Jeremiah 44
1 The word which came to Jeremiah about all the Jews who were living in the land of Egypt, in Migdol and at Tahpanhes and at Noph and in the country of Pathros, saying,
Ilizwi elafika kuJeremiya ngawo wonke amaJuda ayehlala elizweni leGibhithe ahlala eMigidoli leThahaphanesi leNofi lelizweni lePatrosi, lisithi:
2 The Lord of armies, the God of Israel, has said: You have seen all the evil which I have sent on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah; and now, this day they are waste and unpeopled;
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Lina likubonile konke okubi engakwehlisela phezu kweJerusalema laphezu kwayo yonke imizi yakoJuda. Khangelani-ke, lamuhla ilunxiwa, njalo kakho ohlala phakathi kwayo,
3 Because of the evil which they have done, moving me to wrath by burning perfumes in worship to other gods, who were not their gods or yours or the gods of their fathers.
ngenxa yobubi babo ababenzileyo, ukungithukuthelisa, ngokuyatshisa impepha, ngokukhonza abanye onkulunkulu abangabaziyo, bona, lina, laboyihlo.
4 And I sent all my servants the prophets to you, getting up early and sending them, saying, Do not do this disgusting thing which is hated by me.
Kanti ngathuma kini inceku zami zonke abaprofethi, ngivuke ngovivi ngathuma, ngisithi: Ake lingayenzi linto enengekayo engiyizondayo.
5 But they gave no attention, and their ears were not open so that they might be turned from their evil-doing and from burning perfume to other gods.
Kodwa kabalalelanga kababekanga indlebe yabo, ukuthi baphenduke ebubini babo, ukuze bangatshiseli abanye onkulunkulu impepha.
6 Because of this, my passion and my wrath were let loose, burning in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are waste and unpeopled as at this day.
Ngakho kwathululwa intukuthelo yami lolaka lwami, kwavutha emizini yakoJuda lezitaladeni zeJerusalema; zaze zaba lunxiwa lencithakalo, njengalamuhla.
7 So now, the Lord, the God of armies, the God of Israel, has said, Why are you doing this great evil against yourselves, causing every man and woman, little child and baby at the breast among you in Judah to be cut off till not one is still living;
Ngakho-ke, itsho njalo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Libenzelani ububi obukhulu kangaka limelene lemiphefumulo yenu, ukuthi liziqumele indoda lomfazi, umntwana losane, basuke phakathi kwakoJuda, ukuze lingazitshiyeli insali,
8 Moving me to wrath with the work of your hands, burning perfumes to other gods in the land of Egypt, where you have gone to make a place for yourselves, so that you may become a curse and a name of shame among all the nations of the earth?
ngokungithukuthelisa ngemisebenzi yezandla zenu, ngokutshisela abanye onkulunkulu impepha elizweni leGibhithe, lapho eseliyehlala khona njengabezizwe, ukuze liziqume, lokuze libe yisiqalekiso lehlazo phakathi kwazo zonke izizwe zomhlaba?
9 Have you no memory of the evil-doing of your fathers, and the evil-doing of the kings of Judah, and the evil-doing of their wives, and the evil which you yourselves have done, and the evil which your wives have done, in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
Selakhohlwa yini izinto ezimbi zaboyihlo, lezinto ezimbi zamakhosi akoJuda, lezinto ezimbi zabomkabo, lezinto zenu ezimbi, lezinto ezimbi zabomkenu, abazenza elizweni lakoJuda lezitaladeni zeJerusalema?
10 Even to this day their hearts are not broken, and they have no fear, and have not gone in the way of my law or of my rules which I gave to you and to your fathers.
Kabadabukanga kuze kube lamuhla, kabesabanga, kabahambanga ngomlayo wami langezimiso zami engazibeka phambi kwenu laphambi kwaboyihlo.
11 So this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, has said: See, my face will be turned against you for evil, for the cutting off of all Judah;
Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Khangelani, ngimisa ubuso bami bumelene lani ngokubi ukuze ngiqume uJuda wonke.
