Ezekiel 18
1 A message from the Lord came to me, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
2 “What's this proverb you people are quoting about the country of Israel: ‘The fathers ate the unripe grapes, but their children got the sour taste’?
“Litshoni lina bantu nxa libetha isaga lesi ngelizwe lako-Israyeli lisithi: ‘Oyise badla amavini amunyu, amazinyo abantwana asetshelela’?
3 As I live, declares the Lord God, you won't quote this proverb in Israel any more.
Ngeqiniso elinjengoba ngikhona, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi, kalisayikusitsho isaga lesi ko-Israyeli.
4 Can't you see that everyone belongs to me? Whether parents or children, they are all mine. It's the person who sins who will die.
Ngoba yonke imphefumulo ephilayo ngeyami, uyise kanye lendodana, bobabili ngokufanayo ngabami. Umphefumulo owonayo yiwo ozakufa.
5 Take the example of a man who is a good person, doing what is fair and right.
Kasithi kulomuntu olungileyo owenza okufaneleyo lokuqondileyo.
6 He doesn't go to the pagan shrines in the mountains to eat a religious meal, or worship Israel's idols. He doesn't have sex with someone else's wife or with a woman during her period.
Kadleli ezindaweni zokukhonzela zasentabeni loba athembe izithombe zendlu ka-Israyeli. Kangcolisi umfazi kamakhelwane wakhe loba alale lowesifazane esemazibukweni.
7 He doesn't exploit anyone. He gives back what a debtor has given him as security. He doesn't rob others. He feeds the hungry and clothes the naked.
Kancindezeli muntu kodwa uyabuyisela akuthathayo njengesibambiso sokwebolekwayo. Kabenzi ubuphangi kodwa unika abalambileyo ukudla kwakhe labanqunu abanike izigqoko.
8 He doesn't lend with interest or make a profit from loans. He refuses to do wrong and makes sure he's truly fair in his decisions between people.
Kabolekisi ukuba athole inzuzo loba athathe inzuzo edlulisileyo. Uyasithinta isandla sakhe ekwenzeni okubi njalo ehlulele kuhle phakathi komuntu lomuntu.
9 He follows my rules and keeps my regulations faithfully. Such a man lives by what's right and he will certainly live, declares the Lord God.
Uyazilandela izimiso zami agcine lemithetho yami ngokuthembeka. Lowomuntu ulungile; ngempela uzaphila, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi.
10 What if that man has a son who is a violent criminal, who kills and does do such evil things just listed
Kasithi ulendodana elodlakela echitha igazi kumbe yenze loba yikuphi kwalezizinto
11 even though the father doesn't act like that at all. The son goes to the pagan shrines in the mountains to eat a religious meal. He has sex with someone else's wife.
(lanxa uyise engenzanga lanye yazo): Idlela ezindaweni zokukhonzela ezisentabeni. Iyamngcolisa umfazi kamakhelwane wayo.
12 He exploits the poor and those in need. He robs others, and he doesn't give back what a debtor has given him as security. He worships idols. He commits disgusting sins.
Incindezela abayanga labaswelayo. Yenza ubuphangi. Kayibuyiseli eyakuthatha kuyisibambiso. Yethemba izithombe. Yenza izinto ezinengisayo.
13 He lends with interest and makes a profit from loans. Is someone like this going to live? No, he won't! Because he has done all these offensive things, he will die for certain, and he will be responsible for his own death.
Yebolekisa ukuba ithole inzuzo njalo ithatha inzuzo edlulisileyo. Umuntu onjalo uzaphila na? Kasoze aphile! Ngenxa yokuba enze zonke lezizinto ezinengisayo uzabulawa mpela legazi lakhe lizakuba phezu kwekhanda lakhe.
14 Now what if this man has a son who sees all the sins his father has committed. He sees them but doesn't do the same.
Kodwa kasithi indodana le ilendodana ezibonayo zonke izono ezenziwa nguyise, kodwa lanxa izibona, yona kayizenzi izinto ezinje:
15 He doesn't go to the pagan shrines in the mountains to eat a religious meal, or worship Israel's idols. He doesn't have sex with someone else's wife.
Kayidleli ezindaweni zokukhonzela ezisentabeni, kumbe yethembe izithombe zendlu ka-Israyeli. Kayimngcolisi umfazi kamakhelwane wayo.
16 He doesn't exploit anyone. He doesn't demand security for a loan. He doesn't rob others. He feeds the hungry and clothes the naked.
Kayincindezeli muntu kumbe ifune isibambiso ekwebolekiseni. Kayibenzi ubuphangi kodwa abalambileyo iyabapha ukudla kwayo inike labanqunu izigqoko.
17 He refuses to do wrong and does not charge interest or make a profit on loans. He keeps my regulations and follows my laws. A man like that won't die because of his father's sins, he will certainly live!
