The Lord Appoints Ezekiel To Stand Watch
(Ezekiel 3.16-21)1 The Lord said:
2 Ezekiel, son of man, warn your people by saying:
Someday, I, the Lord, may send an enemy to invade a country. And suppose its people choose someone to stand watch 3 and to sound a warning signal when the enemy is seen coming. 4-5 If any of these people hear the signal and ignore it, they will be killed in battle. But it will be their own fault, because they could have escaped if they had paid attention.
6 But suppose the person watching fails to sound the warning signal. The enemy will attack and kill some of the sinful people in that country, and I, the Lord, will hold that person responsible for their death.
7 Ezekiel, I have appointed you to stand watch for the people of Israel. So listen to what I say, then warn them for me. 8 When I tell wicked people they will die because of their sins, you must warn them to turn from their sinful ways. But if you refuse to warn them, you are responsible for their death. 9 If you do warn them, and they keep sinning, they will die because of their sins, and you will be innocent.
The Lord Is Always Fair
(Ezekiel 18.21-30)10 The Lord said:
Ezekiel, son of man, the people of Israel are complaining that the punishment for their sins is more than they can stand. They have lost all hope for survival, and they blame me. 11 Tell them that as surely as I am the living Lord God, I don't like to see wicked people die. I enjoy seeing them turn from their sins and live. So if the Israelites want to live, they must stop sinning and turn back to me.
12 Tell them that when good people start sinning, all the good they did in the past cannot save them from being punished. And remind them that when wicked people stop sinning, their past sins will be completely forgiven, and they won't be punished.
13 Suppose I promise good people that they will live, then later they start sinning and believe they will be saved by the good they did in the past. These people will certainly be put to death because of their sins. Their good deeds will be forgotten.
14 Suppose I warn wicked people that they will die because of their sins, and they stop sinning and start doing right. 15 For example, they need to return anything they have taken as security for a loan and anything they have stolen. Then if they stop doing evil and start obeying my Law, they will live. 16 Their past sins will be forgiven, and they will live because they have done right.
17 Ezekiel, your people accuse me of being unfair. But they are the ones who are unfair. 18 If good people start doing evil, they will be put to death, because they have sinned. 19 And if wicked people stop sinning and start doing right, they will save themselves from punishment. 20 But the Israelites still think I am unfair. So warn them that they will be punished for what they have done.
The News of Jerusalem's Fall
21 Twelve years after King Jehoiachin and the rest of us had been led away as prisoners to Babylonia, a refugee who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me on the fifth day of the tenth month. He told me that the city had fallen.
22 The evening before this man arrived at my house, the Lord had taken control of me. So when the man came to me the next morning, I could once again speak.
What Will Happen to Those Left in Israel?
23 Then the Lord said:
24 Ezekiel, son of man, the people living in the ruined cities of Israel are saying, “Abraham was just one man, and the Lord gave him this whole land of Israel. There are many of us, and so this land must be ours.”
25 So, Ezekiel, tell them I am saying:
How can you think the land is still yours? You eat meat with blood in it and worship idols. You commit murder 26 and spread violence throughout the land. Everything you do is wicked; you are even unfaithful in marriage. And you claim the land is yours!
27 As surely as I am the living Lord God, you people in the ruined cities will be killed in battle. Those of you living in the countryside will be eaten by wild animals, and those hiding in caves and on rocky cliffs will die from deadly diseases. 28 I will make the whole country an empty wasteland and crush the power in which you take such pride. Even the mountains will be bare, and no one will try to cross them. 29 I will punish you because of your sins, and I will turn your nation into a barren desert. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
The People Listen, but Don't Change
The Lord said:
30 Ezekiel, son of man, the people with you in Babylonia talk about you when they meet by the city walls or in the doorways of their houses. They say, “Let's ask Ezekiel what the Lord has said today.” 31 So they all come and listen to you, but they refuse to do what you tell them. They claim to be faithful, but they are forever trying to cheat others out of their money. 32 They treat you as though you were merely singing love songs or playing music. They listen, but don't do anything you say.
33 Soon they will be punished, just as you warned, and they will know that a prophet has been among them.
Kalunga ta langeke Hesekiel muulangeli
(Hes. 3:16-20)1 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti: 2 “Muna gwomuntu, lombwela aantu shoka tashi ningwa, uuna tandi eta iita moshilongo. Aantu yoshilongo shoka otaa hogolola gumwe gwomongundu yawo, a ninge omulangeli. 3 Uuna ta mono aatondi taa hedha ko, ota hiki ohiya, a londodhe shaa ngoka. 4 Ngele oku na ngoka te yi uvu, ihe ita pupu ko, naatondi oye ya e taye mu dhipaga, nena oye e na ondjo yeso lye mwene. 5 Eso lye olyo ondjo ye mwene, oshoka ina vulika kelondodho. Ando okwa pulakenene, ando a fadhuka po. 6 Omulangeli ngele ota mono omutondi te ya, ye ita hiki ohiya, omutondi ote ya nota dhipaga aayoni mboka, ihe ombinzi yawo otandi yi pula miikaha yomulangeli.
7 “Muna gwomuntu, ngashingeyi otandi ku langeke omulangeli gwoshigwana Israel. Ou na oku ya lombwela omalondodho ngoka nde ku pe. 8 Ngele otandi ku lombwele te ti, omulunde ota ka sa, ihe ngoye ito mu londodha, a ethe oondjila dhe oombwinayi, opo a hupithe omwenyo gwe, nena ota ka sa shili moluulunde, nombinzi ye otandi yi pula miikaha yoye. 9 Ngele oto londodha omulunde, ihe ite etha uulunde, ota ka sa omoluulunde we, ihe ngoye wa hupitha omwenyo gwoye.”
