The Certainty of Judgement
1 Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.
Ndipo baadhi ya wazee wa Israeli wakanijia, wakaketi mbele yangu.
2 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Ndipo neno la Bwana likanijia, kusema,
3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
Mwanadamu, watu hawa wametwaa vinyago vyao na kuvitia mioyoni mwao, nao wameweka kwazo la uovu wao mbele ya nyuso zao. Je! Ni laiki yangu niulizwe na wao katika neno lo lote?
4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
Basi sema nao, uwaambie, Bwana MUNGU asema hivi; Kila mtu wa nyumba ya Israeli atwaaye vinyago vyake na kuvitia moyoni mwake, na kuliweka kwazo la uovu wake mbele ya uso wake, na kumwendea nabii; mimi, Bwana, nitamjibu neno lake sawasawa na wingi wa sanamu zake;
5 that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
ili niwakamate nyumba ya Israeli kwa mioyo yao wenyewe, kwa sababu wamefarakana nami kwa vinyago vyao.
6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
Kwa sababu hiyo uwaambie nyumba ya Israeli, Bwana MUNGU asema hivi; Rudini ninyi, mkageuke na kuviacha vinyago vyenu; mkageuze nyuso zenu zisielekee machukizo yenu yote.
7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:
Kwa maana kila mtu wa nyumba ya Israeli, au wa wageni wakaao katika Israeli, ajitengaye nami, na kuvitwaa vinyago vyake na kuvitia moyoni mwake, na kuliweka kwazo la uovu wake mbele ya uso wake, kisha kumwendea nabii, na kuniuliza neno kwa ajili ya nafsi yake; mimi, Bwana, nitamjibu, mimi mwenyewe;
8 and I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
nami nitaukaza uso wangu juu ya mtu yule, na kumfanya kuwa ajabu, awe ishara na mithali, nami nitamkatilia mbali, asiwe kati ya watu wangu; nanyi mtajua ya kuwa mimi ndimi Bwana.
9 And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
Na nabii akidanganyika, na kusema neno, mimi, Bwana, nimemdanganya nabii yule, nami nitaunyosha mkono wangu juu yake, na kumwangamiza, asiwe kati ya watu wangu Israeli.
10 And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him ;
Nao watauchukua uovu wao; uovu wa nabii utakuwa sawasawa na uovu wake yule amwendeaye aulize neno;
11 that the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord GOD.
ili nyumba ya Israeli wasipotee mbali nami, wala wasijitie unajisi tena kwa makosa yao yote; bali wawe watu wangu, nami niwe Mungu wao, asema Bwana MUNGU.
12 The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,
Neno la Bwana likanijia, kusema,
13 Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:
Mwanadamu, nchi itakapofanya dhambi na kuniasi, kwa kukosa, nikaunyosha mkono wangu juu yake, na kulivunja tegemeo la chakula chake, na kuipelekea njaa, na kukatilia mbali mwanadamu na mnyama;
14 though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.
wajapokuwa watu hawa watatu, Nuhu, na Danieli, na Ayubu, kuwamo ndani yake, wangejiokoa nafsi zao wenyewe tu kwa haki yao, asema Bwana MUNGU.
15 If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:
Nikipitisha wanyama wabaya ndani ya nchi ile, wakaiharibu hata ikawa ukiwa, mtu awaye yote asiweze kupita ndani yake, kwa sababu ya wanyama hao;
16 though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.
wajapokuwamo watu hawa watatu ndani yake, kama mimi niishivyo, asema Bwana MUNGU, hawataokoa wana wala binti; wao wenyewe tu wataokoka, bali nchi ile itakuwa ukiwa.
17 Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:
Au nikileta upanga juu ya nchi ile, na kusema, Upanga, pita kati ya nchi hii, hata nikawakatilia mbali na nchi hiyo wanadamu na wanyama;
18 though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.
wajapokuwamo watu hawa watatu ndani yake, kama mimi niishivyo, asema Bwana MUNGU, hawataokoa wana wala binti; bali wao wenyewe tu wataokoka.
19 Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast:
Au nikipeleka tauni katika nchi ile, na kumwaga ghadhabu yangu juu yake, kwa damu; ili kuwakatilia mbali nayo wanadamu na wanyama;
20 though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
wajapokuwamo ndani yake Nuhu, na Danieli, na Ayubu, kama mimi niishivyo, asema Bwana MUNGU, hawataokoa wana wala binti; watajiokoa nafsi zao tu kwa haki yao.
21 For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?
Maana Bwana MUNGU asema hivi; Je! U zaidi sana nitakapoleta hukumu zangu nne zilizo kali juu ya Yerusalemu, yaani, upanga, na njaa, na wanyama wabaya, na tauni, niwakatilie mbali nayo wanadamu na wanyama?
22 Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.
Lakini, tazama, watasalia mabaki watakaochukuliwa nje, wana na binti; tazama, watawatokea ninyi, nanyi mtaiona njia yao na matendo yao; nanyi mtafarijika katika habari ya mabaya niliyoleta juu ya Yerusalemu, naam, katika habari ya mambo yote niliyoleta juu yake.
23 And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD.
Nao watawafariji ninyi, mtakapoona njia yao na matendo yao; nanyi mtajua ya kuwa sikufanya bila sababu mambo yote niliyoutenda, asema Bwana MUNGU.
