The Prophet as a Refugee
1 The Lord spoke to me. 2 “Mortal man,” he said, “you are living among rebellious people. They have eyes, but they see nothing; they have ears, but they hear nothing, because they are rebellious.
3 “Now, mortal man, pack a bundle just as a refugee would and start out before nightfall. Let everyone see you leaving and going to another place. Maybe those rebels will notice you. 4 While it is still daylight, pack your bundle for exile, so that they can see you, and then let them watch you leave in the evening as if you were going into exile. 5 While they are watching, break a hole through the wall of your house and take your pack out through it. 6 Let them watch you putting your pack on your shoulder and going out into the dark with your eyes covered, so that you can't see where you are going. What you do will be a warning to the Israelites.”
7 I did what the Lord told me to do. That day I packed a bundle as a refugee would, and that evening as it was getting dark I dug a hole in the wall with my hands and went out. While everyone watched, I put the pack on my shoulder and left.
8 The next morning the Lord spoke to me. 9 “Mortal man,” he said, “now that those Israelite rebels are asking you what you're doing, 10 tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to them. This message is for the prince ruling in Jerusalem and for all the people who live there. 11 Tell them that what you have done is a sign of what will happen to them—they will be refugees and captives. 12 The prince who is ruling them will shoulder his pack in the dark and escape through a hole that they dig for him in the wall. He will cover his eyes and not see where he is going. 13 But I will spread out my net and trap him in it. Then I will take him to the city of Babylon, where he will die without having seen it. 14 I will scatter in every direction all the members of his court and his advisers and bodyguards, and people will search for them to kill them.
15 “When I scatter them among the other nations and in foreign countries, they will know that I am the Lord. 16 I will let a few of them survive the war, the famine, and the diseases, so that there among the nations they will realize how disgusting their actions have been and will acknowledge that I am the Lord.”
The Sign of the Trembling Prophet
17 The Lord spoke to me. 18 “Mortal man,” he said, “tremble when you eat, and shake with fear when you drink. 19 Tell the whole nation that this is the message of the Sovereign Lord to the people of Jerusalem who are still living in their land: They will tremble when they eat and shake with fear when they drink. Their land will be stripped bare, because everyone who lives there is lawless. 20 Cities that are now full of people will be destroyed, and the country will be made a wilderness. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
A Popular Proverb and an Unpopular Message
21 The Lord spoke to me. 22 “Mortal man,” he said, “why do the people of Israel repeat this proverb: ‘Time goes by, and predictions come to nothing’? 23 Now tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, have to say about that. I will put an end to that proverb. It won't be repeated in Israel any more. Tell them instead: The time has come, and the predictions are coming true!
24 “Among the people of Israel there will be no more false visions or misleading prophecies. 25 I, the Lord, will speak to them, and what I say will be done. There will be no more delay. In your own lifetime, you rebels, I will do what I have warned you I would do. I have spoken,” says the Sovereign Lord.
26 The Lord said to me, 27 “Mortal man, the Israelites think that your visions and prophecies are about the distant future. 28 So tell them that I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying: There will be no more delay. What I have said will be done. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”
Omuhunganeki ta ningi ontauki
1 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti: 2 “Muna gwomuntu, owa kala mokati kaantu aanandumbo. Oye na omeho, ihe kaye wete ko; oye na omakutsi, ihe kayu uvite ko, oshoka oyo aatangalali.
3 “Muna gwomuntu, manga ngashingeyi omutenge wa fa ontauki e to piti mo komatango. Monika kwaayehe, sho to yi kehala lilwe. Otashi vulika aatangalali taye ku koneke. 4 Manga inaaku wiwila, manga omutenge gwoye okuya muupongekwa, opo ya wape ye ku mone. Ongulohi naye ku tongolole ihe, sho to yi wa fa to yi muupongekwa. 5 Manga ye ku tongolola, tsa ombululu mekuma lyongulu yoye e to pitile mo wa humbata omutenge gwoye. 6 Naye ku tongolole, sho to itsike omutenge noto zi mo wa uka momilema wi isiikila komeho, opo kuu mone ho wa uka. Shoka to ningi, otashi kala elondodho kAaisraeli.”
