The Lord’s Judgment of Jerusalem Is Certain
1Then the Spirit of the Lord lifted me up. He brought me to the east gate of the Lord’s house. There were 25 men at the entrance of the gate. I saw Jaazaniah and Pelatiah among them. They were leaders of the people. Jaazaniah is the son of Azzur. Pelatiah is the son of Benaiah. 2The Lord said to me, “Son of man, these men are making evil plans. They are giving bad advice to the city. 3They say, ‘Haven’t our houses just been built again? The city is like a pot used for cooking. And we are the meat in it.’ 4So prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of man.”
5Then the Spirit of the Lord came on me. He told me to tell them, “The Lord says, ‘You leaders in Israel, that is what you are saying. But I know what you are thinking. 6You have killed many people in this city. In fact, you have filled its streets with dead bodies.’
7“So the Lord and King says, ‘The bodies you have thrown there are the meat. And the city is the cooking pot. But I will drive you out of it. 8You are afraid of the swords of war. But I will bring them against you,’ announces the Lord and King. 9‘I will drive you out of the city. I will hand you over to outsiders. And I will punish you. 10You will be killed by swords. I will judge you at the borders of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord. 11This city will not be a pot for you. And you will not be the meat in it. I will judge you at the borders of Israel. 12Then you will know that I am the Lord. You have not obeyed my rules. You have not kept my laws. Instead, you have lived by the standards of the nations around you.’ ”
13Pelatiah, the son of Benaiah, died as I was prophesying. Then I fell with my face toward the ground. I cried out in a loud voice. I said, “Lord and King, will you destroy all the Israelites who are still left alive?”
The Lord Will Bring His People Back Home
14A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 15“Son of man, the people of Jerusalem have spoken about you. They have spoken about the others the Babylonians have taken away. They have also spoken about all the other people of Israel. The people of Jerusalem have said, ‘Those people are far away from the Lord. This land was given to us. And it belongs to us.’
16“So tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “I sent some of my people far away among the nations. I scattered them among the countries. But for a little while I have been their temple in the countries where they have gone.” ’
17“Tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “I will gather you from the nations. I will bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered. I will give you back the land of Israel.” ’
18“They will return to it. They will remove all its statues of evil gods. I hate those gods. 19I will give my people hearts that are completely committed to me. I will give them a new spirit that is faithful to me. I will remove their stubborn hearts from them. And I will give them hearts that obey me. 20Then they will follow my rules. They will be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people. And I will be their God. 21But some people have hearts that are committed to worshiping the statues of their evil gods. I hate those gods. Anything that happens to those people will be their own fault,” announces the Lord and King.
22Then the cherubim spread their wings. The wheels were beside them. The glory of the God of Israel was above them. 23The glory of the Lord went up from the city. It stopped above the Mount of Olives east of the city. 24The Spirit of God lifted me up. He took me to those who had been brought to Babylon as prisoners. These are the things that happened in the visions the Spirit gave me.
Then the visions I had seen were gone. 25I told my people everything the Lord had shown me.
Hukumu Juu Ya Viongozi Wa Israeli
111:1 Eze 8:16; 43:4-5; 3:12-14; Yer 5:5Ndipo Roho akaniinua na kunileta mpaka kwenye lango la nyumba ya Bwana linalotazama upande wa mashariki. Pale kwenye ingilio la lango kulikuwepo wanaume ishirini na watano, nami nikaona miongoni mwao Yaazania mwana wa Azuri na Pelatia mwana wa Benaya, viongozi wa watu. 211:2 Isa 29:20; Nah 1:11Bwana akaniambia, “Mwanadamu, hawa ndio wafanyao hila na kutoa mashauri potovu katika mji huu. 311:3 Yer 1:13; Eze 24:3; 12:22, 27; Mik 3:3Wao husema, ‘Je, hivi karibuni hautakuwa wakati wa kujenga nyumba? Mji huu ni chungu cha kupikia, nasi ndio nyama.’ 411:4 Eze 3:4, 17Kwa hiyo toa unabii dhidi yao, tabiri, Ewe mwanadamu.”
511:5 Ebr 4:11; Za 26:2; Yer 17:10Kisha Roho wa Bwana akaja juu yangu, naye akaniambia niseme: “Hili ndilo Bwana asemalo: Hili ndilo ninyi mnalosema, ee nyumba ya Israeli, lakini ninajua mnalowaza mioyoni mwenu. 611:6 Eze 7:23; 22:6Mmewaua watu wengi katika mji huu na kujaza barabara zake maiti.
