Idolaters Condemned
1Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. 2Then the word of the Lord came to me: 3“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? 4Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry. 5I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’
6“Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!
7“ ‘When any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing in Israel separate themselves from me and set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet to inquire of me, I the Lord will answer them myself. 8I will set my face against them and make them an example and a byword. I will remove them from my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
9“ ‘And if the prophet is enticed to utter a prophecy, I the Lord have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. 10They will bear their guilt—the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him. 11Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ”
Jerusalem’s Judgment Inescapable
12The word of the Lord came to me: 13“Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals, 14even if these three men—Noah, Daniel14:14 Or Danel, a man of renown in ancient literature; also in verse 20 and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign Lord.
15“Or if I send wild beasts through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts, 16as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate.
17“Or if I bring a sword against that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass throughout the land,’ and I kill its people and their animals, 18as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.
19“Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath on it through bloodshed, killing its people and their animals, 20as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.
21“For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague—to kill its men and their animals! 22Yet there will be some survivors—sons and daughters who will be brought out of it. They will come to you, and when you see their conduct and their actions, you will be consoled regarding the disaster I have brought on Jerusalem—every disaster I have brought on it. 23You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
Waabudu Sanamu Walaumiwa
114:1 Eze 8:1; 20:1Baadhi ya wazee wa Israeli walinijia na kuketi mbele yangu. 2Ndipo neno la Bwana likanijia kusema: 314:3 Eze 7:19; Ufu 2:14; Isa 1:15; Eze 20:31; Mit 15:8; Eze 6:4“Mwanadamu, watu hawa wameweka sanamu katika mioyo yao na kuweka vitu viovu vya kukwaza mbele ya macho yao. Je, kweli niwaruhusu waniulize jambo lolote? 4Kwa hiyo sema nao uwaambie, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Wakati Mwisraeli yeyote anapoweka sanamu moyoni mwake na kuweka kitu kiovu cha kukwaza mbele ya macho yake na kisha akaenda kwa nabii, Mimi Bwana nitamjibu peke yangu sawasawa na ukubwa wa ibada yake ya sanamu. 514:5 Ebr 3:12-19; Kum 32:15; Hos 5:7; Yer 2:11; Eze 16:45; Zek 11:8Nitafanya jambo hili ili kukamata tena mioyo ya watu wa Israeli, ambao wote wameniacha kwa ajili ya sanamu zao.’
614:6 Isa 2:20; 30:22; Neh 1:9; Yer 3:12; 35:15“Kwa hiyo iambie nyumba ya Israeli, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Tubuni! Geukeni kutoka kwenye sanamu zenu na mkatae matendo yenu yote ya machukizo!
714:7 Kut 12:48; 20:10; Mt 6:24; Yer 2:13; Isa 8:14; Mwa 25:22; Hos 4:5“ ‘Mwisraeli yeyote au mgeni yeyote anayeishi katika Israeli anapojitenga nami na kujiwekea sanamu katika moyo wake na kwa hivyo kuweka kitu kiovu cha kukwaza mbele ya macho yake na kisha akamwendea nabii kuuliza shauri kwangu, mimi Bwana nitamjibu mwenyewe. 814:8 Eze 15:7; Za 102:8; Hes 26:10; Eze 5:15; Yer 42:20; Hes 16:38Nitaukaza uso wangu dhidi ya mtu huyo na kumwadhibu na kumfanya ishara kwa watu. Nitamkatilia mbali kutoka watu wangu. Ndipo mtakapojua kuwa Mimi ndimi Bwana.
914:9 Yer 14:15; Isa 63:17; Yer 4:10; 2Nya 18:22; Zek 13:3; 1Fal 22:23“ ‘Naye nabii kama atakuwa ameshawishika kutoa unabii, Mimi Bwana nitakuwa nimemshawishi nabii huyo, nami nitaunyoosha mkono wangu dhidi yake na kumwangamiza kutoka miongoni mwa watu wangu Israeli. 10Watachukua hatia yao, nabii atakuwa na hatia sawa na yule mtu aliyekuja kuuliza neno kwake.
