Jeremiah 34
1 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the land of his dominion, and all the peoples, fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying:
Kwathi uNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni lebutho lakhe lonke kanye lemibuso yonke, labantu basemazweni ayewabusa besilwa leJerusalema lawo wonke amadolobho alo ayeseduzane, ilizwi leli lafika kuJeremiya livela kuThixo lisithi;
2 Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: Go, and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him: Thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire;
“UThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Yana kuZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda uthi kuye, ‘UThixo uthi: Sekuseduze ukuthi idolobho leli ngilinikele enkosini yaseBhabhiloni, njalo izalitshisa ngomlilo.
3 and thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.
Kawuyikuphunyuka esandleni sayo kodwa uzathunjwa impela unikelwe kuyo. Inkosi yaseBhabhiloni uzayibona ngamehlo akho, njalo izakhuluma lawe ubuso ngobuso. Njalo uzahamba eBhabhiloni.
4 Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah: Thus saith the LORD concerning thee: Thou shalt not die by the sword;
Kodwa-ke zwana isithembiso sikaThixo, wena Zedekhiya nkosi yakoJuda. Ngawe uThixo uthi: Awuyikufa ngenkemba;
5 thou shalt die in peace; and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings that were before thee, so shall they make a burning for thee; and they shall lament thee: 'Ah lord!' for I have spoken the word, saith the LORD.
uzakufa ngokuthula. Njengoba abantu babasa umlilo wesililo bekhumbula oyihlo, amakhosi akuqala akwandulelayo, ngokunjalo bazabasa umlilo wokukukhumbula, balile bathi, Maye, Oh Nkosi! Mina ngokwami ngenza isithembiso lesi, kutsho uThixo.’”
6 Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,
Ngakho uJeremiya umphrofethi wamtshela konke lokhu uZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda, eJerusalema,
7 when the king of Babylon's army fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish and against Azekah; for these alone remained of the cities of Judah as fortified cities.
lapho ibutho lenkosi yaseBhabhiloni lalisilwa leJerusalema lamanye amadolobho akoJuda ayelokhu esaqinisele, iLakhishi le-Azekha. La yiwo kuphela amadolobho ayevikelwe ngezinqaba ayesasele koJuda.
8 The word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people that were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them;
Ilizwi lafika kuJeremiya livela kuThixo emva kokuba inkosi uZedekhiya esenze isivumelwano labantu bonke baseJerusalema sokumemezela ukukhululwa kwezigqili.
9 that every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, go free; that none should make bondmen of them, even of a Jew his brother;
Wonke umuntu kwakumele akhulule izigqili zakhe ezingamaHebheru, ezesilisa lezesifazane; kakho owayezagcina umJuda wakibo ebugqilini.
10 and all the princes and all the people hearkened, that had entered into the covenant to let every one his man-servant, and every one his maid-servant, go free, and not to make bondmen of them any more; they hearkened, and let them go;
Ngakho zonke izikhulu labantu bonke abenza isivumelwano lesi bavuma ukuthi babezakhulula izigqili zabo zesilisa lezesifazane bangazigcini ebugqilini futhi. Bavuma, bazikhulula.
11 but afterwards they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids;
Kodwa muva bantshintsha ingqondo zabo bazithumba njalo izigqili zabo ababezikhulule bazenza izigqili futhi.
12 therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying:
Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kuJeremiya lisithi,
13 Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying:
“UThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Ngenza isivumelwano labokhokho benu ekubakhupheni kwami eGibhithe, elizweni lobugqili. Ngathi,
14 'At the end of seven years ye shall let go every man his brother that is a Hebrew, that hath been sold unto thee, and hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee'; but your fathers hearkened not unto Me, neither inclined their ear.
‘Ngeminyaka yonke yesikhombisa omunye lomunye wenu kumele akhulule umHebheru wakibo ozithengise kuwe. Emva kokuba esekusebenzele iminyaka eyisithupha, kumele umkhulule ahambe.’ Kodwa okhokho benu, kabangilalelanga njalo kabanginakanga.
15 And ye were now turned, and had done that which is right in Mine eyes, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before Me in the house whereon My name is called;
Ngesikhathi esisanda kudlula laphenduka lenza okulungileyo emehlweni ami: Omunye lomunye wenu wamemezela ukukhululwa kwabantu belizwe lakibo. Laze lenza lesivumelwano phambi kwami endlini eleBizo lami.
16 but ye turned and profaned My name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye had let go free at their pleasure, to return; and ye brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.
Kodwa khathesi seliguquke langcolisa ibizo lami; omunye lomunye wenu usezithumbile futhi izigqili zesilisa lezesifazane elalizikhulule ukuba zizihambele lapho ezifuna khona. Selizibambe ngamandla ukuba zibe yizigqili zenu futhi.
17 Therefore thus saith the LORD: Ye have not hearkened unto Me, to proclaim liberty, every man to his brother, and every man to his neighbour; behold, I proclaim for you a liberty, saith the LORD, unto the sword, unto the pestilence, and unto the famine; and I will make you a horror unto all the kingdoms of the earth.
Ngakho, lokhu yikho uThixo akutshoyo: Kalingilalelanga; kalimemezelanga ukukhululwa kwabantu belizwe lakini. Ngakho khathesi ngimemezela ‘inkululeko’ yenu, kutsho uThixo, ‘inkululeko’ yokubulawa ngenkemba, yisifo lendlala. Ngizalenza linengeke kuyo yonke imibuso yomhlaba.
18 And I will give the men that have transgressed My covenant, that have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before Me, when they cut the calf in twain and passed between the parts thereof;
Abantu abephula isivumelwano sami kabaze bagcwalisa izimiso zesivumelwano abasenza phambi kwami, ngizabaphatha njengethole abalidabula phakathi basebehamba phakathi kweziqa zalo.
19 the princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the officers, and the priests, and all the people of the land, that passed between the parts of the calf;
Abakhokheli bakoJuda labeJerusalema, izikhulu zasemthethwandaba, abaphristi labantu bonke abahamba phakathi kweziqa zethole,
20 I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life; and their dead bodies shall be for food unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.
ngizabanikela ezitheni zabo ezifuna ukubabulala. Izidumbu zabo zizakuba yikudla kwezinyoni zasemoyeni lezinyamazana zeganga.
21 And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, that are gone up from you.
UZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda kanye lezikhulu zakhe ngizabanikela ezitheni zabo ezifuna ukubabulala, lakubutho lenkosi yaseBhabhiloni eselisukile kini.
22 Behold, I will command, saith the LORD, and cause them to return to this city; and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burn it with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.
Ngizakhupha ilizwi, kutsho uThixo njalo ngizababuyisa futhi kulelidolobho. Bazakulwa lalo, balithumbe, balitshise ngomlilo. Amadolobho akoJuda ngizawabhidliza ukuze kungabi lamuntu ohlala kuwo.”
