The Prophet as a Refugee
1 The Lord spoke to me. 2 “Mortal man,” he said, “you are living among rebellious people. They have eyes, but they see nothing; they have ears, but they hear nothing, because they are rebellious.
3 “Now, mortal man, pack a bundle just as a refugee would and start out before nightfall. Let everyone see you leaving and going to another place. Maybe those rebels will notice you. 4 While it is still daylight, pack your bundle for exile, so that they can see you, and then let them watch you leave in the evening as if you were going into exile. 5 While they are watching, break a hole through the wall of your house and take your pack out through it. 6 Let them watch you putting your pack on your shoulder and going out into the dark with your eyes covered, so that you can't see where you are going. What you do will be a warning to the Israelites.”
7 I did what the Lord told me to do. That day I packed a bundle as a refugee would, and that evening as it was getting dark I dug a hole in the wall with my hands and went out. While everyone watched, I put the pack on my shoulder and left.
8 The next morning the Lord spoke to me. 9 “Mortal man,” he said, “now that those Israelite rebels are asking you what you're doing, 10 tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to them. This message is for the prince ruling in Jerusalem and for all the people who live there. 11 Tell them that what you have done is a sign of what will happen to them—they will be refugees and captives. 12 The prince who is ruling them will shoulder his pack in the dark and escape through a hole that they dig for him in the wall. He will cover his eyes and not see where he is going. 13 But I will spread out my net and trap him in it. Then I will take him to the city of Babylon, where he will die without having seen it. 14 I will scatter in every direction all the members of his court and his advisers and bodyguards, and people will search for them to kill them.
15 “When I scatter them among the other nations and in foreign countries, they will know that I am the Lord. 16 I will let a few of them survive the war, the famine, and the diseases, so that there among the nations they will realize how disgusting their actions have been and will acknowledge that I am the Lord.”
The Sign of the Trembling Prophet
17 The Lord spoke to me. 18 “Mortal man,” he said, “tremble when you eat, and shake with fear when you drink. 19 Tell the whole nation that this is the message of the Sovereign Lord to the people of Jerusalem who are still living in their land: They will tremble when they eat and shake with fear when they drink. Their land will be stripped bare, because everyone who lives there is lawless. 20 Cities that are now full of people will be destroyed, and the country will be made a wilderness. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
A Popular Proverb and an Unpopular Message
21 The Lord spoke to me. 22 “Mortal man,” he said, “why do the people of Israel repeat this proverb: ‘Time goes by, and predictions come to nothing’? 23 Now tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, have to say about that. I will put an end to that proverb. It won't be repeated in Israel any more. Tell them instead: The time has come, and the predictions are coming true!
24 “Among the people of Israel there will be no more false visions or misleading prophecies. 25 I, the Lord, will speak to them, and what I say will be done. There will be no more delay. In your own lifetime, you rebels, I will do what I have warned you I would do. I have spoken,” says the Sovereign Lord.
26 The Lord said to me, 27 “Mortal man, the Israelites think that your visions and prophecies are about the distant future. 28 So tell them that I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying: There will be no more delay. What I have said will be done. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
Omuprofete otja omutaure
1 Muhona wa hungira ku ami a tja: 2 “Muatje womundu, ove mo tura mokati komuhoko omupikapike. Owo ve nomeho, nungwari kave na tji ve muna; ve nomatwi, nungwari kave na tji ve zuva, orondu owo ovapirukire.
3 “Nambano, muatje womundu, kuta omutwaro otja omutaure tjinga e tjita, nu mutenya u kumuke. Auhe nga mune kutja ove mo tjindire kotjirongo tjarwe. Ngahino ovapirukire mbo mave ku munu, 4 ngunda e ri mutenya, kuta omutwaro woye otja omuhuurwa tje tjita kokutja ve ku mune; nu tjita kutja ve ku mune, tji mo i ongurova aayo mo i kouhuura. 5 Ngunda amave ku tarere, topora ondovi mekuma rondjuwo yoye nu u pitisire mo omutwaro woye. 6 Ngave ku tarere tji mo toora omutwaro woye komutenge; nu tji wa piti konḓorera, kutjira omurungu woye kutja o ha munu ehi ku mo i. Imbi mbi mo tjiti mavi rire otjiraisiro tjomaronga kOvaisrael.”
