Jeremiah 44
1 The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews that dwelt in the land of Egypt, that dwelt at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying:
Ilizwi leli lafika kuJeremiya limayelana lamaJuda ayehlala eGibhithe, eMigidoli, leThahiphanesi leMemfisi, lasePhathrosi lisithi,
2 'Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and, behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein;
“UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Liwubonile umonakalo omkhulu engawehlisela phezu kweJerusalema laphezu kwamadolobho wonke akoJuda. Lamhlanje kawahlali muntu njalo angamanxiwa
3 because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke Me, in that they went to offer, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not, neither they, nor ye, nor your fathers.
ngenxa yobubi ababenzayo. Bangithukuthelisa ngokukhonza langokutshisela impepha abanye onkulunkulu abangabaziyo bona, lani kanye labokhokho benu.
4 Howbeit I sent unto you all My servants the prophets, sending them betimes and often, saying: Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.
Ngathuma izinceku zami, abaphrofethi, njalonjalo ezathi, ‘Lingayenzi into le enengisayo engiyizondayo!’
5 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to forbear offering unto other gods.
Kodwa kabalalelanga njalo kabanakanga; kabaphendukanga ebubini babo kumbe bayekele ukutshisela abanye onkulunkulu impepha.
6 Wherefore My fury and Mine anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as at this day.
Ngakho ulaka lwami olwesabekayo lwaphuphuma; lwavutha emadolobheni akoJuda lasemigwaqweni yaseJerusalema, lwakwenza kwaba ngamanxiwa achithekileyo ayikho lamhlanje.
7 Therefore now thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Wherefore commit ye this great evil against your own souls, to cut off from you man and woman, infant and suckling, out of the midst of Judah, to leave you none remaining;
Khathesi uThixo uNkulunkulu uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Kungani lizilethela umonakalo omkhulu kangaka ngokususa koJuda amadoda labafazi, abantwana lensane, ngalokho lingazitshiyeli lensalela na?
8 in that ye provoke Me with the works of your hands, offering unto other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye are gone to sojourn; that ye may be cut off, and that ye may be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?
Kungani lingithukuthelisa ngokwenziwa yizandla zenu, litshisela abanye onkulunkulu impepha eGibhithe, lapho eselayahlala khona? Lizazibhubhisa lina ngokwenu lizenze into yokuthukwa lokuhlekwa phakathi kwezizwe zonke emhlabeni.
9 Have ye forgotten the wicked deeds of your fathers, and the wicked deeds of the kings of Judah, and the wicked deeds of their wives, and your own wicked deeds, and the wicked deeds of your wives, which they committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?
Selibukhohliwe yini ububi obenziwa ngokhokho benu lobubi obenziwa ngamakhosi lamakhosikazi akoJuda, lobubi obenziwa yini labomkenu elizweni lakoJuda, lasemigwaqweni yaseJerusalema?
10 They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in My law, nor in My statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.
Kuze kube lamhla kabazithobanga kumbe batshengise ukuhlonipha, kumbe balandele imithetho yami lezimiso engalibekela zona lina labokhokho benu.
11 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will set My face against you for evil, even to cut off all Judah.
Ngakho uThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Ngizimisele ukulehlisela umonakalo ngibhubhise loJuda wonke.
12 And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed; in the land of Egypt shall they fall; they shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine; they shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine; and they shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.
Ngizathatha abaseleyo koJuda ababezimisele ukuya eGibhithe; ukuba bahlale khona. Bonke bazabhubha eGibhithe; bazabulawa ngenkemba loba babulawe yindlala. Bazabulawa yinkemba loba indlala kusukela komncinyane kusiya komkhulu. Bazakuba yinto yokuqalekiswa lokwesaba, eyokulahlwa lokuthukwa.
13 For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence;
Abahlala eGibhithe ngizabajezisa ngenkemba, ngendlala langesifo, njengokujezisa engakwenza iJerusalema.
14 so that none of the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, to which they have a desire to return to dwell there; for none shall return save such as shall escape.'
Kakho owensalela yakoJuda owayahlala eGibhithe ozaphunyuka kumbe aphephe ukuba abuyele elizweni lakoJuda asebefisa ukubuyela bayehlala kulo, kakho ozabuyela ngaphandle kweziphepheli ezilutshwane.”
15 Then all the men who knew that their wives offered unto other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great assembly, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying:
Lapho-ke wonke amadoda ayekwazi ukuthi omkawo babetshisela abanye onkulunkulu impepha, kanye labesifazane bonke ababekhona, ixuku elikhulu, labantu bonke ababehlala ePhathrosi elizweni laseGibhithe, bathi kuJeremiya:
16 'As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee.
“Thina kasiyikulilalela ilizwi olikhulume kithi ngebizo likaThixo!
17 But we will certainly perform every word that is gone forth out of our mouth, to offer unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her, as we have done, we and our fathers, our kings and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then had we plenty of food, and were well, and saw no evil.
