Jeremiah 6
1 Put yourselves under covert, ye children of Benjamin, away from the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the horn in Tekoa, and set up a signal on Beth-cherem; for evil looketh forth from the north, and a great destruction.
“Balekani ukuze liphephe, bantu bakoBhenjamini! Balekani eJerusalema! Tshayani icilongo eThekhowa! Phakamisani uphawu phezu kweBhethi-Hakheremi. Ngoba umonakalo uyabonakala ngasenyakatho, kanye lencithakalo eyesabekayo.
2 The comely and delicate one, the daughter of Zion, will I cut off.
Indodakazi yaseZiyoni enhle kangaka lebucayi ngizayibhubhisa.
3 Shepherds with their flocks come unto her; they pitch their tents against her round about; they feed bare every one what is nigh at hand.
Abelusi lemihlambi yabo bazakuza bamelane layo; bazamisa amathente abo eyihanqile, lowo lalowo elinde indawo yakhe.”
4 'Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon!' 'Woe unto us! for the day declineth, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out!'
“Lungelani ukulwa layo! Vukani, kasihlaseleni emini! Kodwa, habe, ukukhanya sekufiphala, lamathunzi okuhlwa asesiba made.
5 'Arise, and let us go up by night, and let us destroy her palaces.'
Ngakho vukani, kasihlaseleni ebusuku sidilize izinqaba zayo!”
6 For thus hath the LORD of hosts said: hew ye down her trees, and cast up a mound against Jerusalem; this is the city to be punished; everywhere there is oppression in the midst of her.
UThixo uSomandla uthi: “Gamulani izihlahla liziwise lakhe imiduli yokuvimbezela iJerusalema. Idolobho leli kumele lijeziswe, ligcwele ukuncindezela.
7 As a cistern welleth with her waters, so she welleth with her wickedness; violence and spoil is heard in her; before Me continually is sickness and wounds.
Njengomthombo ugobhoza amanzi awo, ngokunjalo lalo ligobhoza ububi balo. Udlakela lokubhubhisa kuyezwakala phakathi kwalo, umkhuhlane walo lamanxeba ngihlezi ngikukhangele.
8 Be thou corrected, O Jerusalem, lest My soul be alienated from thee, lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.
Xwayiseka, we Jerusalema, hlezi ngikutshiye, lelizwe lakho ngilichithe, kungabi lomuntu ohlala kulo.”
9 Thus saith the LORD of hosts: They shall thoroughly glean as a vine the remnant of Israel; turn again thy hand as a grape-gatherer upon the shoots.
UThixo uSomandla uthi: “Kababuthe izinsalela zako-Israyeli ngokupheleleyo njengevini, dlulisa futhi isandla sakho phezu kwezingatsha, njengomuntu ovuna amavini.”
10 To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is dull, and they cannot attend; behold, the word of the LORD is become unto them a reproach, they have no delight in it.
Ngubani engingakhuluma laye ngimxwayise na? Ngubani ozangilalela na? Indlebe zabo zivalekile ngakho abangeke bezwe. Ilizwi likaThixo liyisinengiso kubo. Kabafumani ntokozo kulo.
11 Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD, I am weary with holding in: pour it out upon the babes in the street, and upon the assembly of young men together; for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days.
Kodwa mina ngiyafuthelana ngolaka lukaThixo, ngingeke ngibe ngisalugodla ngaphakathi. “Lwehlisele phezu kwabantwana emgwaqweni laphezu kwamajaha abuthene ndawonye, bobabili indoda lomkayo luzabehlela, kanye labadala, labo abakhulelwa yiminyaka.
12 And their houses shall be turned unto others, their fields and their wives together; for I will stretch out My hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD.
Izindlu zabo zizanikwa abanye, konke lamasimu abo kanye labafazi babo, lapho ngiselula isandla sami ngimelana lalabo abahlala elizweni,” kutsho uThixo.
13 For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is greedy for gain; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
“Kusukela kwabancane kusiya kwabakhulu, bonke bayizihwaba ezifuna inzuzo, banjalo abaphrofethi kanye labaphristi, bonke benza inkohliso.
14 They have healed also the hurt of My people lightly, saying: 'Peace, peace', when there is no peace.
Babopha inxeba labantu bami kungathi kalilibi kakhulu. Bathi, ‘Ukuthula, ukuthula,’ khona ukuthula kungekho.
