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!
1 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje 2 e ta ti: “Eyeletumbulo ndika olyashike, aantu taye li tumbululula moshilongo Israel?
‘Oohekulu oya lile omagongwa gomandjembele,
nomayego goyana oga ningi uuge.’
3 “Oshili ngaashi ngame Kalunga omunamwenyo,” Omuwa Omupangeliawike ta ti, “itamu ka tumbululula we eyeletumbulo ndika muIsrael. 4 Omwenyo gwomuntu kehe ogwandje, omwenyo gwahe nomwenyo gwomwanamati ogwandje. Omuntu ngoka ta yono, oku na okusa.
5 “Natu tye oku na omuntu omwaanawa, omuyuuki nomunashili. 6 Iha simaneke iimenka yAaisraeli noiha li oohula dha saagelelwa pomahala giinonoma yuupagani. Iha nyateke omukiintu gwamushiinda she nenge a lale nomukiintu e li komwedhi. 7 Iha kotokele nenge a yuge mukwawo. Oha shunitha shoka a pelwe ombambyona; noha palutha aasindjala nokuzaleka aanankayi. 8 Iha pula ontanitho yiimaliwa ya liwa ongunga. Oha tindi okulonga uuwinayi e ta tokola etokolo lyu uka moontamanana. 9 Omuntu a tya ngaaka oha vulika kiipango yandje noha dhiginine omautho gandje. Oye omuyuuki nota kala e na omwenyo,” Omuwa Omupangeliawike osho ta popi.
10 “Natu tye ihe, omuntu a tya ngaaka oku na omwanamati ha yugu ye ha dhipaga, ha ningi iinima mbyoka 11 inaayi ningwa kuhe. Oha li oohula dha saagelelwa pomahala giinonoma yuupagani noha hondele aakulukadhi yaantu. 12 Oha kotokele oohepele, oha yugu, ye ha tindile shoka a pelwe ombambyona. Oha yi komahala giinonoma yuupagani, oha simaneke iimenka yi nyanyalitha, 13 oha li ongunga yiimaliwa, a mone ontanitho. Ota kala ngaa e na omwenyo? Aawoo! Ite gu mono! Okwa longo iihuna ayihe mbika, onkee ota ka sa. Ota ka kala e na uusama weso lye mwene.
14 “Natu tye natango, omuntu nguka omutiyali oku na omwanamati, ngoka e wete iihuna ayihe tayi longwa kuhe, ihe ye ita landula oshiholelwa shahe. 15 Iha simaneke iimenka yAaisraeli noiha li oohula dha saagelelwa pomahala giinonoma yuupagani. Iha hondele omukiintu gwamukwawo 16 nenge a hepeke omuntu nenge e mu yuge. Oha shunitha shoka a pelwe ombambyona. Oha palutha aasindjala noha zaleke aanankayi. 17 Oha tindi okulonga uuwinayi noiha li oongunga dhiimaliwa, a mone ontanitho. Oha dhiginine omautho gandje e ta vulika kiipango yandje. Oye ita si moluulunde wahe, ihe ota kala shili e na omwenyo. 18 Ihe he, ngoka a kotokele, a yugu nokwa longele aantu uuwinayi, okwa si moluulunde we mwene mboka a ningi.
19 “Ihe ne otamu pula tamu ti: ‘Omolwashike omwana inaa hepekwa omoluulunde wahe?’ Eyamukulo olyo ndika kutya omwana okwa ningi shoka shu uka nosho opala. Okwa vulika kiipango yandje ayihe e te yi dhiginine nawa. Onkee ta kala shili e na omwenyo. 20 Ngoka ta yono, oye e na okusa. Omwana ita hepekelwa uulunde wahe, nahe ita geelelwa uulunde womwana. Omuyuuki ota galulilwa uuwanawa molwiilonga ye iiwanawa, ihe omukeenakalunga ota geelelwa uuwinayi e u ningi.
21 “Omukeenakalunga ngele ote etha uulunde we e ta dhiginine iipango yandje, ngele ota longo shoka shu uka nosho opala, ita ka sa; ota kala e na omwenyo. 22 Uulunde we otau dhimwa po; nota kala e na omwenyo, oshoka okwa ningi shoka shu uka. 23 Ondi nyanyukilwe ando eso lyomukeenakalunga?” Osho Omuwa Omupangeliawike ta pula. “Aawe, ihe onda hala, i itedhulule, opo a kale e na omwenyo.
24 “Ihe omuyuuki ngele ote etha uuyuuki we e ta tameke okulonga uuwinayi, iilonga yiihuna ayihe mbyoka hayi longwa kaakaanakalunga, ota kala tuu e na omwenyo? Aawe! Kape na nando uuyuuki mboka a ningile tau dhimbulukiwa we. Ota ka sa moluukolokoshi nuulunde we.
25 “Ihe ne natango otamu ti: ‘Omuwa ita ningi nawa nando.’ Pulakenii ndje, ne Aaisraeli! Otamu dhiladhila kutya omukalo gwandje gwokuninga iinima mbika kagu li mondjila. Ne one kaamu li mondjila. 26 Omuyuuki ngele te etha okulonga uuyuuki nota tameke okuyona e ta si, ota si moluuwinayi mboka a longo. 27 Omukeenakalunga ngele te etha uulunde we e ta ningi shoka shu uka noshiwanawa, ota hupitha omwenyo gwe. 28 Okwa dhimbulula shoka ta ningi e te etha okuyona, onkee ano ita si shili, ihe ota kala e na omwenyo. 29 Ne Aaisraeli otamu ti: ‘Shoka Omuwa ta ningi, inashi uka nando.’ Otamu dhiladhila kutya omukalo gwandje inagu uka? Ndishi ne one kaamu li mondjila.
30 “Ngashingeyi ngame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike, otandi mu lombwele ne Aaisraeli kutya otandi ka pangula kehe gumwe gwomune pailonga ye. Etheni uulunde mboka tamu ningi, inamu etha uulunde u mu hanagule po. 31 Etheni iilonga ayihe yuulunde mwe yi longo ne mu kale mu na ombepo ompe nomwenyo omupe. Omolwashike mwa hala okusa, ne Aaisraeli?” 32 Omuwa Omupangeliawike ota ti: “Ngame itandi nyanyukilwa eso lyomuntu. Itedhululeni, opo mu kale mu na omwenyo.”
