Jeremiah 13
1 This is what the Lord said to me: Go and get yourself a linen band and put it round you and do not put it in water.
Itsho njalo INkosi kimi: Hamba uzithengele ibhanti lelembu elicolekileyo, ulifake ekhalweni lwakho, ungalifaki emanzini.
2 So, as the Lord said, I got a band for a price and put it round my body.
Ngasengithenga ibhanti njengokwelizwi leNkosi, ngalifaka ekhalweni lwami.
3 And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying,
Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi ngokwesibili lisithi:
4 Take the band which you got for a price, which is round your body, and go to Parah and put it in a secret place there in a hole of the rock.
Thatha ibhanti olithengileyo elisokhalweni lwakho, usukume uye eYufrathi, ulifihle khona engoxweni yedwala.
5 So I went and put it in a secret place by Parah, as the Lord had said to me.
Ngasengihamba, ngalifihla ngaseYufrathi njengoba iNkosi ingilayile.
6 Then after a long time, the Lord said to me, Up! go to Parah and get the band which I gave you orders to put there.
Kwasekusithi ekupheleni kwensuku ezinengi, iNkosi yasisithi kimi: Sukuma, uye eYufrathi, uyethatha khona ibhanti engakulaya ukuthi ulifihle khona.
7 So I went to Parah and, uncovering the hole, took the band from the place where I had put it away: and the band was damaged and of no use for anything.
Ngasengisiya eYufrathi, ngagebha, ngalithatha ibhanti endaweni lapho engangilifihle khona; khangela-ke, ibhanti lalonakele, lalingasasizi lutho.
8 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
Laselifika kimi ilizwi leNkosi lisithi:
9 The Lord has said, In this way I will do damage to the pride of Judah and to the great pride of Jerusalem.
Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngalindlela ngizakonakalisa ukuziqhenya kukaJuda lokuziqhenya okukhulu kweJerusalema.
10 These evil people who say they will not give ear to my words, who go on in the pride of their hearts and have become servants and worshippers of other gods, will become like this band which is of no use for anything.
Lababantu ababi, abala ukuzwa amazwi ami, abahamba ngobulukhuni benhliziyo yabo, belandela abanye onkulunkulu ukubakhonza, lokubakhothamela, bazakuba njengalelibhanti elingasizi lutho.
11 For as a band goes tightly round a man's body, so I made all the people of Israel and all the people of Judah tightly united to me; so that they might be a people for me and a name and a praise and a glory: but they would not give ear.
Ngoba njengoba ibhanti linamathela okhalweni lomuntu, ngokunjalo nginamathelise kimi indlu yonke yakoIsrayeli lendlu yonke yakoJuda, itsho iNkosi; ukuze kimi babe ngabantu, lebizo, lendumiso, lenkazimulo; kodwa kabalalelanga.
12 So you are to say this word to them: This is the word of the Lord, the God of Israel: Every skin bottle will be full of wine; and they will say to you, Is it not quite clear to us that every skin bottle will be full of wine?
Ngakho uzakhuluma kibo lelilizwi: Itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Yonke imbodlela izagcwaliswa ngewayini. Njalo bazakuthi kuwe: Isibili kasikwazi yini ukuthi yonke imbodlela izagcwaliswa ngewayini?
13 Then you are to say to them, The Lord has said, I will make all the people of this land, even the kings seated on David's seat, and the priests and the prophets and all the people of Jerusalem, overcome with strong drink.
Ubususithi kibo: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela, ngizagcwalisa bonke abakhileyo balelilizwe, lamakhosi ahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida, labapristi, labaprofethi, labo bonke abahlali beJerusalema, ngokudakwa.
14 I will have them smashed against one another, fathers and sons together, says the Lord: I will have no pity or mercy, I will have no feeling for them to keep me from giving them to destruction.
Njalo ngizabaphahlaza omunye komunye, laboyise lamadodana ndawonye, itsho iNkosi; kangiyikuhawukela, kangiyikuyekela, kangiyikuba lomusa, ukuthi ngingabachithi.
