Individual Responsibility
1 The Lord spoke to me 2 and said, “What is this proverb people keep repeating in the land of Israel?
‘The parents ate the sour grapes,
But the children got the sour taste.’
3 “As surely as I am the living God,” says the Sovereign Lord, “you will not repeat this proverb in Israel any more. 4 The life of every person belongs to me, the life of the parent as well as that of the child. The person who sins is the one who will die.
5 “Suppose there is a truly good man, righteous and honest. 6 He doesn't worship the idols of the Israelites or eat the sacrifices offered at forbidden shrines. He doesn't seduce another man's wife or have intercourse with a woman during her period. 7 He doesn't cheat or rob anyone. He returns what a borrower gives him as security; he feeds the hungry and gives clothing to the naked. 8 He doesn't lend money for profit. He refuses to do evil and gives an honest decision in any dispute. 9 Such a man obeys my commands and carefully keeps my laws. He is righteous, and he will live,” says the Sovereign Lord.
10 “Then suppose this man has a son who robs and kills, who does any of these things 11 that the father never did. He eats sacrifices offered at forbidden shrines and seduces other men's wives. 12 He cheats the poor, he robs, he keeps what a borrower gives him as security. He goes to pagan shrines, worships disgusting idols, 13 and lends money for profit. Will he live? No, he will not. He has done all these disgusting things, and so he will die. He will be to blame for his own death.
14 “Now suppose this second man has a son. He sees all the sins his father practiced, but does not follow his example. 15 He doesn't worship the idols of the Israelites or eat the sacrifices offered at forbidden shrines. He doesn't seduce another man's wife 16 or oppress anyone or rob anyone. He returns what a borrower gives him as security. He feeds the hungry and gives clothing to the naked. 17 He refuses to do evil and doesn't lend money for profit. He keeps my laws and obeys my commands. He will not die because of his father's sins, but he will certainly live. 18 His father, on the other hand, cheated and robbed and always did evil to everyone. And so he died because of the sins he himself had committed.
19 “But you ask, ‘Why shouldn't the son suffer because of his father's sins?’ The answer is that the son did what was right and good. He kept my laws and followed them carefully, and so he will certainly live. 20 It is the one who sins who will die. A son is not to suffer because of his father's sins, nor a father because of the sins of his son. Good people will be rewarded for doing good, and evil people will suffer for the evil they do.
21 “If someone evil stops sinning and keeps my laws, if he does what is right and good, he will not die; he will certainly live. 22 All his sins will be forgiven, and he will live, because he did what is right. 23 Do you think I enjoy seeing evil people die?” asks the Sovereign Lord. “No, I would rather see them repent and live.
24 “But if a righteous person stops doing good and starts doing all the evil, disgusting things that evil people do, will he go on living? No! None of the good he did will be remembered. He will die because of his unfaithfulness and his sins.
25 “But you say, ‘What the Lord does isn't right.’ Listen to me, you Israelites. Do you think my way of doing things isn't right? It is your way that isn't right. 26 When a righteous person stops doing good and starts doing evil and then dies, he dies because of the evil he has done. 27 When someone evil stops sinning and does what is right and good, he saves his life. 28 He realizes what he is doing and stops sinning, so he will certainly not die, but go on living. 29 And you Israelites say, ‘What the Lord does isn't right.’ You think my way isn't right, do you? It is your way that isn't right.
30 “Now I, the Sovereign Lord, am telling you Israelites that I will judge each of you by what you have done. Turn away from all the evil you are doing, and don't let your sin destroy you. 31 Give up all the evil you have been doing, and get yourselves new minds and hearts. Why do you Israelites want to die? 32 I do not want anyone to die,” says the Sovereign Lord. “Turn away from your sins and live.”
Ourizirira womundu kourike
1 Muhona wa hungira ku ami a tja: 2 “Omuano mbwi ovandu mbu ve kara pokuhungira mehi ra Israel, owo uṋe?
‘Ooihe va rya omandjembere omangura,
nungwari omayo wovanatje onga hara ouwe.’ ”
3 Muhona Ndjambi ma tja nai: “Tjiri, otja ngu mbi ri Ndjambi omunamuinyo, eṋe kamu nakuhungira omuano mbwi rukwao mehi ra Israel. 4 Omuinyo womundu auhe owandje, okutja omuinyo wa ihe na imbwi owomuatje. Omundu ngwa tjiti ourunde ongwa sokuṱa.
5 “Ngatu tje pe nomurumendu womutima omupore nomusemba nomuṱakame tjiri. 6 Eye ke rikotamene koomukuru vovisenginina vyOvaisrael, nu ka ri ozombunguhiro nḓe punguhirwa ovipunguhiro ovizere kozondunda; eye ka yamburura omukazendu womukwao mokurara pu ye, nu ka rara pomukazendu ngunda e ri komayuva we woukazendu. 7 Eye ka ṋiṋikiza omundu nu ke mu pundu oviṋa vye, u yarurira omuyazeme otjiṋa otjiyamba; u parura ovanandjara nu u yandja ozombanda ku imba mbe ri muzu. 8 Eye ka yazemisa ovimariva kutja a mwine po ovihohe. U panḓa okutjita ouhasemba nu u pangura osemba pokati kaimba mbe nozombata kumwe. 9 Omurumendu otja ingwi u kara nonḓuviro komazikamisiro wandje nokuṱakamisa omaraerero wandje nouṱakame. Eye omusemba, nu ma kara nomuinyo.” Muhona Ndjambi ongu ma tja nao.
