The Lord Judges Jerusalem for Its Sins
1A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said,
2“Son of man, are you going to judge Jerusalem? Will you judge this city that has so many murderers in it? Then tell its people they have done many evil things. I hate those things. 3Tell them, ‘The Lord and King says, “Your city brings death on itself. You spill blood inside its walls. You make yourselves ‘unclean’ by making statues of gods. 4You are guilty of spilling blood. Your statues have made you ‘unclean.’ You have brought your days to a close. The end of your years has come. So the nations will make fun of you. All the countries will laugh at you. 5Those who are near you will tell jokes about you. So will those who are far away. Trouble fills the streets of your sinful city.
6“ ‘ “The princes of Israel are in your city. All of them use their power to spill blood. 7They have made fun of fathers and mothers alike. They have crushed outsiders. They have treated badly the children whose fathers have died. They have done the same thing to widows. 8You have looked down on the holy things that were set apart to me. You have misused my Sabbath days. 9You have spread lies about others so you can spill someone’s blood. You eat at the mountain temples. You commit impure acts. 10You bring shame on your fathers by having sex with their wives. You have sex with women during their monthly period. That is when they are ‘unclean.’ 11One of you has sex with another man’s wife. I hate that sin. Another brings shame on his daughter-in-law by having sex with her. Still another has sex with his sister, even though she is his own father’s daughter. 12You accept money from people who want special favors. You do this to spill someone’s blood. You charge interest to poor people when you lend them money. You make money from them. You get rich by cheating your neighbors. And you have forgotten me,” announces the Lord and King.
13“ ‘ “I will clap my hands because I am so angry. You got rich by cheating others. You spilled blood inside the walls of your city. 14Will you be brave on the day I deal with you? Will you be strong at that time? I have spoken. I will do this. I am the Lord. 15I will scatter you among the nations. I will send you to other countries. I will put an end to your ‘uncleanness.’ 16You will be ‘unclean’ in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”
17A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 18“Son of man, the people of Israel have become like scum to me. All of them are like the copper, tin, iron and lead left inside a furnace. They are only the scum that is removed from silver.” 19So the Lord and King says, “People of Israel, all of you have become like scum. So I will gather you together in Jerusalem. 20People put silver, copper, iron, lead and tin into a furnace. They melt it with a blazing fire. In the same way, I will gather you. I will pour out my burning anger on you. I will put you inside the city and melt you. 21I will gather you together. My burning anger will blaze out at you. And you will be melted inside Jerusalem. 22Silver is melted in a furnace. And you will be melted inside the city. Then you will know that I have poured out my burning anger on you. I am the Lord.”
23Another message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 24“Son of man, speak to the land. Tell it, ‘You have not been washed clean with rain. That’s because I am angry with you.’ 25Ezekiel, the princes of the land are like a roaring lion that tears its food apart. They eat people up. They take treasures and other valuable things. They cause many women in the land to become widows. 26Its priests break my law. They treat things set apart to me as if they were not holy. They treat holy and common things as if they were the same. They teach that there is no difference between things that are ‘clean’ and things that are not. They refuse to keep my Sabbath days. So they treat me as if I were not holy. 27The officials in the land are like wolves that tear their food apart. They spill blood and kill people to get rich. 28The prophets cover up these acts for them. The visions of these prophets are false. They use magic to try to find out what is going to happen. But their magic tricks are lies. They say, ‘The Lord and King says.’ But I have not spoken to them. 29The people of the land get rich by cheating others. They steal. They crush those who are poor and in need. They treat outsiders badly. They refuse to be fair to them.
30“I looked for someone among them who would stand up for Jerusalem. I tried to find someone who would pray to me for the land. Then I would not have to destroy it. But I could not find anyone who would pray for it. 31So I will pour out my anger on its people. I will destroy them because of my great anger against them. And anything that happens to them will be their own fault,” announces the Lord and King.
