Jeremiah 4
1 If thou will return, O Israel, says Jehovah, if thou will return to me, and if thou will put away thine abominations out of my sight, then thou shall not be removed.
Uba uphenduka, Israyeli, itsho iNkosi, phendukela kimi; njalo uba ususa phambi kwami izinengiso zakho, kawuyikuphambuka.
2 And thou shall swear, As Jehovah lives, in truth, in justice, and in righteousness. And the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him they shall glory.
Futhi uzafunga: Kuphila kukaJehova, ngeqiniso, ngokwahlulela, langokulunga; lezizwe zizazibusisa kuyo, lakuyo zizincome.
3 For thus says Jehovah to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.
Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi kumadoda akoJuda leJerusalema: Qhathani ingqatho yenu, lingahlanyeli phakathi kwameva.
4 Circumcise yourselves to Jehovah, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest my wrath go forth like fire, and burn so that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
Zisokeleni eNkosini, lisuse amajwabu aphambili enhliziyo yenu, madoda akoJuda labahlali beJerusalema; hlezi ulaka lwami luphume njengomlilo, lutshise, kungabi khona ongalucitsha, ngenxa yobubi bezenzo zenu.
5 Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem, and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land. Cry aloud and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities.
Bikani koJuda, lizwakalise eJerusalema, lithi: Vuthelani uphondo elizweni; klabalalani ngokugcweleyo lithi: Buthanani, singene emizini ebiyelweyo.
6 Set up a standard toward Zion. Flee for safety, do not stay. For I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.
Misani uphawu ngaseZiyoni, balekani, lingemi; ngoba ngizaletha ububi buvela enyakatho, lokwephuka okukhulu.
7 A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations. He is on his way, he has gone forth from his place, to make thy land desolate, that thy cities be laid waste, without inhabitant.
Isilwane sesenyukile siphuma ehlathini laso, lomchithi wezizwe usukile, uphumile endaweni yakhe ukuze ulenze ilizwe lakho incithakalo; imizi yakho izakuba ngamanxiwa, ingabi lomhlali.
8 For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and wail, for the fierce anger of Jehovah is not turned back from us.
Ngenxa yalokhu bhincani amasaka, lilani liqhinqe isililo; ngoba ulaka lweNkosi oluvuthayo kaluphendukanga lusuka kithi.
9 And it shall come to pass at that day, says Jehovah, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the rulers, and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.
Njalo kuzakuthi ngalolosuku, itsho iNkosi, inhliziyo yenkosi izaphela, lenhliziyo yeziphathamandla; labapristi bazamangala kakhulu, labaprofethi bazathithibala.
10 Then I said, Ah, lord Jehovah! Surely thou have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace, whereas the sword reaches to the life.
Ngasengisithi: Hawu, Nkosi Jehova! Isibili ubakhohlisile lokubakhohlisa lababantu leJerusalema usithi: Lizakuba lokuthula; kanti inkemba ifinyelela emphefumulweni.
11 At that time it shall be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A hot wind from the bare heights in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to winnow, nor to cleanse,
Ngalesosikhathi kuzakuthiwa kulabobantu lakuyo iJerusalema: Umoya otshisayo wamadundulu enkangala, indlela yendodakazi yabantu bami, ungeyisiwo wokwela njalo ungeyisiwo wokuhlambulula.
12 a full wind from these shall come for me. Now I will also utter judgments against them.
Umoya ogcweleyo ovela kuwo uzakuza kimi. Khathesi lami ngizakhuluma izahlulelo zimelene labo.
13 Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots as the whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! For we are ruined.
Khangela, uzakwenyuka njengamayezi, lenqola zakhe njengesivunguzane; amabhiza akhe alesiqubu kulezinkozi. Maye kithi, ngoba sichithiwe!
14 O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness, that thou may be saved. How long shall thine evil thoughts lodge within thee?
Jerusalema, hlambulula inhliziyo yakho kuphume inkohlakalo, ukuze usindiswe. Koze kube nini imicabango yakho emibi ihlala phakathi kwakho?
15 For a voice declares from Dan, and publishes evil from the hills of Ephraim:
Ngoba ilizwi liyamemeza lisuka koDani, lizwakalisa uhlupho oluvela entabeni yakoEfrayimi.
16 Make ye mention to the nations. Behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.
Khumbuzani izizwe, khangelani, lizwakalise limelene leJerusalema; kufika abalindi bevela elizweni elikhatshana, baphakamisa ilizwi labo bemelene lemizi yakoJuda.
