Jeremiah 4
1 If you will return, O Israel, says the LORD, return to me: and if you will put away your abominations out of my sight, then shall you not remove.
“Nxa uphenduka, wena Israyeli, buyela kimi,” kutsho uThixo. “Ungasusa phambi kwami izithombe zakho ezenyanyekayo ungabe usaphambuka futhi,
2 And you shall swear, The LORD lives, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.
njalo nxa uzafunga ngobuqotho, ngokulunga langokuqonda, uthi, ‘Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona,’ ngakho izizwe uzazibusisa ziziqhenye ngaye.”
3 For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.
Ebantwini bakoJuda labeJerusalema uThixo uthi: “Qhathani ingqatho yenu, lingahlanyeli phakathi kwameva.
4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
Zisokeleni kuThixo, lisoke inhliziyo zenu, lina bantu bakoJuda lani bantu baseJerusalema, hlezi ulaka lwami luvuke luvuthe njengomlilo ngenxa yobubi elibenzileyo, lutshise kungekho muntu ongalucitsha.”
5 Declare you in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow you the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defended cities.
“Bikani koJuda limemezele laseJerusalema lithi: ‘Tshayani icilongo elizweni lonke!’ Klabalalani lithi, ‘Buthanani ndawonye! Kasibalekeleni emadolobheni avikelweyo!’
6 Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.
Phakamisani uphawu lokuya eZiyoni! Balekelani ekusileni ngokuphangisa! Ngoba ngiletha umonakalo ovela enyakatho, lencithakalo embi kakhulu.”
7 The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make your land desolate; and your cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.
Isilwane sesiphumile esikhundleni saso, umchithi wezizwe usephumile. Usesukile endaweni yakhe ukuba achithe ilizwe lenu. Amadolobho enu azakuba ngamanxiwa engelamuntu ohlala kuwo.
8 For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.
Ngakho gqokani amasaka, khalani lilile, ngoba ulaka lukaThixo olwesabekayo kalususwanga kithi.
9 And it shall come to pass at that day, says the LORD, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.
UThixo uthi, “Ngalolosuku inkosi lezikhulu bazaphelelwa lithemba, abaphristi bazathuthumela, abaphrofethi bazakwesaba.”
10 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely you have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, You shall have peace; whereas the sword reaches to the soul.
Lapho-ke mina ngathi, “Awu, Thixo Wobukhosi, ubakhohlisile sibili abantu laba kanye leJerusalema ngokuthi, ‘Lizakuba lokuthula,’ inkemba yona isemiphinjeni yethu!”
11 At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse,
Ngalesosikhathi abantu laba leJerusalema kuzathiwa kubo, “Umoya otshisayo ovela enkangala emiqolweni elugwadule uvunguza usiya ebantwini bami, kodwa kungayisikwela kumbe ukuhlungula,
12 Even a full wind from those places shall come to me: now also will I give sentence against them.
umoya olamandla kakhulu uvela kimi. Khathesi-ke sengimemezela ukwahlulela kwami kubo.”
13 Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! for we are spoiled.
Khangela! Uyeza njengamayezi, izinqola zakhe zempi zibuya njengesivunguzane, amabhiza akhe alesiqubu esedlula esengqungqulu. Maye! Sesiphelile!
14 O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long shall your vain thoughts lodge within you?
We Jerusalema, geza ububi obusenhliziyweni yakho usindiswe. Koze kube nini ugcine imicabango emibi na?
15 For a voice declares from Dan, and publishes affliction from mount Ephraim.
Ilizwi elivela koDani liyamemeza, libika umonakalo ovela emaqaqeni ako-Efrayimi
16 Make you mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.
Izizwe zitshele lokhu, ukubike laseJerusalema, “Ibutho elivimbezelayo liyeza livela elizweni elikhatshana, limemezela umkhosi wempi emadolobheni akoJuda.
17 As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she has been rebellious against me, says the LORD.
Balihanqile njengabantu abalinda insimu, ngoba langihlamukela,” kutsho uThixo.
18 Your way and your doings have procured these things to you; this is your wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reaches to your heart.
“Ukuziphatha kwakho lezenzo zakho kwehlisele lokhu phezu kwakho. Lesi yisijeziso sakho. Sibuhlungu kakhulu! Sihlaba enhliziyweni!”
19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
Maye, ngobuhlungu, ubuhlungu engibuzwayo. Ngiyazitshila ngenxa yobuhlungu. Maye, ngokufuthelwa kwenhliziyo yami! Inhliziyo yami iyatshaya ngaphakathi kwami, angingeke ngithule, ngoba ukukhala kwecilongo sengikuzwile, umkhosi wempi sengiwuzwile.
20 Destruction on destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment.
Incithakalo ilandela incithakalo, ilizwe lonke selingamanxiwa. Ngesikhatshana nje amathente ami adiliziwe, lamakhetheni ami ngomzuzwana nje.
21 How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?
Koze kube nini ngibona uphawu lwempi ngisizwa lokukhala kwecilongo na?
22 For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are silly children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
“Abantu bami bayiziwula, kabangazi. Bangabantwana abangelangqondo, kabalakho ukuqedisisa. Bahlakaniphele ukwenza okubi, kabakwazi ukwenza okulungileyo.”
23 I beheld the earth, and, see, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.
Ngakhangela umhlaba, wawungelasimo njalo ungelalutho; lasemazulwini, ukukhanya kwawo kwakungasekho.
24 I beheld the mountains, and, see, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
Ngakhangela ezintabeni, zazinyikinyeka, lamaqaqa wonke ayezunguzeka.
25 I beheld, and, see, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
Ngakhangela, kwakungelabantu, izinyoni zonke zasezisukile emkhathini.
26 I beheld, and, see, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.
Ngakhangela, ilizwe elithelayo laseliyinkangala, amadolobho alo wonke ayesengamanxiwa phambi kukaThixo, phambi kolaka lwakhe olwesabekayo.
27 For thus has the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
UThixo uthi: “Ilizwe lonke lizachitheka lanxa ngingayikulitshabalalisa ngokupheleleyo.
28 For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black; because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.
Ngakho umhlaba uzalila iphezulu libe mnyama, ngoba sengikhulumile njalo angiyikuyekethisa, sengenze isinqumo angiyikubuyela emuva.”
29 The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up on the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.
Ekuzwakaleni komsindo wabagadi bamabhiza labemitshoko amadolobho wonke ayabaleka. Abanye bangena ezixukwini, abanye bakhwele emadwaleni. Amadolobho wonke atshiyiwe, akulamuntu ohlala kuwo.
30 And when you are spoiled, what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with crimson, though you deck you with ornaments of gold, though you rend your face with painting, in vain shall you make yourself fair; your lovers will despise you, they will seek your life.
Wenzani na, wena ohlutshwe kakhulu? Kungani ugqoka okubomvu gebhu ufaka lezigqoko zegolide na? Kungani ucomba amehlo akho ngomphendulo na? Uzicecisela ize. Izithandwa zakho ziyakweyisa, zifuna ukukubulala.
31 For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that brings forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that mourns herself, that spreads her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.
Ngizwa ukukhala okunjengokowesifazane ohelelwayo, ukububula okufana lozuza umntwana wakhe wakuqala, ukukhala kweNdodakazi yaseZiyoni ikhefuzela, yelule izandla zayo isithi, “Maye mina! Amandla ami asephela, ukuphila kwami sekunikelwe kubabulali.”