12 And I will take the last of Judah, whose minds are fixed on going into the land of Egypt and stopping there, and they will all come to their end, falling in the land of Egypt by the sword and by being short of food and by disease; death will overtake them, from the least to the greatest, death by the sword and by need of food: they will become an oath and a cause of wonder and a curse and a name of shame.
Ngithathe insali yakoJuda, abamise ubuso babo ukungena elizweni leGibhithe ukuhlala khona njengabezizwe; njalo bonke bazaphela bawe elizweni leGibhithe; baqedwe ngenkemba langendlala; kusukela komncinyane kuze kube komkhulu bafe ngenkemba langendlala; babe yisifungo, babe ngokwesabisayo, babe yisiqalekiso, babe lihlazo.
13 For I will send punishment on those who are living in the land of Egypt, as I have sent punishment on Jerusalem, by the sword and by need of food and by disease:
Ngoba ngizajezisa labo abahlezi elizweni leGibhithe, njengoba ngajezisa iJerusalema, ngenkemba, ngendlala, langomatshayabhuqe wesifo;
14 So that not one of the rest of Judah, who have gone into the land of Egypt and are living there, will get away or keep his life, to come back to the land of Judah where they are hoping to come back and be living again: for not one will come back, but only those who are able to get away.
ukuze insali yakoJuda efikileyo ukuhlala khona njengowezizwe elizweni leGibhithe ingabi lophunyukayo losilayo, ukubuyela elizweni lakoJuda, umphefumulo wayo ofisa ukubuyela kulo ukuhlala khona; ngoba kabayikubuyela, ngaphandle kwabaphunyukileyo.
15 Then all the men who had knowledge that their wives were burning perfumes to other gods, and all the women who were present, a great meeting, answering Jeremiah, said,
Khona wonke amadoda ayesazi ukuthi omkabo batshisela abanye onkulunkulu impepha, labo bonke abesifazana ababemi khona, ixuku elikhulu, labo bonke abantu ababehlala elizweni leGibhithe, ePatrosi, bamphendula uJeremiya, besithi:
16 As for the word which you have said to us in the name of the Lord, we will not give ear to you.
Lelilizwi olikhulume kithi ebizweni leNkosi, kasiyikukulalela.
17 But we will certainly do every word which has gone out of our mouths, burning perfumes to the queen of heaven and draining out drink offerings to her as we did, we and our fathers and our kings and our rulers, in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then we had food enough and did well and saw no evil.
Kodwa sizakwenza lokwenza loba yiyiphi into ephume emlonyeni wethu, ukutshisela indlovukazi yamazulu impepha, siyithululele iminikelo yokunathwayo, njengoba besisenza, thina, labobaba, amakhosi ethu, leziphathamandla zethu, emizini yakoJuda lezitaladeni zeJerusalema; khona sasutha isinkwa, sasiphilile, kasibonanga okubi.
18 But from the time when we gave up burning perfumes to the queen of heaven and draining out drink offerings to her, we have been in need of all things, and have been wasted by the sword and by need of food.
Kodwa kusukela lapho sayekela ukutshisela indlovukazi yamazulu impepha lokuyithululela iminikelo yokunathwayo, siswele konke, siqedwe ngenkemba layindlala.
19 And the women said, When we were burning perfumes to the queen of heaven and draining out drink offerings to her, did we make cakes in her image and give her our drink offerings without the knowledge of our husbands?
Futhi lapho sitshisela indlovukazi yamazulu impepha, siyithululela iminikelo yokunathwayo, siyayenzela amakhekhe ngokwesifanekiso sayo, siyithululela iminikelo yokuthululwa, ngaphandle kwamadoda enu yini?
20 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, to the men and women and all the people who had given him that answer,
UJeremiya wasekhuluma kubo bonke abantu, emadodaneni, lakwabesifazana, lakubo bonke abantu ababemphendule ngalelolizwi, esithi:
21 The perfumes which you have been burning in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, you and your fathers and your kings and your rulers and the people of the land, had the Lord no memory of them, and did he not keep them in mind?
Impepha elayitshisa emizini yakoJuda lezitaladeni zeJerusalema, lina, laboyihlo, amakhosi enu, leziphathamandla zenu, labantu belizwe, iNkosi kayiyikukukhumbula yini, kuvele enhliziyweni yayo?
