EZEKIEL'S SECOND VISION OF GOD (8.1—10.22)
Idolatry in Jerusalem
1 On the fifth day of the sixth month of the sixth year of our exile, the leaders of the exiles from Judah were sitting in my house with me. Suddenly the power of the Sovereign Lord came on me. 2 I looked up and saw a vision of a fiery human form. From the waist down his body looked like fire, and from the waist up he was shining like polished bronze. 3 He reached out what seemed to be a hand and grabbed me by the hair. Then in this vision God's spirit lifted me high in the air and took me to Jerusalem. He took me to the inner entrance of the north gate of the Temple, where there was an idol that was an outrage to God.
4 There I saw the dazzling light that shows the presence of Israel's God, just as I had seen it when I was by the Chebar River. 5 God said to me, “Mortal man, look toward the north.” I looked, and there near the altar by the entrance of the gateway I saw the idol that was an outrage to God.
6 God said to me, “Mortal man, do you see what is happening? Look at the disgusting things the people of Israel are doing here, driving me farther and farther away from my holy place. You will see even more disgraceful things than this.”
7 He took me to the entrance of the outer courtyard and showed me a hole in the wall. 8 He said, “Mortal man, break through the wall here.” I broke through it and found a door. 9 He told me, “Go in and look at the evil, disgusting things they are doing there.” 10 So I went in and looked. The walls were covered with drawings of snakes and other unclean animals, and of the other things which the Israelites were worshiping. 11 Seventy Israelite leaders were there, including Jaazaniah son of Shaphan. Each one was holding an incense burner, and smoke was rising from the incense. 12 God asked me, “Mortal man, do you see what the Israelite leaders are doing in secret? They are all worshiping in a room full of images. Their excuse is: ‘The Lord doesn't see us! He has abandoned the country.’”
13 Then the Lord said to me, “You are going to see them do even more disgusting things than that.” 14 So he took me to the north gate of the Temple and showed me women weeping over the death of the god Tammuz.
15 He asked, “Mortal man, do you see that? You will see even more disgusting things.” 16 So he took me to the inner courtyard of the Temple. There near the entrance of the sanctuary, between the altar and the porch, were about twenty-five men. They had turned their backs to the sanctuary and were bowing low toward the east, worshiping the rising sun.
17 The Lord said to me, “Mortal man, do you see that? These people of Judah are not satisfied with merely doing all the disgusting things you have seen here and with spreading violence throughout the country. No, they must come and do them right here in the Temple and make me even more angry. Look how they insult me in the most offensive way possible! 18 They will feel all the force of my anger. I will not spare them or show them any mercy. They will shout prayers to me as loud as they can, but I will not listen to them.”
Oixuna ya longwa motembeli
1 Momudo omutihamano, mohani onhihamano, metitano lohani, fimbo nda li omutumba meumbo lange novakulunhu vomuJuda va li omutumba pomesho yange, eke lOmwene Kalunga la wila kombada yange. 2 Ndele ame nda mona sha, tala, sholupe la fomundilo. Okudja apa pa fa oshiya shasho fiyo oposhi osha li omundilo, nokudja poshiya okuyuka pombada sha fevadimo leulu ngaashi oshikushu tashi vema. 3 Opo nee okwa yelula shimwe sha fa eke, ndele a kwata nge koluxwiki lokomutwe wange. NOmhepo ya yelula nge pokati keulu nedu, ndele ya twala nge memoniko laKalunga kuJerusalem, komhito yokoshivelo shomeni eshi sha taalela koumbangalanhu, apa pa li ongudi yoshikalunga tai xwameke ehandu lOmwene. 4 Ndele tala, oshinge shaKalunga kaIsrael sha li ko, osha holokelele nge molufilu. 5 Ndele Ye okwa lombwela nge: “Kaana komunhu, yelula omesho oye u tale koumbangalanhu.” Ndele ame nda yelula omesho ange nda tala koumbangalanhu, ndele lwokoumbangalanhu, nokutya koshivelo shoaltari kwa li ku nongudi youladi. 6 Ndele Ye okwa lombwela nge: “Kaana komunhu, ove u wete ko tuu, osho tave shi ningi, oixuna inene ei eumbo laIsrael tali i ningi apa opo ndi dje po ndi ye kokule notembeli yange? Ndelenee ove to ka mona oixuna inene i dule ei.”
7 Opo Ye okwa twala nge koshivelo shomukala. Ame nda tala, ndele mekuma omwa li ombululu. 8 Ndele Ye okwa lombwela nge: “Kaana komunhu, liundwila mekuma.” Osho onde liundwila mekuma, ndele tala, nda mona oshivelo. 9 Opo Ye okwa lombwela nge: “Inda mo, u tale oixuna inene oyo tave i ningi apa.” 10 Ame nda ya mo ndele tala, omo mwa li oihongwafano i lili noi lili yoialangati tai nyonyodolwa noyoinamwenyo yomaulu ane noyoikalunga i lili noi lili yeumbo laIsrael ya fanekelwa mekuma keembinga adishe. 11 Ndele komesho yayo pa kala ofika ovalumenhu omilongo heyali, vo ovakulunhu vomeumbo laIsrael nomokati kavo pa kala ofika Jaasanja, omona waSafan. Ndele keshe umwe womuvo e kwete oshitwiminifo meke laye, ndele mokalungululu komwifi wetwiminino mwa dja edimba. 12 Opo nee Ye okwa lombwela nge: “Oove kaana komunhu, u wete tuu eshi ovakulunhu veumbo laIsrael hava ningi momilaulu, keshe umwe monduda yaye yoihongwafano? Osheshi ohava diladila nokutya, ‘Omwene ke tu wete. Omwene okwa efa edu eli.’ ” 13 Ndele Ye okwa lombwela nge: “Ove to ka mona natango oixuna imwe inene, ei tava longo, i dule ei.”
14 Ye okwa twala nge koshivelo shokoumbangalanhu poshivelo shotembeli yOmwene, ndele tala, oko ovalikadi va li omutumba, tava lili eenghali daTammus. 15 Ndele Ye okwa lombwela nge: “Kaana komunhu, u shi wete tuu? Ove oto ka mona natango oixuna imwe i dule ei.” 16 Opo Ye okwa twala nge momukala womeni lotembeli yOmwene; ndele tala, poshivelo shotembeli yOmwene, pokati koshivelo shopondje noaltari, opa kala ovalumenhu ve fike ngeno pomilongo mbali navatano, va pilamena otembeli yOmwene ndele va taalela koushilo, ndele va wila eombe langhele lwokoushilo mokufimaneka etango. 17 Ndele Ye okwa lombwela nge: “Kaana komunhu, u shi wete tuu? Eshi inashi wanena mbela eumbo laJuda eshi tali ningi oixuna i fike apa, ei ve i ninga apa, osheshi otava yadifa oshilongo oukolokoshi, ndele tava hapupalifa ehandu lange? Ndele tala, nhumbi hava kwatele oshitai shomuviinyu pomayulu avo! 18 Onghee hano, Ame ohandi ka ninga, eshi handi ningi mehandu lange. Eisho lange itali ka tala nolukeno, ndele ihandi ka filonghenda. Ndele vo nande va kuwe onghuwo mokule momatwi ange, Ame itandi ke va uda nande.”