10 “Nambano ngatu tje omurumendu ngwi u nomuzandu ngu tjita ozondjito zoutwe nokuzepa ovandu, nu ngu tjita oviṋa avihe mbi 11 ihe mbye hi na indu wa tjitire, okutja okurya ozombunguhiro nḓe punguhirwa kovipunguhiro ovizere kozondunda nokuyamburura ovakazendu vovakwao mokurara pu wo; 12 omuzandu ngwi u ṋiṋikiza ovasyona nokupunda ovandu oviṋa vyawo, nokuṱakamisa ihi omuyazeme tji me mu pe otja otjiṋa otjiyamba; nu wina u yenda kovipunguhiro ovizere vyovisenginina kozondunda e kerikotamena koomukuru ovayaukise vovisenginina, 13 na yazema ovimariva kutja a munine po ovihohe. Eye hapo nai ma kara nomuinyo are? Kako, eye kamaa kara nomuinyo. Eye wa tjita oviṋa avihe oviyaukise mbi, notji ma ṱu. Eye u nomerizirira konḓiro ye omuini.
14 “Nambano ngatu tje omuzandu ngwi u nomuatje omuzandu wina. Nomuzandu we ngwi ma munu ourunde auhe ihe mbe tjita, nungwari kahorere kotjikaro. 15 Eye ke rikotamene koomukuru vovisenginina vyOvaisrael, nu ka ri ozombunguhiro nḓe punguhirwa kovipunguhiro ovizere kozondunda. Eye ka yamburura omukazendu womukwao mokurara pu ye 16 nu ka ṋiṋikiza omundu nokumupunda. U yarurira omuyazeme ihi tje mu pa otja otjiṋa otjiyamba. Eye u parura ovanandjara nu a zarisa imba mbe ri muzu. 17 Eye u panḓa okutjita ouhasemba nu ka yazemisa ovimariva kutja a munine po ovihohe. Eye u ṱakamisa omaraerero wandje nokukara nonḓuviro komazikamisiro wandje. Omuzandu ngwi ke nokuṱa mena romauvi wa ihe, nungwari, tjiri, ma kara nomuinyo. 18 Nungwari ingwi ihe wa ṋiṋikiza ovandu nokuvepunda oviṋa vyawo, nu aruhe aa tjiti ouhasemba kovandu. Komuhingo mbwi eye otja ṱa mena romauvi eye omuini nga tjitire.
19 “Nungwari eṋe mu pura amu tja: Okutjavi omuzandu tje ha hihamisirwa omauvi wa ihe? Eziriro oro ndi rokutja omuzandu ngwi wa tjita ouwa nousemba. Eye wa ṱakamisa omazikamisiro wandje nu e ye yenenisa nouṱakame, neye, tjiri, otje hi nakuṱa. 20 Ingwi ngu ma tjiti ouvi, ongu ma ṱu. Omuzandu ke nokuhihamisirwa omauvi wa ihe, nu ihe ke nokuhihamisirwa omauvi womuzandu we. Omundu omusemba ma sutirwa ousemba mbwe tjita, nomunauvi ma hihamisirwa ouvi mbwe tjita.
21 “Omunauvi tja isa okutjita ourunde na ṱakamisa omazikamisiro wandje aehe, nu a tjiti ousemba nouwa, ke nokuṱa; eye, tjiri, ma kara nomuinyo. 22 Omauvi we aehe maye isirwa, neye ma kara nomuinyo, tjinga a tjita ousemba.” 23 Muhona Ndjambi ma pura nai: “Mamu tjangovasi ami mbi nonyuṋe monḓiro yomunauvi are? Kako, ami tjinene mbi vanga okumumuna kutja a kare nomuinyo.
24 “Nungwari omusemba tja isa okutjita ouwa na utu okutjita ouvi auhe ouyaukise omurunde mbwe tjita, eye hapo ma kara nomuinyo are? Kako! Kape notjiṋa otjiwa tjimwe tja tjita eye ku ma zemburukirwa. Eye ma ṱire ouhaṱakama nourunde we.
25 “Nungwari eṋe mamu tja nai: ‘Imbi Muhona mbye tjita ovihasemba!’ Purateneye ku ami, oweṋe Vaisrael. Eṋe mu tjangovasi omuhingo mbu mbi tjita oviṋa omuhasemba are? Kako, omuhingo weṋu ombu ri omuhasemba. 26 Omusemba tja isa okutjita ousemba na utu okutjita ouvi, nu tjazumba a koka, okutja nao wa ṱu motjimbe tjouvi mbwa tjita. 27 Omunauvi tja isa okutjita ouvi na tjiti ousemba nouwa, okutja ma yama omuinyo we. 28 Eye tja munu kutja imbi mbya tjita kavisemba na isa ouvi, eye, tjiri, ke nokuṱa, nungwari ma kara nomuinyo. 29 Neṋe Ovaisrael mamu tja nai: ‘Imbi Muhona mbye tjita ovihasemba!’ Mamu tjangovasi omuhingo wandje omuhasemba, ka tjiperi are? Kako! Omuhingo weṋu ombu ri omuhasemba.
30 “Nambano ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, me mu raere, Vaisrael, kutja me pangura auhe weṋu otja koviṋa mbya tjita. Ritanaureye nu mu ise ouvi auhe mbu mu tjita, nu amu riyandjere ko kutja omauvi weṋu ye mu yandeke. 31 Pokeye kouvi ngamwa auhe mbu mu tjita nu mu riutire omitima omipe nombepo ombe. Okutjavi, eṋe Vaisrael, tji mu vanga okuṱa? 32 Ami hi nonyuṋe monḓiro yomundu. Ritanaureye komauvi weṋu, nu mamu kara nomuinyo!” Muhona Ndjambi ongu ma tja nao.
