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.”
Ezeekyeri Omukuumi wa Isirayiri
1Ekigambo kya Mukama Katonda ne kinzijira nate n’aŋŋamba nti, 233:2 a Yer 12:12 b Ez 3:11“Omwana w’omuntu yogera eri abantu obategeeze nti, ‘Bwe ndirumba ensi n’ekitala, abantu ab’omu nsi ne baddira omu ku bo ne bamufuula omukuumi waabwe, 333:3 Kos 8:1n’alaba ekitala nga kijja eri ensi, n’afuuwa ekkondeere ng’alabula abantu, 433:4 a 2By 25:16 b Yer 6:17; Ez 18:13; Zek 1:4; Bik 18:6awo omuntu yenna bw’aliwulira ekkondeere n’atalabuka ekitala bwe kirijja ne kigyawo obulamu bwe, omusaayi gwe guliba ku mutwe gwe ye. 5Kubanga yawulira ekkondeere n’atalabuka, omusaayi gwe kyeguliva gubeera ku mutwe gwe ye. Singa yakola nga bwe yalabulwa yandiwonyezza obulamu bwe. 633:6 Ez 3:18Naye omukuumi bw’alaba ekitala nga kijja n’atafuuwa kkondeere okulabula abantu, ekitala ne kijja ne kigyawo obulamu bw’omu ku bo, omuntu oyo aliggyibwawo olw’obutali butuukirivu bwe, naye omusaayi gwe ndiguvunaana omukuumi.’
733:7 Yer 26:2; Ez 3:17“Omwana w’omuntu, nkufudde omukuumi ow’ennyumba ya Isirayiri, Noolwekyo wulira kye nkugamba, obalabule. 833:8 a nny 14 b Ez 18:4Bwe ŋŋambanga omukozi w’ebibi nti, ‘Ggwe omwonoonyi, mazima olifa,’ n’otoyogera okumulabula okuleka ekkubo lye, omwonoonyi oyo alifa olw’ebibi bye, naye omusaayi gwe ndiguvunaana gwe. 933:9 Ez 3:17-19Naye bw’olabulanga omwonoonyi okuleka ekkubo lye, n’ajeema, alifiira mu bibi bye, naye ggwe oliba olokodde obulamu bwo.
1033:10 a Ez 24:23 b Lv 26:39; Ez 4:17“Omwana w’omuntu, tegeeza ennyumba ya Isirayiri nti, Mwogera nti, ‘Okusobya kwaffe n’okwonoona kwaffe kutuzitoowerera, era tuyongobera mu kwo, tuyinza tutya okuwona?’ 1133:11 a Ez 18:32; 2Pe 3:9 b Ez 18:23Bategeeze nti, ‘Nga bwe ndi omulamu, bw’ayogera Mukama Katonda, sisanyukira kufa kw’abakozi ba bibi, wabula bo okukyuka ne bava mu kkubo lyabwe ebbi ne baba balamu. Mukyuke, mukyuke okuva mu makubo gammwe amabi. Lwaki mufa, mmwe ennyumba ya Isirayiri?’
1233:12 2By 7:14; Ez 3:20“Kale nno, omwana w’omuntu kyonoova otegeeza abantu bo nti, ‘Obutuukirivu obw’omutuukirivu tebulimuwonyesa bw’alijeema, era n’obutali butuukirivu bw’atalina butuukirivu tebulimuzikiriza bw’alikyuka n’abuleka. Omuntu omutuukirivu, bw’aliyonoona, taliba mulamu olw’obutuukirivu bwe obw’emabega.’ 1333:13 Ez 18:24; Beb 10:38; 2Pe 2:20-21Bwe ndigamba omutuukirivu nga mazima ddala aliba mulamu, naye ne yeesiga obutuukirivu bwe n’ayonoona, tewaliba ne kimu ku bikolwa eby’obutuukirivu bye yakola ebirijjukirwa, naye mu butali butuukirivu bwe bw’akoze omwo mw’alifiira. 1433:14 Ez 18:27Ate bwe ndigamba omwonoonyi nti, ‘Mazima ddala olifa,’ naye n’akyuka okuleka ebibi bye, n’akola ebyalagirwa era ebituufu, 1533:15 a Kuv 22:1-4; Lv 6:2-5 b Ez 20:11; Luk 19:8era bw’alisasula ebbanja lye, n’azaayo ne bye yabba, n’atambulira mu mateeka agaleeta obulamu, n’atayonoona, mazima ddala aliba mulamu, talifa. 1633:16 Is 43:25; Ez 18:22Tewaliba ne kimu ku bibi bye yakola ebirijjukirwa eri ye; aliba akoze ebyalagirwa era ebituufu, era aliba mulamu.
