< Jeremiah 26 >
1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, came this word from the LORD, saying:
Ekuqaleni kokubusa kukaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda, kwafika ilizwi leli livela kuThixo lisithi,
2 'Thus saith the LORD: Stand in the court of the LORD'S house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD'S house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word.
“UThixo uthi: Mana egumeni lendlu kaThixo ukhulume kubo bonke abantu basemadolobheni akoJuda abeza endlini kaThixo ukuba bakhonze. Batshele konke engakulaya khona, kungabi lelizwi olitshiyayo.
3 It may be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way; that I may repent Me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.
Mhlawumbe bazalalela omunye lomunye wabo aphenduke endleleni yakhe embi. Lapho-ke ngizadeda ngingabehliseli umonakalo ebengizawenza kubo ngenxa yobubi ababenzileyo.
4 And thou shalt say unto them: Thus saith the LORD: If ye will not hearken to Me, to walk in My law, which I have set before you,
Tshono kubo uthi, ‘UThixo uthi: Nxa lingangilaleli lilandele umthetho wami engalibekela wona,
5 to hearken to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I send unto you, even sending them betimes and often, but ye have not hearkened;
njalo nxa lingalaleli amazwi ezinceku zami abaphrofethi, engabathuma kini njalonjalo (lanxa lingalalelanga),
6 then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.'
ngizakwenza indlu le ibe njengeShilo ledolobho leli libe yinto yokuqalekiswa phakathi kwezizwe zonke zomhlaba.’”
7 So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.
Abaphristi, labaphrofethi kanye labantu bonke bamuzwa uJeremiya ekhuluma amazwi la endlini kaThixo.
8 Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold on him, saying: 'Thou shalt surely die.
Kodwa kwathi uJeremiya eqeda nje ukubatshela bonke abantu konke uThixo ayemlaye ukuba akutsho, abaphristi, labaphrofethi kanye labantu bonke bamphuthuma bathi kuye, “Kumele ufe!
9 Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying: This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without an inhabitant?' And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.
Kungani uphrofetha ngebizo likaThixo usithi indlu le izakuba njengeShilo ledolobho leli lizachitheka abantu basuke kulo?” Abantu bonke bambuthanela uJeremiya endlini kaThixo.
10 When the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house unto the house of the LORD; and they sat in the entry of the new gate of the LORD'S house.
Kwathi izikhulu zakoJuda sezizwe ngalezizinto, zaya endlini kaThixo zisuka esigodlweni senkosi zahlala ezindaweni zazo entubeni yeSango elitsha lendlu kaThixo.
11 Then spoke the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying: 'This man is worthy of death; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears.'
Abaphristi, labaphrofethi basebesithi ezikhulwini lasebantwini bonke, “Umuntu lo kumele agwetshelwe ukufa ngoba uphrofetha kubi ngedolobho leli. Likuzwile ngezindlebe zenu!”
12 Then spoke Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying: 'The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.
UJeremiya wasesithi ezikhulwini zonke lasebantwini bonke: “UThixo ungithumile ukuba ngiphrofethe kubi ngendlu le langedolobho leli zonke izinto elizizwileyo.
13 Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and hearken to the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent Him of the evil that He hath pronounced against you.
Ngakho lungisani izindlela zenu lezenzo zenu lilalele uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu. Ngalokho uThixo uzadeda angabe esalehlisela umonakalo abememezele ukuwehlisela kini.
14 But as for me, behold, I am in your hand; do with me as is good and right in your eyes.
Kodwa mina, ngisezandleni zenu; yenzani kimi loba kuyini lokho elikubona kukuhle, kufanele.
15 Only know ye for certain that, if ye put me to death, ye will bring innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof; for of a truth the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears.'
Kodwa likwazi, impela ukuthi lingangibulala, lizakwehlisela phezu kwenu icala legazi elimsulwa laphezu kwedolobho leli kanye laphezu kwabantu abahlala kulo, ngoba ngeqiniso uThixo ungithumile kini ukuba ngikhulume wonke amazwi la lani lisizwa.”
16 Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets: 'This man is not worthy of death; for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God.'
Izikhulu labantu bonke basebesithi kubaphristi lakubaphrofethi, “Umuntu lo akumelanga abulawe! Ukhulume kithi ngebizo likaThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.”
17 Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying:
Abanye babadala baselizweni basondela phambili bakhuluma kulolonke ibandla labantu bathi,
18 'Micah the Morashtite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying: Thus saith the LORD of hosts: Zion shall be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.
“UMikha waseMoreshethi waphrofitha ensukwini zikaHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda. Wabatshela bonke abantu bakoJuda wathi, ‘UThixo uSomandla uthi: IZiyoni izalinywa njengensimu, iJerusalema izakuba yinqwaba yemfucuza, intaba yethempeli ibe yindunduma eyande izixukwana.’
19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? did he not fear the LORD, and entreat the favour of the LORD, and the LORD repented Him of the evil which He had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our own souls.'
Kanje uHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda loba omunye umuntu nje wakoJuda wambulala na? UHezekhiya kamesabanga yini uThixo wacela umusa kuye? UThixo kadedanga wayekela ukubehlisela umonakalo ayewumemezele kubo na? Sekuseduze ukuthi sizehlisele umonakalo owesabekayo phezu kwethu!”
20 And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, Uriah the son of Shemaiah of Kiriath-jearim; and he prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah;
(U-Uriya indodana kaShemaya owaseKhiriyathi-Jeyarimi ungomunye umuntu owaphrofetha ngebizo likaThixo: waphrofitha izinto ezinjalo ngedolobho leli langelizwe leli njengoJeremiya.
21 and when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Uriah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt;
Kwathi inkosi uJehoyakhimi lezinduna zakhe kanye lezikhulu zakhe besizwa amazwi akhe, bafuna ukumbulala. Kodwa u-Uriya wakuzwa lokho wasebalekela eGibhithe esesaba.
22 and Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him, into Egypt;
UJehoyakhimi inkosi, wathuma u-Elinathani indodana ka-Akhibhori lamanye amadoda eGibhithe.
23 and they fetched forth Uriah out of Egypt, and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king; who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the children of the people.
Bamthatha u-Uriya eGibhithe bamusa kuJehoyakhimi inkosi wambulala ngenkemba isidumbu sakhe saphoselwa endaweni yokungcwabela abantukazana.)
24 Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.
Phezu kwalokho, u-Ahikhami indodana kaShafani wasekela uJeremiya, ngakho kanikezwanga ebantwini ukuba bambulale.