Jeremiah 11
1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD:
Ilizwi elafika kuJeremiya livela eNkosini, lisithi:
2 “Listen to the words of this covenant and tell them to the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem.
Zwanini amazwi alesisivumelwano, likhulume ebantwini bakoJuda lakubahlali beJerusalema.
3 You must tell them that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant,
Njalo uthi kibo: Itsho njalo INkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Uqalekisiwe umuntu ongalaleli amazwi alesisivumelwano,
4 which I commanded your forefathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the iron furnace, saying, ‘Obey Me, and do everything I command you, and you will be My people, and I will be your God.’
engawalayela oyihlo ngosuku engibakhupha ngalo elizweni leGibhithe, esithandweni sensimbi, ngisithi: Lalelani ilizwi lami, liwenze njengakho konke engililaya khona; ngalokho lizakuba ngabantu bami, lami ngibe nguNkulunkulu wenu,
5 This was in order to establish the oath I swore to your forefathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is to this day.” “Amen, LORD,” I answered.
ukuze ngimise isifungo engasifunga kuboyihlo ukuthi ngibanike ilizwe eligeleza uchago loluju, njengalamuhla. Ngasengiphendula ngathi: Ameni, Nkosi.
6 Then the LORD said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: Hear the words of this covenant and carry them out.
INkosi yasisithi kimi: Memezela wonke lamazwi emizini yakoJuda lezitaladeni zeJerusalema, usithi: Zwanini amazwi alesisivumelwano, liwenze.
7 For from the time I brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt until today, I strongly warned them again and again, saying, ‘Obey My voice.’
Ngoba ngafakaza lokufakaza kuboyihlo ngosuku engabakhuphula ngalo elizweni leGibhithe, kuze kube lamuhla, ngivuka ngovivi ngifakaza, ngisithi: Lalelani ilizwi lami.
8 Yet they would not obey or incline their ears, but each one followed the stubbornness of his evil heart. So I brought on them all the curses of this covenant I had commanded them to follow but they did not keep.”
Kodwa kabalalelanga, kababekanga indlebe yabo, kodwa bahamba, ngulowo lalowo ngobulukhuni benhliziyo yabo embi. Ngakho ngizaletha phezu kwabo wonke amazwi alesisivumelwano, engabalaya ukuthi bawenze, kodwa kabawenzanga.
9 And the LORD told me, “There is a conspiracy among the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem.
INkosi yasisithi kimi: Kutholakele ugobe phakathi kwabantu bakoJuda, laphakathi kwabahlali beJerusalema.
10 They have returned to the sins of their forefathers who refused to obey My words. They have followed other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken the covenant I made with their fathers.
Sebebuyele eziphambekweni zabokhokho babo, abala ukuzwa ilizwi lami; bona balandela abanye onkulunkulu ukuze babakhonze; indlu yakoIsrayeli lendlu yakoJuda zisephulile isivumelwano sami engasenza laboyise.
11 Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘I am about to bring upon them a disaster that they cannot escape. They will cry out to Me, but I will not listen to them.
Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela, ngizaletha okubi phezu kwabo, abangeke baphume kukho; lapho bekhala kimi, kangiyikubezwa.
12 Then the cities of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem will go and cry out to the gods to which they have been burning incense, but these gods certainly will not save them in their time of disaster.
Khona imizi yakoJuda labahlali beJerusalema bezahamba bakhale kubonkulunkulu ababatshisela impepha, kodwa kabayikubasindisa lokubasindisa ngesikhathi sobubi babo.
13 Your gods are indeed as numerous as your cities, O Judah; the altars of shame you have set up—the altars to burn incense to Baal—are as many as the streets of Jerusalem.’
Ngoba njengenani lemizi yakho babenjalo onkulunkulu bakho, Juda, lanjengenani lezitalada zeJerusalema limisile amalathi kulokhu okuyangisayo, amalathi okutshisela uBhali impepha.
14 As for you, do not pray for these people. Do not raise up a cry or a prayer on their behalf, for I will not be listening when they call out to Me in their time of disaster.
Ngakho wena ungabakhulekeli lababantu, futhi ungabaphakamiseli ukukhala kumbe umkhuleko, ngoba kangiyikuzwa ngesikhathi sokukhala kwabo kimi ngenxa yenhlupheko yabo.
15 What right has My beloved in My house, having carried out so many evil schemes? Can consecrated meat avert your doom, so that you can rejoice?
Othandekayo wami ulani endlini yami, lokhu enze amanyala labanengi, lenyama engcwele isiyedlule kuwe yini? Lapho usenza okubi, kulapho uthokoza.
16 The LORD once called you a flourishing olive tree, beautiful with well-formed fruit. But with a mighty roar He will set it on fire, and its branches will be consumed.
INkosi yabiza ibizo lakho ngokuthi: Isihlahla somhlwathi esiluhlaza esihle ngezithelo ezinhle; ngomsindo wenhlokomo enkulu izasithungela ngomlilo, lengatsha zaso zephuke.
17 The LORD of Hosts, who planted you, has decreed disaster against you on account of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have brought upon themselves, provoking Me to anger by burning incense to Baal.”
Ngoba iNkosi yamabandla, eyakuhlanyelayo, ikhulumile okubi ngawe, ngenxa yobubi bendlu yakoIsrayeli lobendlu yakoJuda, abakwenzileyo bemelene labo ngokwabo ukungicunula ngokutshisela uBhali impepha.
18 And the LORD informed me, so I knew. Then You showed me their deeds.
INkosi yasingazisa ukuthi ngazi; wasungitshengisa izenzo zabo.
19 For I was like a gentle lamb led to slaughter; I did not know that they had plotted against me: “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be remembered no more.”
Kodwa mina nganginjengewundlu kumbe inkabi kusiwa ekuhlatshweni; ngoba ngangingazi ukuthi baceba amacebo bemelene lami, besithi: Asichithe isihlahla lesithelo saso; asimqume asuke elizweni labaphilayo, ukuze ibizo lakhe lingabe lisakhunjulwa.
20 O LORD of Hosts, who judges righteously, who examines the heart and mind, let me see Your vengeance upon them, for to You I have committed my cause.
Kodwa, wena Nkosi yamabandla, umahluleli olungileyo, ohlola izinso lenhliziyo, kangibone impindiselo yakho kibo; ngoba ngembule udaba lwami kuwe.
21 Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning the people of Anathoth who are seeking your life and saying, “You must not prophesy in the name of the LORD, or you will die by our hand.”
Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi ngamadoda eAnathothi, adinga impilo yakho, esithi: Ungaprofethi ngebizo leNkosi, ukuze ungafi ngesandla sethu.
22 So this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I will punish them. Their young men will die by the sword, their sons and daughters by famine.
Ngakho itsho njalo INkosi yamabandla: Khangela, ngizawajezisa; amajaha azakufa ngenkemba, amadodana awo lamadodakazi awo azakufa ngendlala,
23 There will be no remnant, for I will bring disaster on the people of Anathoth in the year of their punishment.”
njalo kakuyikuba lensali kuwo; ngoba ngizaletha okubi phezu kwamadoda eAnathothi, ngomnyaka wempindiselo yawo.