Impela sizakwenza konke esathi sizakwenza: Impepha sizayitshisela iNdlovukazi yaseZulwini siyithululele leminikelo yokunathwayo njengalokhu esakwenzayo thina labobaba, amakhosi ethu kanye lezikhulu zakithi emadolobheni akoJuda lasemigwaqweni yaseJerusalema. Ngalesosikhathi sasilokudla okunengi, sinothile kungekho okubi.
18 But since we let off to offer to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.
Kodwa selokhu sayekela ukutshisela iNdlovukazi yaseZulwini impepha lokuyithululela iminikelo yokunathwayo, kasisabanga lalutho njalo sesilokhu sisifa ngenkemba langendlala.”
19 And is it we that offer to the queen of heaven, and pour out drink-offerings unto her? did we make her cakes in her image, and pour out drink-offerings unto her, without our husbands?'
Abesifazane bengeza bathi, “Ngesikhathi sitshisela iNdlovukazi yaseZulwini impepha, siyithululela leminikelo yokunathwa, omkethu babengakwazi na ukuthi sasisenza amakhekhe anjengesithombe sayo, siyithululela leminikelo yokunathwayo?”
20 Then Jeremiah said unto all the people, to the men, and to the women, even to all the people that had given him that answer, saying:
UJeremiya wasesithi ebantwini bonke, abesilisa labesifazane, ababemphendula,
21 'The offering that ye offered in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it not into His mind?
“UThixo kakhumbulanga wanakana ngempepha elayitshisela emadolobheni akoJuda lasemigwaqweni yaseJerusalema lina laboyihlo, lamakhosi enu, lezikhulu zakini kanye labantu belizweni na?
22 So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, and because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land become a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.
Kwathi uThixo engaselakho ukubekezelela izenzo zenu ezimbi lezinto ezinengisayo elazenzayo, ilizwe lenu laba yinto yokuqalekiswa logwadule oluphundlekileyo olungahlali muntu njengoba kunjalo lanamhla.
23 Because ye have offered, and because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not hearkened to the voice of the LORD, nor walked in His law, nor in His statutes, nor in His testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day.'
Umonakalo lo wehlele kini njengoba liwubona khathesi ngoba litshise impepha lenza okubi kuThixo njalo kalaze lamlalela loba lilandele umthetho wakhe kumbe imithetho yakhe loba izimiso zakhe.”
24 Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people, and to all the women: 'Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah that are in the land of Egypt:
UJeremiya wasesithi ebantwini bonke, kubalwa labesifazane, “Zwanini ilizwi likaThixo lonke lina bantu bakoJuda abaseGibhithe.
25 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and with your hands have fulfilled it, saying: We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to offer to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her; ye shall surely establish your vows, and surely perform your vows.
UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Lina labomkenu selitshengisile ngezenzo zenu elathembisa ukukwenza lapho lathi, ‘Impela sizagcwalisa izifungo zethu esazenzayo zokutshisela iNdlovukazi yaseZulwini impepha kanye lokuyithululela iminikelo yokunathwayo.’ Ngakho qhubekani, yenzani elakuthembisayo. Gcwalisani izifungo zenu.
26 Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by My great name, saith the LORD, that My name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt saying: As the Lord GOD liveth.
Kodwa zwanini ilizwi likaThixo lonke lina baJuda abahlala eGibhithe elithi: ‘Ngifunga ngebizo lami elidumileyo,’ kutsho uThixo, ‘ukuthi kakho ovela koJuda ohlala loba kungaphi eGibhithe ozabiza ibizo lami kumbe afunge esithi, “Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo Wobukhosi ekhona.”
27 Behold, I watch over them for evil, and not for good; and all the men of Judah that are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.
Ngoba ngilindele ukubenza okubi, hatshi okuhle. AmaJuda aseGibhithe azabhujiswa yinkemba lendlala aze aphele wonke.
28 And they that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, few in number; and all the remnant of Judah, that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose word shall stand, Mine, or theirs.
Labo abazaphepha enkembeni babuyele elizweni lakoJuda bevela eGibhithe bazakuba balutshwana. Lapho-ke bonke abayinsalela yakoJuda abayahlala eGibhithe bazakwazi ukuthi ilizwi elizakuma ngelikabani, elami kumbe elabo.
29 And this shall be the sign unto you, saith the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that My words shall surely stand against you for evil;
Lokhu kuzakuba yisibonakaliso kini sokuthi ngizalijezisa kuyonale indawo,’ kutsho uThixo, ‘ukuze lazi ukuthi okubi engalisongela ngakho kuzakwenzakala.’
30 thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.'
UThixo uthi: ‘Ngizanikela uFaro Hofira inkosi yaseGibhithe ezitheni zakhe ezifuna ukumbulala, njengalokhu nganikela uZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda kuNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, isitha sakhe esasifuna ukumbulala.’”
