The Crimes of Jerusalem
1 The Lord spoke to me. 2 “Mortal man,” he said, “are you ready to judge the city that is full of murderers? Make clear to her all the disgusting things she has done. 3 Tell the city what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying: Because you have murdered so many of your own people and have defiled yourself by worshiping idols, your time is coming. 4 You are guilty of those murders and are defiled by the idols you made, and so your day is coming, your time is up! That is why I have let the nations make fun of you and all the countries sneer at you. 5 Countries nearby and countries far away sneer at you because of your lawlessness. 6 All Israel's leaders trust in their own strength and commit murder. 7 None of you in the city honor your parents. You cheat foreigners and take advantage of widows and orphans. 8 You have no respect for the holy places, and you don't keep the Sabbath. 9 Some of your people tell lies about others in order to have them put to death. Some of them eat sacrifices offered to idols. Some are always satisfying their lusts. 10 Some of them sleep with their father's wife. Some force women to have intercourse with them during their period. 11 Some commit adultery, and others seduce their daughters-in-law or their half sisters. 12 Some of your people murder for pay. Some charge interest on the loans they make to other Israelites and get rich by taking advantage of them. They have forgotten me.” The Sovereign Lord has spoken.
13 “I will bring my fist down on your robberies and murders. 14 Do you think you will have any courage left or have strength enough to lift your hand when I am finished with you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and I keep my word. 15 I will scatter your people to every country and nation and will put an end to your evil actions. 16 And so the other nations will dishonor you, but you will know that I am the Lord.”
God's Refining Furnace
17 The Lord said to me, 18 “Mortal man, the Israelites are of no use to me. They are like waste metal—copper, tin, iron, and lead—left over after silver has been refined in a furnace. 19 So now I, the Sovereign Lord, am telling them that they are just as useless as that. I will bring them all together in Jerusalem 20 in the same way that the ore of silver, copper, iron, lead, and tin is put in a refining furnace. My anger and rage will melt them the way fire melts ore. 21 Yes, I will gather them in Jerusalem, build a fire under them, and melt them with my anger. 22 They will be melted in Jerusalem the way silver is melted in a furnace, and then they will know that they are feeling the anger of the Lord.”
The Sins of Israel's Leaders
23 The Lord spoke to me again. 24 “Mortal man,” he said, “tell the Israelites that their land is unholy, and so I am punishing it in my anger. 25 The leaders are like lions roaring over the animals they have killed. They kill the people, take all the money and property they can get, and by their murders leave many widows. 26 The priests break my law and have no respect for what is holy. They make no distinction between what is holy and what is not. They do not teach the difference between clean and unclean things, and they ignore the Sabbath. As a result the people of Israel do not respect me. 27 The government officials are like wolves tearing apart the animals they have killed. They commit murder in order to get rich. 28 The prophets have hidden these sins like workers covering a wall with whitewash. They see false visions and make false predictions. They claim to speak the word of the Sovereign Lord, but I, the Lord, have not spoken to them. 29 The wealthy cheat and rob. They mistreat the poor and take advantage of foreigners. 30 I looked for someone who could build a wall, who could stand in the places where the walls have crumbled and defend the land when my anger is about to destroy it, but I could find no one. 31 So I will turn my anger loose on them, and like a fire I will destroy them for what they have done.” The Sovereign Lord has spoken.
Ozondjito zourunde za Jerusalem
1 Muhona wa hungira ku ami a tja: 2 “Muatje womundu, we rirongerere okupangura otjihuro tji tje ura novazepe are? Tji handjaurira oviṋa avihe oviyaukise, mbi tja tjita. 3 Raera otjihuro imbi ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, mbi me hungire ame tja: Mena raindu tji wa zepa ovandu voye omuini nu awe rizunḓa omuini mokurikotamena koviserekarera vyovisenginina, eyuva roye otji re ya. 4 Ove u nondjo yomazepero ngo, nu we rizunḓa noviserekarera vyovisenginina, mbi wa ungura; neyuva roye otji re ya, oruveze rwoye rwa manuka! Opu mba isira oviwaṋa okukunyekerera nomahi aehe okukuhemba. 5 Omahi nge ri popezu na inga nge ri kokure maye ku hembe, ondangu yoye tjinga aya zunḓaka, nove au ri otjihuro mu mu nezunganeno enene. 6 Ovanene vOvaisrael avehe ve riyameka komasa wawo oveni, nu ve zepa ovandu. 7 Kape na umwe motjihuro ngu yozika ooihe na ina. Ove u tjita outwe kovandu wozonganda, nu u ṋiṋikiza ovahepundu nozosewa. 8 Ko nondengero noviṋa vyandje oviyapuke nu ko ṱakamisa esabata. 9 Ovandu voye tjiva ve korera ovakwao ovizeze kokutja ve ve zepaise. Tjiva vawo ve rya ozombunguhiro nḓe punguhirwa oviserekarera vyovisenginina kozondunda. Tjiva aruhe ve kovisa ozonḓuma zawo. 10 Tjiva ve rara povakazendu vooihe. Tjiva ve kondjisa ovakazendu kutja ve rare po ngunda averi momayuva wawo woukazendu. 11 Tjiva ve katuka otukupo, novakwao ve pukisa ovakazona ovakwe vawo poo ovaṱena kwawo. 12 Ovandu voye tjiva ve zepera okusutwa. Tjiva ve ningira ovihohe komayazemeno ngu ve yandja kOvaisrael ovakwao, notji ve tumbisiwa i vyo. Nungwari owo ve ndji zemba.” Muhona Ndjambi ongwa hungire nai.
