Jeremiah 15
1 The Lord told me: Even if Moses and Samuel were standing before me pleading with me on behalf of these people, I wouldn't feel sorry for them. Send them away from me. Have them leave.
UThixo wasesithi kimi, “Lanxa uMosi loSamuyeli bengema phambi kwami, inhliziyo yami ingeke iphendukele kulababantu. Basuse phambi kwami! Kabahambe!
2 If they ask you, “Where shall we go?” tell them that this is what the Lord says: Those to be killed by the plague, to the plague; those to be killed by the sword, to the sword; those to be killed by famine, to famine; and those to be killed in captivity, to captivity.
Bangakubuza bathi, ‘Sizakuya ngaphi na?’ uthi kubo, uThixo uthi: ‘Abamiselwe ukufa, baya ekufeni; abenkemba, enkembeni; abendlala, endlaleni; abokuthunjwa, ekuthunjweni.’
3 I will put four kinds of destroyers in charge of them, declares the Lord: swords to kill, dogs to drag their bodies away, and the birds of prey and wild animals to eat them and destroy them.
Ngizabathumela imihlobo emine yabachithi,” kutsho uThixo, “inkemba yokubulala lezinja zokuhudulela khatshana njalo lezinyoni zasemoyeni kanye lezinyamazana zeganga ukuba zidle zibhuqe.
4 I will make all the kingdoms of the world horrified by them, because of the evil things Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, king of Judah did in Jerusalem.
Ngizabenza banengeke emibusweni yonke yasemhlabeni ngenxa yalokho okwenziwa eJerusalema nguManase indodana kaHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda.
5 Who will be sorry for you, Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will stop to ask you how you are?
Ngubani ozakuba lesihawu kuwe wena Jerusalema? Ngubani ozakukhalela na? Ngubani ozakuma abuze ukuthi unjani na?
6 You have deserted me, declares the Lord. You have turned your back on me. So I will take action against you and destroy you; I am tired of showing you mercy.
Ungalile,” kutsho uThixo. “Uqhubeka uhlehlela emuva. Ngakho ngizabeka izandla phezu kwakho ngikuchithe; ngingeke ngibe lesihawu futhi.
7 I will scatter you with a winnowing fork from every town in the country. I will destroy my people and take away their children because they refuse to give up their evil ways.
Ngizabahlungula ngefologwe yokwela emasangweni amadolobho elizwe. Ngizaletha ukufelwa lokuchitheka ebantwini bami, ngoba kabaguqulanga izindlela zabo.
8 There will be more widows than the sand of the sea. I will bring a destroyer at noon and mothers will lose their young sons. They will suddenly experience agony and shock.
Ngizakwenza abafelokazi babo bande kakhulu kuletshebetshebe lasolwandle. Emini ngizakwehlisela umbulali phezu kwabonina bamajaha akibo; khonokho ngizabehlisela usizi lokwesaba.
9 A mother of seven children will collapse; she will gasp for breath. Her sun will set while it's still daytime; she will be ashamed and humiliated. I will let the enemies kill the rest of them, declares the Lord.
Unina wabayisikhombisa uzaqaleka aphefumule okokucina. Ilanga lakhe lizatshona kusesemini; uzayangiswa njalo eyiswe. Izinsalela ngizaziqeda ngenkemba phambi kwezitha zazo,” kutsho uThixo.
10 How sad I am, my mother, that you gave birth to me! I'm a victim of argument and conflict wherever I go in the country. I have never lent anyone anything, or borrowed anything, but still everyone curses me.
Maye, wena mama, ngokuthi wangizala, mina muntu ilizwe lonke elibangisana laye njalo liphikisana laye! Kangikaze ngebolekise loba ngeboleke, kodwa bonke bayangithuka.
11 But the Lord told me: Don't worry, I'm going to take away your problems so you can do good. I will make your enemies plead with you whenever they're in trouble or suffering.
UThixo wathi, “Ngeqiniso ngizakukhulula ngenjongo enhle; ngeqiniso ngizakwenza izitha zakho zikuncenge ezikhathini zomonakalo lezokuhlupheka.
12 Can anyone break iron, iron from the north, or bronze?
Umuntu angayiqamula insimbi, insimbi evela enyakatho kumbe ithusi na?
13 I will give away your wealth and valuable possessions for free. They will become plunder for your enemies because of all the sins you committed throughout your country.
Inotho yakho lamatshe akho aligugu ngizakwenza kube yimpango, yamahala, ngenxa yezono zakho kulolonke ilizwe lakini.
14 Then I will have your enemies make you their slaves in an unfamiliar country, because I will so angry it will be like lighting a fire that will burn you up.
Ngizakwenza ube yisigqili sezitha zakho elizweni ongalaziyo, ngoba ulaka lwami luzabhebha umlilo ozakutshisa.”
15 You know what's happening to me, Lord. Please remember me and look after me. Punish my persecutors! Please be patient—don't let me die! You know I put up with criticism because I want to honor you.
Uyazwisisa wena Thixo; ngikhumbula ungikhathalele. Ungiphindiselele kwabangihluphayo. Uyabekezela, ungangigudluli; khumbula ukuthi ngithukwa njani ngenxa yakho.
16 When I received your messages, I ate them up! What you said made me really happy—I was delighted. I belong to you, Lord God Almighty!
Ekufikeni kwamazwi akho, ngawadla; ayeyintokozo yami lenjabulo yenhliziyo yami, ngoba mina ngibizwa ngebizo lakho, wena Thixo Nkulunkulu Somandla.
17 I didn't join in with a bunch of jokers as they had fun. I stayed by myself because you have called me, and you have filled me with outrage.
Kangizange ngihlale enhlanganisweni yabazithokozisayo, kumbe ngijabule labo; ngahlala ngedwa ngoba isandla sakho sasiphezu kwami njalo wawungenze ngagcwala intukuthelo.
18 Why doesn't my pain ever stop? Why is my wound incurable? Why can't it be healed? You've really become like a seasonal stream to me, an unreliable source of water.
Kungani ubuhlungu engibuzwayo bungapheli lenxeba lami lilibi kakhulu njalo lingelapheki na? Kimi uzakuba njengesifula esikhohlisayo, lanjengomthombo ongelamanzi na?
19 So this is what the Lord says: If you come back to me, I will take you back and you will serve me again. If what you talk about are worthwhile subjects and not nonsense, you will be my spokesman, Jeremiah. They must be the ones who follow you; you must not follow them.
Ngakho uThixo uthi: “Ungaphenduka, ngizakubuyisela ukuze ungikhonze; nxa ukhuluma amazwi afaneleyo, hatshi angasizi lutho, uzakuba yisikhulumeli sami. Abantu laba kabaphendukele kuwe, kodwa wena akumelanga uphendukele kubo.
20 Then I will make you a wall to these people, a strong wall of bronze. They will fight against you but they won't defeat you. I am with you to save you and rescue you, declares the Lord.
Ngizakwenza ube ngumduli kulababantu, umduli ovikelweyo wethusi; bazakulwa lawe kodwa kabayikukwehlula, ngoba mina ngilawe ukuba ngikuhlenge ngikusize,” kutsho uThixo.
21 I will liberate you from the power of the wicked, and free you from clutches of the cruel.
“Ngizakuhlenga ezandleni zababi ngikukhulule ezandleni zabalesihluku.”