Dhambi Za Yerusalemu
122:1 Hab 2:12; Hos 4:2; Eze 16:2; 23:36; 24:6Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema: 222:2 Eze 24:6, 9; Hos 4:2; Nah 3:1; Hab 2:12; Eze 16:2; 23:36“Mwanadamu, je, wewe utauhukumu? Je, utauhukumu huu mji umwagao damu? Basi uujulishe juu ya matendo yake yote ya machukizo 322:3 Eze 23:45; 24:2; Mik 6:16uuambie: ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Ee mji ule ujileteao maangamizi wenyewe kwa kumwaga damu ndani yake na kujinajisi wenyewe kwa kutengeneza sanamu, 422:4 2Fal 21:16; Eze 5:14; 21:25; Za 44:13-14; Dan 9:16; Za 137:3umekuwa na hatia kwa sababu ya damu uliyomwaga na umetiwa unajisi kwa sanamu ulizotengeneza. Umejiletea mwisho wa siku zako na mwisho wa miaka yako umewadia. Kwa hiyo nitakufanya kitu cha kudharauliwa kwa mataifa na kitu cha mzaha kwa nchi zote. 522:5 Isa 22:2Wale walio karibu na wale walio mbali watakudhihaki, Ewe mji wenye sifa mbaya, uliyejaa ghasia.
622:6 Isa 1:23; Eze 11:6; 18:10; 33:25“ ‘Ona jinsi kila mkuu wa Israeli aliyeko ndani yako anavyotumia nguvu zake kumwaga damu. 722:7 Kum 27:16; Mik 7:6; Kut 22:21-22; Kum 5:16; Kut 23:9Ndani yako wamewadharau baba na mama, ndani yako wamewatendea wageni udhalimu na kuwaonea yatima na wajane. 822:8 Kut 20:8; Law 19:30; Eze 23:38-39Mmedharau vitu vyangu vitakatifu na kuzinajisi Sabato zangu. 922:9 Law 19:16; Eze 18:11; Hos 4:10-14; Isa 59:3; Eze 23:29Ndani yako wako watu wasingiziaji, watu walio tayari kumwaga damu, ndani yako wako wale wanaokula vyakula vilivyotolewa mahali pa ibada za miungu kwenye milima, na kutenda matendo ya uasherati. 1022:10 Law 12:2; 18:8; 1Kor 5:1Ndani yako wako wale wanaovunjia heshima vitanda vya baba zao, ndani yako wamo wale wanaowatendea wanawake jeuri wakiwa katika hedhi, wakati wakiwa si safi. 1122:11 Mwa 11:31; Law 18:15; 18:9; 2Sam 13:14; Yer 5:8; Eze 18:9Ndani yako mtu hufanya mambo ya machukizo na mke wa jirani yake, mwingine kwa aibu kubwa hukutana kimwili na mke wa mwanawe, mwingine humtenda jeuri dada yake, binti wa baba yake hasa. 1222:12 Kut 18:21; Amo 5:12; Law 19:13; Kum 16:19; Za 26:10; Isa 5:23; 17:10Ndani yako watu hupokea rushwa ili kumwaga damu, mnapokea riba na faida ya ziada na kupata faida isiyokuwa halali kutoka kwa jirani ili kupata faida kubwa kupita kiasi. Nawe umenisahau mimi, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.
