¹Zvino shoko raJehovha rakasvika kwandiri richiti,

¹And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

²Mwanakomana womunhu, taura navana vavanhu vako, uti kwavari, Kana ndichiisa munondo panyika, vanhu venyika iyoyo vakazvitsaurira munhu pakati pavo, vakamuita nharirire yavo;

²`Son of man, speak unto the sons of thy people, and thou hast said unto them: A land — when I bring in against it a sword, And the people of the land have taken one man out of their borders, And made him to them for a watchman.

³zvino kana iye akaona munondo uchisvika panyika, akaridza hwamanda, akanyevera vanhu;

³And he hath seen the sword coming against the land, And hath blown with a trumpet, and hath warned the people,

⁴ipapo ani naani anonzwa kurira kwehwamanda, akasatenda kunyeverwa, kana munondo ukasvika, ukamubvisa, ropa rake richava pamusoro wake, iye amene.

⁴And the hearer hath heard the voice of the trumpet, and he hath not taken warning, And come in doth the sword, and taketh him away, His blood is on his head.

⁵Akanzwa kurira kwehwamanda, akasatenda kunyeverwa, ropa rake richava pamusoro pake; dai akatenda kunyeverwa, angadai akaponesa mweya wake.

⁵The voice of the trumpet he heard, And he hath not taken warning, his blood is on him, And he who took warning his soul hath delivered.

⁶Asi kana nharirire ikaona munondo uchiuya, akasaridza hwamanda, vanhu vakasanyeverwa, munondo ukasvika, ukabvisa mumwe pakati pavo, wabviswa hake nokuda kwezvakaipa zvake, asi ropa rake ndicharibvunza paruoko rwenharirire.

⁶And the watchman, when he seeth the sword coming in, And he hath not blown with a trumpet, And the people hath not been warned, And come in doth a sword, And taketh away of them — a soul, He in his iniquity is taken away, And his blood from the hand of the watchman I require.

⁷Saizvozvowo iwe Mwanakomana womunhu, ndakakuita nharirire paimba yaIsiraeri; naizvozvo chinzwa shoko rinobuda mumuromo mangu, uvanyevere panzvimbo yangu.

⁷And thou, son of man, A watchman I gave thee to the house of Israel, And thou hast heard from My mouth a word, And thou hast warned them from Me.

⁸Kana ini ndikati kune wakaipa, Iwe munhu wakaipa, uchafa zvirokwazvo, iwe ukasataura kuti unyevere munhu wakaipa panzira yake, munhu uyo wakaipa achafa nokuda kwezvakaipa zvake, asi ropa rake ndicharibvunza paruoko rwako.

⁸In My saying to the wicked, O wicked one — thou dost surely die, And thou hast not spoken to warn the wicked from his way, He — the wicked — in his iniquity doth die, And his blood from thy hand I require.

⁹Asi kana ukanyevera wakaipa pamusoro penzira yake, uchiti atendeuke pairi, akasatendeuka panzira yake, iye achafa nokuda kwezvakaipa zvake, asi iwe warwira hako mweya wako.

⁹And thou, when thou hast warned the wicked of his way, to turn back from it, And he hath not turned back from his way, He in his iniquity doth die, And thou thy soul hast delivered.

¹⁰Zvino iwe, Mwanakomana womunhu, uti kuimba yaIsiraeri, Imi munotaura, muchiti, Zvirokwazvo, kudarika kwedu nezvivi zvedu zviri pamusoro pedu, tinopera nokuda kwazvo; zvino tichararama seiko?

¹⁰And thou, son of man, say unto the house of Israel: Rightly ye have spoken, saying: Surely our transgressions and our sins [are] on us, And in them we are wasting away, How, then, do we live?

¹¹Uti kwavari, Noupenyu hwangu ndizvo zvinotaura Ishe Jehovha handifariri rufu rwowakaipa, asi kuti wakaipa atendeuke panzira yake; tendeukai, tendeukai panzira dzenyu dzakaipa, nekuti muchafireiko, imwi imba yaIsiraeri?

¹¹Say unto them, I live — an affirmation of the Lord Jehovah, I delight not in the death of the wicked, But — in the turning of the wicked from his way, And he hath lived, Turn back, turn back, from your evil ways, Yea, why do ye die, O house of Israel?

