Renewal of Ezekiel’s Call as Watchman
1The word of the Lord came to me: 2“Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, 3and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, 4then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. 5Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. 6But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’
7“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 8When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for33:8 Or in; also in verse 9 their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 9But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.
10“Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of33:10 Or away in them. How then can we live?” ’ 11Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’
12“Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’ 13If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done. 14And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just and right— 15if they give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die. 16None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.
17“Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just. 18If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, they will die for it. 19And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so. 20Yet you Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to your own ways.”
Jerusalem’s Fall Explained
21In the twelfth year of our exile, in the tenth month on the fifth day, a man who had escaped from Jerusalem came to me and said, “The city has fallen!” 22Now the evening before the man arrived, the hand of the Lord was on me, and he opened my mouth before the man came to me in the morning. So my mouth was opened and I was no longer silent.
23Then the word of the Lord came to me: 24“Son of man, the people living in those ruins in the land of Israel are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many; surely the land has been given to us as our possession.’ 25Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Since you eat meat with the blood still in it and look to your idols and shed blood, should you then possess the land? 26You rely on your sword, you do detestable things, and each of you defiles his neighbor’s wife. Should you then possess the land?’
27“Say this to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: As surely as I live, those who are left in the ruins will fall by the sword, those out in the country I will give to the wild animals to be devoured, and those in strongholds and caves will die of a plague. 28I will make the land a desolate waste, and her proud strength will come to an end, and the mountains of Israel will become desolate so that no one will cross them. 29Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have made the land a desolate waste because of all the detestable things they have done.’
30“As for you, son of man, your people are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the Lord.’ 31My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. 32Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.
33“When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”
Ezekieli Akhala Mlonda
1Yehova anandiyankhula nati: 2“Iwe mwana wa munthu awuze anthu a mtundu wako kuti, ‘Paja zimati ndikatumiza nkhondo mʼdziko anthu a mʼdzikomo amasankha munthu mmodzi pakati pawo kuti akhale mlonda. 3Tsono iyeyo amati akaona nkhondo ikubwera amaliza lipenga kuti achenjeze anthuwo. 4Wina aliyense akamva lipenga koma osasamala, mdani uja akabwera nʼkumupha, ndiye kuti wadziphetsa yekha. 5Iye anamva kulira kwa lipenga koma sanalabadire. Ndiye kuti wadziphetsa yekha. Akanasamala kuchenjeza kwa mlonda akanapulumuka. 6Koma ngati mlondayo aona lupanga likubwera ndipo osawomba lipengalo kuchenjeza anthu, ndipo lupanga libwera ndi kuchotsa moyo wa mmodzi mwa iwo, munthu ameneyo adzafa chifukwa cha tchimo lake, koma ndidzamuyimba mlandu mlondayo chifukwa cha imfa ya mnzakeyo.’
7“Tsono iwe mwana wa munthu, ndakuyika kuti ukhale mlonda wa Aisraeli. Choncho imva mawu amene ndikuyankhula ndipo uwachenjeze. 8Ndikawuza munthu woyipa kuti, ‘Iwe munthu woyipa, udzafa ndithu,’ ndipo iwe osayankhula kumuchenjeza kuti aleke njira zake, munthu wochimwayo adzafa chifukwa cha tchimo lake, koma Ine ndidzakuyimba mlandu chifukwa cha imfa yake. 9Koma ngati uchenjeza munthu woyipa kuti aleke njira zake, ndipo iye osatero, adzafa chifukwa cha tchimo lake, koma iwe udzapulumutsa moyo wako.
10“Iwe mwana wa munthu, akumbutse Aisraeli mawu awo akuti, ‘Ife talemedwa ndi zolakwa zathu ndi machimo athu, ndipo tikuwonda chifukwa cha zimene tachita. Kodi tingakhale ndi moyo bwanji?’ ” 11Uwawuze kuti, Ine Ambuye Yehova ndikuti: “Pali Ine wamoyo, sindikondwera ndi imfa ya munthu woyipa. Ndimakondwera ndikamaona munthu woyipa akuleka zoyipa zake kuti akhale ndi moyo. Tembenukani! Tembenukani, siyani makhalidwe anu oyipa! Muferanji, Inu Aisraeli?