15 Give ear and let your ears be open; be not lifted up: for these are the words of the Lord.
Zwanini, libeke indlebe, lingaziqhenyi, ngoba iNkosi ikhulumile.
16 Give glory to the Lord your God, before he makes it dark, and before your feet are slipping on the dark mountains, and, while you are looking for a light, he makes it into deep dark, into black night.
Inikeni iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu udumo, ingakalethi ubumnyama, lenyawo zenu zingakakhubeki ezintabeni zokuhwalala, lisalindela ukukhanya, ikwenze kube lithunzi lokufa, ikwenze kube ngumnyama onzima.
17 But if you do not give ear to it, my soul will be weeping in secret for your pride; my eye will be weeping bitterly, streaming with water, because the Lord's flock has been taken away as prisoners.
Kodwa uba lingalaleli, umphefumulo wami uzakhala inyembezi endaweni zensitha ngenxa yokuziqhenya kwenu, lelihlo lami lizakhala inyembezi kabuhlungu, lehlise inyembezi, ngoba umhlambi weNkosi uthunjiwe.
18 Say to the king and to the queen-mother, Make yourselves low, be seated on the earth: for the crown of your glory has come down from your heads.
Tshono enkosini lendlovukazini uthi: Zithobeni, hlalani phansi; ngoba imiqhele yenu izawela phansi, umqhele wodumo lwenu.
19 The towns of the south are shut up, and there is no one to make them open: Judah is taken away as prisoners; all Judah is taken away as prisoners.
Imizi yeningizimu izavalwa, njalo kakho ozayivula; uJuda uzathunjwa, yena wonke, uzathunjwa ngokupheleleyo.
20 Let your eyes be lifted up (O Jerusalem), and see those who are coming from the north. Where is the flock which was given to you, your beautiful flock?
Phakamisani amehlo enu, libone labo abavela enyakatho. Ungaphi umhlambi owaphiwa wona, umhlambi wakho omuhle?
21 What will you say when he puts over you those whom you yourself have made your friends? will not pains take you like a woman in childbirth?
Uzakuthini uba esenza isijeziso phezu kwakho, ngoba wena ubafundise ukuthi babe yizinduna lenhloko phezu kwakho; inhlungu kaziyikukubamba yini njengowesifazana obelethayo?
22 And if you say in your heart, Why have these things come on me? because of the number of your sins, your skirts have been uncovered and violent punishment overtakes you.
Njalo uba usithi enhliziyweni yakho: Kungani lezizinto zenzakele kimi? Ngenxa yobunengi bobubi bakho amalogwe akho embuliwe, lezithende zakho zaphathwa ngodlakela.
23 Is it possible for the skin of the Ethiopian to be changed, or the markings on the leopard? Then it might be possible for you to do good, who have been trained to do evil.
UmEthiyophiya angasiphendula yini isikhumba sakhe, kumbe ingwe amabala ayo? Khona lani lizakuba lakho ukwenza okuhle elejwayele ukwenza okubi.
24 So I will send them in all directions, as dry grass is taken away by the wind of the waste land.
Ngakho ngizabahlakaza njengamakhoba edluliswa ngomoya wenkangala.
25 This is your fate, the part measured out to you by me, says the Lord, because you have put me out of your memory and put your faith in what is false.
Le yinkatho yakho, isabelo sezilinganiso zakho ezivela kimi, itsho iNkosi, ngoba ungikhohliwe, wathemba emangeni.
26 So I will have your skirts uncovered before your face, in order that your shame may be seen.
Ngakho lami ngizakwembula amalogwe akho phezu kobuso bakho, ukuze kubonakale ihlazo lakho.
27 I have seen your disgusting acts, even your false behaviour and your cries of desire and your loose ways on the hills in the field. Unhappy are you, O Jerusalem, you have no desire to be made clean; how long will you be in turning back to me?
Ngibonile ubufebe bakho, lokukhonya kwakho, inkohlakalo zokuphinga kwakho, phezu kwamaqaqa egangeni, amanyala akho. Maye kuwe, Jerusalema! Kawuyikuhlambuluka yini? Kusezadlula nini?
