A Story about Two Eagles and a Vine
1 The Lord said:
2 Ezekiel, son of man, tell the people of Israel the following story, 3 so they will understand what I am saying to them:
A large eagle with strong wings and beautiful feathers once flew to Lebanon. It broke the top branch off a cedar tree, 4 then carried it to a nation of merchants and left it in one of their cities. 5 The eagle also took a seed from Israel and planted it in a fertile field with plenty of water, like a willow tree beside a stream. 6 The seed sprouted and grew into a grapevine that spread over the ground. It had lots of leaves and strong, deep roots, and its branches grew upward toward the eagle.
7 There was another eagle with strong wings and thick feathers. The roots and branches of the grapevine soon turned toward this eagle, hoping it would bring water for the soil. 8 But the vine was already growing in fertile soil, where there was plenty of water to produce healthy leaves and large grapes.
9 Now tell me, Ezekiel, do you think this grapevine will live? Or will the first eagle pull it up by its roots and pluck off the grapes and let its new leaves die? The eagle could easily kill it without the help of a large and powerful army. 10 The grapevine is strong and healthy, but as soon as the scorching desert wind blows, it will quickly wither.
The Lord Explains the Story
11 The Lord said:
12 Ezekiel, ask the rebellious people of Israel if they know what this story means.
Tell them that the king of Babylonia came to Jerusalem, then he captured the king of Judah and his officials, and took them back to Babylon as prisoners. 13 He chose someone from the family of Judah's king and signed a treaty with him, then made him swear to be loyal. He also led away other important citizens, 14 so that the rest of the people of Judah would obey only him and never gain control of their own country again.
15 But this new king of Judah later rebelled against Babylonia and sent officials to Egypt to get horses and troops. Will this king be successful in breaking the treaty with Babylonia? Or will he be punished for what he's done?
16 As surely as I am the living Lord God, I swear that the king of Judah will die in Babylon, because he broke the treaty with the king of Babylonia, who appointed him king. 17 Even the king of Egypt and his powerful army will be useless to Judah when the Babylonians attack and build towers and dirt ramps to destroy the cities of Judah and its people. 18 The king of Judah broke his own promises and ignored the treaty with Babylonia. And so he will be punished!
19 He made a promise in my name and swore to honor the treaty. And now that he has broken that promise, my name is disgraced. He must pay for what he's done. 20 I will spread out a net to trap him. Then I will drag him to Babylon and see that he is punished for his unfaithfulness to me. 21 His best troops will be killed in battle, and the survivors will be scattered in every direction. I, the Lord, have spoken.
22 Someday, I, the Lord,
will cut a tender twig
from the top of a cedar tree,
then plant it on the peak
of Israel's tallest mountain,
23 where it will grow
strong branches
and produce large fruit.
All kinds of birds will find
shelter under the tree,
and they will rest in the shade
of its branches.
24 Every tree in the forest
will know that I, the Lord,
can bring down tall trees
and help short ones grow.
I dry up green trees
and make dry ones green.
I, the Lord, have spoken,
and I will keep my word.
Eyele lyekodhi nomuviinu
1 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti: 2 “Muna gwomuntu, lombwela Aaisraeli eyele ndika, 3 li ya tseyithile shoka ngame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike, tandi ya lombwele: Okwa li ku na ekodhi enenenene li na omalwenya go opala nomawawa omanene ga pakalala. Olya tuka kombanda yoondundu dhaLibanon e tali teya ko ondungu yomusendeli 4 nolye yi fala koshilongo shokuhalitha e tali yi tula moshilando shaanangeshefa. 5 Olya kutha ihe oshimeno oshishona moshilongo Israel e tali shi tsike mevi lyo ondoka, mpoka hapu tondoka omeya goku shi kokitha. 6 Oshimeno osha tsapuka oshihupihupi nosha ningi omuviinu gwa yalalala. Iitayi yagwo oya koko yu uka lwokekodhi, nomidhi odha yi muule. Omuviinu ogwi igandjana nogwa ziza nawa.
