1 The Lord said, “Ezekiel, son of man, after you eat this scroll, go speak to the people of Israel.”
2-3 He handed me the scroll and said, “Eat this and fill up on it.” So I ate the scroll, and it tasted sweet as honey.
4 The Lord said:
Ezekiel, I am sending you to your own people. 5-6 They are Israelites, not some strangers who speak a foreign language you can't understand. If I were to send you to foreign nations, they would listen to you. 7 But the people of Israel will refuse to listen, because they have refused to listen to me. All of them are stubborn and hardheaded, 8 so I will make you as stubborn as they are. 9 You will be so determined to speak my message that nothing will stop you. I will make you hard like a diamond, and you'll have no reason to be afraid of those arrogant rebels.
10 Listen carefully to everything I say and then think about it. 11 Then go to the people who were brought here to Babylonia with you and tell them you have a message from me, the Lord God. Do this, whether they listen to you or not.
12 The Spirit lifted me up, and as the glory of the Lord started to leave, I heard a loud, thundering noise behind me. 13 It was the sound made by the creatures' wings as they brushed against each other, and by the rumble of the wheels beside them. 14 Then the Spirit carried me away.
The Lord's power had taken complete control of me, and I was both annoyed and angry.
15 When I was back with the others living at Abib Hill near the Chebar River, I sat among them for seven days, shocked at what had happened to me.
The Lord Appoints Ezekiel To Stand Watch
(Ezekiel 33.1-9)16 Seven days after I had seen the brightness of the Lord's glory, the Lord said:
17 Ezekiel, son of man, I have appointed you to stand watch for the people of Israel. So listen to what I say, then warn them for me. 18 When I tell wicked people they will die because of their sins, you must warn them to turn from their sinful ways so they won't be punished. If you refuse, you are responsible for their death. 19 However, if you do warn them, and they keep on sinning, they will die because of their sins, and you will be innocent.
20 Now suppose faithful people start sinning, and I decide to put stumbling blocks in their paths to make them fall. They deserve to die because of their sins. So if you refuse to warn them, I will forget about the times they were faithful, and I will hold you responsible for their death. 21 But if you do warn them, and they listen to you and stop sinning, I will let them live. And you will be innocent.
Ezekiel Cannot Talk
22 The Lord took control of me and said, “Stand up! Go into the valley, and I will talk with you there.”
23 I immediately went to the valley, where I saw the brightness of the Lord's glory, just as I had seen it near the Chebar River, and I bowed with my face to the ground. 24 His Spirit took control of me and lifted me to my feet. Then the Lord said:
Go back and lock yourself in your house! 25 You will be tied up to keep you inside, 26 and I will make you unable to talk or to warn those who have rebelled against me. 27 But the time will come, when I will tell you what to say, and you will again be able to speak my message. Some of them will listen; others will be stubborn and refuse to listen.
1 Bituŋ Yaawe* ko n ye ko, “Ite hadamadiŋo, ŋa ñiŋ kitaaboo meŋ dii i la teŋ, a domo. I ye naa taa ka diyaamu Banisirayilankoolu ye.” 2 Wo to le ŋa n daa yele, a ye wo kitaaboo dii n na, ka a domo. 3 A naata a fo n ye ko, “Hadamadiŋo, ñiŋ kitaaboo taa, i ye a domo fo i konoo ye faa a la tep.” Wo to le, ŋa a taa ŋa a domo. Bituŋ a diyaata n daa ko liyo.
Yaawe ye Esekiyeli bambandi dookuwo kamma
4 Bituŋ a ko n ye ko, “Hadamadiŋo, wuli i ye taa Banisirayilankoolu kaŋ, i ye n na kumoolu futandi ì ma. 5 M maŋ i kii kaŋyelemoolu kaŋ, i maŋ mennu la kaŋo moyi, bari Banisirayilankoolu le mu, i niŋ mennu ka kaŋ kiliŋo fo. 6 Bari hani niŋ ŋa i kii moolu le kaŋ, i niŋ mennu buka kaŋ kiliŋo fo, wolu be i lamoyi la i la le. 7 Bari Banisirayilankoolu te soŋ na i lamoyi la i la, kaatu ì maŋ soŋ ka i lamoyi nte faŋo la. Ì mu moo kuŋ jaaroolu le ti, ì sondomoolu fanaa jaata le. 8 M be i niŋ ì kaañandi la ñaa jaa aniŋ kuŋ jaa la le. 9 M be i bambandi la le ko beroo. Kana sila ì la, waraŋ i kijoo si i fara, kaatu Banisirayilankoolu mu moo muritiriŋolu le ti.”
10 A ko n ye ko, “Hadamadiŋo, i hakiloo tu ñiŋ kumoolu to n ka mennu bee fo i ye, i si i lamoyi kendeke. 11 Saayiŋ, wuli i ye taa i la moolu kaŋ, i niŋ mennu be mutoo kono, i ye diyaamu ì ye. I si kumoolu sindi ì ma, nte Yaawe, i Maariyo be meŋ fo kaŋ i ye, fo ì be i lamoyi la i la le baŋ, waraŋ fo ì te i lamoyi la i la.”