7 Ami mba tjita imbi Muhona mbye ndji raera okutjita. Eyuva ndo mba kuta omutwaro wandje otja omutaure tje tjita; nongurova tji kwa zorere, ami arire tji mba topora ondovi mekuma rondjuwo nomake wandje nu arire tji mba piti. Ngunda amave tarere, mba twa omutwaro komutenge ne i.
8 Mependukirwa Muhona wa hungira ku ami a tja: 9 “Muatje womundu, nambano ovapirukire mbo tji mave ku pura kutja mo ungura tjike, 10 ve raera imbi ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, mbi me hungire ku wo. Ombuze ndji oyomupingene wombara ngu honapara mOjerusalem, noyOvaisrael avehe mba tura mo. 11 Ve raera kutja imbi mbi wa tjita, ovyo otjiraisiro tjaimbi mbi mavi katjitwa ku wo, owo mave taura nave rire ovahuurwa. 12 Omupingene ngu ve honaparera ma toora omutwaro we komutenge konḓorera na henene mondovi, ndji ve mu toporera mekuma. Eye ma kutjire omurungu we kutja a ha munu ehi ku ma i. 13 Nungwari ami me yara ombate yandje ne mu kambura na yo. Tjazumba me mu twara kotjihuro tja Babilon kehi ra Asur, ku ma kaṱira nokuhinokumuna ro. 14 Ami me piza kominda avihe ovandu avehe mbe ri puna ye, okutja ovayandjandunge ve novarwe ve wovita, nu meve paha kutja mbi ve zepe nomangaruvyo.
15 “Ami tji mba zu nokuverimba mokati koviwaṋa vyarwe na momahi wozonganda, mave tjiwa kutja owami ngu mbi ri Muhona. 16 Ami me tjiti kutja tjiva vawo ve hupe kovita na kondjara na komutjise omuzeu, kokutja imbo mokati koviwaṋa ve serekarere ozondjito zawo ozondjaukise, nokutja ovyo wina vi tjiwe kutja owami ngu mbi ri Muhona.”
Otjiraisiro tjomuprofete ngu ma zezera
17 Muhona wa hungira ku ami a tja: 18 “Muatje womundu, zezera tji mo ri omboroto yoye, nu u rihakihe mondira tji mo nu omeva. 19 Raera otjiwaṋa atjihe kutja indji oyo ombuze ya Muhona Ndjambi kovature va Jerusalem ingee mba rimbara mehi ra Israel. Owo mave zezera tji mave ri omboroto yawo nave rihakiha mondira tji mave nu omeva; orondu ehi rawo mari sewa tjo mena routwe wovature varo. 20 Ovihuro nambano mbye ura novandu mavi nyonwa, nehi mari rire ongaango. Nowo otji mave tjiwa kutja owami ngu mbi ri Muhona.”
Omiano omitjiukwa nombuze ndji he ri ondjiukwa
21 Muhona wa hungira ku ami a tja: 22 “Muatje womundu, okutjavi Ovaisrael tji ve yarukirapo omuano mbwi povikando ovingi nai: ‘Oruveze ru kapita, nomaukiro ye rira omungandjo’? 23 Nambano ve raera imbi ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, mbi me hungirire omuano mbwi. Ami me yandisa omuano mbwi. Kau nokuhungirwa rukwao mOisrael. Moruveze rwanao ve raera nai: ‘Oruveze rweya, nomaukiro maye rire ouatjiri!’ ”
24 “Mokati kotjiwaṋa tja Israel kamu nokukara ovirimunikise vyoposyo rukwao poo omaukiro omapukise. 25 Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, me hungire ku wo, nu imbi mbi me hungire mavi yenenisiwa. Kape nokukara omawombero. Moure wominyo vyeṋu, tjiwaṋa otjipirukire, ami me yenenisa imbi mbi mbe mu raera kutja me yenenisa. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, owami ngu mba hungire.”
26 Muhona wa tja nai ku ami: 27 “Muatje womundu, Ovaisrael ve tjangovasi ovirimunikise vyoye nomaukiro woye vi heya oviṋa vyoruveze ndu ri kokure. 28 Opu mo sokuveraera kutja ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, me tja nai: ‘Kape tji nokukara omawombero rukwao. Mbi mba hungira mavi tjitwa.’ Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, mba hungire.”