711:7 Mik 3:2-3; Eze 24:3-13; Yer 1:13“Kwa hiyo hili ndilo asemalo Bwana Mwenyezi: maiti ulizozitupa huko ni nyama na mji huu ni chungu, lakini nitawaondoa mtoke huko. 811:8 Mit 10:24; Isa 66:4; Law 26:25; Yer 42:16Mnaogopa upanga, nao upanga huo ndio nitakaouleta juu yenu, asema Bwana Mwenyezi. 911:9 Za 106:41; Eze 5:8; Kum 28:36Nitawaondoa mtoke katika mji na kuwatia mikononi mwa wageni nami nitawaadhibu. 1011:10 Yer 39:6; 2Fal 14:25Mtaanguka kwa upanga, nami nitatimiza hukumu dhidi yenu katika mipaka ya Israeli. Ndipo mtajua kuwa Mimi ndimi Bwana. 1111:11 Eze 24:6Mji huu hautakuwa chungu kwa ajili yenu, wala hamtakuwa nyama ndani yake. Nitatoa hukumu dhidi yenu katika mipaka ya Israeli. 1211:12 Law 18:4; Eze 18:9; 8:10; 6:7Nanyi mtajua ya kuwa Mimi ndimi Bwana, kwa kuwa hamkufuata amri zangu wala kuzishika sheria zangu, bali mmefuata mwenendo wa mataifa yanayowazunguka.”
1311:13 Eze 9:8; Amo 7:2Basi nilipokuwa ninatoa unabii, Pelatia mwana wa Benaya akafa. Ndipo nikaanguka kifudifudi, nikalia kwa sauti kuu nikasema, “Ee Bwana Mwenyezi! Je utaangamiza kabisa mabaki ya Israeli?”
14Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema: 1511:15 Eze 33:24“Mwanadamu, ndugu zako, ndugu zako ambao ni wa uhusiano wa damu na nyumba yote ya Israeli, ndio wale ambao watu wa Yerusalemu wamesema, ‘Wako mbali na Bwana; nchi hii tulipewa sisi kuwa milki yetu.’
Ahadi Ya Kurudi Kwa Israeli
1611:16 Za 31:20; Isa 8:14; Za 91:9; Isa 4:6“Kwa hiyo sema, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Ingawa niliwapeleka mbali miongoni mwa mataifa na kuwatawanya katika nchi mbalimbali, lakini kwa kitambo kidogo mimi nimekuwa mahali patakatifu kwao katika nchi walizokwenda.’
1711:17 Neh 1:9; Yer 24:5-6; 3:18; 31:16; Eze 20:41; 28:25; 34:13“Kwa hiyo sema: ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Nitawakusanyeni kutoka mataifa na kuwarudisha kutoka nchi ambazo mmetawanywa, nami nitawarudishia nchi ya Israeli.’
1811:18 Eze 5:11; 37:2311:18 Eze 5:11; 37:23“Watairudia nchi na kuondoa vinyago vyote vya upotovu na sanamu zote za machukizo. 1911:19 Za 86:11; Yer 32:36; Zek 7:12; Yer 24:7; Rum 2:5; 2Kor 3:3; Eze 36:26; 18:31; 2Nya 30:12Nitawapa moyo mmoja na kuweka roho mpya ndani yao, nitaondoa kutoka ndani yao moyo wa jiwe na kuwapa moyo wa nyama. 2011:20 Za 105:45; Kut 6:7; Ebr 8:10; Yer 11:4; 32:38; Eze 36:26-28Kisha watafuata amri zangu na kuwa waangalifu kutii sheria zangu. Watakuwa watu wangu nami nitakuwa Mungu wao. 2111:21 Yer 16:11; Eze 16:43; Ebr 3:12; Eze 9:10Lakini kwa wale ambao mioyo yao imeambatana na vinyago vyao vya upotovu na sanamu zao za machukizo, nitaleta juu ya vichwa vyao yale waliyotenda asema Bwana Mwenyezi.”
2211:22 Eze 9:3; 10:19; Kut 24:16Ndipo wale makerubi, wenye magurudumu pembeni mwao, wakakunjua mabawa yao, nao utukufu wa Mungu wa Israeli ulikuwa juu yao. 2311:23 Eze 1:28; 8:4; Zek 14:4; Eze 10:4Basi utukufu wa Bwana ukapaa juu kutoka mji, ukatua juu ya mlima ulio upande wa mashariki ya mji. 2411:24 2Kor 12:2; Eze 8:3Roho akaniinua na kunileta mpaka kwa watu wa uhamisho huko Ukaldayo nikiwa katika yale maono niliyopewa na Roho wa Mungu.
Ndipo maono niliyokuwa nimeyaona yakanitoka, 2511:25 Eze 3:4, 11; Mdo 20:20nami nikawaeleza wale watu wa uhamisho kila kitu Bwana alichokuwa amenionyesha.
