< Jeremiah 7 >

1 The woordes that came to Ieremiah from the Lord, saying,
Leli yilizwi elafika kuJeremiya livela kuThixo lisithi:
2 Stand in the gate of the Lordes house and crie this woorde there, and say, Heare the woorde of the Lord, all yee of Iudah that enter in at these gates to worship the Lord.
“Mana esangweni lendlu kaThixo umemezele ilizwi leli ukhonapho uthi: ‘Zwanini ilizwi likaThixo, lonke lina bantu bakoJuda abangena ngala amasango ukuzakhonza uThixo.
3 Thus sayeth the Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, Amend your waies and your woorkes, and I will let you dwell in this place.
UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Lungisani izindlela zenu lezenzo zenu, ukuze ngilivumele ukuba lihlale kule indawo.
4 Trust not in lying woordes, saying, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord: this is the Temple of the Lord.
Lingathembi amazwi akhohlisayo lithi, “Leli lithempeli likaThixo, ithempeli likaThixo, ithempeli likaThixo!”
5 For if you amende and redresse your waies and your woorkes: if you execute iudgement betweene a man and his neighbour,
Lingalungisa izindlela zenu lezenzo zenu sibili liphathane ngokulunga,
6 And oppresse not the stranger, the fatherlesse and the widow and shed no innocent blood in this place, neither walke after other gods to your destruction,
nxa lingancindezeli owezizweni, izintandane loba umfelokazi njalo lingachithi gazi elingelacala kule indawo, njalo nxa lingalandeli abanye onkulunkulu okuzalilimaza,
7 Then will I let you dwell in this place in the lande that I gaue vnto your fathers, for euer and euer.
ngizalivumela ukuba lihlale kule indawo, elizweni engalinika okhokho benu ukuba libe ngelabo kuze kube nini lanini.
8 Beholde, you trust in lying woordes, that can not profite.
Kodwa khangelani, lina lithemba amazwi akhohlisayo angasizi lutho.
9 Will you steale, murder, and commit adulterie, and sweare falsely and burne incense vnto Baal, and walke after other gods whome yee knowe not?
Kambe lizantshontsha njalo libulale, lifebe, lifunge amanga, litshisele uBhali impepha njalo lilandele abanye onkulunkulu elingakaze libazi,
10 And come and stande before mee in this House, whereupon my Name is called, and saye, We are deliuered, though we haue done all these abominations?
beselisizakuma phambi kwami kuyonale indlu, eleBizo lami, lithi, “Sivikelekile,” livikeleka ukuba lenze zonke lezizinto ezenyanyekayo na?
11 Is this House become a denne of theeues, whereupon my Name is called before your eyes? Beholde, euen I see it, sayeth the Lord.
Indlu le, eleBizo lami, seyaba lubhalu lwabaphangi na? Kodwa kade ngikhangele! kutsho uThixo.
12 But go ye nowe vnto my place which was in Shilo, where I set my Name at the beginning, and beholde, what I did to it for the wickednesse of my people Israel.
Hambani khathesi endaweni yami eShilo lapho engenza khona kuqala indawo yokuhlala iBizo lami, libone engakwenza kuyo ngenxa yobubi babantu bami bako-Israyeli.
13 Therefore nowe because yee haue done all these woorkes, sayeth the Lord, (and I rose vp earely and spake vnto you: but when I spake, yee would not heare me, neither when I called, would yee answere).
UThixo uthi, kwathi lapho lisenza lezizinto, mina ngakhuluma lani futhifuthi, kodwa kalingilalelanga, ngalibiza, kalaze lasabela.
14 Therefore will I do vnto this House, wherupon my Name is called, wherein also yee trust, euen vnto the place that I gaue to you and to your fathers, as I haue done vnto Shilo.
Ngakho-ke, lokho engakwenza eShilo khathesi ngizakwenza kule indlu eleBizo lami, ithempeli elilithembileyo, indawo engalinika yona lina kanye labokhokho benu.
15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I haue cast out all your brethren, euen the whole seede of Ephraim.
Ngizalixotsha phambi kwami, njengalokho engakwenza abafowenu bonke, abantu bako-Efrayimi.’
16 Therfore thou shalt not pray for this people, neither lift vp crie or praier for them neither intreat me, for I will not heare thee.
Ngakho abantu laba ungabakhulekeli loba ubakhulumele kumbe ubenzele isicelo; ungangincengi ngoba angiyikukulalela.
17 Seest thou not what they doe in the cities of Iudah and in the streetes of Ierusalem?
Abakwenzayo emadolobheni akoJuda lasemigwaqweni yaseJerusalema kawukuboni na?
18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knede the dough to make cakes to the Queene of heauen and to powre out drinke offrings vnto other gods, that they may prouoke me vnto anger.
Abantwana batheza inkuni, oyise babasa imililo, labesifazane baxova inhlama benzele iNdlovukazi yaseZulwini isinkwa. Bathelela abanye onkulunkulu iminikelo yokunathwayo ukuba bangithukuthelise.
19 Doe they prouoke me to anger, sayeth the Lord, and not themselues to the confusion of their owne faces?
Kodwa yimi abangithukuthelisayo na? kutsho uThixo. Kabazilimazi bona ngokwabo na, okulihlazo kubo?
