshe, a ninga. Ye ota ka kala shili e nomwenyo, ye ita ka fya.
29 “Ndelenee eumbo laIsrael natango tali ti: ‘Ondjila yOmwene inai yuka.’ Eendjila dange inadi yuka hamba? Akutu, eumbo laIsrael! Eendjila deni, hado tuu inadi yuka! 30 Onghee hano, Ame ondi noku mu tokola, akutu, nye eumbo laIsrael, keshe umwe paendjila daye, Omwene Kalunga ta ti. Lialulukeni nye mu punguluke komatauluko eni aeshe, opo oo aha ninge kunye epundukifo oku mu pundulila moulunde. 31 Ekeleishi omatauluko eni aeshe aa mwa tauluka, ndele liningileni omutima mupe nomhepo ipe. Osheshi omolwashike mwa hala okufya, onye eumbo laIsrael? 32 Osheshi Ame inandi hokwa efyo laau ta fi, Omwene Kalunga ta ti. Onghee hano lialulukeni, nye mu kale mu nomwenyo.”
