Jeremiah 5
1 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that doeth justly, that seeketh truth; and I will pardon her.
Hambani liye le lale ezitaladeni zeJerusalema, libone khathesi, lazi, lidinge ezindaweni zayo ezingamagceke, uba lingathola umuntu, uba ekhona owenza isahlulelo, odinga iqiniso; khona ngizayithethelela.
2 And though they say, As Jehovah liveth; surely they swear falsely.
Loba-ke besithi: Kuphila kukaJehova; kanti bafunga amanga.
3 O Jehovah, do not thine eyes look upon truth? thou hast stricken them, but they were not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.
Nkosi, amehlo akho kawakho eqinisweni yini? Ubatshayile, kodwa kabezwanga buhlungu; ubaqothule, kodwa bala ukwemukela ukulaywa. Benzile ubuso babo bube lukhuni kuledwala, 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:
Mina ngasengisithi: Qiniso, laba ngabayanga, bayizithutha; ngoba kabayazi indlela yeNkosi, isahlulelo sikaNkulunkulu wabo.
5 I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto 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.
Mina ngizakuya kwabakhulu, ngikhulume labo, ngoba bona bayayazi indlela yeNkosi, isahlulelo sikaNkulunkulu wabo; kodwa labo kanyekanye balephulile ijogwe, baqamula izibopho.
6 Wherefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, a wolf of the evenings shall destroy them, a leopard shall watch against their cities; every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces; because their transgressions are many, [and] their backslidings are increased.
Ngakho-ke isilwane esiphuma ehlathini sizababulala, impisi yezinkangala ibachithe, ingwe ilinde imelene lemizi yabo; wonke ophuma kiyo uzadatshudatshulwa; ngoba iziphambeko zabo zinengi, ukuhlehlela nyovane kwabo kwandile.
7 How can I pardon thee? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods. When I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the harlots’ houses;
Ngingakuthethelela njani ngalokhu? Abantwana bakho bangidelile, bafunga ngabangeyisibo onkulunkulu. Sengibasuthisile, basebefeba, babuthana ngamaxuku endlini yezifebe.
8 they were as fed horses roaming at large; every one neighed after his neighbor’s wife.
Babenjengamabhiza asuthayo ekuseni, bakhonya, omunye lomunye kumfazi kamakhelwane wakhe.
9 Shall I not visit for these things? saith Jehovah; and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
Kangiyikujezisa yini ngenxa yalezizinto? itsho iNkosi; kumbe umphefumulo wami kawuyikuphindisela yini esizweni esinjengalesi?
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.
Yenyukelani emidulwini yayo, lichithe, kodwa lingenzi isiphetho esipheleleyo; susani ingatsha zayo, ngoba kazisizo zeNkosi.
11 For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me, saith Jehovah.
Ngoba indlu kaIsrayeli lendlu kaJuda zenze ngenkohliso enkulu zimelene lami, itsho iNkosi.
12 They have denied Jehovah, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:
Bayiphikile iNkosi, bathi: Kayisiyo; njalo ububi kabuyikusehlela, futhi kasiyikubona inkemba loba indlala.
13 and the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them: thus shall it be done unto them.
Labaprofethi bazakuba ngumoya, lelizwi kalikho kubo; kuzakwenziwa njalo kibo!
14 Wherefore thus saith 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.
Ngalokho itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wamabandla: Ngoba likhuluma lelilizwi, khangela, ngizakwenza amazwi ami emlonyeni wakho abe ngumlilo, lalababantu babe zinkuni, njalo uzabaqothula.
15 Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith Jehovah: it is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.
Khangelani, ngizaletha phezu kwenu isizwe esivela khatshana, ndlu kaIsrayeli, itsho iNkosi; yisizwe esilamandla, yisizwe esidala, isizwe ongalwaziyo ulimi lwaso, longayikuzwa esikukhulumayo.
16 Their quiver is an open sepulchre, they are all mighty men.
Isamba saso semitshoko sinjengengcwaba elivulekileyo; bonke bangamaqhawe.
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 trustest, with the sword.
Njalo sizakudla isivuno sakho lokudla kwakho; sizakudla amadodana akho lamadodakazi akho; sizakudla izimvu zakho lenkomo zakho; sizakudla ivini lakho lomkhiwa wakho; lemizi yakho ebiyelweyo othembela kiyo, sizayithelela ubuyanga ngenkemba.
18 But even in those days, saith Jehovah, I will not make a full end with you.
Kodwa langalezonsuku, itsho iNkosi, kangiyikwenza isiphetho esipheleleyo kini.
19 And it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Wherefore hath Jehovah our God done all these things unto us? then shalt thou say unto them, Like as ye have forsaken me, and served foreign gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.
Kuzakuthi-ke lapho lisithi: INkosi uNkulunkulu wethu yenzeleni zonke lezizinto kithi? Khona uzakutsho kubo uthi: Njengoba lingidelile, lakhonza onkulunkulu bemzini elizweni lakini, ngokunjalo lizakhonza abezizwe elizweni elingeyisilo lenu.
20 Declare ye this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,
Memezelani lokhu endlini kaJakobe, likuzwakalise koJuda, lisithi:
21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; that have eyes, and see not; that have ears, and hear not:
Zwanini-ke lokhu, lina bantu abayizithutha labangelangqondo, elilamehlo, kodwa lingaboni, elilendlebe, kodwa lingezwa.
22 Fear ye not me? saith 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 can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it.
Kalingesabi yini? itsho iNkosi; kaliyikuthuthumela phambi kwami yini, engabeka itshebetshebe laba ngumngcele wolwandle ngesimiso saphakade olungeledlule? Lanxa amagagasi alo etshayana kube kanti angenqobe; lanxa ehlokoma kube kanti kawayikudlula phezu kwawo.
23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.
Kodwa lababantu balenhliziyo evukelayo lephikayo; baphambukile, bahamba.
24 Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear Jehovah our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in its season; that preserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.
Futhi kabatsho enhliziyweni zabo ukuthi: Ake sesabe iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, enika izulu lakuqala lelamuva ngesikhathi salo, esigcinela amaviki amisiweyo esivuno.
25 Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good from you.
Iziphambeko zenu ziphambule lezizinto, lezono zenu zaligodlela okuhle.
26 For among my people are found wicked men: they watch, as fowlers lie in wait; they set a trap, they catch men.
Ngoba phakathi kwabantu bami kutholakala abakhohlakeleyo; bacatheme njengabathiya inyoni; babeka umgibe ochithayo, babambe abantu.
27 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxed rich.
Njengezongo ligcwele inyoni, zinjalo izindlu zabo zigcwele inkohliso; ngakho-ke sebebakhulu, banothile.
28 They are waxed fat, they shine: yea, they overpass in deeds of wickedness; they plead not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.
Bazimukile, bancwaba, yebo, bedlula imisebenzi yomubi; kabameli udaba, udaba lwezintandane, kube kanti bayaphumelela; lelungelo labaswelayo kabalahluleli.
29 Shall I not visit for these things? saith Jehovah; shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
Kangiyikubajezisa ngalezizinto yini? kutsho iNkosi. Umphefumulo wami kawuyikuphindisela esizweni esinjengalesi yini?
30 A wonderful and horrible thing is come to pass in the land:
Okwethusayo lokwesabekayo kwenzakele elizweni.
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?
Abaprofethi baprofetha ngamanga, labapristi babusa ngezandla zabo; labantu bami bakuthanda kunjalo; kodwa lizakwenzani ekupheleni kwakho?
