Jeremiah 12
1 Thou are righteous, O Jehovah, when I contend with thee. Yet I would reason the case with thee. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are all those at ease who deal very treacherously?
Ulungile wena Nkosi, lapho ngiphikisana lawe; kanti ngizakhuluma lawe ngezahlulelo zakho. Kungani indlela yabakhohlakeleyo iphumelela? Kungani behlezi kuhle bonke abenza inkohliso ngenkohliso?
2 Thou have planted them. Yea, they have taken root, they grow. Yea, they bring forth fruit. Thou are near in their mouth, and far from their heart.
Ubahlanyele, yebo, bagxilile impande; bayaqhubeka, yebo, bathele izithelo; useduze emlonyeni wabo, kanti ukhatshana lezinso zabo.
3 But thou, O Jehovah, know me. Thou see me, and try my heart toward thee. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.
Kodwa wena, Nkosi, uyangazi, ungibonile, wahlola inhliziyo yami ngakuwe. Bahudule njengezimvu zokuhlatshwa, ubehlukanisele usuku lokuhlatshwa.
4 How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of the whole country wither? For the wickedness of those who dwell therein, the beasts are consumed, and the birds, because they said, He shall not see our latter end.
Koze kube nini ilizwe lilila, lohlaza lweganga lonke lubuna? Ngenxa yobubi babakhileyo kulo izinyamazana lenyoni ziyabhubha; ngoba bathi: Kayiyikubona isiphetho sethu.
5 If thou have run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how can thou contend with horses? And though in a land of peace thou are secure, yet how will thou do in the pride of the Jordan?
Uba ugijime labezinyawo, bakudinisa, pho, ungancintisana njani lamabhiza? Uba uthembela elizweni elilokuthula, pho, uzakwenza njani ekukhukhumaleni kweJordani?
6 For even thy brothers, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee, even they have cried aloud after thee. Believe them not, though they speak fair words to thee.
Ngoba ngitsho abafowenu lendlu kayihlo, ngitsho labo bakuphatha ngenkohliso, yebo, bona bayamemeza emva kwakho ngokugcweleyo; ungabakholwa, loba bekhuluma izinto ezinhle kuwe.
7 I have forsaken my house. I have cast off my heritage. I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.
Ngiyidelile indlu yami, ngilitshiyile ilifa lami; nginikele othandiweyo womphefumulo wami esandleni sezitha zakhe.
8 My heritage has become to me as a lion in the forest. She has uttered her voice against me. Therefore I have hated her.
Ilifa lami kimi linjengesilwane ehlathini; lingiphumisele ilizwi; ngakho-ke ngilizondile.
9 Is my heritage to me as a speckled bird of prey? Are the birds of prey against her round about? Go ye, assemble all the beasts of the field; bring them to devour.
Ilifa lami kimi linjengenyoni elamabalabala edla inyama, inyoni ezidla inyama ziyihanqile zimelene layo; wozani, libuthe zonke izilo zeganga, lizilethe ukuthi zidle.
10 Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard. They have trodden my portion under foot. They have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.
Abelusi abanengi basichithile isivini sami, banyathelele phansi isabelo sami, basenzile isabelo sami esiloyisekayo saba yinkangala elunxiwa.
11 They have made it a desolation. It mourns to me, being desolate. The whole land is made desolate, because no man lays it to heart.
Basenze saba lunxiwa, sililela kimi silunxiwa; ilizwe lonke lilunxiwa, ngoba kakulamuntu okubeka enhliziyweni.
12 Destroyers have come upon all the bare heights in the wilderness. For the sword of Jehovah devours from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land. No flesh has peace.
Abachithi bafikile phezu kwawo wonke amadundulu enkangala; ngoba inkemba yeNkosi izakudla kusukela komunye umkhawulo welizwe kusiya komunye umkhawulo welizwe; kakulakuthula kuyo yonke inyama.
13 They have sown wheat, and have reaped thorns. They have put themselves to pain, and profit nothing. And ye shall be ashamed of your fruits, because of the fierce anger of Jehovah.
Bahlanyele ingqoloyi, kodwa bazavuna ameva; bazihluphe, kabayikuzuza; njalo lizakuba lenhloni ngezivuno zenu, ngenxa yokuvutha kolaka lweNkosi.
14 Thus says Jehovah against all my evil neighbors, who touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit: Behold, I will pluck them up from off their land, and will pluck up the house of Judah from among them.
Itsho njalo iNkosi: Mayelana labo bonke omakhelwane bami ababi abathinta ilifa engenze isizwe sami uIsrayeli ukuthi sidle ilifa lalo: Khangela, ngizabasiphuna elizweni labo, ngiyisiphune indlu yakoJuda isuke phakathi kwabo.
15 And it shall come to pass, after I have plucked them up, I will return and have compassion on them. And I will bring them again, each man to his heritage, and each man to his land.
Kuzakuthi-ke emva kokubasiphuna kwami, ngizabuya ngibe lesihawu kubo, ngibabuyise, kube ngulowo lalowo elifeni lakhe, langulowo lalowo elizweni lakhe.
16 And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, As Jehovah lives, even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they shall be built up in the midst of my people.
Kuzakuthi-ke uba bezazifunda ngokukhuthala izindlela zabantu bami, ukuthi bafunge ngebizo lami bathi: Kuphila kukaJehova; njengalokho bafundisa abantu bami ukufunga ngoBhali, khona bezakwakhiwa phakathi kwabantu bami.
17 But if they will not hear, then I will pluck up that nation, plucking up and destroying it, says Jehovah.
Kodwa uba bengalaleli, ngizasisiphuna lesosizwe, ngisisiphune ngisibhubhise, itsho iNkosi.
