Jeremiah 38
1 Then Shephatiah, the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah, the son of Pashhur, and Jehucal, the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur, the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking to all the people, saying:
UShefathiya indodana kaMathani, loGedaliya indodana kaPashuri, loJukali indodana kaShelemiya, loPashuri indodana kaMalikiya, sebezwile amazwi uJeremiya ayewakhuluma kubo bonke abantu esithi:
2 “Thus says the Lord: Whoever will remain in this city will die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence. But whoever will flee away from the Chaldeans, will live, and his soul will dwell in safety.
Itsho njalo iNkosi: Osala kulumuzi uzakufa ngenkemba, ngendlala, langomatshayabhuqe wesifo; kodwa ophuma aye kumaKhaladiya uzaphila, ngoba uzakuba lempilo yakhe ibe yimpango, aphile.
3 Thus says the Lord: This city will certainly be delivered into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.”
Itsho njalo iNkosi: Lumuzi uzanikelwa isibili esandleni sebutho lenkosi yeBhabhiloni, elizawuthumba.
4 And the leaders said to the king: “We petition you to put this man to death. For he is deliberately weakening the hands of the men of war, who have remained in this city, and the hands of the people, by speaking to them with these words. For this man is certainly not seeking peace for this people, but evil.”
Iziphathamandla zasezisithi enkosini: Ake abulawe lumuntu, ngoba ngalindlela uyekethisa izandla zamadoda empi asele kulumuzi, lezandla zabo bonke abantu, ngokukhuluma kibo amazwi anje; ngoba lumuntu kadingi ukuthula kwalababantu, kodwa okubi.
5 And king Zedekiah said: “Behold, he is in your hands. For it is not fitting for the king to deny you anything.”
Inkosi uZedekhiya yasisithi: Khangela, usesandleni senu, ngoba inkosi kayilakho okuphambene lani ngalutho.
6 Therefore, they took Jeremiah and cast him into the pit of Malchiah, the son of Amelech, which was at the entrance to the prison. And they lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the pit, in which there was no water, but only mud. And so Jeremiah descended into the mire.
Basebemthatha uJeremiya, bamphosela emgodini kaMalikiya indodana yenkosi, owawusegumeni lentolongo, bamehlisa uJeremiya ngamagoda; kwakungelamanzi emgodini, kodwa udaka; uJeremiya wasetshona odakeni.
7 Now Ebedmelech, an Ethiopian man, a eunuch who was in the king’s house, heard that they had sent Jeremiah into the pit, and also that the king was sitting at the gate of Benjamin.
Kwathi uEbedimeleki umEthiyophiya indoda umthenwa, owayesendlini yenkosi, esizwa ukuthi uJeremiya bamfake emgodini (lapho inkosi yayihlezi esangweni lakoBhenjamini),
8 And so Ebedmelech departed from the king’s house, and he spoke to the king, saying:
uEbedimeleki waphuma endlini yenkosi, wakhuluma lenkosi esithi:
9 “My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have perpetrated against Jeremiah the prophet, casting him into the pit so that he would die there from famine. For there is no more bread in the city.”
Nkosi yami, nkosi, abantu laba benzile okubi ngakho konke abakwenze kuJeremiya umprofethi, abamphosele emgodini, ngoba uzakufa endaweni yakhe ngenxa yendlala, ngoba kakusekho isinkwa emzini.
10 And so the king instructed Ebedmelech, the Ethiopian, saying: “Take with you thirty men from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet from the pit, before he dies.”
Inkosi yasimlaya uEbedimeleki umEthiyophiya, isithi: Thatha lapha amadoda angamatshumi amathathu ngaphansi kwesandla sakho, umenyule uJeremiya umprofethi emgodini engakafi.
11 Therefore, Ebedmelech, taking the men with him, entered into the king’s house to a place below the storehouse. And he took from there old garments, no longer in use, and he sent them down by rope to Jeremiah in the pit.
Ngakho uEbedimeleki wathatha amadoda ngaphansi kwesandla sakhe, wangena endlini yenkosi waze waba ngaphansi kwesiphala, wathatha khona izidwedwe ezidabukileyo lezidwedwe ezigugileyo, wazehlisela kuJeremiya emgodini ngamagoda.
12 And Ebedmelech, the Ethiopian, said to Jeremiah: “Place these old garments, and these cut and decaying cloths, under your arms and over the ropes.” And Jeremiah did so.
UEbedimeleki umEthiyophiya wasesithi kuJeremiya: Ake ufake izidwedwe ezidabukileyo lezigugileyo ngaphansi kwamakhwapha akho ngaphansi kwamagoda. UJeremiya wasesenza njalo.
13 And they pulled up Jeremiah with the ropes, and they led him away from the pit. And Jeremiah remained in the vestibule of the prison.
Basebemdonsa uJeremiya ngamagoda, bamenyula emgodini. UJeremiya wasehlala egumeni lentolongo.
14 And king Zedekiah sent and took Jeremiah the prophet to him at the third gate, which was at the house of the Lord. And the king said to Jeremiah: “I will question you about a matter. You shall conceal nothing from me.”
Inkosi uZedekhiya yasithuma yathatha uJeremiya umprofethi yamusa kuye, ekungeneni kwesithathu okusendlini yeNkosi. Inkosi yasisithi kuJeremiya: Ngizakubuza udaba, ungangifihleli lutho.
