Jeremiah 5
1 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places of it, if ye can find a man, if there is any who does justly, who seeks truth, and I will pardon her.
“Yehla ukhwele ngemigwaqo yaseJerusalema, ukhangele emaceleni wonke, ucabange, uhlolisise wonke amagceke ayo. Nxa ungathola umuntu oyedwa nje oqhuba ngobuqotho efuna iqiniso, ngizalithethelela idolobho leli.
2 And though they say, As Jehovah lives, surely they swear falsely.
Lanxa nje besithi, ‘Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona,’ bajinge befunga amanga.”
3 O Jehovah, do not thine eyes look upon truth? Thou have stricken them, but they were not grieved. Thou have consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than a rock. They have refused to return.
Awu Thixo, amehlo akho kawadingi qiniso na? Wabatshaya, kodwa kabezwanga buhlungu, wabahlifiza, kodwa bala ukuqondiswa. Benza ubuso babo baba lukhuni kulamatshe, bala ukuphenduka.
4 Then I said, Surely these are poor, they are foolish, for they know not the way of Jehovah, nor the law of their God.
Ngacabanga ngathi, “Laba ngabayanga nje, bayizithutha, ngoba indlela kaThixo kabayazi, lemilayo kaNkulunkulu wabo.
5 I will go to the great men, and will speak to them, for they know the way of Jehovah, and the law of their God. But these with one accord have broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.
Ngakho-ke ngizakuya kubakhokheli ngikhulume labo, ngeqiniso indlela kaThixo bayayazi, lemilayo kaNkulunkulu wabo.” Kodwa nganhliziyonye labo balephula ijogwe baqamula lezibopho.
6 Therefore a lion out of the forest shall kill them; a wolf of the evenings shall destroy them; a leopard shall watch against their cities. Everyone who goes out from there shall be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.
Ngakho isilwane esivela ehlathini sizabahlasela, lempisi evela enkangala ibadlwengule, ingwe izabacathamela eduze lamadolobho abo ukudabudabula loba ngubani ophumayo, ngoba iziphambeko zabo zinkulu, lokuhlehlela kwabo emuva kunengi.
7 How can I pardon thee? Thy sons have forsaken me, and sworn by those who are no gods. When I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the harlots' houses.
“Ngingalithethelela ngenxa yani na? Abantwana benu bangidelile, bafunga ngabonkulunkulu abangasibonkulunkulu, ngabanika konke abakuswelayo, kodwa bona bafeba baminyana ezindlini zezifebe.
8 They were as fed horses roaming at large; everyone neighed after his neighbor's wife.
Bangamabhiza amaduna asuthayo, agcwele inkanuko, omunye lomunye ekhalela umfazi wenye indoda.
9 Shall I not visit for these things? says Jehovah. And shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
Ngingabajezisi kulokhu na?” kutsho uThixo. “Ngingaphindiseli esizweni esinjengalesi na?
10 Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy, but make not a full end. Take away her branches, for they are not Jehovah's.
Ngenani lidabule phakathi kwezivini zaso lizidlwengule, kodwa lingazitshabalalisi ngokupheleleyo. Phundlani ingatsha zalo, ngoba abantu laba kabasibo bakaThixo.
11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, says Jehovah.
Indlu ka-Israyeli lendlu kaJuda kazithembekanga impela kimi,” kutsho uThixo.
12 They have denied Jehovah, and said, It is not he. Neither shall evil come upon us, nor shall we see sword nor famine.
Baqambe amanga ngoThixo bathi, “Kasoze enze lutho! Akulabubi obuzasehlela, kasiyikubona impi loba indlala.
13 And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them.
Abaphrofethi bangumoya nje, lelizwi kalikho kubo, ngakho abakutshoyo kakwenziwe kubo.”
14 Therefore thus says Jehovah, the God of hosts: Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.
Ngakho-ke uThixo uNkulunkulu uSomandla uthi: “Njengoba abantu sebekhulume amazwi la, ngizakwenza amazwi ami emlonyeni wakho abe ngumlilo labantu laba babe zinkuni oziqothulayo.”
15 Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, says Jehovah. It is a mighty nation. It is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou know not, nor understand what they say.
UThixo uthi, “Wena ndlu ka-Israyeli, ngizaletha isizwe esivela khatshana ukuba sikuhlasele, isizwe esidala esiqinileyo, isizwe ulimi lwaso ongalwaziyo, lenkulumo yaso ongayizwayo.
