< Jeremiah 1 >

1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
Amazwi kaJeremiya, indodana kaHilikhiya wabapristi ababeseAnathothi elizweni lakoBhenjamini;
2 to whom the word of Jehovah came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
okwafika kuye ilizwi leNkosi ensukwini zikaJosiya indodana kaAmoni, inkosi yakoJuda, ngomnyaka wetshumi lantathu wokubusa kwakhe.
3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.
Lafika futhi ensukwini zikaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda, kwaze kwaba sekupheleni komnyaka wetshumi lanye kaZedekhiya indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda, kwaze kwaba sekuthunjweni kweJerusalema enyangeni yesihlanu.
4 Now the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
Kwasekufika kimi ilizwi leNkosi lisithi:
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations.
Ngingakakubumbi esiswini ngakwazi, njalo ungakaphumi esizalweni ngakwehlukanisa; ngakubeka waba ngumprofethi ezizweni.
6 Then said I, Ah, Lord Jehovah! behold, I know not how to speak; for I am a child.
Ngasengisithi: Hawu Nkosi Jehova! Khangela, angikwazi ukukhuluma, ngoba ngingumntwana.
7 But Jehovah said unto me, Say not, I am a child; for to whomsoever I shall send thee thou shalt go, and whatsoever I shall command thee thou shalt speak.
Kodwa iNkosi yathi kimi: Ungatsho ukuthi: Ngingumntwana; ngoba uzakuya kubo bonke engikuthuma kubo, lakho konke engikulaya khona uzakukhuluma.
8 Be not afraid because of them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith Jehovah.
Ungesabi ubuso babo, ngoba mina ngilawe ukukophula, itsho iNkosi.
9 Then Jehovah put forth his hand, and touched my mouth; and Jehovah said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth:
INkosi yasiselula isandla sayo, yathinta umlomo wami; iNkosi yasisithi kimi: Khangela, ngibekile amazwi ami emlonyeni wakho.
10 see, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.
Bona, ngikubekile lamuhla phezu kwezizwe laphezu kwemibuso, ukusiphuna, lokudiliza, lokubhubhisa, lokuphosela phansi, ukwakha, lokuhlanyela.
11 Moreover the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Jeremiah, what seest thou? And I said, I see a rod of an almond-tree.
Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi: Ubonani, Jeremiya? Ngasengisithi: Ngibona uswazi lwesihlahla se-alimondi.
12 Then said Jehovah unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I watch over my word to perform it.
INkosi yasisithi kimi: Ubone kuhle, ngoba ngizalinda ilizwi lami ukuze ngilenze.
13 And the word of Jehovah came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a boiling caldron; and the face thereof is from the north.
Njalo ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi ngokwesibili lisithi: Ubonani? Ngasengisithi: Ngibona imbiza ebilayo, njalo ubuso bayo bungasenyakatho.
14 Then Jehovah said unto me, Out of the north evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.
INkosi yasisithi kimi: Okubi kuzaqutshulwa kuvela enyakatho phezu kwabo bonke abakhileyo belizwe.
15 For, lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith Jehovah; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.
Ngoba khangela, ngibiza insapho zonke zemibuso yenyakatho, itsho iNkosi; njalo zizafika, zimise ngasinye isihlalo salo sobukhosi ekungeneni kwamasango eJerusalema, zimelene lemiduli yayo yonke inhlangothi zonke, zimelene lemizi yonke yakoJuda.
16 And I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshipped the works of their own hands.
Ngizakhuluma izigwebo zami zimelene labo ngenxa yabo bonke ububi babo, abangidelileyo, batshisela abanye onkulunkulu impepha, bakhonza imisebenzi yezandla zabo.
17 Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I command thee: be not dismayed at them, lest I dismay thee before them.
Wena-ke, bopha ukhalo lwakho, usukume, ukhulume kibo konke mina engikulaya khona. Ungethuki ngenxa yobuso babo, hlezi ngikwethuse phambi kwabo.
18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls, against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.
Ngoba khangela, mina ngikubekile lamuhla ube ngumuzi ovikelweyo, njalo ube yinsika yensimbi, njalo ube yimiduli yethusi, ukumelana lelizwe lonke, ukumelana lamakhosi akoJuda, ukumelana leziphathamandla zayo, ukumelana labapristi bayo, lokumelana labantu belizwe.
19 And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee: for I am with thee, saith Jehovah, to deliver thee.
Njalo bazakulwa bemelene lawe; kodwa kabayikukwehlula; ngoba ngilawe, itsho iNkosi, ukukophula.

< Jeremiah 1 >