Shaa ngoka polwe mwene
10 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti: “Muna gwomuntu, tumbululila Aaisraeli sho haa popi taa ti: ‘Otwa tsikwa uulunde wetu nomapuko ngoka twa ningi. Otatu kombwa po. Otatu kala, ngiini tu na omwenyo?’ 11 Ya lombwela kutya oshili, ngaashi ngame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike, Kalunga omunamwenyo, itandi nyanyukilwa omulunde ta si. Onda hala, i itedhulule ye a kale e na omwenyo. Israel, etha uulunde to u ningi. Omolwashike wa hala okusa?
12 “Muna gwomuntu, lombwela ngashingeyi Aaisraeli kutya omuyuuki ngele ta yono, uuyuuki mboka a longele itau mu hupitha. Omulunde ngele ote etha uulunde, ita ka pangulwa, nomuyuuki ngele ota tameke okuyona, omwenyo gwe itagu hupithwa. 13 Ngele otandi lombwele omuyuuki kutya oku na omwenyo, ihe ota yono ta dhiladhila kutya uuyuuki we wonale owa gwana oku mu hupitha, itandi dhimbulukwa we uuyuuki we wonale. Ota ka sa moluulunde we. 14 Ngele otandi londodha omulunde kutya ota ka sa, ye ote etha okuyona e ta kala omuyuuki — 15 ngaashi ando, ngele ota galula shoka e shi pelwe ombambyona nota shunitha shoka a yakele — ngele ote etha okuyona e ta landula oompango ndhoka tadhi gandja omwenyo, ita ka sa, ihe ota kala e na omwenyo. 16 Otandi ka dhima po uulunde e u longo nota kala e na omwenyo, oshoka okwa longa shoka shu uka noshiwanawa.
17 “Aantu yoye ohaa ti, kandi li mondjila! Ihe otandi ti, yo oyo yaa li mondjila! 18 Uuna omuyuuki te etha okulonga uuyuuki, e ta tameke okuyona, ota ka sa molwasho. 19 Uuna omukeenakalunga te etha okuyona e ta longo uuyuuki nuuwanawa, okwa hupitha omwenyo gwe. 20 Ihe Israel ngoye, oto ti shoka tandi ningi inashi uka. Otandi ke ku pangula pailonga yoye.”
Onkundana yetekopo lyaJerusalem
21 Mesiku etitano lyomwedhi omutimulongo gwomumvo omutimulongo nomutiyali guupongekwa wetu, kungame okwe ya omuntu a zi ondapo kuJerusalem e ta lombwele ndje kutya oshilando osha teka po. 22 Ongulohi ndjoka ya tetekele eyo lye, oshikaha shOmuwa osha kwata ndje. Omuntu sho a thiki ongula sho kwa shi, Omuwa okwa makula okana kandje ndi popye.
Oondjo dhaantu
23 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti: 24 “Muna gwomuntu, aantu mboka ye li momakulukuma giilando yaIsrael, otaa ti: ‘Abraham okwa li oye awike, sho a pewa evi alihe. Ngashingeyi tse oyendji, onkee evi lya ningi uuthiga wetu.’
25 “Ya lombwela shoka ngame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike, tandi popi te ti: Ohamu li onyama yi na ombinzi. Ohamu simaneke iimenka. Ohamu dhipaga. Oshike tashi mu dhiladhilitha kutya evi olyeni? 26 Omwi inekela omagongamwele geni. Iilonga yeni oyi nyanyalitha. Shaa ngoka ota hondele. Oshike tashi mu dhiladhilitha kutya evi olyeni?
27 “Ya lombwela kutya ngame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike, otandi ya londodha kutya oshili ngaashi ngame Kalunga omunamwenyo, aantu mboka ye li momakulukuma giilando, otaa ka dhipagwa po. Mboka ya kala moshilongo, otaa ka lika po kiilikama. Mboka taa holama moondundu nomomakololo, otaa ka sa koshivu. 28 Otandi ka mbugaleka oshilongo, nomanganga gawo guuntsa otaga hulu po. Noondundu dhaIsrael otadhi ka mbugala, nokaku na ngoka te ke dhi taakana. 29 Uuna tandi geelele aantu oondjo dhawo nokumbugaleka oshilongo, nena otaa ka tseya kutya ongame Omuwa.”
Uunzapo wetumwalaka lyomuhunganeki
30 Omuwa okwa popi a ti: “Muna gwomuntu, aantu yoye otaye ku popi, nge taa tsakanene pomakuma goshilando nenge piiyelo yomagumbo gawo. Otaa lombwelathana taa ti: ‘Tu yeni tu ka pulakene oohapu ndhoka dha zi kOmuwa ngashingeyi.’ 31 Aantu yandje otaa gongala oongundu, ya uve shoka to popi, ihe itaa gwanitha shoka to ti. Otaa pulakene oohapu dhoye tadhi shata, ihe omitima dhawo otadhi lalakanene omaliko giifundja. 32 Kuyo ku shi sha shilwe shaa shi omuholi gwokwiimba omaimbilo taga nyanyudha nenge okuhika okaharpa. Otaa pulakene oohapu dhoye adhihe, ihe itaa vulika nando okuyimwe yomudho. 33 Ihe uuna oohapu dhoye nadhi ka tsa — odho notadhi ka tsa — nena otaa ka tseya kutya omuhunganeki okwa kala mokati kawo.”
