1 و َأتَى بَعضُ شُيُوخِ إسْرائِيلَ إلَيَّ وَجَلَسُوا أمامِي.

Then some elders of Israel came to me and sat down before me.

2 ح ِينَئِذٍ، أتَتْ كَلِمَةُ اللهُ إلَيَّ:

And the word of the Lord came to 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 set up their idols in their hearts and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at all?

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 to them and tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols,

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

in order to lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who are estranged from Me through all 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 to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “ Repent and turn away from your idols and turn your faces away 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 anyone of the house of Israel or of the immigrants who stay in Israel who separates himself from Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me for himself, I the Lord will be brought to answer him in My own person.

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

I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from among My people. So you will 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.

“But if the prophet is prevailed upon to speak a word, it is I, the Lord, who have prevailed upon that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.

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

They will bear the punishment of their iniquity; as the iniquity of the inquirer is, so the iniquity of the prophet will be,

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

in order that the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me and no longer defile themselves with all their transgressions. Thus they will be My people, and I shall be their God,”’ declares the Lord God.” The City Will Not Be Spared

12 ث ُمَّ أتَتْ كَلِمَةُ اللهِ إلَيَّ:

Then the word of the Lord came 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, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast,

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

even though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves,” declares 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 were to cause wild beasts to pass through the land and they depopulated it, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the beasts,

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 its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the country would be desolate.

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

Or if I should bring a sword on that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass through the country and cut off man and beast from it,’

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.

even though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be delivered.

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

Or if I should send a plague against that country and pour out My wrath in blood on it to cut off man and beast from it,

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.›»

even though Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not deliver either their son or their daughter. They would deliver only themselves 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 –

For thus says the Lord God, “How much more when I send My four severe judgments against Jerusalem: sword, famine, wild beasts and plague to cut off man and beast from it!

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, survivors will be left in it who will be brought out, both sons and daughters. Behold, they are going to come forth to you and you will see their conduct and actions; then you will be comforted for the calamity which I have brought against Jerusalem for everything which I have brought upon it.

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

Then they will comfort you when you see their conduct and actions, for you will know that I have not done in vain whatever I did to it,” declares the Lord God.