Jeremiah 6
1 O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Beth-haccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.
Lina bantwana bakoBhenjamini, buthanelani ukubaleka liphume phakathi kweJerusalema, livuthele uphondo eThekhowa, liphakamise uphawu lomlilo eBeti-Hakeremi: ngoba ububi bubona phansi busenyakatho, lencithakalo enkulu.
2 I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate [woman].
Indodakazi yeZiyoni ngiyifananise lowesifazana omuhle obuthakathaka.
3 The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch [their] tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place.
Abelusi bazafika kuye lemihlambi yabo; bazamisa amathente beqondene laye inhlangothi zonke, beluse ngulowo lalowo endaweni yakhe.
4 Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.
Zehlukaniseleni impi limelene layo; sukumani, kasenyuke emini enkulu. Maye kithi! ngoba ilanga selithambeme, ngoba amathunzi okuhlwa aselulekile.
5 Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.
Sukumani, senyuke ngobusuku, sidilize izigodlo zayo.
6 For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this [is] the city to be visited; she [is] wholly oppression in the midst of her.
Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Gamulani izihlahla, libuthelele umduli wokuvimbezela limelene leJerusalema. Yiwo lo umuzi ozajeziswa; kulocindezelo kuphela phakathi kwawo.
7 As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually [is] grief and wounds.
Njengomthombo umpompoza amanzi awo, ngokunjalo umpompoza inkohlakalo yawo; udlakela lencithakalo kuzwakala kuwo; phambi kwami kulenhlungu lamanxeba njalonjalo.
8 Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.
Layeka, Jerusalema, hlezi umphefumulo wami wehlukane lawe; hlezi ngikwenze unxiwa, ilizwe elingahlalwanga.
9 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets.
Itsho njalo INkosi yamabandla: Bazayikhothoza lokuyikhothoza insali kaIsrayeli njengevini; buyisela isandla sakho ezitsheni njengomvuni wevini.
10 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear [is] uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.
Ngizakhuluma kubani, ngixwayise, ukuze bezwe? Khangela, indlebe yabo kayisokwanga, kabalakulalela; khangela, ilizwi leNkosi lilihlazo kibo, kabathokozi ngalo.
11 Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with [him that is] full of days.
Ngakho ngigcwele ulaka lweNkosi, ngikhathele yikuzithiba. Ngizakuthululela phezu kwabantwana esitaladeni lemhlanganweni wamajaha ndawonye, ngoba lendoda kanye lomfazi bazathathwa, omdala kanye logcwele izinsuku.
12 And their houses shall be turned unto others, [with their] fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD.
Lezindlu zabo zizanikelwa kwabanye, amasimu labafazi kanyekanye; ngoba ngizakwelulela isandla sami phezu kwabahlali belizwe, itsho iNkosi.
13 For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one [is] given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
Ngoba kusukela komncinyane wabo kuze kufike komkhulu wabo bonke bayizihwaba zenzuzo embi; njalo kusukela komprofethi kuze kube kompristi bonke benza ngenkohliso.
14 They have healed also the hurt [ of the daughter] of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when [there is] no peace.
Bapholisa kancane inxeba labantu bami, besithi: Ukuthula, ukuthula; lapho kungekho ukuthula.
15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time [that] I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.
Baba lenhloni yini lapho besenza isinengiso? Hatshi, kababanga lanhloni lakanye, futhi kabakwazi ukuyangeka. Ngakho bazakuwa phakathi kwabawayo; ngesikhathi sokubahambela kwami bazakhubeka, itsho iNkosi.
16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where [is] the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk [therein].
Itsho njalo iNkosi: Manini ezindleleni, libone, libuze ngemikhondo yasendulo, ukuthi ingaphi indlela enhle, lihambe kuyo, njalo lizazuzela imiphefumulo yenu ukuthula. Kodwa bathi: Kasiyikuhamba ngayo.
17 Also I set watchmen over you, [saying], Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
Futhi ngilibekele abalindi, ngisithi: Lalelani ukukhala kophondo. Kodwa bathi: Kasiyikulalela.
18 Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what [is] among them.
Ngakho zwanini, lina zizwe, wazi, wena bandla, okuphakathi kwabo.
19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, [even] the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it.
Zwana, wena mhlaba; khangela, ngizaletha ububi phezu kwalababantu, isithelo semicabango yabo, ngoba bengalalelanga amazwi ami, lomlayo wami, kodwa bawalile.
20 To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings [are] not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me.
Izelani kimi impepha ivela eShebha, lomhlanga olephunga elimnandi ovela elizweni elikhatshana? Iminikelo yenu yokutshiswa kayemukeleki, lemihlatshelo yenu kayimnandi kimi.
21 Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish.
Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela, ngizabeka izikhubekiso phambi kwalababantu, njalo oyise lamadodana bakhubeke kanyekanye kuzo, umakhelwane lomngane wakhe, bazabhubha.
22 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth.
Itsho njalo INkosi: Khangela, abantu bayeza bevela elizweni lenyakatho, lesizwe esikhulu sizavuswa ezinhlangothini zomhlaba.
23 They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they [are] cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.
Bazabamba idandili lomkhonto; balesihluku, kabalasihawu; ilizwi labo lihlokoma njengolwandle; bagade amabhiza, behleliwe njengabantu bempi bemelene lawe, ndodakazi yeZiyoni.
24 We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, [and] pain, as of a woman in travail.
Siyizwile indumela yakho, izandla zethu ziyadangala; usizi lusibambile, ubuhlungu obunjengobowesifazana obelethayo.
25 Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy [and] fear [is] on every side.
Lingaphumi liye egangeni, lingahambi endleleni, ngoba kukhona inkemba yesitha, ukwesaba inhlangothi zonke.
26 O daughter of my people, gird [thee] with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, [as for] an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.
Wena ndodakazi yabantu bami, bhinca amasaka, ubhuquze emlotheni, uzenzele isililo, esinjengesendodana eyiyo yodwa, ukukhala okubuhlungu kakhulu; ngoba umchithi uzafika kithi masinyane.
27 I have set thee [for] a tower [and] a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way.
Ngikubekile ube ngumphotshongo lenqaba phakathi kwabantu bami, ukuze wazi uhlole indlela yabo.
28 They [are] all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: [they are] brass and iron; they [are] all corrupters.
Bonke bangabahlamuki abalenkani, behamba behleba; balithusi lensimbi, bonke bangabonakalisi.
29 The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away.
Imvutho itshile, umnuso usuqedwe ngumlilo; umncibilikisi uncibilikisela ize, ngoba ababi kabakhutshwa.
30 Reprobate silver shall [men] call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.
Bazababiza ngokuthi bayisiliva esilahliweyo, ngoba iNkosi ibalahlile.