17 They are as keepers of a field against her round about, because she has been rebellious against me, says Jehovah.
Njengabalindi bensimu bamelene layo inhlangothi zonke, ngoba ingivukele, itsho iNkosi.
18 Thy way and thy doings have procured these things to thee. This is thy wickedness, for it is bitter, for it reaches to thy heart.
Indlela yakho lezenzo zakho kukwenzele lezizinto; lokhu kuyinkohlakalo yakho, ngoba kubuhlungu, ngoba kufinyelela enhliziyweni yakho.
19 My anguish, my anguish! I am pained at my very heart. My heart is disquieted in me. I cannot hold my peace, because thou have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
Imibilini yami, imibilini yami! Ngilobuhlungu emidulini yenhliziyo yami. Inhliziyo yami yenza umsindo phakathi kwami; ngingeke ngithule; ngoba wena mphefumulo wami, uzwile ukukhala kophondo, umkhosi wempi.
20 Destruction upon destruction is cried, for the whole land is laid waste. Suddenly my tents are destroyed, and my curtains in a moment.
Kuyamenyezelwa incithakalo phezu kwencithakalo, ngoba ilizwe lonke lichithekile. Amathente ami ahle achithwa, amakhetheni ami ngokucwayiza kwelihlo.
21 How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?
Koze kube nini ngibona isiboniso, ngizwe ukukhala kophondo?
22 For my people are foolish. They do not know me. They are sottish sons, and they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
Ngoba abantu bami bayizithutha, mina kabangazi; bangabantwana abayiziphukuphuku, kabalakuqedisisa; bahlakaniphele ukwenza okubi, kodwa ukwenza okuhle kabakwazi.
23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was waste and void, and the heavens, and they had no light.
Ngabona umhlaba, khangela-ke, wawungelasimo, ungelalutho; lemazulwini, kodwa kakukho ukukhanya kwawo.
24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved to and fro.
Ngabona izintaba, khangela-ke, zazinyikinyeka, lamaqaqa wonke ayenyakazela.
25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
Ngabona, khangela-ke, kwakungelamuntu, lenyoni zonke zamazulu zibalekile.
26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful field was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of Jehovah, and before his fierce anger.
Ngabona, khangela-ke, ilizwe elivundileyo laliyinkangala, lemizi yalo yonke yayidiliziwe phambi kweNkosi, phambi kokuvutha kolaka lwayo.
27 For thus says Jehovah: The whole land shall be a desolation, yet I will not make a full end.
Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi: Ilizwe lonke lizakuba lunxiwa, kodwa kangiyikuqeda ngokupheleleyo.
28 For this the earth shall mourn, and the heavens above be black, because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and I have not relented, nor will I turn back from it.
Ngenxa yalokhu umhlaba uzalila, lamazulu aphezulu abe mnyama; ngenxa yokuthi ngikhulumile, ngikuhlosile, njalo kangiyikuzisola, njalo kangiyikubuyela emuva ngisuka kukho.
29 Every city flees for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen. They go into the thickets, and climb up upon the rocks. Every city is forsaken, and not a man dwells in it.
Umuzi wonke uzabaleka ngenxa yomsindo wabagadi bamabhiza labatshoki ngamadandili; bazangena ezixukwini, bakhwele emadwaleni; wonke umuzi uzatshiywa, njalo kungabi lamuntu ohlala kuwo.
30 And thou, when thou are made desolate, what will thou do? Though thou clothe thyself with scarlet, though thou deck thee with ornaments of gold, though thou enlarge thine eyes with paint, in vain thou make thyself fair. Thy lovers despise thee, they seek thy life.
Wena-ke ozachitheka, uzakwenzani? Loba ugqoka okubomvu, loba uzicecisa ngezigqizo zegolide, loba ucomba amehlo akho ngomphendulo, uzenza ube muhle ngeze, izithandwa zakho zizakudelela, zidinga impilo yakho.
31 For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her who brings forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, who gasps for breath, who spreads her hands, saying, Woe is me now! For my soul faints before the murderers.
Ngoba ngizwile ilizwi kungathi ngelowesifazana ohelelwayo, ubuhlungu obunjengobeletha umntwana olizibulo, ilizwi lendodakazi yeZiyoni, ikhefuzela, iselula izandla zayo isithi: Maye-ke mina! Ngoba umphefumulo wami uphele amandla ngenxa yababulali.
