1 و َأتَى بَعضُ شُيُوخِ إسْرائِيلَ إلَيَّ وَجَلَسُوا أمامِي.

¶ Then certain of the elders of Israel came unto me and sat before me.

2 ح ِينَئِذٍ، أتَتْ كَلِمَةُ اللهُ إلَيَّ:

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

3 « يا إنْسانُ، يَحتَفِظُ هَؤُلاءِ الرِّجالُ بِالأصنامِ القَذِرَةِ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ. وَضَعُوا تِلكَ الأشياءَ المُعثِرَةَ أمامَ وُجُوهِهِمْ! فَلِماذا إذاً أسمَحُ لَهُمْ بِاللُّجُوءِ إلَيَّ؟

Son of man, these men have caused their uncleanness to come up over their heart and have established the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?

4 ل ِذَلِكَ، تَكَلَّمَ مَعَهُمْ وَقُلْ لَهُمْ: ‹هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ الرّبُّ الإلَهُ: كُلُّ مَنْ يَحتَفِظُ بِهَذِهِ الأوثانِ القَذِرَةِ فِي قَلبِهِ مِنْ بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ، وَيَضَعُ هَذِهِ الأشياءَ المُعثِرَةَ أمامَ وَجهِهِ، ثُمَّ يَلجَأُ إلَى أحَدِ الأنبِياءِ، فَإنِّي أنا اللهَ سَأُجِيبُ هَذا الشَّخصَ وَاقُولُ: اذْهَبْ وَالجأْ إلَى أصنامِكَ الكَثِيرَةِ!

Therefore speak unto them and say unto them, Thus hath the Lord GOD said: Every man of the house of Israel that sets up his idols in his heart and has established the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face and comes to the prophet, I, the LORD, will answer him that comes like this in the multitude of his idols

5 ه َذا لِأنِّي أُرِيدُ قُلُوبَ بَيتِ إسرائِيلَ، الَّذِينَ صارُوا غُرَباءَ عَنِّي بِسَبَبِ أوثانِهِمْ.›»

that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.

6 « لِذَلِكَ قُلْ لِبَيتِ إسْرائِيلَ: ‹هَذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ الرّبُّ الإلَهُ: ابتَعِدُوا عَنْ أصنامِكُمُ القَذِرَةِ وَارفُضُوها! تُوبُوا عَنْ كُلِّ الأشياءِ الكَرِيهَةِ الَّتِي عَمِلتُمُوها!

Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus hath the Lord GOD said: Repent and cause them to repent from your idols and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

7 ف َإنْ أتَى إنسانٌ مِنْ بَني إسْرائِيلَ أوْ غَرِيبٌ ساكِنٌ فِي إسْرائِيلَ، كَانَ قَدْ فَصَلَ نَفسَهُ عَنِّي بِالِاحتِفاظِ بِأوثانٍ كَرِيهَةٍ فِي قَلبِهِ، أوْ وَضَعَ شَيئاً مُعثِراً أمامَ وَجهِهِ، ثُمَّ لَجأَ إلَيَّ عَنْ طَرِيقِ أحَدِ أنبِيائِي، فَسَيُجِيبُهُ اللهُ بِنَفسِهِ!

For any man of the house of Israel or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel who has separated himself from walking after me and has set up his idols in his heart and has established the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face and comes to the prophet to enquire of him concerning me, I, the LORD, will answer him by myself:

8 س َأُواجِهُهُ وَأجعُلُهُ عِبْرَةً وَمِثالاً. وَسَأعزِلُهُ مِنْ وَسَطِ شَعبِي. حِينَئِذٍ، تَعلَمُونَ أنِّي أنا اللهُ.

and I will set my face against that man and will set him up for a sign and for sayings, and I will cut him off from among my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

9 و َإنْ خُدِعَ نَبِيٌّ ما وَتَكَلَّمَ بِرِسالَةٍ ما، فَإنِّي، أنا اللهَ ، سَأُرِي ذَلِكَ النَبِيَّ مَدَى حَماقَتِهِ. سَأرفَعُ يَدَيَّ ضِدَّهُ وَأُهلِكُهُ، وَسَأطْرُدُهُ مِنْ وَسَطِ شَعبِي إسْرائِيلَ.

And the prophet when he is deceived and speaks a word, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him and will destroy him from among my people Israel.

10 ف َالنَبِيُّ يَحمِلُ عِقابَ الذَّنبِ نَفسَهُ الَّذِي يَحمِلُهُ الخاطِئُ الَّذِي يَلجأُ إلَيَّ!

And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity; the iniquity of the prophet shall be even as the iniquity of him that seeks unto him

11 و َذَلِكَ حَتَّى لا يَضِلَّ شَعبِي إسْرائِيلُ فَيَترُكُونَنِي، وَحَتَّى لا يَتَنَجَّسُوا بِكُلِّ إثمِهِمْ وَذَنبِهِمْ. حِينَئِذٍ، سَيَكُونُونَ شَعبِي، وَأنا أكُونُ إلَهَهُمْ.›» يَقُولُ الرّبُّ الإلَهُ.

that the house of Israel may no longer go astray from me, neither be polluted any longer in all their rebellions but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, said the Lord GOD.

12 ث ُمَّ أتَتْ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ إلَيَّ:

¶ The word of the LORD came again to me, saying:

13 « يا إنْسانُ، إنْ أخطَأتْ أُمَّةٌ تُجاهِي وَتَمَرَّدَتْ عَلَيَّ، فَإنِّي سَأُعاقِبُ تِلكَ الأُمَّةَ بِقَطعِ الطَعامِ عَنها وَإرسالِ المَجاعَةِ عَلَيها، فَأُهلِكَ البَشَرَ وَالحَيواناتِ الَّتِي فِيها.