7 Onda ningi shoka Omuwa a lombwele ndje ndi shi ninge. Esiku ndyoka onda manga omutenge, ngaashi ontauki hayi ningi, nongulohi ndjoka sho taku luudha, onda tsu ombululu mekuma niikaha yandje e te piti mo. Manga ayehe ye shi tongolola, ondi itsike omutenge e te yi.
8 Ongula yanakwasha Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti: 9 “Muna gwomuntu, ngashingeyi sho Aaisraeli mbaka aanandumbo taye ku pula shoka to ningi, 10 ya lombwela shoka tandi ya lombwele, ngame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike. Elaka ndika nali lombwelwe elenga ndyoka tali lele muJerusalem naantu ayehe ye li mo. 11 Ya lombwela kutya shoka wa ningi, osho ehunganeko lyaashoka taa ka ningilwa — otaa ka ninga oontauki noonkwatwa. 12 Omupangeli ngoka te ya lele, ote ki itsika omutenge gwe momilema e ta fadhuka po ta pitile mombululu ndjoka ye yi mu hokele mekuma. Ota ka siikila omeho ge noita mono hoka ta yi. 13 Ihe otandi ka tega omwigo, notagu mu yulu. Otandi ke mu fala koshilando Babilon, nkoka ta ka sila inee shi mona. 14 Aambala naalangeli ye ayehe otandi ke ya halakanithila koombinga adhihe, naantu otaye ke ya konga, ye ya dhipage.
15 “Uuna tandi ya halakanithile mokati kiigwana yilwe, nomiilongo yaakwiilongo, otaa ka tseya kutya ongame Omuwa. 16 Aashona yomuyo otandi ke ya hupitha ko kiita, kondjala nokoshivu, opo ya ka hokolole mokati kiigwana, nkene ya longo iihuna yi nyanyalitha, notaa ka tseya kutya ongame Omuwa.”
Endhindhiliko lyomuhunganeki ta ningi omahwilili
17 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti: 18 “Muna gwomuntu, nge to li, kakama, nou dhekwete kuumbanda, uuna to nu. 19 Lombwela oshigwana ashihe kutya elaka ndika Omuwa Omupangeliawike ote li lombwele Aajerusalem mboka ye li natango moshilongo shawo: Otaa ka kakama, nge taa li notaa dhekweta kuumbanda, nge taa nu. Oshilongo shawo otashi ka mbugala, oshoka ayehe ye li mo, otaa kolokosha 20 Iilando mbyoka yu udha aantu ngashingeyi, otayi ka hanagulwa po, noshilongo otashi ka ninga eputu. Nena otaa ka tseya kutya ongame Omuwa.”
Eyeletumbulo li holike, nelaka lyaa holike
21 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti: 22 “Muna gwomuntu, omolwashike Aaisraeli haa ifola meyeletumbulo ndika: ‘Omasiku otaga ka pita, nomamoniko itaga eta sha?’ 23 Ngashingeyi ya lombwela shoka ngame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike, ndi na oku shi popya. Otandi hulitha po eyeletumbulo ndyoka. Itali ki ifolwa we muIsrael. Peha lyalyo ya lombwela: ‘Omasiku otage ya, uuna emoniko kehe tali ka gwanithwa.’
24 “Mokati kAaisraeli itamu ka holoka we omamoniko giifundja nenge omahunganeko taga pukitha. 25 Ongame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike, tandi ke ya lombwela, naashoka tandi ti, otashi ka gwanithwa. Itaku ka kala we eshelelelwo. Aatangalali ne, mokukalamwenyo kweni otandi ka gwanitha ashihe shoka nda popi.” Omuwa osho ta ti.
26 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti: 27 “Muna gwomuntu, Aaisraeli otaa dhiladhila kutya omamoniko goye nomahunganeko goye oge li monakuyiwa. 28 Onkee ano ya lombwela kutya ngame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike, ote ti: ‘Kaku na nando ohapu yandje tayi gwile pevi. Shoka nda popi, otashi ka gwanithwa.’ Ongame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike nda popi.”
