1 God said, “Mortal man, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.”
2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. 3 He said, “Mortal man, eat this scroll that I give you; fill your stomach with it.” I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey.
4 Then God said, “Mortal man, go to the people of Israel and say to them whatever I tell you to say. 5 I am not sending you to a nation that speaks a difficult foreign language, but to the Israelites. 6 If I sent you to great nations that spoke difficult languages you didn't understand, they would listen to you. 7 But none of the people of Israel will be willing to listen; they will not even listen to me. All of them are stubborn and defiant. 8 Now I will make you as stubborn and as tough as they are. 9 I will make you as firm as a rock, as hard as a diamond; don't be afraid of those rebels.”
10 God continued, “Mortal man, pay close attention and remember everything I tell you. 11 Then go to the people of your nation who are in exile and tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to them, whether they pay attention to you or not.”
12 Then God's spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the loud roar of a voice that said, “Praise the glory of the Lord in heaven above!” 13 I heard the wings of the creatures beating together in the air, and the noise of the wheels, as loud as an earthquake. 14 The power of the Lord came on me with great force, and as his spirit carried me off, I felt bitter and angry. 15 So I came to Tel Abib beside the Chebar River, where the exiles were living, and for seven days I stayed there, overcome by what I had seen and heard.
The Lord Appoints Ezekiel as a Lookout
(Ezekiel 33.1-9)16 After the seven days had passed, the Lord spoke to me. 17 “Mortal man,” he said, “I am making you a lookout for the nation of Israel. You will pass on to them the warnings I give you. 18 If I announce that someone evil is going to die but you do not warn him to change his ways so that he can save his life, he will die, still a sinner, but I will hold you responsible for his death. 19 If you do warn an evil man and he doesn't stop sinning, he will die, still a sinner, but your life will be spared.
20 “If someone truly good starts doing evil and I put him in a dangerous situation, he will die if you do not warn him. He will die because of his sins—I will not remember the good he did—and I will hold you responsible for his death. 21 If you do warn a good man not to sin and he listens to you and doesn't sin, he will stay alive, and your life will also be spared.”
Ezekiel Will Be Unable to Talk
22 I felt the powerful presence of the Lord and heard him say to me, “Get up and go out into the valley. I will talk to you there.”
23 So I went out into the valley, and there I saw the glory of the Lord, just as I had seen it beside the Chebar River. I fell face downward on the ground, 24 but God's spirit entered me and raised me to my feet. The Lord said to me, “Go home and shut yourself up in the house. 25 You will be tied with ropes, mortal man, and you will not be able to go out in public. 26 I will paralyze your tongue so that you won't be able to warn these rebellious people. 27 Then, when I speak to you again and give you back the power of speech, you will tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying. Some of them will listen, but some will ignore you, for they are a nation of rebels.”
1 Ndjambi wa tja nai: “Muatje womundu, ryaa embo emangwa ndi; tjazumba u kahungire kOvaisrael!”
2 Ami otji mba paturura otjinyo tjandje, neye we ndji pa embo emangwa ndi okurya. 3 Eye wa tja nai: “Muatje womundu, ryaa embo emangwa ndi ndi me ku pe; kutisa na ro ezumo roye.” Ami mbe ri rya, noro aa ri tjata omuzeze tjimuna ouitji wozonyutji.
4 Tjazumba Ndjambi wa tja nai ku ami: “Muatje womundu, twende kOvaisrael u keveraere imbi mbi mba heya. 5 Ami hi nakukutuma kotjiwaṋa tji tji hungira eraka ezeu rozonganda, nungwari okOvaisrael. 6 Ami andakuzu mbe ku tuma koviwaṋa ovinene, mbi hungira omaraka omazeu wozonganda, itjavi puratene kove. 7 Nungwari kape na umwe wOvaisrael ngu ma vanga okuzuva kove; owo kave vanga okupuratena nangarire ku ami. Owo avehe ovirangaranga noveritongamise. 8 Nambano, tara, ami me ku tjiti kutja u rire otjirangaranga nomukukutu otja owo tjinga averi. 9 Ami me ku tjiti omuzikame otja oruuwa, omukukutu otja ondiamanda. O tira ovapirukire mbo.”
