Jeremiah 22
1 Thus says the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,
Nanku akutshoyo uThixo: “Hamba wehlele endlini yenkosi yakoJuda umemezele khona ilizwi leli uthi,
2 And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sit on the throne of David, you, and your servants, and your people that enter in by these gates:
‘Zwana ilizwi likaThixo, we nkosi yakoJuda, wena ohlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida, wena lezikhulu zakho kanye labantu bakho abangena ngamasango la.
3 Thus says the LORD; Execute you judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.
UThixo uthi: Yenzani okulungileyo lokuqondileyo. Mhlenge esandleni somncindezeli wakhe lowo ophangiweyo. Lingenzi okubi loba udlakela kowezizweni, intandane loba umfelokazi, njalo lingachithi igazi elingelacala kule indawo.
4 For if you do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.
Ngoba nxa linanzelela ukulandela imilayo le, amakhosi ahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida azangena ngamasango ale indawo, egade izinqola zempi lamabhiza, elezikhulu zawo kanye labantu bawo.
5 But if you will not hear these words, I swear by myself, says the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.
Kodwa nxa imilayo le lingayilaleli, kutsho uThixo, ngifunga ngami ukuthi indawo le izakuba lunxiwa.’”
6 For thus says the LORD to the king’s house of Judah; You are Gilead to me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make you a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited.
Ngoba mayelana lendawo yenkosi yakoJuda uThixo uthi: “Lanxa unjengeGiliyadi kimi, lanjengengqongo yeLebhanoni, ngeqiniso ngizakwenza ufane lenkangala, lanjengamadolobho angahlali muntu.
7 And I will prepare destroyers against you, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down your choice cedars, and cast them into the fire.
Ngizakuthumela abachithi, indoda nganye ilezikhali zayo, njalo bazaquma imijabo yenu emihle yemisedari bayiphosele emlilweni.
8 And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbor, Why has the LORD done thus to this great city?
Abantu abavela ezizweni ezinengi bazadlula kulelidolobho babuzane besithi, ‘Kungani uThixo enze into enje kulelidolobho elikhulu na?’
9 Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.
Impendulo izakuthi: ‘Ngoba basidelile isivumelwano sikaThixo uNkulunkulu wabo bakhonza abanye onkulunkulu njalo babasebenzela.’”
10 Weep you not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goes away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.
Lingayikhaleli inkosi efileyo loba lililele ukulilahlekela kwayo; kodwa, khalelani kakhulu othunjiweyo, ngoba kasayikubuya njalo loba abone ilizwe lakibo futhi.
11 For thus says the LORD touching Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, which went forth out of this place; He shall not return thither any more:
Ngoba mayelana loShalumi indodana kaJosiya, owangena esikhundleni sikayise esiba yinkosi yakoJuda kodwa osesukile kule indawo: UThixo uthi, “Kasoze abuye futhi.
12 But he shall die in the place where they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more.
Uzafela kuleyondawo asiwa kuyo ethunjiwe; ilizwe leli kasoze alibone futhi.”
13 Woe to him that builds his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that uses his neighbor’s service without wages, and gives him not for his work;
“Maye kuye owakha indlu yakhe yobukhosi ngokungalungi, lezindlu zakhe zangaphezulu ngokungafanelanga, esenza abantu bakibo basebenzele ize, engabaholisi lutho ngokusebenza kwabo.
14 That says, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cuts him out windows; and it is paneled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.
Uthi, ‘Ngizazakhela indlu enkulu yobukhosi elezitezi ezibanzi.’ Ngakho uyenza ibe lamawindi amakhulu, ayinameke ngemisidari, ayicombe ngokubomvu.
15 Shall you reign, because you close yourself in cedar? did not your father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him?
Ukuba lemisedari eminenginengi kukwenza ube yinkosi na? Uyihlo kazange abe lokudla lokunathwayo na? Wenza okuqondileyo lokulungileyo, ngakho konke kwamlungela.
16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? says the LORD.
Wavikela amalungelo abayanga labaswelayo, ngakho konke kwamlungela. Lokho akusikho okutsho ukungazi na?” kutsho uThixo.
17 But your eyes and your heart are not but for your covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.
“Kodwa amehlo akho lenhliziyo yakho kukhangele inzuzo yenkohliso, lokuchitha igazi elingelacala, ukuncindezela kanye lodlakela.”
18 Therefore thus says the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory!
Ngakho mayelana loJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda, uThixo uthi: “Kabayikumkhalela besithi: ‘Maye ngomfowethu! Maye ngodadewethu!’ Kabayikumkhalela besithi: ‘Maye ngenkosi yami! Maye ngobuhle bayo obukhulu!’
19 He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.
Uzangcwatshwa njengobabhemi, ahudulwe aphoselwe ngaphandle kwamasango aseJerusalema.”
20 Go up to Lebanon, and cry; and lift up your voice in Bashan, and cry from the passages: for all your lovers are destroyed.
“Qansa uye eLebhanoni umemeze, wenze ilizwi lakho lizwakale eBhashani; memeza use-Abharimi, ngoba bonke abamanyane lawe banqotshiwe.
21 I spoke to you in your prosperity; but you said, I will not hear. This has been your manner from your youth, that you obeyed not my voice.
Ngakuxwayisa uzibona uvikelekile, kodwa wena wathi, ‘Angiyikulalela!’ Le ibe iyindlela yakho kusukela ebutsheni bakho; kawungilalelanga.
22 The wind shall eat up all your pastors, and your lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shall you be ashamed and confounded for all your wickedness.
Umoya uzabaxotshela khatshana bonke abelusi bakho, labamanyene lawe bazathunjwa. Lapho-ke uzayangeka ube lenhloni ngenxa yobubi bakho bonke.
23 O inhabitant of Lebanon, that make your nest in the cedars, how gracious shall you be when pangs come on you, the pain as of a woman in travail!
Lina abahlala ‘eLebhanoni,’ eligcineke kuhle ezindlini zemisedari, lizabubula kakhulu lapho inhlungu zilehlela, ubuhlungu obunjengowesifazane ehelelwa!”
24 As I live, says the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet on my right hand, yet would I pluck you there;
UThixo uthi, “Ngeqiniso njengoba ngikhona, lanxa ngabe wena, Jehoyakhini ndodana kaJehoyakhimi inkosi yakoJuda, wawuyindandatho ebukekayo esandleni sami sokunene, ngangizakukhupha.
25 And I will give you into the hand of them that seek your life, and into the hand of them whose face you fear, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.
Ngizakunikela kulabo abafuna ukukubulala, labo obesabayo, uNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni lakumaKhaladiya.
26 And I will cast you out, and your mother that bore you, into another country, where you were not born; and there shall you die.
Wena kanye lonyoko owakuzalayo ngizaliphosela kwelinye ilizwe, lapho elingazalelwanga khona, lapho elizafela khona lobabili.
27 But to the land where they desire to return, thither shall they not return.
Kaliyikuphinda libuye elizweni elifisa ukuza kulo.”
28 Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? why are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?
Umuntu lo, uJehoyakhini, uyimbiza efileyo, edelelwayo, into engafunwa muntu na? Kungani yena labantwabakhe bezaphoselwa ngaphandle, balahlelwe elizweni abangalaziyo na?
29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.
Wena lizwe, lizwe, lizwe, zwana ilizwi likaThixo!
30 Thus says the LORD, Write you this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting on the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.
UThixo uthi: “Bhalani umuntu lo njengongelabantwana, umuntu ongayikuphumelela empilweni yakhe, ngoba kakho owenzalo yakhe ozaphumelela, kakho ozahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida loba abuse futhi koJuda.”
