Jeremiah 18
1 THE word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
Leli yilizwi elafika kuJeremiya livela kuThixo lisithi:
2 Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.
“Suka wehlele endlini yombumbi, lapho engizakutshelela khona ilizwi lami.”
3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.
Ngakho ngehlela endlini yombumbi, ngambona esebenza ngevili.
4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Kodwa imbiza ayeyibumba ngebumba yonakala ezandleni zakhe; ngakho umbumbi wayenza yaba ngenye imbiza, ngendlela ayibona ingcono kuye.
5 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kimi lisithi;
6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
“Wena ndlu ka-Israyeli, ngingeze ngenza kuwe njengokwenziwa ngumbumbi lo na?” kutsho uThixo. “Njengebumba esandleni sombumbi lawe unjalo esandleni sami, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli.
7 At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it;
Nxa ngimemezela langasiphi isikhathi ukuthi isizwe loba umbuso uzasuswa udilizwe, uchithwe,
8 If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.
kuthi isizwe leso engisixwayisileyo siphenduke ebubini baso, ngizaxola ngingabe ngisasehlisela ebesengimise ukusehlisela khona.
9 And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it;
Njalo nxa ngesinye isikhathi ngimemezela ukuthi isizwe kumbe umbuso ngizawakha ngiwumise,
10 If it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.
ube ususenza ububi emehlweni ami njalo ungangilaleli, ngizacabanga kutsha ngokuhle ebesengicebe ukukwenzela khona.
11 Now therefore go to, speak to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you: return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.
Ngakho khathesi tshela abantu bakoJuda lalabo abahlala eJerusalema uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: Khangelani! Ngilungisela ukulehlisela umonakalo njalo ngibumba lecebo ngani. Ngakho phendukani ezindleleni zenu ezimbi, omunye lomunye wenu, lilungise izindlela zenu lezenzo zenu.’
12 And they said, There is no hope: but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart.
Kodwa bazaphendula bathi, ‘Akusizi lutho. Sizaqhubeka ngamacebo ethu; lowo lalowo wethu uzalandela ubulukhuni benhliziyo yakhe embi.’”
13 Therefore thus saith the Lord; Ask ye now among the heathen, who hath heard such things: the virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing.
Ngakho uThixo uthi: “Buzani phakathi kwezizwe ukuthi: Ngubani owake wezwa okunjengalokhu na? Kwenziwe into eyesabekayo kakhulu, yenziwe yintombi egcweleyo u-Israyeli.
14 Will a man leave the snow of Lebanon which cometh from the rock of the field? or shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken?
Ungqwaqwane waseLebhanoni uyake unyamalale emithezukweni yayo elamatshe na? Amanzi akhona aqandayo avela kude ayake eme ukugeleza na?
15 Because my people hath forgotten me, they have burned incense to vanity, and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, in a way not cast up;
Kodwa abantu bami sebengikhohliwe; batshisela izithombe eziyize impepha, ezabenza bakhubeka ezindleleni zabo lasemikhondweni yasendulo. Zabenza bahamba ngezindledlana zeganga lasemigwaqweni engalungiswanga.
16 To make their land desolate, and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head.
Ilizwe labo lizatshabalaliswa, into yokuhlekwa usulu; bonke abadlula khona bazakwethuka banyikinye amakhanda abo.
17 I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will shew them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity.
Njengomoya ovela empumalanga, ngizabahlakaza phambi kwezitha zabo; ngizabafulathela ngibancitshe ubuso bami ngosuku lokuhlupheka kwabo.”
18 Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.
Bona bathi, “Wozani sicebe amacebo amabi ngoJeremiya; ngoba ukufundisa kwabaphristi umthetho akusoze kuphuthe, kumbe ukweluleka kwezihlakaniphi, loba ilizwi elivela kubaphrofethi. Ngakho wozani, simhlasele ngemilomo yethu singananzi lutho alutshoyo.”
19 Give heed to me, O Lord, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.
Ake ungizwe, awu Thixo; ulalele okutshiwo yizitha zami!
20 Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them.
Okuhle kuphindiselwa ngokubi na? Ikanti sebengimbele igodi. Khumbula ukuba ngema phambi kwakho ngabakhulumela ukuba ususe ulaka lwakho kubo.
21 Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children, and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword in battle.
Ngakho-ke abantwababo banikele endlaleni; ubaqhubele emandleni enkemba. Abafazi babo kabangabi labantwana njalo babe ngabafelokazi; amadoda abo kawabulawe, amajaha akhona abulawe ngenkemba empini.
22 Let a cry be heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them: for they have digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.
Kakuzwakale ukukhala ezindlini zabo, lapho usulethe abahlaseli ukuba babajume, ngoba sebegebhe igodi ukuba bangithumbe njalo bathiya inyawo zami ngemijibila.
23 Yet, Lord, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine anger.
Kodwa uyawazi, wena Thixo, wonke amaqhinga abo okungibulala. Ungabathetheleli amacala abo loba ucitshe izono zabo phambi kobuso bakho. Kabachithwe phambi kwakho; bahlasele ngesikhathi sokuthukuthela kwakho.