20 Therefore thus sayeth the Lord God, Beholde, mine anger and my wrath shall be powred vpon this place, vpon man and vpon beast, and vpon the tree of the fielde, and vpon the fruite of the grounde, and it shall burne and not bee quenched.
‘Ngakho uThixo Wobukhosi uthi: Ukuthukuthela kwami lolaka lwami kuzakwehliselwa kule indawo, phezu kwabantu lasezinyamazaneni, phezu kwezihlahla zeganga laphezu kwezithelo zomhlabathi; njalo kuzakutsha kungacitsheki.
21 Thus sayth the Lord of hostes, the God of Israel, Put your burnt offerings vnto your sacrifices, and eat the flesh.
UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Qhubekani, fakani iminikelo yenu yokutshiswa kweminye imihlatshelo yenu lidle inyama lina ngokwenu!
22 For I spake not vnto your fathers, nor commanded them, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offrings and sacrifices.
Ngoba ekukhupheni kwami okhokho benu eGibhithe ngikhuluma labo, angizange ngibanike imilayo nje kuphela ngeminikelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo,
23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voyce, and I will be your God, and yee shalbe my people: and walke yee in all the wayes which I haue commanded you, that it may be well vnto you.
kodwa ngabanika umlayo lo othi: Ngilalelani, njalo ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wenu lina libe ngabantu bami. Hambani ngezindlela zonke engililaye zona, ukuze kulilungele.
24 But they would not obey, nor incline their eare, but went after the counsels and the stubbernesse of their wicked heart, and went backewarde and not forwarde.
Kodwa kabazange balalele kumbe banake; esikhundleni salokho, bona balandela inkani yentando yezinhliziyo zabo ezimbi. Baya emuva hatshi phambili.
25 Since the day that your fathers came vp out of the lande of Egypt, vnto this day, I haue euen sent vnto you al my seruants the Prophets, rising vp earely euery day, and sending them.
Kusukela ngesikhathi okhokho benu besuka eGibhithe kuze kube khathesi, usuku ngosuku, njalonjalo ngalithumela izinceku zami abaphrofethi.
26 Yet would they not heare me nor encline their eare, but hardened their necke and did worse then their fathers.
Kodwa kabangilalelanga kumbe banake. Babelentamo ezilukhuni njalo benza ububi obudlula obabokhokho babo.’
27 Therefore shalt thou speake al these words vnto them, but they will not heare thee: thou shalt also crie vnto them, but they will not answere thee.
Lapho ubatshela konke lokhu, kabayikukulalela; lalapho ubabiza, kabayikusabela.
28 But thou shalt say vnto them, This is a nation that heareth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiueth discipline: trueth is perished, and is cleane gone out of their mouth.
Ngakho batshele uthi, ‘Lesi yisizwe esingalalelanga uThixo uNkulunkulu waso kumbe sivume ukuqondiswa. Iqiniso selifile; kalisekho ezindebeni zabo.
29 Cut off thine heare, O Ierusalem, and cast it away, and take vp a complaint on the hie places: for the Lord hath reiected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.
Gelani inwele zenu lizilahlele khatshana; lenze isililo emiqolweni elugwadule, ngoba uThixo usesalile wasidela isizukulwane lesi esingaphanasi kolaka lwakhe.’”
30 For the children of Iudah haue done euill in my sight, sayth the Lord: they haue set their abominations in the House, whereupon my Name is called, to pollute it.
“‘Abantu bakoJuda benze ububi phambi kwami, kutsho uThixo. Bamise izithombe zabo ezenyanyekayo endlini eleBizo lami balingcolisa.
31 And they haue built the hie place of Topheth, which is in the valley of Ben-Hinnom to burne their sonnes and their daughters in the fire, which I commanded them not, neither came it in mine heart.
Sebakhe izindawo eziphakemeyo zaseThofethi esigodini saseBheni-Hinomu ukuba batshisele khona amadodana lamadodakazi abo ngomlilo, into engingabalayanga yona, engazange ifike engqondweni yami.
32 Therefore beholde, the dayes come, sayeth the Lord, that it shall no more be called Topheth, nor the valley of Ben-Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall burie in Topheth til there be no place.
Ngakho qaphelani, insuku ziyeza, kutsho uThixo, lapho abantu bengayikuyithi yiThofethi kumbe iSigodi saseBheni-Hinomu, kodwa iSigodi sokuBulala, ngoba abafileyo bazabangcwaba eThofethi kuze kusweleke indawo.
33 And ye carkeises of this people shalbe meat for the foules of the heauen and for the beastes of the earth, and none shall fraie them away.
Lapho-ke izidumbu zabantu laba zizakuba yikudla kwezinyoni zasemoyeni lezinyamazana zomhlaba, njalo akuyikuba lomuntu ozazethusa.
34 Then I will cause to cease from the cities of Iudah and from the streetes of Ierusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladnesse, the voice of the bridegrom and the voice of the bride: for the lande shalbe desolate.
Ngizaqeda imisindo yokuthokoza leyenjabulo emadolobheni akoJuda lasemigwaqweni yaseJerusalema, lokuthaba lelizwi lomlobokazi lelomyeni, ngoba ilizwe lizachitheka.’”

< Jeremiah 7 >