17“Naye ate abantu ab’ensi yo boogera nti, Ekkubo lya Mukama si lya bwenkanya, so nga ate ekkubo lyabwe lye litali lya bwenkanya. 1833:18 Ez 3:20; 18:26Omuntu omutuukirivu bw’alikyuka okuva mu butuukirivu bwe n’akola ebibi, alifa olw’ebibi bye. 19Ate omukozi w’ebibi bw’alikyuka okuleka obutali butuukirivu bwe n’akola ebyalagirwa era ebituufu, aliba mulamu olw’ebyo by’akoze. 20Naye mmwe ennyumba ya Isirayiri ne mwogera nti, ‘Ekkubo lya Mukama si lya bwenkanya.’ Naye ndibasalira omusango buli muntu amakubo ge nga bwe gali.”
Okugwa kwa Yerusaalemi Kunnyonnyolwa
2133:21 a Ez 24:26 b 2Bk 25:4, 10; Yer 39:1-2; Ez 32:1Mu mwaka ogw’ekkumi n’ebiri nga tuli mu buwaŋŋanguse, mu mwezi ogw’ekkumi ku lunaku olwokutaano, omusajja kaawonawo n’ava e Yerusaalemi n’ajja okuntegeeza nti, “Ekibuga kiwambiddwa.” 2233:22 a Ez 1:3 b Luk 1:64 c Ez 3:26-27; 24:27Naye akawungeezi nga kaawonawo tannatuuka, omukono gwa Mukama gwali gunziseeko, ng’asumuludde akamwa kange, omusajja n’alyoka atuuka enkeera. Nnali ntandise okwogera nga sikyali kasiru.
23Awo ekigambo kya Mukama Katonda ne kinzijira n’aŋŋamba nti, 2433:24 a Ez 36:4 b Is 51:2; Yer 40:7; Ez 11:15; Bik 7:5“Omwana w’omuntu, abatuuze ab’omu matongo ago mu nsi ya Isirayiri, boogera nti, ‘Obanga Ibulayimu yali muntu omu n’agabana ensi, naffe abangi, tuligabana.’ 2533:25 a Lub 9:4; Ma 12:16 b Yer 7:9-10; Ez 22:6, 27Noolwekyo bategeeze nti, ‘Bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama Katonda ow’eggye nti, Bwe muba nga mulya ennyama erimu omusaayi, ne musinza bakatonda bammwe abalala, ne muyiwa omusaayi, musaanidde okugabana ensi? 2633:26 Ez 22:11Mwesiga ekitala, ne mukola eby’ekivve, buli musajja n’ayenda ku muka muliraanwa we. Kale munaayinza mutya okugabana ensi?’
2733:27 1Sa 13:6; Is 2:19; Yer 42:22; Ez 39:4“Bagambe nti, ‘Bw’ati bw’ayogera Mukama Katonda nti: Nga bwe ndi omulamu, abaasigalawo mu bifulukwa balittibwa n’ekitala, n’abo abaliba ku ttale balitaagulwataagulwa ensolo enkambwe, n’abo abaliba beekwese mu biro ebinywevu ne mu mpuku balifa kawumpuli. 28Era ensi ndigifuula amatongo era etaliimu mugaso, era n’amaanyi ge yeewaana nago galikoma, era n’ensozi za Isirayiri ziryabulirwa, ne wataba n’omu azitambulirako. 29Olwo balimanya nga nze Mukama Katonda, bwe ndifuula ensi okuba amatongo era etaliimu mugaso olw’ebikolwa eby’ekivve bye bakoze.’
30“Naawe ggwe omwana w’omuntu, abatuuze ab’omu ggwanga lyo abatuula ku Bbugwe ne mu nzigi ez’amayumba bagambagana nti, ‘Mujje tuwulire ekigambo ekiva eri Mukama Katonda,’ 3133:31 a Ez 8:1 b Zab 78:36-37; Is 29:13; Ez 22:27; Mat 13:22; 1Yk 3:18abantu bange nga bwe batera okukola, ne bawulira byoyogera naye ne batabikola, ne boolesa okwagala kwabwe n’emimwa gyabwe, naye ng’emitima gyabwe gigoberera amagoba gaabwe, 3233:32 Mak 6:20laba gye bali oli ng’omuntu ayimba oluyimba olw’okwagala mu ddoboozi eddungi, era amanyi okukuba obulungi ennanga, kubanga bawulira ebigambo byo naye ne batabissamu nkola.
3333:33 1Sa 3:20; Yer 28:9; Ez 2:5“Bino byonna bwe birituukirira, era bijja kutuukirira, kale balimanya nga nnabbi abadde mu bo.”
