The Corroded Cooking Pot
1 On the tenth day of the tenth month of the ninth year of our exile, the Lord spoke to me. 2 “Mortal man,” he said, “write down today's date, because this is the day that the king of Babylonia is beginning the siege of Jerusalem. 3 Tell my rebellious people this parable that I, the Sovereign Lord, have for them:
Set the pot on the fire
and fill it up with water.
4 Put in the best pieces of meat—
the shoulders and the legs—
fill it with choice bony pieces too.
5 Use the meat of the finest sheep;
pile the wood under the pot.
Let the water boil;
boil the bones and the meat.”
6 This is what the Sovereign Lord is saying: “The city of murderers is doomed! It is like a corroded pot that is never cleaned. Piece after piece of meat is taken out, and not one is left. 7 There was murder in the city, but the blood was not spilled on the ground where the dust could hide it; it was spilled on a bare rock. 8 I have left the blood there, where it cannot be hidden, where it demands angry revenge.”
9 This is what the Sovereign Lord is saying: “The city of murderers is doomed! I myself will pile up the firewood. 10 Bring more wood! Fan the flames! Cook the meat! Boil away the broth! Burn up the bones! 11 Now set the empty bronze pot on the coals and let it get red-hot. Then the pot will be ritually pure again after the corrosion is burned off, 12 although all that corrosion will not disappear in the flames. 13 Jerusalem, your immoral actions have defiled you. Although I tried to purify you, you remained defiled. You will not be pure again until you have felt the full force of my anger. 14 I, the Lord, have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not ignore your sins or show pity or be merciful. You will be punished for what you have done.” The Sovereign Lord has spoken.
The Death of the Prophet's Wife
15 The Lord spoke to me. 16 “Mortal man,” he said, “with one blow I am going to take away the person you love most. You are not to complain or cry or shed any tears. 17 Don't let your sobbing be heard. Do not go bareheaded or barefoot as a sign of mourning. Don't cover your face or eat the food that mourners eat.”
18 Early in the day I was talking with the people. That evening my wife died, and the next day I did as I had been told. 19 The people asked me, “Why are you acting like this?”
20 So I said to them, “The Lord spoke to me and told me 21 to give you Israelites this message: You are proud of the strength of the Temple. You like to look at it and to visit it, but the Lord is going to profane it. And the younger members of your families who are left in Jerusalem will be killed in war. 22 Then you will do what I have done. You will not cover your faces or eat the food that mourners eat. 23 You will not go bareheaded or barefoot or mourn or cry. You will waste away because of your sins, and you will groan to one another. 24 Then I will be a sign to you; you will do everything I have done. The Lord says that when this happens, you will know that he is the Sovereign Lord.”
25 The Lord said, “Now, mortal man, I will take away from them the strong Temple that was their pride and joy, which they liked to look at and to visit. And I will take away their sons and daughters. 26 On the day that I do this, some who escape the destruction will come and tell you about it. 27 That same day you will get back the power of speech which you had lost, and you will talk with them. In this way you will be a sign to the people, and they will know that I am the Lord.”
Ombiga tayi lunguna
1 Mesiku etimulongo lyomwedhi omutimulongo gwomumvo omutimugoyi guupongekwa wetu, Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti: 2 “Muna gwomuntu, nyola esiku lyonena, oshoka esiku ndika olyo esiku ndyoka omukwaniilwa gwaBabilonia ta tameke ekondeko lyaJerusalem. 3 Lombwela aantu yandje aatangalali eyele ndika ngame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike tandi ti kuyo:
Tula ombiga peziko,
yu udhitha omeya.
4 Tula mo oontumba dhonyama,
iiyoko niilama,
udha mo omapandwa.
5 Kutha onyama yonzi;
tula iikuni kohi yombiga.
Tema ombiga yi pye,
omasipa noontumba.”
6 Omuwa Omupangeliawike ota ti: “Akwetse, oshilando shaadhipagi! Osha fa ombiga ya kakatela iikogo, ya tinda okuyela. Ontumba nontumba tayi kuthwa mo, noinamu kala we sha. 7 Moshilando omwa dhipagelwa mo, ihe ombinzi inayi tikila pevi, mpoka ontsi tayi yi siikile. Oya tikile kemanya. 8 Onda thigile ombinzi mpoka; itayi vulu okusiikilwa notayi pula ofuto.”
9 Omuwa Omupangeliawike ota popi ta ti: “Yaye oshilando shaadhipagi! Ongame mwene tandi gongele iikuni. 10 Eteni utale iikuni! Pepeleni omulilo! Tulii po onyama! Telekeni omuhoka! Lungunitheni omasipa! 11 Ngashingeyi tuleni ombiga yi li owala pomakala, yi lungune ya geta. Nena ombiga otayi ka yelithwa ishewe, sho iikogo ya pi ko, 12 nando iikogo ayihe itayi zi ko komulilo. 13 Jerusalem, iihuna yoye yoluhondelo oye ku nyateke. Nando nda kambadhala oku ku yelitha, owa kala wa nyata. Ito ka yela we, sigo wa lambelwa kondjahi yandje. 14 Ongame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike, nda popi. Ethimbo lya thikana, ndi ikwatele ko. Kandi na ohenda nuulunde woye nenge ndi ku uvitile olukeno. Oto geelelwa shoka wa yono.” Omuwa Omupangeliawike okwa popi.
Eso lyomukiintu gwaHesekiel
15 Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje 16 a ti: “Muna gwomuntu, mepathimo limwe otandi ka kutha po omuntu u mu hole unene. Ino yemata nenge u lile nenge u pitithe omahodhi. 17 Ino uvika to hekumuna. Ino ikulula epalu nenge u kale oompadhi dhowala, u holole oluhodhi. Oshipala shoye ino shi siikila nenge u lye iikulya yoosa.”
18 Onda li tandi popi naantu ongula onene. Ongulohi omukiintu gwandje okwa si, nongula yanakwasha onda ningi, ngaashi nda lombwelwa. 19 Aantu oya pula ndje ya ti: “Oshike to ningi ngaaka?”
20 Onde ya lombwele nda ti: “Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje, 21 ndi lombwele Aaisraeli elaka ndika: Otamu itangele otempeli. Omu hole oku yi tala nokuya kuyo, ihe Omuwa ote ke yi nyatekitha. Aana yeni aamati naakadhona mboka ya kala muJerusalem, otaa dhipagelwa molugodhi. 22 Nena otamu ka ninga, ngaashi nda ningi. Itamu ka siikila iipala yeni nenge mu lye iikulya yoosa. 23 Itamu ki ikulula omapalu nenge mu kale poompadhi dhowala, mu yemate nenge mu lile oosa. Otamu ka kombwa po moluulunde weni notamu ka kemenathana. 24 Nena otandi ka ninga endhindhiliko kune; otamu ka ninga ayihe mbyoka nda ningi. Omuwa ota ti, uuna shika tashi ningwa, otamu ka tseya kutya oye Omuwa Omupangeliawike.”
25 Omuwa okwa ti: “Muna gwomuntu, ngashingeyi otandi ke ya kutha otempeli ndjoka haye yi inomene noku yi nyanyukilwa noye hole oku yi tala nokuya kuyo. Otandi ka kutha po oyana aamati naakadhona. 26 Esiku ndyoka tandi shi ningi, ontauki otayi ke ku hokololela ehanagulo ndika. 27 Esiku tuu ndyoka oto ka galulilwa omukumo gwokupopya, ngoka wa kanitha, e to ka popya naye. Pahedhi ndjika oto ka ninga endhindhiliko kaantu, noyo taa ka tseya kutya ongame Omuwa.”
