Jeremiah 29
1 NOW these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders which were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;
La ngamazwi encwadi umphrofethi uJeremiya ayithumela eseJerusalema ebadaleni abasindayo phakathi kwabathunjwayo lakubaphristi, abaphrofethi, lakubo bonke abantu uNebhukhadineza abathatha eJerusalema wabasa ekuthunjweni eBhabhiloni.
2 (After that Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, were departed from Jerusalem; )
(Lokhu kwakungemva kokuba inkosi uJekhoniya lendlovukazi engunina, izikhulu zasemthethwandaba kanye labadala bakoJuda labaseJerusalema, izingcitshi lezingcwethi basebeye ekuthunjweni besuka eJerusalema.)
3 By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying,
Incwadi leyo wayiphathisa u-Eleyasa indodana kaShafani loGemariya indodana kaHilikhiya, abathunywa nguZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda kuNebhukhadineza eBhabhiloni. Yathi:
4 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon;
UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi kubo bonke labo engabasa ekuthunjweni eBhabhiloni besuka eJerusalema:
5 Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
“Yakhani izindlu lihlale phansi; limani izivande lidle izithelo zazo.
6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.
Thathani abafazi lizale amadodana lamadodakazi; dingelani amadodana enu abafazi lendise lamadodakazi enu, ukuze lawo abe lamadodana kanye lamadodakazi; inani lenu lande ngapho; lingehli.
7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
Funani ukuthula lokuphumelela kwedolobho engilise ekuthunjweni kulo. Likhulekeleni kuThixo, ngoba nxa liphumelela lani lizaphumelela.”
8 For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
Ye, uThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi, “Lingavumeli ukuthi abaphrofethi labahlahluli abaphakathi kwenu balikhohlise. Lingawalaleli amaphupho elibakhuthaza ukuthi bawaphuphe.
9 For they prophesy falsely unto you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the Lord.
Baphrofetha amanga kini ngebizo lami. Kangibathumanga,” kutsho uThixo.
10 For thus saith the Lord, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
UThixo uthi: “Lapho iminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa isiphelile eBhabhiloni, ngizakuza kini ngigcwalise isithembiso sami somusa sokulibuyisela kule indawo.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Ngoba ngiyawazi amacebo engilawo ngani,” kutsho uThixo, “amacebo okuliphumelelisa hatshi ukulilimaza, amacebo okulinika ithemba kanye lesikhathi esizayo.
12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
Ngalesosikhathi lizangibiza lizekhuleka kimi, njalo ngizalizwa.
13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Lizangidinga lingifumane nxa lingidinga ngenhliziyo yenu yonke.
14 And I will be found of you, saith the Lord: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
Lizangifumana,” kutsho uThixo, “njalo ngizalibuyisa livela ekuthunjweni. Ngizaliqoqa ezizweni zonke lasezindaweni zonke engalixotshela kuzo,” kutsho uThixo, “njalo ngilibuyise endaweni engalithatha kuyo ngilisa ekuthunjweni.”
15 Because ye have said, The Lord hath raised us up prophets in Babylon;
Lingatsho lithi, “UThixo usesiphe abaphrofethi eBhabhiloni,”
16 Know that thus saith the Lord of the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwelleth in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;
kodwa uThixo uthi mayelana lenkosi ehlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida labantu bonke abasala kulelidolobho, abantu bakini abangahambanga lani ekuthunjweni,
17 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
yebo, uThixo uSomandla uthi, “Ngizabathumela inkemba, lendlala lesifo njalo ngizabenza babe njengomkhiwa obolileyo ongeke udliwe.
18 And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:
Ngizaxotshana labo ngenkemba, ngendlala langesifo njalo ngizabenza benyanyeke kuyo yonke imibuso yasemhlabeni njalo babe yinto yokuqalekiswa lokwesatshwa, ukuklolodelwa lokuthukwa, phakathi kwezizwe zonke engibaxotshela kuzo.
19 Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the Lord, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith the Lord.
Ngoba kabawalalelanga amazwi ami,” kutsho uThixo, “amazwi engawathumela kubo njalonjalo ngezinceku zami abaphrofethi. Lani abasekuthunjweni kalilalelanga,” kutsho uThixo.
20 Hear ye therefore the word of the Lord, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:
Ngakho, zwanini ilizwi likaThixo, lonke lina elisekuthunjweni engalisusa eJerusalema ngalisa eBhabhiloni.
21 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;
Mayelana lo-Ahabi indodana kaKholaya loZedekhiya indodana kaMaseya, abaphrofetha amanga kini ngebizo lami, uThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: “Ngizabanikela kuNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni ozababulala phambi kobuso benu.
22 And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, The Lord make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;
Ngenxa yabo, bonke abathunjiweyo abavela koJuda abaseBhabhiloni bazasebenzisa isiqalekiso lesi sokuthi: ‘UThixo makenze kini njengalokhu akwenze kuZedekhiya lo-Ahabi, abatshiswa yinkosi yaseBhabhiloni ngomlilo.’
23 Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours’ wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the Lord.
Ngoba benze izinto ezimbi kakhulu ko-Israyeli; bafeba labafazi babomakhelwane babo, baqamba amanga ngebizo lami, engingazange ngithi bakwenze. Ngiyakwazi njalo ngingufakazi kukho,” kutsho uThixo.
24 Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,
Tshela uShemaya umNehelami uthi,
25 Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
“UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: ‘Wathumela izincwadi ngebizo lakho kubo bonke abantu baseJerusalema, lakuZefaniya indodana kaMaseya umphristi, lakwabanye abaphristi bonke.’ KuZefaniya wathi,
26 The Lord hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the Lord, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks.
‘UThixo usekubeke ukuba ngumphristi esikhundleni sikaJehoyada ukuba ube ngumphathi wendlu kaThixo; umuntu ohlanyayo ozenza umphrofethi ubomfaka esitokisini umfake lezankosi zentanyeni.
27 Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you?
Pho kungani ungamkhuzanga uJeremiya wase-Anathothi, ozenza umphrofethi phakathi kwenu?
28 For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
Uthumele ilizwi leli kithi eBhabhiloni elithi: Kuzakuba yisikhathi eside. Ngakho yakhani izindlu lihlale phansi; limani izivande lidle izithelo zazo.’”
29 And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
Kodwa, uZefaniya umphristi incwadi le wayibalela uJeremiya umphrofethi.
30 Then came the word of the Lord unto Jeremiah, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kuJeremiya lisithi,
31 Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the Lord concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:
“Thumela ilizwi leli kubo bonke abathunjiweyo uthi, Mayelana loShemaya umNehelami uThixo uthi: ‘Njengoba uShemaya esephrofitha kini, lanxa mina ngingamthumanga, walenza lakholwa amanga,
32 Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the Lord; because he hath taught rebellion against the Lord.
ngeqiniso ngizamjezisa uShemaya umNehelami kanye lenzalo yakhe. Kakuyikuba lowakibo ozasala ekhona phakathi kwalababantu, njalo lezinto ezinhle engizazenzela abantu bami kasoze azibone, kutsho uThixo, ngoba uphrofetha ukungihlamukela.’”
