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.”
Keshe umwe ta pulwa okukala kwaye
1 Ondjovo yOmwene ye uya vali kwaame ndele tai ti: 2 “Oshike nye, eshi tamu longifa etumbulo eli lesheko mokupopya edu laIsrael, nokutya:
‘Ootatekulu ova lile oipele yeeviinyu,
nomayoo oludalo lavo okwa hangwa kouwe.’
3 Oshili, ngaashi ndi nomwenyo, Omwene Kalunga ta ti, olo itali ka dimbulukiwa vali, li longifwe muIsrael. 4 Taleni, eemwenyo adishe odange. Omwenyo waxe nosho yo omwenyo womona, do odange. Omwenyo ou tau nyono u nokufya.
5 “Ndelenee umwe ngeenge omuyuki ndele ta longo ouyuki naashi sha wapala, 6 ye ita li keemhunda noita yelula omesho aye koikalunga yeumbo laIsrael noita nyateke omukainhu womukwao noita ehene komukainhu pomafiku aye, 7 ndele ita fininike nande umwe. Nombabyona ye e i kwatelele oikolo, ote i shunifa; ita nyeka, ta pe ou e nondjala omungome waye, naau e li hamunghele, ote mu uvike noshikutu; 8 oikolo ite i kwatifa eliko ndele ita tambula oshishoshela, eke laye ite li kumifa eshi inashi yuka, ndele ta tokola pauyuki pokati komunhu nomunhu; 9 ndele ta ende paenghedimhango dange ndele ta diinine omalombwelo ange a longe pauyuki, ye omuyuki, ndele ta ka kala e nomwenyo shili, Omwene Kalunga ta ti.”
10 “Ndele ye ngeenge a dala omona ou a ninga omunyeki nomutilishi wohonde, ou ta ningi nande shimwe shomoinima ei, 11 fimbo ye mwene ina ninga sha shomwaaishe ei, ngeenge ye ta li keemhunda ndele ta nyateke omukainhu womukwao, 12 ta fininike omukwanaluhepo nohepele, ta nyeka, ita shunifa ombabyona, ndele ta yelula omesho aye koikalunga, ta longo oixuna, 13 oikolo ote i kwatifa eliko ndele ta tambula oshishoshela, ye ota ka kala tuu nomwenyo? Ye ita ka kala nomwenyo. Oixuna aishe ei ye e i ninga. Ye e nokuhandukilwa nefyo. Etimba laye lohonde li li kombada yaye.
14 “Ndelenee, taleni, ye ngeenge a dala omona ou ta mono oulunde aushe waxe, ou e u longa, ote u mono, ndele ita longo oinima ya tya ngaha: 15 ita li keemhunda noita yelula omesho aye koikalunga yeumbo laIsrael, ita nyateke omukainhu wamukwao, 16 ndele ita fininike nande umwe, ita kufa ombabyona, ita nyeka, ta pe omunandjala omungome waye, ndele ta uvike noshikutu ou e li hamunghele, 17 ita yelula eke komukwanaluhepo, ita tambula oshishoshela nokunyeka, ta wanifa omalombwelo ange ndele ta shikula eenghedimhango dange, ye ita ka fya molwoulunde waxe, ye ota ka kala shili e nomwenyo. 18 Xe, osheshi ye ta velwa ombedi molwefininiko, ta nyeka nokutinha komumwaxe ndele ta longo mokati koshiwana shaye eshi inashi wapala, tala, ye e nokufya molwoulunde waye.
19 “Ndelenee nye otamu ti: ‘Oshike omona ita humbata omanyonauno axe?’ Ngeenge omona okwa longa ouyuki naashi sha yuka nokwa diinina eenghedimhango dange adishe noku di wanifa, ye ota ka kala shili e nomwenyo! 20 Omwenyo ou tau nyono u nokufya. Omona ita ka humbata oulunde waxe, naxe ita ka humbata oulunde womona. Ouyuki wovayuki tau ka kala kombada yaye, nouhenakalunga wovahenakalunga otau ka kala kombada yomuhenakalunga.
Omwene ta hafele elidilululo lomuhenakalunga
21 “Ndelenee omuhenakalunga ngeenge te lialuluka koulunde aushe ou a longa, ndele ta diinine eenghedimhango dange adishe, ndele ta longo ouyuki naashi sha yuka, ye ota ka kala shili e nomwenyo, ye ita ka fya. 22 Omatauluko aye aeshe e a ninga, itae mu valelwa vali. Molwouyuki ye ou a ninga, ye ota ka kala e nomwenyo. 23 Ame ngeno ndi hokwe efyo lomuhenakalunga? Omwene Kalunga ta ti. Hasheshi ngeno, ye ote lialuluka keendjila daye ndele ta kala e nomwenyo?
24 “Ndelenee omuyuki ngeenge ta kanduka mouyuki waye ndele ta nyono ndele ta longo oixuna aishe ei tai ningwa kovahenakalunga, ye ota ka kala mbela e nomwenyo? Omauyuki aye aeshe e a ninga, itaa ka dimbulukiwa vali. Ye ota ka fya molweliteeko laye, eshi e liteeka po, nomolwoulunde ou a ninga. 25 Nye natango tuu tamu ti: ‘Ondjila yOmwene inai yuka.’ Pwilikina hano, akutu, eumbo laIsrael! Ondjila yeni hayo tuu inai yuka? 26 Omuyuki ngeenge ta kanduka mouyuki waye ndele ta longo oulunde, ye ota fi molwaasho. Heeno, molwoulunde, e u ninga, ye ota fi, 27 ndele ngeenge omuhenakalunga te lialuluka mouhenakalunga waye, e u ninga, ndele ta longo ouyuki naashi sha yuka, ye ota ka xupifa omwenyo waye. 28 Ye e shi koneka ndele okwe lialuluka komatauluko aye aeshe, a ninga. Ye ota ka kala shili e nomwenyo, ye ita ka fya.
29 “Ndelenee eumbo laIsrael natango tali ti: ‘Ondjila yOmwene inai yuka.’ Eendjila dange inadi yuka hamba? Akutu, eumbo laIsrael! Eendjila deni, hado tuu inadi yuka! 30 Onghee hano, Ame ondi noku mu tokola, akutu, nye eumbo laIsrael, keshe umwe paendjila daye, Omwene Kalunga ta ti. Lialulukeni nye mu punguluke komatauluko eni aeshe, opo oo aha ninge kunye epundukifo oku mu pundulila moulunde. 31 Ekeleishi omatauluko eni aeshe aa mwa tauluka, ndele liningileni omutima mupe nomhepo ipe. Osheshi omolwashike mwa hala okufya, onye eumbo laIsrael? 32 Osheshi Ame inandi hokwa efyo laau ta fi, Omwene Kalunga ta ti. Onghee hano lialulukeni, nye mu kale mu nomwenyo.”