1114:11 Eze 48:11; 11:19-20; 37:23; Isa 13:19; 51:16“ ‘Ndipo watu wa Israeli hawataniacha tena, wala kujitia unajisi tena kwa dhambi zao zote. Ndipo watakuwa watu wangu nami nitakuwa Mungu wao, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.’ ”
Hukumu Isiyoepukika
12Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema, 1314:13 Law 26:26; Eze 5:16; 5:16; 6:14; Mit 13:21; Eze 15:8“Mwanadamu, kama nchi itanitenda dhambi kwa kutokuwa waaminifu nami nikinyoosha mkono wangu dhidi yake kukatilia mbali upatikanaji wake wa chakula na kuipelekea njaa na kuua watu wake na wanyama wao, 1414:14 Mwa 6:8-9; Dan 6:13; Ay 42:9; Eze 28:3; 18:20; 3:19hata kama watu hawa watatu: Noa, Danieli na Ayubu wangekuwa ndani ya nchi hiyo, ndio hao tu wangeweza kujiokoa wenyewe kwa uadilifu wao, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.
1514:15 Hes 21:6; Eze 5:17; Law 26:22“Au kama nikipeleka wanyama pori katika nchi hiyo yote na kuifanya isiwe na watoto, nayo ikawa ukiwa kwamba hakuna mtu apitaye katika nchi hiyo kwa sababu ya wanyama pori, 1614:16 Mwa 19:29; Eze 18:20hakika kama niishivyo, asema Bwana Mwenyezi, hata kama watu hawa watatu wangekuwa humo ndani yake, wasingeweza kuokoa wana wao wala binti zao. Wao peke yao wangeokolewa, lakini nchi ingekuwa ukiwa.
1714:17 Law 26:25; Yer 25:27; Eze 25:13; 5:12; Yer 42:16“Au kama nikileta upanga dhidi ya nchi hiyo na kusema, ‘Upanga na upite katika nchi yote,’ nami nikiua watu wake na wanyama wao, 1814:18 Eze 14:14hakika kama niishivyo, asema Bwana Mwenyezi, hata kama watu hawa watatu wangekuwa humo ndani yake, wasingeweza kuokoa wana wao wala binti zao. Wao wenyewe tu wangeokolewa.
1914:19 Yer 14:12; Eze 38:22; Ufu 16:3-6; Eze 7:8; Isa 34:3“Au kama nikipeleka tauni katika nchi hiyo na kumwaga ghadhabu yangu juu yake kwa njia ya kumwaga damu, kuua watu wake na wanyama wao, 2014:20 Eze 14:14hakika kama niishivyo, asema Bwana Mwenyezi, hata kama Noa, Danieli na Ayubu wangekuwa humo ndani yake, wasingeweza kumwokoa mwana wala binti. Wao wangeweza kujiokoa wenyewe tu kwa uadilifu wao.
2114:21 Eze 5:17; Amo 4:6-10; Ufu 6:8; Hes 33:4; Isa 31:8; 34:6; Eze 21:3; 2Sam 24:13“Kwa maana hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Itakuwa vibaya kiasi gani nitakapopeleka dhidi ya Yerusalemu hukumu zangu nne za kutisha, yaani, upanga, njaa, wanyama pori na tauni, ili kuua watu wake na wanyama wao! 2214:22 Eze 12:16; 20:43; Yer 41:16; Eze 31:16; 32:31Lakini watakuwepo wenye kuokoka, wana na binti wataletwa kutoka nje ya nchi hiyo. Watawajia ninyi, nanyi mtakapoona mwenendo wao na matendo yao, mtafarijika kuhusu maafa niliyoleta juu ya Yerusalemu, kwa ajili ya yale yote niliyoleta juu yake. 2314:23 Yer 22:8-9; Eze 8:6-18Mtafarijika wakati mtakapoona mwenendo wao na matendo yao, kwa kuwa mtajua kwamba sikufanya lolote ndani yake bila sababu, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.”
