Jeremiah 3
1 “If a man divorces his wife and she leaves him to marry another, can he ever return to her? Would not such a land be completely defiled? But you have played the harlot with many lovers— and you would return to Me?”
“Indoda ingehlukana lomkayo ayitshiye endele kwenye indoda, kufanele imbuyise futhi na? Kambe ilizwe lingeke langcoliswa kakhulukazi na? Kodwa wena usuphile njengesifebe esilezithandwa ezinengi, kambe khathesi ungabuyela kimi na?” kutsho uThixo.
2 “Lift up your eyes to the barren heights and see. Is there any place where you have not been violated? You sat beside the highways waiting for your lovers, like a nomad in the desert. You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness.
“Khangela emiqolweni elugwadule ubone. Kungaphi lapho ongazange udlwangululwe khona? Emigwaqweni wahlala ulindele izithandwa, wahlala njengomhambuma enkangala. Ulingcolisile ilizwe ngobufebe bakho langobubi bakho.
3 Therefore the showers have been withheld, and no spring rains have fallen. Yet you have the brazen look of a prostitute; you refuse to be ashamed.
Ngalokho imikhizo imisiwe, lezulu lentwasa kalinanga. Ikanti wena uziphethe okwesifebe, awulanhloni.
4 Have you not just called to Me, ‘My Father, You are my friend from youth.
Kawungibizanga khathesi nje wathi, ‘Baba, mngane wami kusukela ebutsheni bami,
5 Will He be angry forever? Will He be indignant to the end?’ This you have spoken, but you keep doing all the evil you can.”
uzahlala uzondile kokuphela na? Ulaka lwakho luzaqhubeka kokuphela na?’ Le yindlela okhuluma ngayo, kodwa wenza konke okubi ongakwenza.”
6 Now in the days of King Josiah, the LORD said to me, “Have you seen what faithless Israel has done? She has gone up on every high hill and under every green tree to prostitute herself there.
Ekubuseni kwenkosi uJosiya, uThixo wathi kimi, “Ukubonile yini okwenziwe ngu-Israyeli ongathembekanga? Usekhwele phezu kwamaqaqa wonke aphakemeyo langaphansi kwezihlahla zonke eziluhlaza wafebela khona.
7 I thought that after she had done all these things, she would return to Me. But she did not return, and her unfaithful sister Judah saw it.
Ngacabanga ukuthi emva kokuba esenze konke lokhu uzaphinda eze kimi, kodwa kabuyanga, lodadewabo ongathembekanga uJuda wakubona lokho.
8 She saw that because faithless Israel had committed adultery, I gave her a certificate of divorce and sent her away. Yet that unfaithful sister Judah had no fear and prostituted herself as well.
U-Israyeli ongathembekanga ngamnika incwadi yakhe yesehlukaniso ngamxotsha ngenxa yobufebe bakhe bonke. Kodwa ngabona ukuthi udadewabo ongathembekanga, uJuda, kesabanga, laye wasuka wayafeba.
9 Indifferent to her own infidelity, Israel had defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and trees.
Ngenxa yokuthi ububi buka-Israyeli babungatsho lutho kuye, wangcolisa ilizwe wakhonza amatshe lezihlahla.
10 Yet in spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to Me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD.
Kukho konke lokhu, udadewabo ongathembekanga uJuda kabuyelanga kimi ngenhliziyo yakhe yonke, kodwa ngokuzenzisa nje kuphela,” kutsho uThixo.
11 And the LORD said to me, “Faithless Israel has shown herself more righteous than unfaithful Judah.
UThixo wathi kimi, “U-Israyeli ongathembekanga ungcono kuloJuda ongelaqiniso.
12 Go, proclaim this message toward the north: ‘Return, O faithless Israel,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will no longer look on you with anger, for I am merciful,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will not be angry forever.
Hamba, uyememezela ilizwi leli ngasenyakatho: ‘Phenduka Israyeli ongathembekanga,’ kutsho uThixo, ‘Kangisayikukuhwaqela futhi, ngoba ngilesihawu,’ kutsho uThixo. ‘Kangiyikuthukuthela kokuphela.