7 “Okwa li ishewe ekodhi ekwawo li na omawawa omanene nomalwenya ga thita. Omuviinu ogwa taandeleke iitayi yagwo lwokulyo, nomafo gagwo oga taalela kulyo, opo li gu tekele nawa shi vule omeya gomoshikunino. 8 Ihe omuviinu ogwa tsikwa nale mevi lyo ondoka nolya tuta nawa, opo gu zize omafo nogu ime omandjembele, gu ninge omuviinu gwo opala. 9 Ngame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike, otandi pula ngashingeyi: Omuviinu nguka otagu kala tuu gu na omwenyo gu koke? Ekodhi lyotango itali tudha mo omidhi dhagwo nokutona ko omahila nokuteya iitayi noku yi kukutika? Itashi pula oonkondo odhindji nenge oshigwana oshinankondo oku gu tudha po. 10 Eeno, ogwa tsikwa, ihe otagu kala tuu gu na omwenyo notagu koko? Itagu kukuta, ombepo yokuuzilo nge ye gu pepele? Itagu kukutile mpoka gwa kokele?”
Eyele tali fatululwa
11 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti: 12 “Pula aatangalali mbaka, ngele oyu uvite ko tuu eyele shoka tali ti. Ya lombwela kutya omukwaniilwa gwaBabilonia okwe ya kuJerusalem e ta kutha mo omukwaniilwa nomalenga ge e te ya fala kuBabilon. 13 Okwa kutha gumwe gwomezimo ekwaniilwa, a hangana naye e te mu ganitha egano lyokuvulika. Aanamadhina okwe ya ningi oonkwatwa. 14 Ina hala oshigwana shi penduke po ishewe nokutonatela ehangano lyawo li dhigininwe. 15 Ihe omukwaniilwa gwaJuda okwa tsu ondumbo e ta tumu aatumwa kuEgipiti, ya ka tale ko uukambe nomatanga omanene giita. Ote shi vulu tuu? Ota hunuka mo ngaa? Ita vulu okuyona ehangano lyawo e ta kala inaa geelwa!
16 “Oshili ngaashi ngame Kalunga omunamwenyo,” Omuwa Omupangeliawike ta popi, “omukwaniilwa nguka ota ka sila muBabilon, oshoka okwa yono egano lye nehangano ndyoka a hangana nomukwaniilwa gwaBabilonia, ngoka e mu tula koshipundi. 17 Etangakwiita enankondo lyaEgipiti itali vulu oku mu popila, uuna Aababilonia taa tungu omutuni gwekondekela notaa fulu omikanka, opo ya dhipage aantu oyendji. 18 Okwa yono egano lye nehangano e li hangana. Ayihe mbika okwe yi ningi, noita ka hunuka we.”
19 Omuwa Omupangeliawike ota ti: “Oshili ngaashi ngame Kalunga omunamwenyo, otandi ke mu geela, sho a yono ehangano ndyoka a ganene medhina lyandje, e li dhiginine. 20 Otandi ka lukila omwigo gu mu yule. Otandi ke mu fala kuBabilonia noku mu geelela hoka, oshoka ina inekela ndje. 21 Aakwiita ye ya pyokoka otaa ka dhipagelwa molugodhi, naamboka taa hupu ko, otaa ka halakanithilwa koombinga adhihe. Otamu ka tseya kutya ongame, Omuwa, nda popi.”
Euvaneko lyaKalunga lyetegameno
22 Omuwa Omupangeliawike ota popi ta ti:
“Otandi ka kutha ondungu yomusendeli,
okatayi opo ka tsapuka tandi ke ka teya;
otandi ka tsike kondundu onde,
23 okondundu ondeendeka yaIsrael.
Otaka ka tsapuka iitayi
e taka imi e taka ningi omusendeli gwo opala.
Oondhila dhomaludhi agehe
otadhi gongalele mo,
tadhi kala momuzile gwagwo.
24 Omiti adhihe moshilongo otadhi ka tseya
kutya ongame Omuwa.
Otandi ke po omiti omile
notandi kokitha omiti omifupi.
Otandi kukutike omiti dha ziza
notandi zizike omiti dha kukuta.
Ongame Omuwa nda popi. Otandi ningi shoka nda ti, otandi shi ningi.”