15 They shall be put to shame because they have committed abomination; yea, they are not at all ashamed, neither know they how to blush; therefore they shall fall among them that fall, at the time that I punish them they shall stumble, saith the LORD.
Bayayangeka na ngokuziphatha kwabo okwenyanyekayo? Hatshi, bavele kabalazo inhloni lokuyangeka kabakwazi. Ngakho bazawela phakathi kwabawileyo, bazakwehliselwa phansi lapho sengibajezisa,” kutsho uThixo.
16 Thus saith the LORD: Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said: 'We will not walk therein.'
UThixo, uthi: “Manini emahlanganweni emigwaqo likhangele, libuze izindledlana ezindala, libuze lapho okulendlela enhle khona, lihambe ngayo, lizathola ukuphumula kwemiphefumulo yenu. Kodwa lina lithe, ‘Kasiyikuhamba ngayo.’
17 And I set watchmen over you: 'Attend to the sound of the horn', but they said: 'We will not attend.'
Ngalibekela abantu bokulilinda ngathi, ‘Lalelani ukukhala kwecilongo!’ Kodwa lina lathi, ‘Kasiyikulalela.’
18 Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is against them.
Ngakho zwanini, lina zizwe, khangelani, lina elingofakazi, libone okuzakwenzakala kubo.
19 Hear, O earth: Behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not attended unto My words, and as for My teaching, they have rejected it.
Zwana, wena mhlaba, ngiletha umonakalo phezu kwabantu laba, izithelo zamaqhinga abo, ngoba kabawalalelanga amazwi ami njalo bawalile lomthetho wami.
20 To what purpose is to Me the frankincense that cometh from Sheba, and the sweet cane, from a far country? Your burnt-offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing unto Me.
Ngilani lempepha yaseShebha loba imfe evela elizweni elikude na? Iminikelo yenu yokutshiswa kayamukeleki, imihlatshelo yenu kayingithokozisi.”
21 Therefore thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall stumble against them, the neighbour and his friend, and they shall perish.
Ngakho uThixo uthi: “Ngizabeka imigoqo phambi kwalababantu. Abazali labantwana bazakhubeka kuyo, omakhelwane labangane bazabhubha.”
22 Thus saith the LORD: Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be roused from the uttermost parts of the earth.
UThixo uthi: “Khangelani, ibutho liyeza livela elizweni lasenyakatho, isizwe esikhulu siyadungwa kusukela emikhawulweni yomhlaba.
23 They lay hold on bow and spear, they are cruel, and have no compassion; their voice is like the roaring sea, and they ride upon horses; set in array, as a man for war, against thee, O daughter of Zion.
Bahlome ngamadandili langemikhonto, balesihluku kabalasihawu. Bezwakala njengolwandle oluhlokomayo lapho begade amabhiza abo, beza njengabantu abalungele impi ukuba bakuhlasele, wena Ndodakazi yaseZiyoni.”
24 'We have heard the fame thereof, our hands wax feeble, anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail.'
Sesizwe imibiko ngabo, njalo izandla zethu zilenga zingelamandla. Usizi lusibambile, ubuhlungu obunjengowesifazane ohelelwayo.
25 Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for there is the sword of the enemy, and terror on every side.
Lingayi phandle egangeni, loba lihambe emigwaqweni, ngoba isitha silenkemba, njalo silencithakalo emaceleni wonke.
26 O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes; make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation; for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.
Awu bantu bami, gqokani amasaka, lizibhuqe emlotheni, khalani lilile kabuhlungu njengokwendodana eyiyo yodwa, ngoba masinyane nje umchithi uzafika kithi.
27 I have made thee a tower and a fortress among My people; that thou mayest know and try their way.
“Ngikwenze umhloli wezinsimbi labantu bami babayilitshe elixubene lensimbi ukuba ukhangele ubone ube usuhlola izindlela zabo.
28 They are all grievous revolters, going about with slanders; they are brass and iron; they all of them deal corruptly.
Bonke bangabahlamuki abalukhuni, abahamba behleba. Balithusi lensimbi, bonke benza ukuxhwala.
29 The bellows blow fiercely, the lead is consumed of the fire; in vain doth the founder refine, for the wicked are not separated.
Imvutho ivutha okwesabekayo incibilikisa umnusu ngokutshisa komlilo kodwa ukucenga kuqhubeka kuyize, ababi kabakhutshwanga.
30 Refuse silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.
Kuthiwa bayisiliva esilahliweyo, ngoba uThixo usebalahlile.”