15 Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah: “If I announce to you, will you not put me to death? And if I give you counsel, you will not listen to me.”
UJeremiya wasesithi kuZedekhiya: Uba ngikutshela, kawuyikungibulala lokungibulala yini? Loba ngikweluleka, kawuyikungilalela.
16 Then king Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah, secretly, saying: “As the Lord lives, who made this soul for us, I will not kill you, nor will I deliver you into the hands of those men who are seeking your life.”
Inkosi uZedekhiya yasifunga kuJeremiya ekusithekeni isithi: Kuphila kukaJehova owasenzela lumphefumulo: Isibili kangiyikukubulala, futhi isibili kangiyikukunikela esandleni salamadoda adinga umphefumulo wakho.
17 And Jeremiah said to Zedekiah: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: If, having set out, you go to the rulers of the king of Babylon, your soul will live, and this city will not be burned with fire. And you and your house will be safe.
UJeremiya wasesithi kuZedekhiya: Itsho njalo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Uba uphuma isibili uye kuziphathamandla zenkosi yeBhabhiloni, umphefumulo wakho uzaphila, lalumuzi kawuyikutshiswa ngomlilo; uzaphila wena lendlu yakho.
18 But if you will not go to the rulers of the king of Babylon, this city will be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans, and they will burn it with fire. And you will not escape from their hand.”
Kodwa uba ungaphumi uye kuziphathamandla zenkosi yeBhabhiloni, lumuzi uzanikelwa esandleni samaKhaladiya, awutshise ngomlilo; lawe kawuyikuphunyuka esandleni sawo.
19 And king Zedekiah said to Jeremiah: “I am anxious, because of the Jews who have crossed over to the Chaldeans, lest perhaps I may be delivered into their hands, and they may abuse me.”
Inkosi uZedekhiya yasisithi kuJeremiya: Ngiyawesaba amaJuda ahlubukele kumaKhaladiya, hlezi anginikele esandleni sawo, angiklolodele.
20 But Jeremiah responded: “They will not deliver you. Listen, I ask you, to the voice of the Lord, which I am speaking to you, and it will be well with you, and your soul will live.
UJeremiya wasesithi: Kawayikukunikela; ake ulalele ilizwi leNkosi njengalelo engilikhuluma kuwe, khona kukulungele, futhi umphefumulo wakho uzaphila.
21 But if you refuse to depart, this is the word that the Lord has revealed to me:
Kodwa uba usala ukuphuma, yileli ilizwi iNkosi engibonise lona lokuthi:
22 Behold, all the women who remain in the house of the king of Judah will be led away to the rulers of the king of Babylon. And the women will say: ‘Your men of peacefulness have led you astray, and they have prevailed against you. They have immersed your feet in mud and have set them in a slippery place. And they have withdrawn from you.’
Khangela-ke, bonke abesifazana abasele endlini yenkosi yakoJuda bazakhitshelwa kuziphathamandla zenkosi yeBhabhiloni, bathi: Abangane bakho bakukhuthazile, bakwehlula; inyawo zakho zitshone odakeni; babuyele emuva.
23 And all your wives and your sons will be led away to the Chaldeans, and you will not escape from their hands. Instead, you will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon. And he will burn this city with fire.”
Njalo azakhuphela abafazi bonke bakho lamadodana akho kumaKhaladiya; lawe kawuyikuphunyuka esandleni sawo, kodwa uzabanjwa ngesandla senkosi yeBhabhiloni, lalumuzi uzawutshisa ngomlilo.
24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah: “Let no one know of these words, and you will not die.
UZedekhiya wasesithi kuJeremiya: Kakungabi khona umuntu owaziyo lamazwi, khona ungayikufa.
25 But if the leaders hear that I have spoken with you, and if they come to you, and say to you: ‘Tell us what you said to the king. Do not conceal it from us, and we will not put you to death. And tell us what the king said to you,’
Kodwa nxa iziphathamandla zisizwa ukuthi ngikhulume lawe, zize kuwe zithi kuwe: Ake usitshele, ubusithini enkosini, ungakufihli kithi, khona kasiyikukubulala; njalo inkosi ikhulumeni kuwe;
26 then you shall say to them: ‘I presented my supplication before the king, so that he would not order me to be led back to the house of Jonathan, to die there.’”
uzakuthi-ke kuzo: Mina ngiwise ukuncenga kwami phambi kwenkosi ukuthi ingangibuyiseli endlini kaJonathani ukuze ngifele khona.
27 Then all the leaders came to Jeremiah, and they questioned him. And he spoke to them in accord with all the words that the king had commanded him. And they withdrew from him, for they had learned nothing.
Zasezifika zonke iziphathamandla kuJeremiya, zambuza; yena waziphendula njengawo wonke lamazwi inkosi ewalayileyo. Zasezithula kuye, ngoba udaba lwalungezwakali.
28 Yet truly, Jeremiah remained at the entrance of the prison, until the day when Jerusalem was seized. And it happened that Jerusalem was captured.
UJeremiya wasehlala egumeni lentolongo kwaze kwaba lusuku iJerusalema eyathunjwa ngalo; wayekhona lapho iJerusalema ithunjwa.