13 Only acknowledge your guilt, that you have rebelled against the LORD your God. You have scattered your favors to foreign gods under every green tree and have not obeyed My voice,’”
Vuma icala lakho nje kuphela, wahlamukela uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho, uzihlakazelele kubonkulunkulu bezizweni ngaphansi kwezihlahla zonke eziluhlaza, njalo kawaze wangilalela,’” kutsho uThixo.
14 “Return, O faithless children,” declares the LORD, “for I am your master, and I will take you—one from a city and two from a family—and bring you to Zion.
“Phendukani, bantu abangathembekanga,” kutsho uThixo, “ngoba ngingumyeni wenu. Ngizalikhetha, oyedwa edolobheni lababili emulini ngililethe eZiyoni.
15 Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.”
Lapho-ke ngizalinika abelusi abathandwa yimi, abazalikhokhela ngokwazi langokuqedisisa.
16 “In those days, when you multiply and increase in the land,” declares the LORD, “they will no longer discuss the ark of the covenant of the LORD. It will never come to mind, and no one will remember it or miss it, nor will another one be made.
Ngalezonsuku, ubunengi benu sebande kakhulu elizweni,” kutsho uThixo, “abantu kabasayikuthi, ‘Ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo.’ Kaliyikufika emicabangweni yabo kumbe likhunjulwe; kaliyikudingakala, njalo akuyikwenziwa elinye futhi.
17 At that time Jerusalem will be called The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations will be gathered in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. They will no longer follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.
Ngalesosikhathi iJerusalema bazalibiza ngokuthi yisiHlalo Sobukhosi sikaThixo, njalo izizwe zonke zizabuthana eJerusalema ukuba zihloniphe ibizo likaThixo. Kabasayikulandela inkani yezinhliziyo zabo ezimbi.
18 In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave to your fathers as an inheritance.
Ngalezonsuku indlu kaJuda izahlangana leka-Israyeli, njalo ndawonye, zivela elizweni elisenyakatho, zizakuza elizweni engalinika okhokho benu ukuba libe yilifa labo.
19 Then I said, ‘How I long to make you My sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of all the nations!’ I thought you would call Me ‘Father’ and never turn away from following Me.
Mina ngokwami ngathi, ‘Kade ngingathaba kakhulu ukuliphatha njengamadodana, ngilinike ilizwe elifunekayo, ilifa elihle kakhulu ezizweni zonke.’ Bengicabanga ukuthi lizangibiza ngokuthi ‘Baba’ njalo lingaphambuki ekungilandeleni.
20 But as a woman may betray her husband, so you have betrayed Me, O house of Israel,”
Kodwa njengowesifazane ongathembekanga kumkakhe, ubungathembekanga kimi wena ndlu ka-Israyeli,” kutsho uThixo.
21 A voice is heard on the barren heights, the children of Israel weeping and begging for mercy, because they have perverted their ways and forgotten the LORD their God.
Ilizwi liyezwakala emiqolweni elugwadule, ukukhala lokuncenga kwabantu bako-Israyeli, ngoba izindlela zabo bazonile bakhohlwa loThixo uNkulunkulu wabo.
22 “Return, O faithless children, and I will heal your faithlessness.” “Here we are. We come to You, for You are the LORD our God.
“Phendukani, bantu abangathembekanga, ngizalelapha ukungathembeki kwenu.” “Yebo, sizakuza kuwe, ngoba unguThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.
23 Surely deception comes from the hills, and commotion from the mountains. Surely the salvation of Israel is in the LORD our God.
Impela umsindo wokukhonza izithombe emaqaqeni lasezintabeni uyinkohliso, ngempela kuThixo uNkulunkulu wethu kulensindiso ka-Israyeli.
24 From our youth, that shameful god has consumed what our fathers have worked for— their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters.
Kusukela ebutsheni bethu onkulunkulu abalihlazo badlile izithelo zamandla abobaba, imihlambi yezimvu zabo leyezinkomo zabo, amadodana abo lamadodakazi abo.
25 Let us lie down in our shame; let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our fathers; from our youth even to this day we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.”
Kasilaleni phansi silenhloni, siphathwe lihlazo lethu. Ngoba sonile kuThixo uNkulunkulu wethu, thina sonke kanye labokhokho bethu; kusukela ebutsheni bethu kuze kube lamhla, kasimlalelanga uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.”
