Ekumbiko leenhwa mbali nolomuviinyu
1 Ndele ondjovo yOmwene ye uya kwaame ndele tai ti: 2 “Kaana komunhu, lombwela eumbo laIsrael otumbutumbu u tonge ekumbiko u tye: 3 Omwene Kalunga ta ti ngaha: Onhwa yakula nomavava manene, nomenya male noidudilo ihapuihapu, i noutotone vahapu, ye uya kuLibanon, ndele ya kufa oxulo yomuti womusederi. 4 Yo oya teya po oxulo yoitai yao ya hapa ndele ye i twala moshilongo shovalandifi. Yo ye i tula moshilando shovalandifi. 5 Yo oya kufa yo ombuto moshilongo osho ndele ye i kuna mepya. Yo ye i twala komeva mahapu ye i twika ngaashi oshixwa. 6 Ndele osho sha tutuma nosha ninga omuviinyu wa hapa nawa, mokukula wa li muxupi, noitai yao ya tandavela langhele lwokonhwa nomidi dao da shiiva okukala koshi yayo. Osho ngaha sha ninga omuviinyu, ndele wa ninga oitai noutai va twiyuka.
7 Ndele natango pa li vali onhwa i nomavava manene noidudilo ihapu. Ndele tala, omuviinyu ou wa endamenifa omidi dao kuyo noitai yao yomoimhungu omo wa twikwa, we i shikula, opo yo i u tekele. 8 Sho osha twikwa medu liwa pomeva mahapu, opo shi twiyuke nokwiima, shi ninge omuviinyu wa wapala. 9 Tya: Omwene Kalunga ta ti ngaha: Tau ka kala tuu nawa? Onhwa itai ka duda mo omidi dao nokukola oiimati, opo tau kukuta, heeno, tau kukuta fiyo okomafo ao aeshe a hapa? Ndele itau shilwa mo keenghono dokwooko nokouhapu wovanhu eshi tau dudwa mo nomidi dao. 10 Heeno, tala, wa twikwa, ndele otau ka kala tuu nawa? Owo aushe itau ka kukuta, omhepo yokoushilo ngeenge tai pepe kuwo, tau kukuta moimhungu omo wa twikwa.”
11 Ndele ondjovo yOmwene ye uya kwaame ndele tai ti: 12 “Lombwela hano eumbo lovatangalali: Inamu shiiva oinima ei tai ti shike? Tya: Tala, ohamba yomuBabilon ye uya kuJerusalem ndele ya kufa mo ohamba yomusho nomalenga asho ndele ye va eta kuye muBabilon. 13 Opo nee yo oya kufa umwe womepata leehamba ndele ya dika ehangano naye ndele ye mu anifa, ndelenee ovanaenghono vomoshilongo ya ya navo, 14 opo ouhamba u kale wa xutuka ndele itau ehene komesho, ndelenee mokudiinina ehangano u shiive okukala po. 15 Ndelenee ye okwe mu twila ondubo, eshi a tuma ovatumwa kuEgipiti, opo vo ve mu pe eenghambe novakwaita vahapu. Ye ota ka kala tuu nawa? Ou ta ningi oinima ya tya ngaha, ota dulu okuya onhapo. Ou ta teya ehangano, ota xupu tuu? 16 Oshili ngaashi Ame ndi nomwenyo, Omwene Kalunga ta ti, oshilielela, monhele tuu oyo ohamba ei tai kala ye mu ninga ohamba, eano layo ye e li dina nokuteya po ehangano nayo, opuyo, meni laBabilon, omo ye ota ka fila. 17 Ndele Farao novanhu vaye vahapu nomatanga aye mahapu ite mu popile moita, vo ngeenge tava fe ohote yedu ndele tava tungu eehotengulu va nyonaune po eemwenyo dihapu, 18 osheshi ye okwa dina eano mokuteya po ehangano. Ndele, tala, nande ye a yandja eke mokupaafana omake, ye okwa ninga oinima aishe ei. Ye ite ke lixupifa.