22 And the Lord was no longer able to put up with the evil of your doings and the disgusting things you did; and because of this your land has become a waste and a cause of wonder and a curse, with no one living in it, as at this day.
Kwaze kwathi iNkosi yayingaselakukuthwala, ngenxa yobubi bezenzo zenu, ngenxa yezinengiso elazenzayo; ngakho ilizwe lenu laba yincithakalo lokwesabisayo lesiqalekiso, ukuze kungahlali muntu, njengalamuhla.
23 Because you have been burning perfumes, and sinning against the Lord, and have not given ear to the voice of the Lord, or gone in the way of his law or his rules or his orders; for this reason this evil has come on you, as it is today.
Ngenxa yokuthi litshisile impepha, lokuthi lonile eNkosini, kalilalelanga ilizwi leNkosi, kalihambanga ngomlayo wayo langezimiso zayo langezifakazelo zayo; ngenxa yalokho okubi lokhu kwenzakele kini, njengalamuhla.
24 Further, Jeremiah said to all the people and all the women, Give ear to the word of the Lord, all those of Judah who are living in Egypt:
UJeremiya wasesithi kubo bonke abantu lakwabesifazana bonke: Zwanini ilizwi leNkosi, wonke uJuda oselizweni leGibhithe.
25 This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, has said: You women have said with your mouths, and with your hands you have done what you said, We will certainly give effect to the oaths we have made, to have perfumes burned to the queen of heaven and drink offerings drained out to her: then give effect to your oaths and do them.
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ithi: Lina labomkenu, likhulumile ngomlomo wenu, lakugcwalisa ngezandla zenu, lisithi: Sizakwenza lokwenza izithembiso zethu esizithembisayo zokutshisela indlovukazi yamazulu impepha, lokuyithululela iminikelo yokunathwayo. Lizaqinisa lokuqinisa izithembiso zenu, lenze sibili izithembiso zenu!
26 And now give ear to the word of the Lord, all you of Judah who are living in the land of Egypt: Truly, I have taken an oath by my great name, says the Lord, that my name is no longer to be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, By the life of the Lord God.
Ngakho zwanini ilizwi leNkosi, lonke Juda elihlala elizweni leGibhithe: Khangelani, mina ngifungile ngebizo lami elikhulu, itsho iNkosi: Ibizo lami kalisayikubizwa ngumlomo waloba ngubani wakoJuda, elizweni lonke leGibhithe, esithi: Kuphila kweNkosi uJehova.
27 See, I am watching over them for evil and not for good: all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will be wasted by the sword and by need of food till there is an end of them.
Khangela, ngizabalindela ngokubi, kungeyisikho ngokuhle; lawo wonke amadoda akoJuda aselizweni leGibhithe azaqedwa ngenkemba layindlala, aze aphele.
28 And those who get away safe from the sword will come back from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah, a very small number; and all the rest of Judah, who have gone into the land of Egypt and are living there, will see whose word has effect, mine or theirs.
Lalabo abaphepha enkembeni bazabuyela elizweni lakoJuda bevela elizweni leGibhithe, balutshwana ngenani; layo yonke insali yakoJuda eze elizweni leGibhithe ukuhlala khona njengowezizwe, izakwazi ukuthi ilizwi elizakuma ngelikabani, elami kumbe elayo.
29 And this will be the sign to you, says the Lord, that I will give you punishment in this place, so that you may see that my words will certainly have effect against you for evil:
Lalokhu kuzakuba yisibonakaliso kini, kutsho iNkosi, ukuthi ngizalijezisa kulindawo, ukuze lazi ukuthi amazwi ami azakuma lokuma emelana lani ngokubi.
30 The Lord has said, See, I will give up Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt, into the hands of those who are fighting against him and desiring to take his life, as I gave Zedekiah, king of Judah, into the hands of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, his hater, who had designs against his life.
Itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangelani, ngizanikela uFaro Hofira inkosi yeGibhithe esandleni sezitha zakhe, lesandleni salabo abadinga impilo yakhe, njengoba nganikela uZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda esandleni sikaNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, isitha sakhe, esadinga impilo yakhe.
