Jeremiah 15
1 Then the LORD said to me: “Even if Moses and Samuel should stand before Me, My heart would not go out to this people. Send them from My presence, and let them go.
INkosi yasisithi kimi: Loba bekumi phambi kwami oMozisi loSamuweli, inhliziyo yami ibingebe kulababantu; baxotshe phambi kwami, bayekele baphume.
2 If they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘Those destined for death, to death; those destined for the sword, to the sword; those destined for famine, to famine; and those destined for captivity, to captivity.’
Kuzakuthi-ke uba besithi kuwe: Sizaphuma siye ngaphi? Uzabatshela-ke uthi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Abokufa baya ekufeni, labenkemba baya enkembeni, labendlala baya endlaleni, labokuthunjwa baya ekuthunjweni.
3 I will appoint over them four kinds of destroyers, declares the LORD: the sword to kill, the dogs to drag away, and the birds of the air and beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.
Ngoba ngizabamisela izinhlobo ezine, itsho iNkosi: Inkemba yokubulala, lezinja zokudonsa, lenyoni zamazulu lezinyamazana zomhlaba zokudla lezokubhubhisa.
4 I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of what Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah did in Jerusalem.
Ngizabanikela babe yinto eyesabekayo kuyo yonke imibuso yomhlaba, ngenxa kaManase indodana kaHezekhiya, inkosi yakoJuda, ngalokho akwenza eJerusalema.
5 Who will have pity on you, O Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will turn aside to ask about your welfare?
Ngoba ngubani ozakuhawukela, wena Jerusalema? Njalo ngubani ozakulilela? Njalo ngubani ozaphambukela eceleni ukubuza ngokuthula kwakho?
6 You have forsaken Me, declares the LORD. You have turned your back. So I will stretch out My hand against you and I will destroy you; I am weary of showing compassion.
Wena ungidelile, itsho iNkosi, wabuyela emuva; ngakho ngizakwelula isandla sami ngimelene lawe, ngikuchithe; ngikhathele yikuhawukela.
7 I will scatter them with a winnowing fork at the gates of the land. I will bereave and destroy My people who have not turned from their ways.
Njalo ngizabela ngoluthi lokwela emasangweni elizwe; ngizabemuka abantwana, ngibhubhise abantu bami; kabaphendukanga endleleni zabo.
8 I will make their widows more numerous than the sand of the sea. I will bring a destroyer at noon against the mothers of young men. I will suddenly bring upon them anguish and dismay.
Abafelokazi babo bandile kimi kuletshebetshebe lolwandle. Ngilethe phezu kwabo, phezu kukanina, ijaha, umchithi emini enkulu; ngiwisele phezu kwabo uvalo lezesabiso bengananzelele.
9 The mother of seven will grow faint; she will breathe her last breath. Her sun will set while it is still day; she will be disgraced and humiliated. And the rest I will put to the sword in the presence of their enemies,”
Owazala abayisikhombisa usekhathele; usephefumule okokucina; ilanga lakhe litshone kusesemini; waba lenhloni, wayangeka; lensali yabo ngizayinikela enkembeni phambi kwezitha zabo, itsho iNkosi.
10 Woe to me, my mother, that you have borne me, a man of strife and conflict in all the land. I have neither lent nor borrowed, yet everyone curses me.
Maye mina, mama, ukuthi ungizele, umuntu wokuphikisana lomuntu wokuxabana emhlabeni wonke! Kangebolekisanga ngenzuzo, futhi kabangebolekisanga ngenzuzo, kanti bayangithuka, ngulowo lalowo wabo.
11 The LORD said: “Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose; surely I will intercede with your enemy in your time of trouble, in your time of distress.
INkosi yathi: Isibili kuzakuba kuhle ngensali yakho; isibili ngizakuncengela esitheni ngesikhathi sokubi langesikhathi sosizi.
12 Can anyone smash iron— iron from the north—or bronze?
Insimbi ingayephula yini insimbi evela enyakatho lethusi?
13 Your wealth and your treasures I will give up as plunder, without charge for all your sins within all your borders.
Inotho yakho lokuligugu kwakho ngizakunikela kube yimpango, kungelantengo, langenxa yezono zakho zonke, ngitsho emingceleni yakho yonke.
14 Then I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know, for My anger will kindle a fire that will burn against you.”
Ngizakwenza ukuthi udlule kanye lezitha zakho uye elizweni ongalaziyo; ngoba umlilo ubasiwe olakeni lwami; uzabhebha phezu kwenu.
15 You understand, O LORD; remember me and attend to me. Avenge me against my persecutors. In Your patience, do not take me away. Know that I endure reproach for Your honor.
Wena uyazi, Nkosi; ngikhumbula, ungihambele, ungiphindiselele kwabangizingelayo; ungangisusi ekubekezeleni kwakho; yazi ukuthi ngenxa yakho ngithwele ihlazo.
16 Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became my joy and my heart’s delight. For I bear Your name, O LORD God of Hosts.
Amazwi akho atholakala njalo ngawadla; lelizwi lakho kimi laba yinjabulo njalo laba yintokozo yenhliziyo yami; ngoba ibizo lakho labizwa phezu kwami, wena Nkosi, Nkulunkulu wamabandla.
17 I never sat with the band of revelers, nor did I celebrate with them. Because Your hand was on me, I sat alone, for You have filled me with indignation.
Kangihlalanga emhlanganweni wabahleka usulu, kumbe ngijabule; ngenxa yesandla sakho ngahlala ngedwa; ngoba ungigcwalise ngentukuthelo.
18 Why is my pain unending, and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You have indeed become like a mirage to me— water that is not there.
Kungani ubuhlungu bami bube khona njalonjalo, lenxeba lami lingelapheki, lisala ukuphola? Isibili uzakuba njengomqambimanga kimi yini, njengamanzi angathembekanga?
19 Therefore this is what the LORD says: “If you return, I will restore you; you will stand in My presence. And if you speak words that are noble instead of worthless, you will be My spokesman. It is they who must turn to you, but you must not turn to them.
Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi: Uba ubuya, ngizakubuyisa, ume phambi kwami; njalo uba ukhupha okuligugu kokungasizi lutho, uzakuba njengomlomo wami. Bona kababuyele kuwe, kodwa wena ungabuyeli kubo.
20 Then I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to save and deliver you, declares the LORD.
Ngoba ngizakwenza ube ngumduli wethusi ovikelweyo kulababantu; njalo bazakulwa bemelene lawe, kodwa kabayikukwehlula, ngoba mina ngilawe ukukusindisa lokukophula, itsho iNkosi.
21 I will deliver you from the hand of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.”
Ngizakophula esandleni sababi, ngikuhlenge esandleni sabalesihluku.