Iyasithinta isandla sayo ekoneni njalo kayithathi nzuzo loba inzuzo edlulisileyo. Iyagcina imilayo yami ilandele lezimiso zami. Kayiyikufela izono zikayise; izaphila impela.
18 But his father will die for his own sins, because he exploited others, robbed his relatives, and did wrong to his own people.
Kodwa uyise uzafela izono zakhe yena ngokwakhe, ngoba wabamba ngamandla, waphanga umfowabo wenza okubi ebantwini bakibo.
19 You ask, ‘Why shouldn't the son pay for his father's sins?’ If the son has done what is fair and right, keeping all my laws, then he'll live, he won't be punished.
Ikanti liyabuza lithi, ‘Kungani indodana ingabi lecala likayise na?’ Njengoba indodana yenze okufaneleyo lokuqondileyo njalo inaka ukugcina izimiso zami, izaphila impela.
20 It's the person who sins who will die. A son won't pay for his father's sins, and a father won't pay for his son's sins. The good consequences of living right will come to those who are good; the evil consequences of wickedness will come to those who are evil.
Umphefumulo owonayo yiwo ozakufa. Indodana kayiyikuba lecala likayise, loba uyise abe lecala lendodana. Ukulunga komuntu olungileyo kuzabalelwa kuye, lobubi bomubi buzamelana laye.
21 However, if someone who is wicked stops sinning and keeps my laws, doing what is fair and right, they will certainly live—they won't die.
Kodwa nxa umuntu omubi ephenduka kuzozonke izono azenzayo njalo agcine izimiso zami zonke enze okufaneleyo lokuqondileyo, uzaphila impela, akayikufa.
22 None of their sins will be held against them. Because they are now doing what's right, they will live.
Akukho kona kwakhe okuzakhunjulwa. Ngenxa yezinto ezilungileyo azenzileyo uzaphila.
23 Do I like it when wicked people die? declares the Lord God. Of course not—I would be delighted if they stopped sinning and lived!
Ngiyathokoza ngokufa komuntu omubi na? kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi. Esikhundleni salokho, kangithabi na nxa bephenduka ezindleleni zabo njalo baphile?
24 But if someone who is living according to what's right stops and does wrong, doing the same offensive things as the wicked, will that person live? Of course not! In fact, all the good things they did previously will be forgotten. That person will die because of their betrayal of me and the sins they've committed.
Kodwa nxa umuntu olungileyo eguquka ekulungeni kwakhe enze izono njalo enze zona kanye izinto ezinengayo ezenziwa ngumuntu omubi, kambe uzaphila na? Akukho okwezinto ezilungileyo azenzayo okuzakhunjulwa. Ngenxa yecala lokungathembeki langenxa yezono azenzayo, uzakufa.
25 Even so you say, ‘What the Lord does isn't right.’ People of Israel, listen to me! Is it what I'm doing that isn't right? Isn't it what you're doing that isn't right?
Kodwa lina lithi, ‘Indlela kaThixo kayilunganga.’ Zwana, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli: Indlela yami kayifanelanga na?
26 If someone who lives according to what's right stops doing right and does wrong, they will die. They will die because of wrong things they've done.
Nxa umuntu olungileyo eguquka ekulungeni kwakhe enze izono, uzakufela lokho; ngenxa yezono azenzileyo uzakufa.
27 But if someone wicked stops doing wrong and does what is fair and right, they will save their life.
Kodwa nxa umuntu omubi ephenduka ebubini abenzileyo enze okufaneleyo lokuqondileyo, uzasilisa ukuphila kwakhe.
28 Because they thought about it and gave up their wicked ways, they will certainly live—they won't die.
Ngoba ucabanga konke okubi akwenzayo aphenduke kukho, uzaphila impela; akayikufa.
29 But the people of Israel say, ‘The Lord's way isn't right.’ Are my ways unfair, people of Israel? Isn't it your ways that aren't fair?
Ikanti indlu ka-Israyeli ithi, ‘Indlela kaThixo kayilunganga.’ Izindlela zami kazilunganga na, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli?
30 Consequently I'm going to judge you, people of Israel! I will judge each of you depending on what you've done, declares the Lord God. Repent and stop rebelling so that your sins won't bring you down.
Ngakho-ke wena ndlu ka-Israyeli, lowo lalowo ngizamahlulela ngokumayelana lezindlela zakhe, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi. Phendukani! Tshiyani ububi benu bonke; ngalokho isono kasiyikuba yikufa kwenu.
31 Get rid of all your rebellious sins! Change your way of thinking and have a new spirit. Why do you want to die, people of Israel?
Zikhululeni kukho konke okubi elikwenzileyo, lizuze inhliziyo entsha lomoya omutsha. Kungani na uzakufa, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli?
32 I don't like it when anybody dies, declares the Lord God. So repent so you can live!”
Ngoba angithokozi ngokufa loba ngokukabani, kutsho uThixo Wobukhosi. Phendukani liphile!”