¹²Zvino iwe, Mwanakomana womunhu, uti kuvana vavanhu vako, Kururama kowakarurama hakungamurwiri nezuva rokudarika kwake; uye kana kuri kuipa kowakaipa haangaparadzwi nako nezuva raanotendeuka pakuipa kwake; nowakarurama haangararami nako nezuva raanotadza.

¹²And thou, son of man, say unto the sons of thy people: The righteousness of the righteous doth not deliver him in the day of his transgression, And the wickedness of the wicked, He doth not stumble for it in the day of his turning from his wickedness, And the righteous is not able to live in it in the day of his sinning.

¹³Kana ndichiti kunowakarurama, kuti zvirokwazvo achararama, kana akavimba nokururama kwake, akaita zvakaipa, hakuna basa rimwe rake rakarurama richarangarirwa; asi nokuda kwezvakaipa zvake zvaakaita, achafa nokuda kwazvo.

¹³In My saying of the righteous: He surely liveth, And — he hath trusted on his righteousness, And he hath done perversity, All his righteous acts are not remembered, And for his perversity that he hath done, For it he doth die.

¹⁴Uyezve, kana ndikati kune wakaipa, Zvirokwazvo uchafa; kana akatendeuka pazvivi zvake, akazoita zvakarairwa nezvakarurama;

¹⁴And in My saying to the wicked: Thou surely diest, And — he hath turned back from his sin, And hath done judgment and righteousness,

¹⁵kana akaipa akadzosazve rubatso, akadzoserazve zvaakanga apamba, akafamba nemitemo youpenyu, asingaiti zvakaipa, zvirokwazvo achararama, haangafi.

¹⁵(The pledge the wicked restoreth, plunder he repayeth,) In the statutes of life he hath walked, So as not to do perversity, He surely liveth — he doth not die.

¹⁶Hakuna chivi chimwe chake chaakaita chicharangarirwa pamusoro pake; akaita zvakarayirwa nezvakarurama, zvirokwazvo achararama.

¹⁶None of his sin that he hath sinned is remembered to him, Judgment and righteousness he hath done, He doth surely live.

¹⁷Kunyange zvakadaro vana vavanhu vako vanoti, Nzira yaIshe haina kururama; asi kana vari ivo, nzira yavo ndiyo isina kururama.

¹⁷And the sons of thy people have said: The way of the Lord is not pondered, As to them — their way is not pondered.

¹⁸Kana akarurama akatsauka pakururama kwake, akaita zvakaipa, achafa nokuda kwazvo.

¹⁸In the turning back of the righteous from his righteousness, And he hath done perversity — he dieth for it.

¹⁹Uye kana akaipa akatendeuka pakuipa kwake, akaita zvakarayirwa nezvakarurama, achararama nazvo.

¹⁹And in the turning back of the wicked from his wickedness, And he hath done judgment and righteousness, by them he liveth.

²⁰Kunyange zvakadaro munoti, Nzira yaIshe haina kururama. Aiwa, imba yaIsiraeri, ndichakutongai mumwe nomumwe wenyu zvakafanira nzira dzake.

²⁰And ye have said: The way of the Lord is not pondered, Each according to his ways do I judge you, O house of Israel.`

²¹Zvino negore regumi namaviri rokutapwa kwedu, nomwedzi wegumi, nezuva reshanu romwedzi, mumwe akanga apukunyuka muJerusaremu akasvika kwandiri, achiti, Guta rakundwa.

²¹And it cometh to pass, in the twelfth year — in the tenth [month], in the fifth of the month — of our removal, come in unto me doth one who is escaped from Jerusalem, saying, `The city hath been smitten.`

²²Zvino ruoko rwaJehovha rwakanga ruri pamusoro pangu madekwana, iye akapukunyuka asati asvika; akanga ashamisa muromo wangu, kusvikira iye achisvika kwandiri mangwanani; muromo wangu ukashamiswa, ndikasazova mbeveve.

²²And the hand of Jehovah hath been unto me in the evening, before the coming in of the escaped one, and He openeth my mouth till the coming in unto me in the morning, and opened is my mouth, and I have not been silent again.

