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.”
1 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje 2 e ta ti: “Eyeletumbulo ndika olyashike, aantu taye li tumbululula moshilongo Israel?
‘Oohekulu oya lile omagongwa gomandjembele,
nomayego goyana oga ningi uuge.’
3 “Oshili ngaashi ngame Kalunga omunamwenyo,” Omuwa Omupangeliawike ta ti, “itamu ka tumbululula we eyeletumbulo ndika muIsrael. 4 Omwenyo gwomuntu kehe ogwandje, omwenyo gwahe nomwenyo gwomwanamati ogwandje. Omuntu ngoka ta yono, oku na okusa.
5 “Natu tye oku na omuntu omwaanawa, omuyuuki nomunashili. 6 Iha simaneke iimenka yAaisraeli noiha li oohula dha saagelelwa pomahala giinonoma yuupagani. Iha nyateke omukiintu gwamushiinda she nenge a lale nomukiintu e li komwedhi. 7 Iha kotokele nenge a yuge mukwawo. Oha shunitha shoka a pelwe ombambyona; noha palutha aasindjala nokuzaleka aanankayi. 8 Iha pula ontanitho yiimaliwa ya liwa ongunga. Oha tindi okulonga uuwinayi e ta tokola etokolo lyu uka moontamanana. 9 Omuntu a tya ngaaka oha vulika kiipango yandje noha dhiginine omautho gandje. Oye omuyuuki nota kala e na omwenyo,” Omuwa Omupangeliawike osho ta popi.
10 “Natu tye ihe, omuntu a tya ngaaka oku na omwanamati ha yugu ye ha dhipaga, ha ningi iinima mbyoka 11 inaayi ningwa kuhe. Oha li oohula dha saagelelwa pomahala giinonoma yuupagani noha hondele aakulukadhi yaantu. 12 Oha kotokele oohepele, oha yugu, ye ha tindile shoka a pelwe ombambyona. Oha yi komahala giinonoma yuupagani, oha simaneke iimenka yi nyanyalitha, 13 oha li ongunga yiimaliwa, a mone ontanitho. Ota kala ngaa e na omwenyo? Aawoo! Ite gu mono! Okwa longo iihuna ayihe mbika, onkee ota ka sa. Ota ka kala e na uusama weso lye mwene.
14 “Natu tye natango, omuntu nguka omutiyali oku na omwanamati, ngoka e wete iihuna ayihe tayi longwa kuhe, ihe ye ita landula oshiholelwa shahe. 15 Iha simaneke iimenka yAaisraeli noiha li oohula dha saagelelwa pomahala giinonoma yuupagani. Iha hondele omukiintu gwamukwawo 16 nenge a hepeke omuntu nenge e mu yuge. Oha shunitha shoka a pelwe ombambyona. Oha palutha aasindjala noha zaleke aanankayi. 17 Oha tindi okulonga uuwinayi noiha li oongunga dhiimaliwa, a mone ontanitho. Oha dhiginine omautho gandje e ta vulika kiipango yandje. Oye ita si moluulunde wahe, ihe ota kala shili e na omwenyo. 18 Ihe he, ngoka a kotokele, a yugu nokwa longele aantu uuwinayi, okwa si moluulunde we mwene mboka a ningi.
19 “Ihe ne otamu pula tamu ti: ‘Omolwashike omwana inaa hepekwa omoluulunde wahe?’ Eyamukulo olyo ndika kutya omwana okwa ningi shoka shu uka nosho opala. Okwa vulika kiipango yandje ayihe e te yi dhiginine nawa. Onkee ta kala shili e na omwenyo. 20 Ngoka ta yono, oye e na okusa. Omwana ita hepekelwa uulunde wahe, nahe ita geelelwa uulunde womwana. Omuyuuki ota galulilwa uuwanawa molwiilonga ye iiwanawa, ihe omukeenakalunga ota geelelwa uuwinayi e u ningi.
21 “Omukeenakalunga ngele ote etha uulunde we e ta dhiginine iipango yandje, ngele ota longo shoka shu uka nosho opala, ita ka sa; ota kala e na omwenyo. 22 Uulunde we otau dhimwa po; nota kala e na omwenyo, oshoka okwa ningi shoka shu uka. 23 Ondi nyanyukilwe ando eso lyomukeenakalunga?” Osho Omuwa Omupangeliawike ta pula. “Aawe, ihe onda hala, i itedhulule, opo a kale e na omwenyo.
24 “Ihe omuyuuki ngele ote etha uuyuuki we e ta tameke okulonga uuwinayi, iilonga yiihuna ayihe mbyoka hayi longwa kaakaanakalunga, ota kala tuu e na omwenyo? Aawe! Kape na nando uuyuuki mboka a ningile tau dhimbulukiwa we. Ota ka sa moluukolokoshi nuulunde we.
25 “Ihe ne natango otamu ti: ‘Omuwa ita ningi nawa nando.’ Pulakenii ndje, ne Aaisraeli! Otamu dhiladhila kutya omukalo gwandje gwokuninga iinima mbika kagu li mondjila. Ne one kaamu li mondjila. 26 Omuyuuki ngele te etha okulonga uuyuuki nota tameke okuyona e ta si, ota si moluuwinayi mboka a longo. 27 Omukeenakalunga ngele te etha uulunde we e ta ningi shoka shu uka noshiwanawa, ota hupitha omwenyo gwe. 28 Okwa dhimbulula shoka ta ningi e te etha okuyona, onkee ano ita si shili, ihe ota kala e na omwenyo. 29 Ne Aaisraeli otamu ti: ‘Shoka Omuwa ta ningi, inashi uka nando.’ Otamu dhiladhila kutya omukalo gwandje inagu uka? Ndishi ne one kaamu li mondjila.
30 “Ngashingeyi ngame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike, otandi mu lombwele ne Aaisraeli kutya otandi ka pangula kehe gumwe gwomune pailonga ye. Etheni uulunde mboka tamu ningi, inamu etha uulunde u mu hanagule po. 31 Etheni iilonga ayihe yuulunde mwe yi longo ne mu kale mu na ombepo ompe nomwenyo omupe. Omolwashike mwa hala okusa, ne Aaisraeli?” 32 Omuwa Omupangeliawike ota ti: “Ngame itandi nyanyukilwa eso lyomuntu. Itedhululeni, opo mu kale mu na omwenyo.”