19 “Onghee hano, Omwene Kalunga ta ti ngaha: Oshili ngaashi Ame ndi nomwenyo, oshilielela, Ame ohandi ka efela komutwe waye eano lange, ye e li dina nehangano lange, ye e li teya po. 20 Ndele ondjadja yange ohandi ke i yala kombada yaye, nomelulo lange ta ka kwatwa. Ndele Ame ohandi ke mu twala kuBabilon noko handi ke mu tokola, molweliteeko laye, ye eshi e liteeka nge. 21 Ndele ovainhapo vaye aveshe vomomatanga aye, otava ka dipawa keongamukonda, novaxupifwa tave ke lihanifwa keembinga adishe domhepo, ndele vo otava ka shiiva nokutya, Ame Omwene nde shi tongele.”
22 Omwene Kalunga ta ti ngaha: “Ndele Ame mwene ohandi ka kufa koxulo yomuti mule womusederi okatai, heeno, okoxuloelela omoitai ohandi ka kufa okatai kapu, ndele Ame mwene ohandi ke ka twika komhunda ile noya tumbala. 23 Komhunda ile yaIsrael Ame ohandi ke ka twika, ndele taka piti oitai nokwiima oiimati ndele taka ka ninga omusederi wa wapala, opo eedila adishe doutotone ve lili nove lili di shiive okukala muwo, do otadi ka kala momudile woitai yao. 24 Ndele omiti adishe domomufitu otadi ka shiiva nokutya, Omwene ohandi ninipike omuti mule ndele handi nenepeke omuti munini. Omuti mutalala ohandi ke u kukutika nomuti mukukutu ohandi ke u hapifa. Aame, Omwene nde shi popya nonde shi ninga.”
A Story about Two Eagles and a Vine
1 The Lord said:
2 Ezekiel, son of man, tell the people of Israel the following story, 3 so they will understand what I am saying to them:
A large eagle with strong wings and beautiful feathers once flew to Lebanon. It broke the top branch off a cedar tree, 4 then carried it to a nation of merchants and left it in one of their cities. 5 The eagle also took a seed from Israel and planted it in a fertile field with plenty of water, like a willow tree beside a stream. 6 The seed sprouted and grew into a grapevine that spread over the ground. It had lots of leaves and strong, deep roots, and its branches grew upward toward the eagle.
7 There was another eagle with strong wings and thick feathers. The roots and branches of the grapevine soon turned toward this eagle, hoping it would bring water for the soil. 8 But the vine was already growing in fertile soil, where there was plenty of water to produce healthy leaves and large grapes.
9 Now tell me, Ezekiel, do you think this grapevine will live? Or will the first eagle pull it up by its roots and pluck off the grapes and let its new leaves die? The eagle could easily kill it without the help of a large and powerful army. 10 The grapevine is strong and healthy, but as soon as the scorching desert wind blows, it will quickly wither.
The Lord Explains the Story
11 The Lord said:
12 Ezekiel, ask the rebellious people of Israel if they know what this story means.
Tell them that the king of Babylonia came to Jerusalem, then he captured the king of Judah and his officials, and took them back to Babylon as prisoners. 13 He chose someone from the family of Judah's king and signed a treaty with him, then made him swear to be loyal. He also led away other important citizens, 14 so that the rest of the people of Judah would obey only him and never gain control of their own country again.
15 But this new king of Judah later rebelled against Babylonia and sent officials to Egypt to get horses and troops. Will this king be successful in breaking the treaty with Babylonia? Or will he be punished for what he's done?
16 As surely as I am the living Lord God, I swear that the king of Judah will die in Babylon, because he broke the treaty with the king of Babylonia, who appointed him king. 17 Even the king of Egypt and his powerful army will be useless to Judah when the Babylonians attack and build towers and dirt ramps to destroy the cities of Judah and its people. 18 The king of Judah broke his own promises and ignored the treaty with Babylonia. And so he will be punished!
19 He made a promise in my name and swore to honor the treaty. And now that he has broken that promise, my name is disgraced. He must pay for what he's done. 20 I will spread out a net to trap him. Then I will drag him to Babylon and see that he is punished for his unfaithfulness to me. 21 His best troops will be killed in battle, and the survivors will be scattered in every direction. I, the Lord, have spoken.
22 Someday, I, the Lord,
will cut a tender twig
from the top of a cedar tree,
then plant it on the peak
of Israel's tallest mountain,
23 where it will grow
strong branches
and produce large fruit.
All kinds of birds will find
shelter under the tree,
and they will rest in the shade
of its branches.
24 Every tree in the forest
will know that I, the Lord,
can bring down tall trees
and help short ones grow.
I dry up green trees
and make dry ones green.
I, the Lord, have spoken,
and I will keep my word.
