Jeremiah 37
1 And Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, became king in place of Coniah, the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, made king in the land of Judah.
UZedekhiya indodana kaJosiya wabekwa nguNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni ukuba abe yinkosi yakoJuda; wabusa esikhundleni sikaJehoyakhini indodana kaJehoyakhimi.
2 But he and his servants and the people of the land did not give ear to the words of the Lord which he said by Jeremiah the prophet.
Yena lezinceku zakhe kanye labantu baselizweni kabawanakanga amazwi kaThixo ayewakhulume ngoJeremiya umphrofethi.
3 And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal, the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Make prayer now to the Lord our God for us.
Kodwa uZedekhiya inkosi, wathuma uJehukhali indodana kaShelemiya lomphristi uZefaniya indodana kaMaseya kuJeremiya umphrofethi belaleli ilizwi, elithi, “Ake usikhulekele kuThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.”
4 (Now Jeremiah was going about among the people, for they had not put him in prison.
Ngalesisikhathi uJeremiya wayesekhululekile ukuza lokuhamba phakathi kwabantu, ngoba wayengakafakwa entolongweni.
5 And Pharaoh's army had come out from Egypt: and the Chaldaeans, who were attacking Jerusalem, hearing news of them, went away from Jerusalem.)
Ibutho likaFaro laseliphumile eGibhithe, kwasekusithi amaKhaladiya ayevimbezele iJerusalema esezwe umbiko ngalo, asuka eJerusalema.
6 Then the word of the Lord came to the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
Kwasekufika ilizwi likaThixo kuJeremiya umphrofethi lisithi:
7 The Lord, the God of Israel, has said: This is what you are to say to the king of Judah who sent you to get directions from me: See, Pharaoh's army, which has come out to your help, will go back to Egypt, to their land.
“UThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi, tshelani inkosi yakoJuda elithume ukuba lizengibuza lithi, ‘Ibutho likaFaro eseliphume ukuba lizelisekela, lizabuyela elizweni lalo eGibhithe.
8 And the Chaldaeans will come back again and make war against this town and they will take it and put it on fire.
Emva kwalokho amaKhaladiya azaphenduka ahlasele idolobho leli; azalithumba alitshise ngomlilo.’
9 The Lord has said, Have no false hopes, saying to yourselves, The Chaldaeans will go away from us: for they will not go away.
UThixo uthi: Lingazikhohlisi licabange lithi, ‘AmaKhaladiya azasuka kithi impela.’ Kawayikusuka!
10 For even if you had overcome all the army of the Chaldaeans fighting against you, and there were only wounded men among them, still they would get up, every man in his tent, and put this town on fire.
Lanxa linganqoba lonke ibutho lamaKhaladiya alihlaselayo, kusale abantu abalimeleyo kuphela emathenteni abo, bazaphuma balitshise idolobho leli ngomlilo.”
11 And it came about that when the Chaldaean army outside Jerusalem had gone away for fear of Pharaoh's army,
Kwathi ibutho lamaKhaladiya selisukile eJerusalema ngenxa yebutho likaFaro,
12 Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, with the purpose of taking up his heritage there among the people.
uJeremiya wasuka edolobheni ukuba aye elizweni lakoBhenjamini ukuba ayethatha isabelo sakhe selifa phakathi kwabantu khonale.
13 But when he was at the Benjamin door, a captain of the watch named Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah, who was stationed there, put his hand on Jeremiah the prophet, saying, You are going to give yourself up to the Chaldaeans.
Kodwa kwathi esefikile eSangweni lakoBhenjamini, induna yabalindi ebizo layo lalingu-Irija indodana kaShelemiya, indodana kaHananiya, wambopha wasesithi kuye, “Ubalekela kumaKhaladiya wena!”
14 Then Jeremiah said, That is not true; I am not going to the Chaldaeans. But he would not give ear to him: so Irijah made him prisoner and took him to the rulers.
UJeremiya wathi, “Akusiqiniso lokho! Kangibalekeli kumaKhaladiya.” Kodwa u-Irija kamlalelanga; esikhundleni salokho, wabopha uJeremiya wamusa ezikhulwini.
15 And the rulers were angry with Jeremiah, and gave him blows and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.
Izikhulu zamthukuthelela uJeremiya zalaya ukuba atshaywe aphinde avalelwe endlini kaJonathani umabhalani, ezaseziyenze yaba yintolongo.
16 So Jeremiah came into the hole of the prison, under the arches, and was there for a long time.
UJeremiya wafakwa esitokisini esiyingubhe emgodini oyintolongo lapho ahlala khona okwesikhathi eside.
17 Then King Zedekiah sent and got him out: and the king, questioning him secretly in his house, said, Is there any word from the Lord? And Jeremiah said, There is. Then he said, You will be given up into the hands of the king of Babylon.
Inkosi uZedekhiya wathi kayethathwa alethwe esigodlweni lapho ambuzela khona ensitha esithi, “Kulelizwi elivela kuThixo na?” UJeremiya waphendula wathi, “Yebo, wena uzanikelwa enkosini yaseBhabhiloni.”
18 Then Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, What has been my sin against you or against your servants or against this people, that you have put me in prison?
UJeremiya wabuye wathi kuZedekhiya inkosi, “Ngoneni kuwe loba ezikhulwini zakho kumbe kulababantu, uze ungifake entolongweni nje?
19 Where now are your prophets who said to you, The king of Babylon will not come against you and against this land?
Bangaphi abaphrofethi bakho abaphrofetha kuwe besithi, ‘Inkosi yaseBhabhiloni kayiyikukuhlasela wena kanye lelizwe leli’?
20 And now be pleased to give ear, O my lord the king; let my prayer for help come before you, and do not make me go back to the house of Jonathan the scribe, for fear that I may come to my death there.
Kodwa khathesi, nkosi yami, ake ulalele. Ngivumela ngethule isicelo sami kuwe: Ungangibuyiseli endlini kaJonathani umabhalani, hlezi ngifele khona.”
21 Then by the order of Zedekiah the king, Jeremiah was put into the place of the armed watchmen, and they gave him every day a cake of bread from the street of the bread-makers, till all the bread in the town was used up. So Jeremiah was kept in the place of the armed watchmen.
UZedekhiya inkosi waselaya ukuba uJeremiya afakwe egumeni labalindi aphiwe isinkwa esivela emgwaqweni wabapheki bezinkwa usuku ngalunye izinkwa zonke zize ziphele edolobheni. Ngakho uJeremiya wahlala egumeni labalindi.