16 Their quiver is an open sepulcher. They are all mighty men.
Imixhaka yaso ifana lengcwaba elivulekileyo, bonke bangamabutho alamandla.
17 And they shall eat up thy harvest, and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat. They shall eat up thy flocks and thy herds. They shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees. They shall beat down thy fortified cities, wherein thou trust, with the sword.
Bazatshwabadela amabele enu lokudla kwenu, batshwabadele amadodana enu kanye lamadodakazi enu, bazatshwabadela izimvu zenu kanye lenkomo zenu, bazatshwabadela amavini enu kanye lemikhiwa yenu. Amadolobho avikelweyo eliwathembileyo bazawachitha ngenkemba.
18 But even in those days, says Jehovah, I will not make a full end with you.
Ikanti langalezozinsuku,” kutsho uThixo, “angiyikuliqeda du.
19 And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Why has Jehovah our God done all these things to us? Then thou shall say to them, Just as ye have forsaken me, and served foreign gods in your land, so ye shall serve strangers in a land that is not yours.
Lapho abantu bebuza besithi, ‘Kungani uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu enze konke lokhu kithi?’ Batshele uthi, ‘Njengoba lingilahlile lakhonza onkulunkulu bezizweni elizweni lenu, ngokunjalo khathesi lizasebenzela abezizweni elizweni elingayisilo lenu.’
20 Declare ye this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,
Memezela lokhu endlini kaJakhobe njalo ukubike lakoJuda uthi:
21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding, who have eyes, and see not, who have ears, and hear not:
Zwanini lokhu, lina zithutha zabantu abangelangqondo, abalamehlo kodwa kababoni, abalezindlebe kodwa kabezwa:
22 Do ye not fear me? says Jehovah. Will ye not tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it? And though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet they cannot prevail, though they roar, yet they cannot pass over it.
Akumelanga lingesabe na?” kutsho uThixo. “Kaliyikuthuthumela phambi kwami na? Ngenza itshebetshebe laba ngumngcele wolwandle umkhawulo wanini lanini olungeke luweqe. Amagagasi angavinqoza, kodwa awangeke edlule, angahlokoma, kodwa awangeke aweqe.
23 But this people has a revolting and a rebellious heart. They have revolted and gone.
Kodwa abantu laba balezinhliziyo ezilukhuni ezihlamukayo, baphambukile, balahleka.
24 Neither do they say in their heart, Let us now fear Jehovah our God, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season, who preserves to us the appointed weeks of the harvest.
Kabatsho ezinhliziyweni zabo ukuthi, ‘Kasimesabeni uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu, onisa izulu ngesikhathi salo ekwindla lentwasa, osithembisa amaviki amiselwe ukuvuna.’
25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld good from you.
Ukona kwenu kukuvimbele lokhu, izono zenu zilemuka okuhle.
26 For among my people are found wicked men. They watch as fowlers lie in wait. They set a trap; they catch men.
Phakathi kwabantu bami kulabantu ababi abacathama njengabantu abathiya izinyoni, lanjengalabo abathiya imijibila yokubamba abantu.
27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit. Therefore they have become great, and grown rich.
Njengezitsha ezigcwele izinyoni, izindlu zabo zigcwele inkohliso; sebenothile njalo sebelamandla
28 They have grown fat. They shine. Yea, they overflow in deeds of wickedness. They do not plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper. And they do not judge the right of the needy.
sebezimukile njalo babancwaba. Izenzo zabo ezimbi kazilamkhawulo, kabakudingi ukulunga. Izintandane kabazikhulumeli ukuba zinqobe, amalungelo abayanga kabawavikeli.
29 Shall I not visit for these things? says Jehovah. Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
Akumelanga ngibajezisele lokhu na?” kutsho uThixo. “Akumelanga ngiphindisele esizweni esinjengalesi na?
30 An astonishing and horrible thing has come to pass in the land.
Into eyesabekayo leyethusayo isiyenzakele kulelilizwe:
31 The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means. And my people love to have it so. And what will ye do in the end thereof?
Abaphrofethi baphrofitha amanga, abaphristi babusa ngamandla abo, labantu bami bakuthanda kunjalo. Kodwa lizakwenzani ekucineni?”