1322:13 Eze 21:17; Hes 24:10; Isa 33:15; Eze 6:11“ ‘Hakika nitapiga makofi kwa ajili ya faida isiyo halali uliyojipatia na kwa damu uliyoimwaga ndani yako. 1422:14 Eze 17:24; 21:7; 24:14; 1Kor 10:22; Za 76:7; Yoe 2:11Je, ujasiri wako utadumu au mikono yako itakuwa na nguvu siku hiyo nitakapokushughulikia? Mimi Bwana nimesema na nitalifanya. 1522:15 Kum 4:27; Zek 7:14; Eze 16:41; 23:27; Law 26:33Nitakutawanya miongoni mwa mataifa na kukutapanya katika nchi mbalimbali nami nitakomesha unajisi wako. 1622:16 Za 9:16; Eze 6:7Ukiisha kunajisika mbele ya mataifa, utajua kuwa Mimi ndimi Bwana.’ ”
17Ndipo neno la Bwana likanijia kusema: 1822:18 Za 119:119; Isa 1:22; Yer 6:28-30; Isa 48:10“Mwanadamu, nyumba ya Israeli imekuwa kwangu takataka ya chuma, wote kwangu wamekuwa shaba, bati, chuma na risasi iliyoachwa kalibuni. Wao ni taka ya madini ya fedha tu. 1922:19 Za 119:119Kwa hiyo hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: ‘Kwa kuwa wote mmekuwa takataka ya chuma, nitawakusanya Yerusalemu. 2022:20 Hos 8:10; Mal 3:2Kama vile watu wakusanyavyo fedha, shaba, chuma, risasi na bati kalibuni ili kuyeyusha kwa moto mkali, ndivyo nitakavyowakusanya katika hasira yangu na ghadhabu yangu kuwaweka ndani ya mji na kuwayeyusha. 2122:21 Isa 40:7; Za 68:2; Eze 21:31Nitawakusanya na kupuliza juu yenu moto wa hasira yangu na ghadhabu yangu nanyi mtayeyushwa ndani ya huo mji. 2222:22 Isa 1:25; 64:7; Eze 20:8; 7:8Kama fedha iyeyukavyo kalibuni, ndivyo mtakavyoyeyuka ndani ya huo mji, nanyi mtajua kuwa Mimi Bwana nimemwaga ghadhabu yangu juu yenu.’ ”
23Neno la Bwana likanijia tena kusema: 2422:24 Eze 24:13“Mwanadamu, iambie nchi, ‘Wewe ni nchi ambayo haijapata mvua wala manyunyu katika siku ya ghadhabu.’ 2522:25 Hos 9:6; Yer 11:9; 15:8; 18:21; 6:13; Mdo 20:29Kuna hila mbaya ya wakuu ndani yake kama simba angurumaye akirarua mawindo yake, wanakula watu, wanachukua hazina na vitu vya thamani na kuongeza idadi ya wajane ndani yake. 2622:26 Hos 9:7-8; Sef 3:4; 1Sam 2:29; Eze 44:23; 42:20; Law 10:10; Hag 2:11-14; Mal 2:7-8; Law 20:25Makuhani wake wameihalifu sheria yangu na kunajisi vitu vyangu vitakatifu, hawatofautishi kati ya vitu vitakatifu na vitu vya kawaida. Wanafundisha kuwa hakuna tofauti kati ya vitu vilivyo najisi na visivyo najisi, nao wanafumba macho yao katika kutunza Sabato zangu, hivyo katikati yao nimetiwa unajisi. 2722:27 Mwa 37:24; Yer 12:2; 26:10; Mt 7:15; Eze 34:2-3; Isa 1:23Maafisa wake walioko ndani yake ni kama mbwa mwitu wararuao mawindo yao, wanamwaga damu na kuua watu ili kupata faida ya udhalimu. 2822:28 Eze 13:6-10; Mao 2:14; 4:13; Eze 21:29; 13:2-7Manabii wake wanapaka chokaa matendo haya kwa maono ya uongo na utabiri wa udanganyifu. Wanasema, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo,’ wakati Bwana hajasema. 2922:29 Yer 5:26; Kut 22:21; 23:9; Isa 5:7; Za 106:23Watu wa nchi wanatoza kwa nguvu na kufanya unyangʼanyi, wanawatenda jeuri maskini na wahitaji na kuwaonea wageni, wakiwanyima haki.
3022:30 Eze 13:5; Za 106:23; Isa 64:7“Nami nikatafuta mtu miongoni mwao, ambaye angejenga ukuta na kusimama mbele zangu mahali palipobomoka kwa ajili ya watu wa nchi ili nisije nikaiangamiza, lakini sikumwona mtu yeyote. 3122:31 Eze 16:43; 9:10; Rum 2:8; Kut 32:10; Isa 30:27; Mao 4:11; Eze 7:8-9Hivyo nitaimwaga ghadhabu yangu juu yao na kuwateketeza kwa moto wa hasira yangu, nikiyaleta juu ya vichwa vyao yale yote waliyotenda, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.”