12 Wo waatoo la le, Yaawe la Nooroo ye n samba. Bituŋ ŋa kumakaŋ baa moyi n kooma meŋ ko, “Tenturoo niŋ jayiroo be Yaawe ye, meŋ be mansasiiraŋo kaŋ.” 13 Ŋa daafeŋolu dampaŋolu moyi kosi la ñoo la, aniŋ sareeti siŋolu maakaŋ baa mennu be ì dandaŋo la.
14 Bituŋ Yaawe la Nooroo ye n samba, kamfaa niŋ niikuyaa naata duŋ n na. Yaawe sembe baa jiita n kaŋ ka m mara. 15 N taata mutamoolu yaa Teli-Abibu saatewo to Kebari Boloŋo daala. Bituŋ n sabatita ì fee jee fo tili woorowula, n niŋ jaakaloo.
Yaawe ye Esekiyeli tomboŋ Banisirayila la koroosirilaa ti
16 Bituŋ wo tili woorowuloo koolaa le, Yaawe la kumoo naata n kaŋ ko: 17 “Hadamadiŋo, ka bo saayiŋ na ŋa ite le tomboŋ ka i ke Banisirayilankoolu ye koroosirilaa ti, ka n na kumoolu lamoyi, ka ì sindi ì ma, aniŋ ka ì dandalaa. 18 Niŋ n ko moo kuruŋo ye ko, ‘Ite moo kuruŋo, a te baayi la i be faa la le,’ saayiŋ ite koroosirilaa maŋ naa feŋ fo ka wo moo kuruŋo dandalaa fo a si a la sila kuruŋo bula, ka baluu. A la wo kuruŋyaa le be a tinna la a ye faa, bari a la saayaa dunoo be tara la laariŋ ite le kaŋ. 19 Bari niŋ a ye a tara i ye a maarii dandalaa le, aduŋ a maŋ soŋ ka a la kuu jawoo kewo bula waraŋ a la sila kuruŋo, a la wo kuruŋyaa le be a tinna la a ye faa. A la saayaa dunoo te tara la laariŋ ite kaŋ, aduŋ ite be tanka la saayaa ma le.
20 “Wo ñaa kiliŋo la, niŋ moo tilindiŋo ye a la tiliŋo bula, a ye a dati ka kuu tilimbaloo ke, m be kalewo le laa la a ñaato, a ye boyi ka faa. Niŋ i maŋ a dandalaa, a la wo kuu kuruŋ kewo le be a tinna la a ye faa. A ye kuu betoolu mennu bee ke nuŋ, n hakili te bula la ì la. Aduŋ a la saayaa dunoo be tara la laariŋ ite le kaŋ. 21 Bari niŋ i ye wo moo tilindiŋo dandalaa le ko, a kana junuboo ke, a naata i la yaamaroo muta, wo to wo maarii te faa la, a be baluu la le. Aduŋ ite fanaa be tanka la saayaa ma le.”
Esekiyeli mumuneeyaata
22 Bituŋ Yaawe semboo jiita n kaŋ kotenke, a ye m mara. A ko n ye ko, “Wuli i ye taa wo kene fanuŋo to, m be diyaamu la i ye jee le to.” 23 Bituŋ n naata wuli, n taata wo kene fanuŋo to. Ŋa Yaawe la kallankeeyaa* je jee, a be malamala kaŋ, ko ŋa a je nuŋ ñaameŋ, Kebari Boloŋo daala. Bituŋ ŋa m fayi bankoo to, m bitita n ñaadaa kaŋ.
24 Yaawe la Nooroo dunta n na, a ye n londi m moo fula siŋo la. Bituŋ a naata diyaamu n ye ko: “Taa i la buŋo kono, i ye bundaa soroŋ i faŋ fee. 25 A fele, hadamadiŋo, ì be naa i siti la niŋ julukesoolu le la, m be a ke la le, i kana finti noo banta ka tara moolu kono. 26 Aduŋ m be i neŋo muta la le, meŋ be a tinna la i te diyaamu noo la wo moo muritiriŋolu ye, ka ì jalayi ì la kuu jawoolu la. 27 Bari niŋ n suulata i la ka n na kumoolu fo moolu ye waati meŋ na, m be i neŋo bo la mutariŋ ne, fo i si diyaamu noo ì ye, i si a fo ì ye ko, Maarii Yaawe le ye ñiŋ kumoolu fo ì ye. Moo-wo-moo lafita i lamoyi la i la, a si i lamoyi. Moo meŋ maŋ lafi i lamoyi la i la fanaa, a si a tu jee, kaatu ì mu moo muritiriŋolu le ti.”
