1 God said, “Mortal man, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.”
2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. 3 He said, “Mortal man, eat this scroll that I give you; fill your stomach with it.” I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey.
4 Then God said, “Mortal man, go to the people of Israel and say to them whatever I tell you to say. 5 I am not sending you to a nation that speaks a difficult foreign language, but to the Israelites. 6 If I sent you to great nations that spoke difficult languages you didn't understand, they would listen to you. 7 But none of the people of Israel will be willing to listen; they will not even listen to me. All of them are stubborn and defiant. 8 Now I will make you as stubborn and as tough as they are. 9 I will make you as firm as a rock, as hard as a diamond; don't be afraid of those rebels.”
10 God continued, “Mortal man, pay close attention and remember everything I tell you. 11 Then go to the people of your nation who are in exile and tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying to them, whether they pay attention to you or not.”
12 Then God's spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the loud roar of a voice that said, “Praise the glory of the Lord in heaven above!” 13 I heard the wings of the creatures beating together in the air, and the noise of the wheels, as loud as an earthquake. 14 The power of the Lord came on me with great force, and as his spirit carried me off, I felt bitter and angry. 15 So I came to Tel Abib beside the Chebar River, where the exiles were living, and for seven days I stayed there, overcome by what I had seen and heard.
The Lord Appoints Ezekiel as a Lookout
(Ezekiel 33.1-9)16 After the seven days had passed, the Lord spoke to me. 17 “Mortal man,” he said, “I am making you a lookout for the nation of Israel. You will pass on to them the warnings I give you. 18 If I announce that someone evil is going to die but you do not warn him to change his ways so that he can save his life, he will die, still a sinner, but I will hold you responsible for his death. 19 If you do warn an evil man and he doesn't stop sinning, he will die, still a sinner, but your life will be spared.
20 “If someone truly good starts doing evil and I put him in a dangerous situation, he will die if you do not warn him. He will die because of his sins—I will not remember the good he did—and I will hold you responsible for his death. 21 If you do warn a good man not to sin and he listens to you and doesn't sin, he will stay alive, and your life will also be spared.”
Ezekiel Will Be Unable to Talk
22 I felt the powerful presence of the Lord and heard him say to me, “Get up and go out into the valley. I will talk to you there.”
23 So I went out into the valley, and there I saw the glory of the Lord, just as I had seen it beside the Chebar River. I fell face downward on the ground, 24 but God's spirit entered me and raised me to my feet. The Lord said to me, “Go home and shut yourself up in the house. 25 You will be tied with ropes, mortal man, and you will not be able to go out in public. 26 I will paralyze your tongue so that you won't be able to warn these rebellious people. 27 Then, when I speak to you again and give you back the power of speech, you will tell them what I, the Sovereign Lord, am saying. Some of them will listen, but some will ignore you, for they are a nation of rebels.”
1 “Muna gwomuntu, lya po ondhinga yembo ndjika, opo u ye u ka hunganekele Aaisraeli.”
2 Onda makula okana kandje, nokwa pe ndje ondhinga yembo, ndi yi lye po. 3 Okwa ti: “Muna gwomuntu, lya po ondhinga yembo ndjika tandi yi ku pe, kutitha nayo ela lyoye.” Onde yi li po, noya li yi na omulyo gwa fa omagadhi goonyushi.
4 Kalunga okwa ti: “Muna gwomuntu, inda kAaisraeli, u ya lombwele shoka tandi shi ku lombwele. 5 Itandi ku tumu koshigwana shoka hashi popi elaka lyaatakumi, ihe okAaisraeli. 6 Ngele otandi ku tumu kiigwana mbyoka hayi popi elaka waa li uvite ko, otaye ke ku pulakena. 7 Ihe kape na nando ogumwe gwomAaisraeli ta ka hala a pulakene; nokuli itaa ka pulakena ndje nando. Ayehe oyo aatangalali ye na omanganga. 8 Ngashingeyi otandi ku ningi omukukutu wa kindja we ya fa. 9 Otandi ke ku ninga omukukutu wa fa emanya nongaashi ondiamande; ino tila aatangalali mboka.”
10 Kalunga okwa tsikile a ti: “Muna gwomuntu, taamba oohapu dhandje adhihe tandi dhi ku lombwele. Dhi dhimbulukwa nawa. 11 Inda ihe kaapongekwa aakweni, u ya lombwele shoka ngame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike, tandi ya lombwele, ngele otaye ku pulakene nenge aawe.”
12 Ombepo yaKalunga oya yambula ndje po, nondu uvu konima yandje ewi enene tali ndunduma tali ti: “Hambeleleni esimano lyOmuwa megulu pombanda!” 13 Ondu uvu oshihomo shomawawa giinamwenyo, sho tagi idhenge kumwe mewangandjo, nekolokoto lyomagulu lya fa epupo lyekakamo lyevi. 14 Oonkondo dhOmuwa odha kwata ndje, nOmbepo ye oye enditha ndje, nonda adhika koshinyenu nda geya. 15 Onde ya kuTel Abib pomulonga Kebar, nkoka kwa kala aapongekwa, nonda kala ko omasiku gaheyali nda kwatwa kushoka nda monene nonde shi uvile.
Omuwa ta langeke Hesekiel a ninge omulangeli
16 Omasiku gaheyali sho ga piti po, Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti: 17 “Muna gwomuntu, otandi ku ningi omulangeli gwoshigwana Israel. Ou na oku ya londodha nomalondodho tandi ge ku lombwele. 18 Ngele otandi tomona kutya omulunde ota ka sa, ihe ngoye ito mu londodha, i itedhulule nokweetha oondjila dhe oombwinayi, ota ka sila muulunde we, ihe ombinzi ye otandi yi ku pula. 19 Ngele oto londodha omulunde, a ethe uulunde we, ihe ye ite shi ningi, nena ota ka sila muulunde we, ihe ngoye owa hupitha omwenyo gwoye.
20 “Omuyuuki ngele ote etha uuyuuki we nokuyona, notandi mu tula moshiponga, ota ka sa, ngele ino mu londodha. Ota sile muulunde we, nuuyuuki we itau dhimbulukiwa we, ihe ombinzi ye otandi yi ku pula. 21 Ngele oto londodha omuyuuki, opo kaa yone, oye note ku pulakene noita yono, ota kala e na omwenyo, nangoye wa hupitha omwenyo gwoye.”
Hesekiel ta nyengwa okupopya
22 Oshikaha shOmuwa osha li kombanda yandje, oye nokwa lombwele ndje a ti: “Thikama, u ye molusilu. Omo tandi ka popya nangoye.”
23 Onda yi ihe molusilu, nonda mono eadhimo lyaKalunga, naanaa ngaashi nde li mwene pomulonga Kebar. Onda tsu oshipala shandje mevi, 24 ihe Ombepo yaKalunga oya lambele ndje e tayi thikameke ndje. Omuwa okwa lombwele ndje a ti: “Inda megumbo, u ki iyedhilile mo. 25 Muna gwomuntu, otaye ke ku manga noongodhi, opo kuu pite mo u ye mokati kaantu. 26 Otandi ka lemaneka elaka lyoye, opo waa vule okulondodha aantu mbaka aapandala. 27 Ngele tandi ke ku popitha ishewe notandi ka makula okana koye, nena oto ke ya lombwela shoka ngame, Omuwa Omupangeliawike, tandi ti. Yamwe yomuyo otaa ka pulakena, ihe yamwe itaye ke ku pulakena, oshoka oyo aantu ye na iityani.”