12“Tsono iwe mwana wa munthu, awuze anthu a mtundu wako kuti, ‘Ngati munthu wolungama achimwa, ndiye kuti ntchito zake zabwino zija sizidzamupulutsa. Koma wochimwa akaleka ntchito zake zoyipazo, sadzalangidwa konse. Ndithu ngati munthu wolungama ayamba kuchimwa sadzatha kukhala ndi moyo chifukwa cha ntchito zake zabwino zija.’ 13Ngati ndiwuza munthu wolungama kuti adzafa ndithu, koma iyeyo nʼkumadalira ntchito zake zabwino zimene anachita kale ndi kuyamba kuchimwa, ndiye kuti ntchito zake zabwinozo zidzayiwalika. Iye adzafa chifukwa cha machimo ake. 14Ndipo ngati ndiwuza munthu woyipa kuti, ‘Udzafa ndithu,’ tsono iye nʼkutembenuka kuleka machimo ake ndi kuyamba kuchita zimene Yehova afuna, 15monga kubweza chimene anatenga ngati chikole cha ngongole, kubweza chimene anaba, kutsatira malamulo omwe amapereka moyo ndi kuleka kuchita zoyipa, iye adzakhala ndithu ndi moyo; sadzafa. 16Ndidzakhululuka machimo ake onse anachita. Iye wachita zimene ndi zolungama ndi zoyenera ndipo iye adzakhala ndi moyo ndithu.
17“Komabe anthu a mtundu wako akunena kuti, ‘Zimene Ambuye amachita ndi zopanda chilungamo.’ Ayi, koma makhalidwe awo ndiwo ali osalungama. 18Ngati munthu wolungama atembenuka ndi kuleka ntchito zake zolungama ndi kuyamba kuchita zoyipa, adzafa nazo. 19Ndipo ngati munthu woyipa atembenuka ndi kuleka ntchito zake zoyipa ndi kuyamba kuchita zolungama ndi zoyenera, iye adzakhala ndi moyo pochita zimenezo. 20Koma Inu Aisraeli, mukunena kuti, ‘Zimene Ambuye amachita ndi zopanda chilungamo.’ Ayi, inu Aisraeli, Ine ndidzaweruza aliyense wa inu potsata ntchito zake.”
Mbiri ya Kuwonongeka kwa Yerusalemu
21Pa tsiku lachisanu la mwezi wakhumi, chaka chakhumi ndi chiwiri cha ukapolo wathu, munthu wina amene anapulumuka ku Yerusalemu anabwera kudzandiwuza kuti, “Mzinda wagwa!” 22Tsono madzulo ake munthuyo asanafike, dzanja la Yehova linali pa ine. Koma mmawa mwake munthuyo atabwera Yehova anatsekula pakamwa panga, motero kuti sindinakhalenso wosayankhula.
23Ndipo Yehova anandiyankhula kuti: 24“Iwe mwana wa munthu, anthu amene akukhala mʼmizinda ya mabwinja ya dziko la Israeli akunena kuti, ‘Abrahamu anali munthu mmodzi yekha, ndipo anamupatsa dziko lonse. Koma ife tilipo ambiri, motero tsono dzikolo ndi lathu.’ 25Choncho iwe uwawuze kuti Ine Ambuye Yehova ndikuti, ‘Inu mumadya nyama ili ndi magazi ake, ndipo mumapembedza mafano ndi kukhetsa magazi, kodi tsono inu nʼkulandira dzikoli? 26Mumadalira lupanga lanu, mumachita zinthu zonyansa, ndipo aliyense wa inu amachita chigololo ndi mkazi wa mnzake. Kodi inu nʼkulandira dzikoli?’
27“Uwawuze kuti Ine Ambuye Yehova ndikuti, ‘Ndithu pali Ine wamoyo, anthu amene anatsala mʼmizinda ya mabwinja adzaphedwa ndi lupanga, amene ali ku midzi ndidzawapereka kuti adzadyedwe ndi zirombo zakuthengo, ndipo amene ali mʼmalinga ndi mʼmapanga adzafa ndi mliri. 28Ndidzalisandutsa chipululu dzikolo, ndipo mphamvu zake zimene amanyadira zidzatheratu, ndipo mapiri a Yerusalemu adzasanduka chipululu, kotero kuti palibe amene adzatha kudutsako. 29Ndikadzasandutsa dzikolo chipululu chifukwa cha zonyansa zimene ankachita, pamenepo ndiye adzadziwa kuti ndine Yehova.’
30“Koma kunena za iwe, mwana wa munthu, anthu a mtundu wako akumayankhula za iwe akakhala pa makoma a mzinda ndi pa makomo a nyumba zawo. Akumawuzana kuti, ‘Tiyeni tikamve uthenga umene wachokera kwa Yehova.’ 31Anthu anga amabwera kwa iwe, monga momwe amachitira nthawi zonse anthu anga, ndipo amakhala pansi pamaso pako kumvetsera mawu ako. Koma zimene akumvazo sazichita. Zokamba zawo zimaonetsa chikondi, koma mitima yawo imakhala pa phindu lawo. 32Kunena zoona, kwa iwowo sindiwe kanthu konse, ndiwe munthu wamba chabe womangoyimba nyimbo zachikondi ndi liwu lokoma poyimba zeze. Kumva amamva mawu ako koma sawagwiritsa ntchito.
33“Koma zonsezi zikadzachitika, ndipo zidzachitika ndithu, pamenepo adzadziwa kuti mneneri anali pakati pawo.”