13 “Ami me yumbu ongomi yandje mena rovihohe vyoye ovihasemba mbi we ripahera, na mena romazepero nga tjitirwa morumbo rwoye. 14 Mo tjangovasi ove mo kara nouvanḓe nomasa nga yenena okuyera eke roye, ami tji mbe ku sekamene are? Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire, nu me yenenisa embo randje. 15 Ami me rimbi ovature voye mehi arihe na moviwaṋa avihe, nu me yandisa ozondjito zoye ozondjaukise. 16 Noviwaṋa vyarwe otji mavi ku yamburura, nungwari ove mo tjiwa kutja owami ngu mbi ri Muhona.”
Ezuko rokuzuzura ra Ndjambi
17 Muhona wa tja nai ku ami: 18 “Muatje womundu, Ovaisrael hi nohepero na wo. Owo ve ri otja ovipezeze vyovitenda, okutja ongoporo notjitenda notina nohanga, mbya hupa osilveri tji ya za nokuzuzurwa mezuko. 19 Nambano ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, meve raere kutja owo ovehinohepero otja ovipezeze mbi. Ami opu me woronganisire avehe mOjerusalem, 20 tjimuna osilveri nongoporo notjitenda nohanga notina tji vi tuwa mezuko. Omazenge nomapindi wandje maye ve zuzura tjimuna omuriro tji u zuzura otjitenda. 21 Ii, ami meve woronganisire mOjerusalem ne yakisa omuriro womazenge wandje ne ve zuzura. 22 Owo mave zuzurirwa mOjerusalem otja osilveri tji i zuzurwa mezuko; nowo otji mave tjiwa kutja ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba tirira omazenge wandje kombanda yawo.”
Ourunde wovanane va Israel
23 Muhona wa hungira ku ami rukwao a tja: 24 “Muatje womundu, raera Ovaisrael kutja ehi rawo keyapuke komurungu wandje, punao ka ri na okurokwa meyuva ami ndi me ku vere momazenge wandje. 25 Ovanane ve ri otja ozongeyama nḓe tya ovimboro kovipuka mbi za zepa. Owo ve zepa ovandu ave toora outumbe novihuze avihe mbi mave sora okutwara, nu mokutjita nai ape sewa ovahepundu ovengi. 26 Ovapristeri ve katuka omatwako wandje nu kave nondengero na ihi tji tji ri otjiyapuke. Owo kave pangura pokati koviṋa oviyapuke na imbi mbi he ri oviyapuke. Kave hongo ombangu pokati koviṋa ovikohoke novihakohoke, nu ve pengura esabata. Komuhingo mbwi Ovaisrael kave ndji yozike. 27 Ovahongore vouhona ve ri otja ozombungu nde nyondorora ovipuka mbi za zepa; ve zepa ovandu kutja ve tumbe. 28 Ovaprofete ve horeka omauvi nga tjimuna ovandu mbe serura ekuma nomunoko omuvapa. Owo ve muna ovirimunikise vyoposyo, nu ve uka posyo. Ve tja ve hungira ombuze ya Muhona Ndjambi, nungwari ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, hi na pu mba hungira na wo. 29 Ovatumbe ve tikura nu ve punda. Owo ve tatumisa ovasyona novahepe nu ave ṋiṋikiza ovozonganda. 30 Ami mba paha omundu ngwa sora okutunga orumbo, ngu ma kurama poṋa apehe orumbo pu rwa wa, nu ngu ma yama ehi omazenge wandje tji ye ri pokunyona ro, nungwari ami hi mwine omundu. 31 Ami opu mba etera omazenge wandje kombanda yawo, notja omuriro ami meve yandekere imbi mbi va tjita.” Muhona Ndjambi ongwa hungire nai.
