Jeremiah 21
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, when king Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur the son of Malchijah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, saying,
Ilizwi elafika kuJeremiya livela eNkosini lapho inkosi uZedekhiya ethuma kuye uPashuri indodana kaMalikiya, loZefaniya indodana kaMahaseya, umpristi, isithi:
2 Inquire, I pray thee, of Jehovah for us. For Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon makes war against us. Perhaps Jehovah will deal with us according to all his wondrous works, that he may go up from us.
Ake usibuzele eNkosini, ngoba uNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni ulwa emelene lathi; mhlawumbe iNkosi ingasenzela njengokwezimangaliso zayo zonke, ukuze enyuke asuke kithi.
3 Then Jeremiah said to them, Thus ye shall say to Zedekiah:
UJeremiya wasesithi kubo: Lizakutsho njalo kuZedekhiya:
4 Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which ye fight against the king of Babylon, and against the Chaldeans who besiege you, outside the walls. And I will gather them into the midst of this city.
Itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Khangelani, ngizaphendulela emuva izikhali zempi ezisezandleni zenu, elilwa ngazo lenkosi yeBhabhiloni lamaKhaladiya, abalivimbezeleyo ngaphandle komduli, ngibaqoqe ngaphakathi kwalumuzi.
5 And I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation.
Njalo mina ngizakulwa lani ngesandla eseluliweyo, langengalo elamandla, langentukuthelo, langokufutheka, langolaka olukhulu.
6 And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast. They shall die of a great pestilence.
Njalo ngizatshaya abakhileyo balumuzi, umuntu kanye lesifuyo; bazakufa ngomatshayabhuqe wesifo omkhulu.
7 And afterward, says Jehovah, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, even such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life, and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword. He shall not spare them, nor have pity, nor have mercy.
Kuthi emva kwalokhu, itsho iNkosi, uZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda, lenceku zakhe, labantu, labaseleyo phakathi kwalumuzi kumatshayabhuqe wesifo, enkembeni, lendlaleni, ngizabanikela esandleni sikaNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, lesandleni sezitha zabo, lesandleni salabo abadinga impilo yabo. Njalo uzabatshaya ngobukhali benkemba; kayikubayekela, kayikuhawukela, kayikuba lomusa.
8 And thou shall say to this people, Thus says Jehovah: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
Njalo kulababantu uzakuthi: Itsho njalo INkosi: Khangelani, ngibeka phambi kwenu indlela yokuphila lendlela yokufa.
9 He who abides in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence. But he who goes out, and passes over to the Chaldeans who besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be to him for a prey.
Osala kulumuzi uzakufa ngenkemba langendlala langomatshayabhuqe wesifo; kodwa ophumayo, awele kumaKhaladiya alivimbezelayo, uzaphila, lempilo yakhe izakuba yimpango kuye.
10 For I have set my face upon this city for evil, and not for good, says Jehovah. It shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
Ngoba ngimisile ubuso bami bumelene lalumuzi ngokubi, hatshi ngokuhle, itsho iNkosi; uzanikelwa esandleni senkosi yeBhabhiloni, iwutshise ngomlilo.
11 And concerning the house of the king of Judah, hear ye the word of Jehovah.
Lamayelana lendlu yenkosi yakoJuda, zwanini ilizwi leNkosi:
12 O house of David, thus says Jehovah: Execute justice in the morning, and deliver him who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn so that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
Wena ndlu kaDavida, itsho njalo INkosi: Yehlulelani isahlulelo ekuseni, lophule ophangiweyo esandleni somcindezeli, hlezi ulaka lwami luphume njengomlilo, lutshise, ukuthi kungabi khona ocitshayo, ngenxa yobubi bezenzo zenu.
13 Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and of the rock of the plain, says Jehovah, you who say, Who shall come down against us? Or who shall enter into our habitations?
Khangela, ngimelene lawe, wena mhlali wesigodi, dwala legceke, itsho iNkosi; lina elithi: Ngubani ozakwehla amelane lathi? Kumbe ngubani ozangena endaweni zethu zokuhlala?
14 And I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, says Jehovah. And I will kindle a fire in her forest, and it shall devour all that is round about her.
Kodwa ngizalijezisa njengokwesithelo sezenzo zenu, itsho iNkosi, ngiphembe umlilo ehlathini lakho, ozaqeda konke inhlangothi zonke zakho.
