< Jeremiah 26 >
1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word from Jehovah came, saying,
Ekuqaleni kokubusa kukaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda, kwafika ilizwi leli livela kuThixo lisithi,
2 Thus says Jehovah: Stand in the court of Jehovah's house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in Jehovah's house, all the words that I command thee to speak to them, diminish not a word.
“UThixo uthi: Mana egumeni lendlu kaThixo ukhulume kubo bonke abantu basemadolobheni akoJuda abeza endlini kaThixo ukuba bakhonze. Batshele konke engakulaya khona, kungabi lelizwi olitshiyayo.
3 It may be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may relent of the evil which I purpose to do to them because of the evil of their doings.
Mhlawumbe bazalalela omunye lomunye wabo aphenduke endleleni yakhe embi. Lapho-ke ngizadeda ngingabehliseli umonakalo ebengizawenza kubo ngenxa yobubi ababenzileyo.
4 And thou shall say to them, Thus says Jehovah: If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,
Tshono kubo uthi, ‘UThixo uthi: Nxa lingangilaleli lilandele umthetho wami engalibekela wona,
5 to hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I send to you, even rising up early and sending them, but ye have not hearkened,
njalo nxa lingalaleli amazwi ezinceku zami abaphrofethi, engabathuma kini njalonjalo (lanxa lingalalelanga),
6 then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.
ngizakwenza indlu le ibe njengeShilo ledolobho leli libe yinto yokuqalekiswa phakathi kwezizwe zonke zomhlaba.’”
7 And the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of Jehovah.
Abaphristi, labaphrofethi kanye labantu bonke bamuzwa uJeremiya ekhuluma amazwi la endlini kaThixo.
8 And it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that Jehovah had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold on him, saying, Thou shall surely die.
Kodwa kwathi uJeremiya eqeda nje ukubatshela bonke abantu konke uThixo ayemlaye ukuba akutsho, abaphristi, labaphrofethi kanye labantu bonke bamphuthuma bathi kuye, “Kumele ufe!
9 Why have thou prophesied in the name of Jehovah, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant? And all the people were gathered to Jeremiah in the house of Jehovah.
Kungani uphrofetha ngebizo likaThixo usithi indlu le izakuba njengeShilo ledolobho leli lizachitheka abantu basuke kulo?” Abantu bonke bambuthanela uJeremiya endlini kaThixo.
10 And when the rulers of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house to the house of Jehovah, and they sat in the entry of the new gate of Jehovah's house.
Kwathi izikhulu zakoJuda sezizwe ngalezizinto, zaya endlini kaThixo zisuka esigodlweni senkosi zahlala ezindaweni zazo entubeni yeSango elitsha lendlu kaThixo.
11 Then the priests and the prophets spoke to the rulers and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy of death, for he has prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.
Abaphristi, labaphrofethi basebesithi ezikhulwini lasebantwini bonke, “Umuntu lo kumele agwetshelwe ukufa ngoba uphrofetha kubi ngedolobho leli. Likuzwile ngezindlebe zenu!”
12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the rulers and to all the people, saying, Jehovah sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.
UJeremiya wasesithi ezikhulwini zonke lasebantwini bonke: “UThixo ungithumile ukuba ngiphrofethe kubi ngendlu le langedolobho leli zonke izinto elizizwileyo.
13 Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of Jehovah your God, and Jehovah will relent of the evil that he has pronounced against you.
Ngakho lungisani izindlela zenu lezenzo zenu lilalele uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu. Ngalokho uThixo uzadeda angabe esalehlisela umonakalo abememezele ukuwehlisela kini.
14 But as for me, behold, I am in your hand. Do with me as is good and right in your eyes.
Kodwa mina, ngisezandleni zenu; yenzani kimi loba kuyini lokho elikubona kukuhle, kufanele.
15 Only know ye for certain that, if ye put me to death, ye will bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants of it. For of a truth Jehovah has sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.
Kodwa likwazi, impela ukuthi lingangibulala, lizakwehlisela phezu kwenu icala legazi elimsulwa laphezu kwedolobho leli kanye laphezu kwabantu abahlala kulo, ngoba ngeqiniso uThixo ungithumile kini ukuba ngikhulume wonke amazwi la lani lisizwa.”
16 Then the rulers and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets. This man is not worthy of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of Jehovah our God.
Izikhulu labantu bonke basebesithi kubaphristi lakubaphrofethi, “Umuntu lo akumelanga abulawe! Ukhulume kithi ngebizo likaThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.”
17 Then certain of the elders of the land rose up, and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying,
Abanye babadala baselizweni basondela phambili bakhuluma kulolonke ibandla labantu bathi,
18 Micah the Morashtite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus says Jehovah of hosts: Zion shall be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.
“UMikha waseMoreshethi waphrofitha ensukwini zikaHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda. Wabatshela bonke abantu bakoJuda wathi, ‘UThixo uSomandla uthi: IZiyoni izalinywa njengensimu, iJerusalema izakuba yinqwaba yemfucuza, intaba yethempeli ibe yindunduma eyande izixukwana.’
19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah, and all Judah put him to death? Did he not fear Jehovah, and entreat the favor of Jehovah. And Jehovah relented of the evil which he had pronounced against them? Thus might we commit great evil against our own souls.
Kanje uHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda loba omunye umuntu nje wakoJuda wambulala na? UHezekhiya kamesabanga yini uThixo wacela umusa kuye? UThixo kadedanga wayekela ukubehlisela umonakalo ayewumemezele kubo na? Sekuseduze ukuthi sizehlisele umonakalo owesabekayo phezu kwethu!”
20 And there was also a man who prophesied in the name of Jehovah, Uriah the son of Shemaiah of Kiriath-jearim. And he prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah.
(U-Uriya indodana kaShemaya owaseKhiriyathi-Jeyarimi ungomunye umuntu owaphrofetha ngebizo likaThixo: waphrofitha izinto ezinjalo ngedolobho leli langelizwe leli njengoJeremiya.
21 And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the rulers, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death, but when Uriah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt.
Kwathi inkosi uJehoyakhimi lezinduna zakhe kanye lezikhulu zakhe besizwa amazwi akhe, bafuna ukumbulala. Kodwa u-Uriya wakuzwa lokho wasebalekela eGibhithe esesaba.
22 And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him, into Egypt,
UJehoyakhimi inkosi, wathuma u-Elinathani indodana ka-Akhibhori lamanye amadoda eGibhithe.
23 and they fetched forth Uriah out of Egypt, and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.
Bamthatha u-Uriya eGibhithe bamusa kuJehoyakhimi inkosi wambulala ngenkemba isidumbu sakhe saphoselwa endaweni yokungcwabela abantukazana.)
24 But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.
Phezu kwalokho, u-Ahikhami indodana kaShafani wasekela uJeremiya, ngakho kanikezwanga ebantwini ukuba bambulale.