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.
Kalunga ta pangula iimenka
1 Aawiliki yamwe yaIsrael oye ya kungame, ya pule ehalo lyOmuwa. 2 Nena Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti: 3 “Muna gwomuntu, aantu mbaka oya gandja oomwenyo dhawo kiimenka yi ya fale muulunde. Otaa dhiladhila, ndi ya yamukule?
4 “Ya lombwela shoka ngame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike, tandi ya lombwele: Omuisraeli kehe ngoka i igandjela iimenka noye mu falitha muulunde, ngele ote ya a pule omuhunganeki, ota ka mona eyamukulo lya za kungame — eyamukulo olyo ndyoka iimenka ye ye li ilongele! 5 Iimenka ayihe mbyoka oya pukitha Aaisraeli, ihe keyamukulo lyandje otandi ka sinda einekelo lyawo.
6 “Onkee ano ngashingeyi lombwela Aaisraeli shoka ngame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike, tandi ti: Galukeni nomu ethe iimenka yeni yi nyanyalitha.
7 “Kashi na nee ombudhi, na kale oye Omuisraeli nenge oye omukwiilongo ngoka a kala megongalo lyaIsrael nokwa pilamene ndje e ta simaneke iimenka nota yi a ka pule omuhunganeki, ongame, Omuwa, tandi mu pe eyamukulo! 8 Otandi ke mu kondjitha. Otandi ke mu ninga elondodhitho. Otandi mu kondo megongalo lyaantu yandje, opo mu tseye kutya ongame Omuwa.
9 “Omuhunganeki ngele ota kotokelwa a yamukule eyamukulo lyiifundja, osha ningwa, oshoka ongame mwene, Omuwa, nde mu pukitha. Otandi mu kondo mo mAaisraeli, 10 Ayehe yaali, omuhunganeki naangoka ta pula omayele, otaa geelwa sha faathana. 11 Shika otandi shi ningi, opo ndi keelele Aaisraeli yaa ethe ndje noyi inyatekele muulunde wawo. Oye na okukala aantu yandje, nangame ote kala Kalunga kawo.” Omuwa Omupangeliawike oye a popi.
Noa, Daniel naJob
12 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti: 13 “Muna gwomuntu, ngele oku na oshilongo tashi yono noitashi inekele ndje, otandi ka taganeka okwooko kwandje nokuhanagula po olunza lwasho lwiikulya. Otandi tumu ondjala, yi lye po aantu niimuna. 14 Nonando mu kale aalumentu mbaka yatatu, Noa, Daniel naJob, uuyuuki wawo otau hupitha oomwenyo dhawo adhike.” Omuwa Omupangeliawike oye a popi.
15 “Nenge ondi na okutuma iilikama, yi lye po aantu, notayi etele oshilongo oshiponga, opo pwaa kale ngoka te shi taakana, 16 nonando mu kale aalumentu mboka yatatu — oshili ngaashi ngame Omuwa Omupangeliawike, Kalunga omunamwenyo — itaa vulu okuhupitha nando oyana. Otaa hupitha ashike oomwenyo dhawo yene, noshilongo otashi ka ninga eputu.
17 “Nenge ondi na okutuma iita moshilongo shoka nokugandja omatati ga dhipage po aantu niimuna, 18 nonando aalumentu mboka yatatu ya kale mo — oshili ngaashi ngame Omuwa Omupangeliawike, Kalunga omunamwenyo — itaa vulu okuhupitha nando oyana, oomwenyo dhawo adhike.
19 “Ngele oshilongo shoka tandi shi tumine elega, nomondjahi yandje te kutha po oomwenyo odhindji, te dhipaga aantu niimuna, 20 nonando mu kale Noa, Daniel naJob — oshili ngaashi ngame Omuwa Omupangeliawike, Kalunga omunamwenyo — itaa vulu okuhupitha nando oyana. Uuyuuki wawo otau hupitha ashike oomwenyo dhawo.”
21 Omuwa Omupangeliawike ota popi ta ti: “Jerusalem otandi shi tumine omageelo gandje gane omadhigulela: iita, ondjala, iilikama nelega, ga hanagwe po aantu niimuna. 22 Ngele oku na ngoka ta hupu ko e ta hupitha oyana, ya koneka sho taa ya kungoye. Tala, nkene oyo aalunde, opo u dhimbulule kutya egeelo ndyoka tandi geele nalyo Jerusalem, olyopauyuuki, 23 noto ka koneka kutya nani ashihe shoka nda longo, osho opala.” Omuwa Omupangeliawike oye a popi.
