A Funeral Song for Israel's Leaders
The Lord said:
1 Ezekiel, sing a funeral song for two of Israel's leaders:
2 Your mother was a brave lioness
who raised her cubs
among lions.
3 She taught one of them to hunt,
and he learned to eat people.
4 When the nations heard of him,
they trapped him in a pit,
then they used hooks
to drag him to Egypt.
5 His mother waited
for him to return.
But soon she lost all hope
and raised another cub,
who also became fierce.
6 He hunted with other lions
and learned to eat people.
7 He destroyed fortresses
and ruined towns;
his mighty roar
terrified everyone.
8 Nations plotted to kill him,
and people came from all over
to spread out a net
and catch him in a trap.
9 They put him in a cage
and took him to Babylonia.
The lion was locked away,
so that his mighty roar
would never again be heard
on Israel's hills.
10 Your mother was a vine like you,
growing near a stream.
There was plenty of water,
so she was filled with branches
and with lots of fruit.
11 Her strong branches
became symbols of authority,
and she was taller
than all other trees—
everyone could see how strong
and healthy she was.
12 But in anger, I pulled her up
by the roots
and threw her to the ground,
where the scorching desert wind
dried out her fruit.
Her strong branches wilted
and burned up.
13 Then she was planted
in a hot, dry desert,
14 where her stem caught fire,
and flames burned
her branches and fruit.
Not one strong branch is left;
she is stripped bare.
This funeral song must be sung with sorrow.
Eimbilokemo
1 Ndelenee, inda mo mokwiimba eimbilokemo molweehamba daIsrael, 2 u tye:
Nyoko okwa li omushike? Onghoshi yonghadi.
Yo ya nangala mokati keenghoshi,
mokati keenghoshi eenyasha
yo ya kulika ounghoshona vayo.
3 Ndele yo ya kulika imwe yomounghoshona vayo,
noya ninga onghoshi onyasha.
Ndele yo ya longwa okunyanyaula oikwatomwa,
oya lya ovanhu.
4 Ndele oiwana oye i uda.
Ove i kwatela mekelo lavo,
ndele vo ve i shilila nongovololo kedu laEgipiti.
5 Ndele ina, eshi ya mona yo ya kala ko,
eteelelo layo la kana,
oya kufa okanghoshona kamwe komounghoshona vayo,
ndele tai ka kulike onghoshi onyasha.
6 Ndele yo oya endaenda mokati keenghoshi
noya ninga onghoshi onyasha,
ndele ya longwa okunyanyaula oikwatomwa, oya lya ovanhu.
7 Yo oya shiva ovafiyekadi vavo noya hanauna po oilando yavo,
heeno, oshilongo nouyadi washo, osha haluka,
eshi sha uda okukumba kwayo.
8 Opo nee oiwana keembinga neembinga
oya fikama oku i lwifa,
ndele ya yala kombada yayo ondjadja yayo.
Mekelo lavo yo oya kwatwa.
9 Ndele yo oya tulwa moshikuku shoilyani noye i ngovolola,
ndele ye i twala kohamba yomuBabilon.
Yo oye i tula modolongo,
ondaka yayo iha udike vali keemhunda daIsrael.
10 Nyoko okwa li ngaashi omuviinyu mutalala
wa twikwa pomeva.
Wa ima nou yadi oitai molwomeva mahapu.
11 Ndele oo wa mona oitai ya pama
ya wana okuhongwa epangelodibo leehamba;
noxulo yao ya ya pombada mokati koitai ya hapa,
ndele wa monikila kokule oule wao mouhapu woitai.
12 Ndelenee wa dudwa mo moupyuhandu,
nowa dengwa poshi,
nomhepo yokoushilo oya kukutifa oiimati yao.
Oshitai sha pama, sha xwikwa po komundilo.
13 Ndele paife owa twikwa mofuka,
medu likukutu nola fya enota.
14 Ndele omundilo wa dja moshitai shi yadi outai,
oo wa lungwinifa po oiimati yao,
ndele kape na vali oshitai shi hongwe epangelodibo li pangele.
Osho eimbilokemo, nosha ninga eimbilokemo.