Son of man, when the land sins against me by rebelling blatantly and I stretch out my hand upon her and break the staff of the bread thereof and send famine upon her and cut off man and beast out of her

14 ح َتَّى وَلَوْ كانَ نُوحُ وَدانِيالُ وَأيُّوبُ وَسَطَ تِلكَ الأُمَّةِ، لَنْ يُنقِذُوا بِبِرِّهِمْ إلّا أنفُسَهُمْ.›» يَقُولُ الرّبُّ الإلَهُ.

though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in the midst of her, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, said the Lord GOD.

15 و َقَدْ أُرسِلُ حَيَواناتٍ بَرِّيَّةٍ إلَى أرْضٍ لإبادَةِ كُلِّ النّاسِ السّاكِنِينَ فِيها، وَأُحَوِّلُها إلَى خَرابٍ فَلا يَمُرُّ أحَدٌ بِها بِسَبَبِ الحَيَواناتِ الخَطِيرَةِ.

If I cause an evil beast to pass through the land and destroy her so that it be desolate that there be no one to pass through because of the beast

16 أ نا، الرّبَّ الإلَهَ ، أُقسِمُ بِذاتِي إنَّهُ حَتَّى وَإنْ كانَ هَؤُلاءِ الرِّجالُ الثَّلاثَةُ يَعِيشُونَ هُناكَ، فَإنَّهُمْ لَنْ يُنقِذُوا ابناً وَلا ابنَةً! لَنْ يُنقِذُوا إلّا أنفُسَهُمْ، بَينَما تَخرَبُ الأرْضُ.

though these three men were in the midst of her, as I live, said the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither their sons nor their daughters; they only shall be delivered, and the land shall be destroyed.

17 و َقَدْ أُرسِلُ عَدُوّاً لِتَدمِيرِ بَلَدٍ ما، فَيَأتِي جَيشُ العَدُوِّ وَيُهلِكُ كُلَّ إنسانٍ وَحيَوانٍ.

Or if I bring a sword upon the land and say: Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast out of her;

18 أ نا الرّبُّ الإلَهُ أُقسِمُ بِذاتِي إنَّهُ حَتَّى وَإنْ كانَ هَؤُلاءِ الرِّجالُ الثَّلاثَةُ يَعِيشُونَ هُناكَ، فَإنَّهُمْ لَنْ يُنقِذُوا ابناً وَلا ابنَةً! لَنْ يُنقِذُوا إلّا أنفُسَهُمْ.

though these three men were in the midst of her, as I live, said the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither their sons nor their daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.

19 و َقَدْ أُرسِلُ وَبَاءً عَلَى تِلكَ الأُمَّةَ، وَأسكُبُ عَلَيها سَخَطِي دَماً، وَأُهلِكُ الإنسانَ وَالحَيَوانَ.

Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out my fury upon her in blood to cut off out of her man and beast

20 أ نا الرّبَّ الإلَهَ أُقسِمُ بِذاتِي إنَّهُ حَتَّى وَلَوْ كانَ نُوحُ وَدانِيالُ وَأيُّوبُ وَسَطَ تِلكَ الأُمَّةِ، فَإنَّهُمْ لَنْ يُنقِذُوا ابناً وَلا ابنَةً، لَنْ يُنقِذُوا بِبِرِّهِمْ إلّا أنفُسَهُمْ.›»

though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in the midst of her, as I live, said the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

21 ه َذا هُوَ ما يَقُولُهُ الرّبُّ الإلَهُ: «سَأُرسِلُ أسوَأ أربَعَةِ أنواعٍ مِنَ العِقابِ عَلَى القُدْسِ لِأُهلِكَ الإنسانَ وَالحَيَوانَ فِيها وَمِنها – الَّتِي هِيَ جُيُوشٌ مُعادِيَةٌ وَالمَجاعَةُ وَالحَيواناتُ البَرِّيَّةُ المُتَوَحِّشَةُ وَالأوبِئَةُ –

Therefore thus hath the Lord GOD said: How much more if I send my four sore judgments against Jerusalem: the sword, the famine, the evil beast, the pestilence, to cut off out of her man and beast?

22 ل َكِنْ سَيَكُونُ هُناكَ ناجُونَ مِنَ البَنِينِ وَالبَناتِ. انظُرْ إلَيْهِمْ وَهُمْ يَخرُجُونَ إلَيكَ. انظُرْ إلَى الحَياةِ الَّتِي عاشُوها وَالأشياءِ السَّيِئَةِ الَّتِي عَمِلُوها. حِينَئِذٍ، سَتَتَعَزَّى عَنِ الكارِثَةِ الَّتِي جَلَبْتُها عَلَى القُدْسِ، وَعَنْ الشَّرِّ الَّذِي جَلَبتُهُ ضِدَّها!

Yet, behold, there shall be left a remnant in her, of whom shall be taken captive your sons and daughters; they shall be taken away: 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 her.

23 س َتَتَعَزَّوْنَ، لأنَّكُمْ سَتَرُوْنَ حَياتَهُمْ وَأعمالَهُمْ، وَسَتَعرِفُونَ أنَّنِي لَمْ أَفعَلْ بِالقُدْسِ ما فَعَلْتُهُ بِلا سَبَبٍ.» يَقُولُ الرّبُّ الإلَهُ.

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 her, said the Lord GOD.