Jeremiah 9
1 OH that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
Awu, sengathi ngabe ikhanda lami lingumthombo wamanzi, lamehlo ami angumthombo wezinyembezi! Kade ngizakhala emini lebusuku ngikhalela abantu bami ababuleweyo.
2 Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.
Awu, sengathi ngabe enkangala ngilendawo engahlala izihambi, ukuba ngisuke ebantwini bami ngisuke kubo, ngoba bonke bayizifebe, ixuku labantu abangathembekanga.
3 And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord.
“Benza izindimi zabo zilunge njengesavutha ukuba batshoke amanga, ukuthi bayanqoba elizweni akusikho ngeqiniso. Basuka kokunye ukona baye kokunye; kabangamukeli,” kutsho uThixo.
4 Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders.
“Qaphela abangane bakho, ungabathembi abafowenu. Ngoba wonke umfowenu ungumkhohlisi, njalo wonke umngane ungumhlebi.
5 And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.
Umngane ukhohlisa umngane, njalo kakho okhuluma iqiniso. Sebafundisa izindimi zabo ukuqamba amanga, bayazidinisa ngokona.
6 Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the Lord.
Lihlala phakathi kwenkohliso, ngenkohliso yabo bayala ukungamukela,” kutsho uThixo.
7 Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people?
Ngakho uThixo uSomandla uthi: “Khangelani, ngizabacolisa ngibahlole, ngoba kuyini okunye engingakwenza ngenxa yesono sabantu bami?
8 Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait.
Ulimi lwabo lungumtshoko olobuthi, lukhuluma inkohliso. Lowo lalowo ukhuluma kuhle kubomakhelwane bakhe, kodwa enhliziyweni zabo bebathiya ngemijibila.
9 Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
Kakufanele ngibajezisele lokhu na?” kubuza uThixo. “Kakufanele ngiphindisele esizweni esinjengalesi na?”
10 For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone.
Ngizakhala ngililele izintaba ngibuye ngililele lamadlelo asenkangala. Atshabalele njalo kakho ohambela kuwo, lokubhonsa kwezinkomo akuzwakali. Izinyoni zasemoyeni sezibalekile, lezinyamazana kazisekho.
11 And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.
“IJerusalema ngizalenza libe yinqumbi yonxiwa, isikhundla samakhanka, njalo ngizawadiliza amadolobho akoJuda ukuze kungabikhona ohlala kuwo.”
12 Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perisheth and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through?
Nguphi umuntu ohlakaniphileyo ukuba akuzwisise lokhu? Ngubani ofundiswe nguThixo ongakuchaza? Kungani ilizwe litshabalalisiwe lachithwa njengenkangala ukuze kungadluli muntu kulo?
13 And the Lord saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein;
UThixo wathi, “Kungenxa yokuthi sebelahle umthetho wami engababekela wona; kabangilalelanga, lomthetho wami kabawulandelanga.
14 But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them:
Esikhundleni salokho, bona balandele ubulukhuni bezinhliziyo zabo; balandele oBhali, njengokufundiswa kwabo ngoyise.”
15 Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.
Ngakho-ke, uThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: “Khangelani, abantu laba ngizabadlisa ukudla okubabayo ngibanathise lamanzi alobuthi.
16 I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them.
Ngizabahlakazela ezizweni bona kanye laboyise abangazange bazazi, njalo ngizabalandela ngenkemba ngize ngibaqede du.”
17 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for cunning women, that they may come:
UThixo uSomandla uthi: “Cabangani khathesi! Bizani abesifazane abalilayo beze, libize labo abalobuciko obumangalisayo.
18 And let them make haste, and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids gush out with waters.
Kabeze ngokuphangisa, bazesililela amehlo ethu aze ehlise inyembezi lempophoma zamanzi zigeleze, ziphuma enkopheni zethu.”
19 For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we spoiled! we are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out.
Ilizwi lokukhala liyezwakala livela eZiyoni: “Yeka kunganani ukuchithakala kwethu! Yeka ubukhulu behlazo lethu! Kumele sisuke elizweni lethu ngoba izindlu zethu zidiliziwe.”
20 Yet hear the word of the Lord, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbour lamentation.
Khathesi, lina abesifazane, zwanini ilizwi likaThixo, vulani indlebe zenu lizwe amazwi omlomo wakhe. Fundisani amadodakazi enu ukulila, lifundisane amazwi okukhala.
21 For death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets.
Ukufa kukhwele kwangena ngamafastela ethu, njalo kungenile lasezinqabeni zethu, sekususe abantwana emigwaqweni kanye lamajaha ezindaweni zikazulu.
22 Speak, Thus saith the Lord, Even the carcases of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them.
Tshono uthi, uThixo uthi, “‘izidumbu zabafileyo zizalala njengezibi egangeni, njengamabele aqunywe ngemva kovunayo, okungekho ozawabutha.’”
23 Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
UThixo uthi: “Ohlakaniphileyo kangazincomi ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe, loba indoda elamandla izincome ngamandla ayo, loba indoda enothileyo izincome ngenotho yayo,
24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.
kodwa lowo ozincomayo, kazincome ngokuthi uyaqedisisa njalo uyangazi, ukuthi mina nginguThixo, osebenzisa umusa, imfanelo lokulunga emhlabeni, ngoba lezizinto ziyangithokozisa,” kutsho uThixo.
25 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will punish all them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised;
UThixo uthi, “Insuku ziyeza, lapho engizabajezisa khona bonke abasoke enyameni kuphela,
26 Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness: for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.
iGibhithe, loJuda, lo-Edomi, lo-Amoni loMowabi labo bonke abahlala enkangala ezindaweni ezikhatshana. Ngoba izizwe zonke lezi kazisokanga, njalo lendlu yonke ka-Israyeli kayisokanga enhliziyweni.”
