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.”
Exulilo laJerusalem
1 Ndele momudo omutimugoi mohani onhimulongo, metimulongo lohani, ondjovo yOmwene ye uya kwaame ndele tai ti: 2 “Kaana komunhu, lishangela membo edina lefiku, heeno, lefiku tuu eli. Mefiku tuu eli ohamba yaBabilon tai lotokele Jerusalem. 3 Ndele epata li nondubo li lombwela ekumbiko, u tye kuvo: Omwene Kalunga ta ti ngaha:
Tula ombiya pomafiya, i tula po,
ndele paka mo omeva.
4 Oikambi aishe yombelela i paka mo,
oikambi aishe iwa, oshilama nombeyo.
I yadifa omakipa mawa.
5 Kufa eedi da hoololwa ndele tula oikuni koshi.
Nai fuluke unene.
Nomakipa yo muyo e nokupya.”
6 Onghee hano, Omwene Kalunga ta ti ngaha: “Woo oshilando shohonde, ombiya i noilemo ya kanyatela mo. Kufa mo oshikambi noshikambi, inashi umbilwa oshihoololifo. 7 Osheshi ohonde ya tilwashi kusho oi li meni lasho. Ye e i ongela kemanya li li ngasho. Ye ine i tilashi medu opo i fufilwe nedu. 8 Ame nda tula ohonde kemanya li li hamungaho, iha fufilwe, opo oupyuhandu wange nonghone yange i penduke.”
9 Onghee hano, Omwene Kalunga ta ti ngaha: “Woo oshilando shohonde! Ame ohandi ka hapupalifa oikuni omundilo u titime. 10 Ka keni po oikuni ihapu! Temeni po omundilo! Paka po ombelela fiyo ya pya! Fulukifa omunghoka! Nomakipa naa lungwine! 11 Ndele i efa, nai kale ngaho komakala, opo i pupyale, oshivela shayo shitwima shi tilyane nomakako ayo a shiive okuhemuka muyo, heeno, oilemo yomuyo i pye po. 12 Opa kala shili oupyakadi, fiyo okuloloka, ndele oilemo yayo ihapu inai pwa mo muyo. Oilemo yayo nai ye momundilo! 13 Omolwonyata yoye tai nyonyodolifa, nande Ame nda li nda hala oku ku yapula, ndele ove ino yapuka, ove ito ka yapulwa fimbo Ame inandi tulumukifila mwoove oupyuhandu wange. 14 Aame Omwene, nde shi tya. Otau uya, ndele Ame ohandi ke u ninga. Ame itandi ka efa, itandi ka tala nolukeno ile okulialuluka. Pakweenda kwoye nopailonga yoye vo otave ke mu tokola, Omwene Kalunga ta ti.”
15 Ondjovo yOmwene ye uya vali kwaame, ndele tai ti: 16 “Kaana komunhu, tala, Ame ohandi kufa po ouhokwe womesho oye nokufya kwohaluka. Ndelenee ino kema, ino lila, ndele ino pitifa omahodi. 17 Tula oshenyo poshi. Ino lila eefya. Djala embale loye loshivilo komutwe, djala eenghaku keemhadi. Ino uvika omilungu deni ndele ino lya omungome tau etwa kovanhu.”
18 Opo nee nda popya novanhu etango longula, ndelenee onguloshi omukainhu wange okwa fya. Ndele ongula nda ninga ngaashi nda lombwelwa. 19 Ndele ovanhu va lombwela nge, va pula tava ti: “Ito tu shiivifile, otashi ti shike, eshi to ningi ngaha?” 20 Opo nee ame nde va nyamukula handi ti: “Ondjovo yOmwene ye uya kwaame, ndele tai ti: 21 Tya keumbo laIsrael: Omwene Kalunga ota ti ngaha: Tala, Ame ohandi ka nyateka otembeli yange, ohotengulu yeni, efimano lokulinenepeka, ouhokwe womesho eni nodjuulufi yomwenyo. Ndele ovana veni ovamati noukadona, ava mwe va fiile mo, otava ka dipawa keongamukonda. 22 Opo nee tamu ka ninga ngaashi Ame nda ningile: Nye itamu ka uvika omilungu deni noitamu ka lya omungome tau etwa kovanhu. 23 Ndele embale leni tali ka kala komitwe deni neenghaku deni okeemhadi deni. Nye itamu ka kema ile mu lile, ndelenee nye tamu ka ngonopala molwoulunde weni nokutula oshenyo poshi omunhu nomunhu. 24 Ndele Hesekiel ta ka kala edidiliko kunye. Ngaashi naanaa a ningile, osho nye otamu ka ninga. Sho ngeenge tashi uya, nye otamu ka shiiva, nokutya, Aame Omwene Kalunga.”
25 Omwene okwa tya: “Ndee oove, kaana komunhu! Mefiku tuu olo, Ame ohandi ka kufa po ohotengulu yavo, ehafo linene lavo nouhokwe womesho avo, nodjuulufi yeemwenyo davo, novana vavo ovamati noukadona, 26 mefiku tuu olo nakuyonhapo te uya kwoove e shi ku shiivifile momatwi oye. 27 Mefiku tuu olo okanya koye taka makuka nokanya kanakuyonhapo, ndele ove to ka popya, ito kala vali wa fita ondaka. Osho ngaha ove oto ka ninga edidiliko kuvo, ndele vo otava ka shiiva nokutya, Aame Omwene.”