10 Ndjambi wa hungira komurungu na tja: “Muatje womundu, puratena nawa nu u zemburuke omambo aehe ngu me ku raere. 11 Tjazumba u yende kovandu vehi roye mbe ri mouhuura, u keveraere omambo ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, ngu me hungire ku wo kutja mave puratene kove poo indee.”
12 Ombepo ya Ndjambi ye ndji yera kombanda, nu kongotwe yandje ami mba zuva omungunda omunene weraka nda tja nai: “Tangeye ounene wa Muhona kombanda meyuru!” 13 Ami mba zuva ovivava vyovinamuinyo amavi pakapaka, nomaporokotero omanene woviryo tjimuna owomungunda wehi. 14 Ombepo ya Muhona ye ndji yera kombanda nai ndji twara, nami mba pindika ne ṱomazenge, nu Muhona weya ku ami nomasa omanene. 15 Otji mbe ya kOtel-Abib meṋe yonḓonḓu Kebar ku kwa turire ovahuurwa, nu mba kara mbo oure womayuva hambombari amba kumisiwa i imbi mbi mba muna na mbi mba zuva.
Muhona ma ziki Esekiel okurira omutjevere
(Esek 33:1-9)16 Omayuva nga hambombari tji ya kapita, Muhona wa hungira ku ami a tja: 17 “Muatje womundu, ami me ku ziki okurira omutjevere wotjiwaṋa tja Israel. Aruhe tji wa zuu embo mu ami, mo sokukeveronga mena randje. 18 Ami tji mba tjivisa kutja omundu omurunde ma ṱu, nove o he kemuronga kutja ma rundurure ongaro ye ombi okuyama omuinyo we, neye ma ṱire ouvi we, nungwari ove mo kara nomerizirira konḓiro ye. 19 Ove tji wa rongo omunauvi, neye a ha isa ouvi, eye ma ṱire ouvi we, nungwari ove tjandje wa yama omuinyo woye.
20 “Omundu omusemba, tjiri, tja isa ousemba na utu okutjita ouvi, nu ami e mu twa motjiwonga, eye ma ṱu, ove tjinga au he mu rongere. Ma ṱire omauvi we. Ami hi nakuzemburuka ozondjito ze ozombwa, nungwari ove mo kara nomerizirira konḓiro ye. 21 Nungwari ove tji wa rongo omundu omusemba, neye a zuu kove na ha tjiti ouvi, eye ma kara nomuinyo, nove wina mo yama omuinyo woye.”
Esekiel ke nokusora okuhungira
22 Ami mbe rimuna kutja omasa wa Muhona ye ri mu ami, nu mbe mu zuva ama tja nai ku ami: “Sekama u yende kotjana. Ami me kahungira na ove koṋa ngo.”
23 Ami otji mba ya kotjana, nu ingo e kamuna ko ongeṋangeṋeno ya Muhona otja tji mbe i munine meṋe yonḓonḓu Kebar. Nami mba wa onḓurumika, 24 nungwari omasa wOmbepo ya Ndjambi ya hita mu ami naye ndji kuramisa kozombaze. Muhona wa tja nai ku ami: “Yaruka konganda nu u keripatere mondjuwo. 25 Ove mo pandekwa nozongoze, muatje womundu kutja o ha sora okuryanga mokati kovandu. 26 Ami me remanisa eraka roye, noro mari seti kutja o ha sora okuronga ovandu ovapirukire mba. 27 Okuzambo tji mba hungire kove rukwao ne ku pe eraka okuhungira, nove mo ve raere imbi ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi, mbi me hungire. Tjiva vawo mave puratene, nungwari tjiva mave ku rangaranga, orondu owo omuhoko omupirukire.”