²³Shoko raJehovha rikasvika kwandiri, richiti,

²³And there is a word of Jehovah unto me, saying,

²⁴Mwanakomana womunhu, vanhu vagere panzvimbo idzo dzakaparadzwa munyika yaIsiraeri, vanotaura vachiti, Abhurahamu akanga ari mumwechete, akagara nhaka yenyika; asi isu tiri vazhinji, nyika yapiwesu ive nhaka yedu.

²⁴`Son of man, the inhabitants of these wastes on the ground of Israel are speaking, saying: Alone hath been Abraham — and he possesseth the land, and we [are] many — to us hath the land been given for a possession.

²⁵Naizvozvo chiti kwavari, zvanzi naIshe Jehovha, Munodya nyama pamwechete neropa, muchitarira zvifananidzo zvenyu nameso enyu nokuteura ropa; zvino mungapiwa nyika sei?

²⁵Therefore say unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: With the blood ye do eat, And your eyes ye lift up unto your idols, And blood ye shed, and the land ye inherit!

²⁶Munovimba nomunondo wenyu, munoita zvinonyangadza, munochinya mumwe nomumwe wenyu mukadzi wowokwake; zvino mungapiwa nyika sei?

²⁶Ye have stood on your sword, Ye have done abomination, Each the wife of his neighbour ye have defiled, And the land ye possess!

²⁷Chiti kwavari, zvanzi naIshe Jehovha, Noupenyu hwangu, zvirokwazvo vari panzvimbo dzakaparadzwa vachaparadzwa nomunondo, ari kubani ndichamuisa kuzvikara kuti adyiwe nazvo; vari munhare nomumapako vachafa nehosha yakaipa.

²⁷Thus dost thou say unto them: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: I live — do not they who [are] in the wastes by the sword fall? And they who [are] on the face of the field, To the beast I have given for food, And they who are in strongholds and in caves by pestilence die.

²⁸Nyika ndichaiita dongo nechishamiso, kuzvikudza kwayo pamusoro pesimba rayo kuchapera, namakomo avaIsiraeri achaitwa matongo, kuti kurege kuzova nomunhu unopfuura napo.

²⁸And I have made the land a desolation and an astonishment, And ceased hath the excellency of its strength, And desolated have been mountains of Israel, Without any one passing through.

²⁹Zvino vachaziva kuti ndini Jehovha, kana ndaita nyika dongo nechishamiso, nokuda kwezvinonyangadza zvavo zvose zvavakaita.

²⁹And they have known that I [am] Jehovah, In My making the land a desolation and an astonishment, For all their abominations that they have done.

³⁰Asi kana uriwe, Mwanakomana womunhu, vana vavanhu vako vanokureva vari pamasvingo avo nomumikova yedzimba dzavo, vanotaurirana mumwe nomumwe achiti kuhama yake, Douya hako, unzwe shoko rinobva kuna Jehovha.

³⁰And thou, son of man, the sons of thy people who are speaking about thee, By the walls, and in openings of the houses, Have spoken one with another, each with his brother, Saying: Come in, I pray you, And hear what [is] the word that cometh out from Jehovah.

³¹Vanouya kwauri sezvinoita vanhu, vanogara pamberi pako sezvinoita vanhu vangu, vanonzwa mashoko ako, asi havaaiti; nekuti vanotaura zvorudo nemiromo yavo, asi moyo yavo inotevera fuma yavo.

³¹And they come in unto thee as the coming in of a people, And they sit before thee — My people, And have heard thy words, and they do them not, For doting loves with their mouth they are making, After their dishonest gain their heart is going.

³²Zvino tarira, iwe wakaita kwavari somunhu anovaimbira sorwiyo rworudo runoimbwa nounenzwi rinofadza, unogona kuridza mbira kwazvo, nekuti vanonzwa mashoko ako, asi havaaiti.

³²And lo, thou [art] to them as a singer of doting loves, A pleasant voice, and playing well on an instrument, And they have heard thy words, and they are not doing them.

³³Zvino kana izvi zvichiitwa nekuti zvirokwazvo hazvimboregi kuitika, nenguva iyo vachaziva kuti muporofita akanga ari pakati pavo.

³³And in its coming in — lo, it hath come, And they have known that a prophet hath been in their midst!`