Jeremias 4
1 If Israel will return to me, says the Lord, he shall return: and if he will remove his abominations out of his mouth, and fear before me, and swear,
“Nxa uphenduka, wena Israyeli, buyela kimi,” kutsho uThixo. “Ungasusa phambi kwami izithombe zakho ezenyanyekayo ungabe usaphambuka futhi,
2 The Lord lives, with truth, in judgment and righteousness, then shall nations bless by him, and by him they shall praise God in Jerusalem.
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 Juda, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Break up fresh ground for yourselves, and sow not among thorns.
Ebantwini bakoJuda labeJerusalema uThixo uthi: “Qhathani ingqatho yenu, lingahlanyeli phakathi kwameva.
4 Circumcise yourselves to your God, and circumcise your hardness of heart, you men of Juda, and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my wrath go forth as fire, and burn, and there be none to quench it, because of the evil of your devices.
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 Juda, and let it be heard in Jerusalem: say you, Sound the trumpet in the land; cry you aloud: say you, Gather yourselves together, and let us enter into the fortified cities.
“Bikani koJuda limemezele laseJerusalema lithi: ‘Tshayani icilongo elizweni lonke!’ Klabalalani lithi, ‘Buthanani ndawonye! Kasibalekeleni emadolobheni avikelweyo!’
6 Gather up [your wares] and flee to Sion: hasten, stay not: for I will bring evils from the north, and great destruction.
Phakamisani uphawu lokuya eZiyoni! Balekelani ekusileni ngokuphangisa! Ngoba ngiletha umonakalo ovela enyakatho, lencithakalo embi kakhulu.”
7 The lion is gone up from his lair, he has roused [himself] to the destruction of the nations, and has gone forth out of his place, to make the land desolate; and the cities shall be destroyed, so as to be without inhabitant.
Isilwane sesiphumile esikhundleni saso, umchithi wezizwe usephumile. Usesukile endaweni yakhe ukuba achithe ilizwe lenu. Amadolobho enu azakuba ngamanxiwa engelamuntu ohlala kuwo.
8 For these things gird yourselves with sackcloth, and lament, and howl: for the anger of the Lord is not turned away from you.
Ngakho gqokani amasaka, khalani lilile, ngoba ulaka lukaThixo olwesabekayo kalususwanga kithi.
9 And it shall come to pass in that day, says the Lord, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be amazed, and the prophets shall wonder.
UThixo uthi, “Ngalolosuku inkosi lezikhulu bazaphelelwa lithemba, abaphristi bazathuthumela, abaphrofethi bazakwesaba.”
10 And I said, O sovereign Lord, verily you have deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, There shall be peace; whereas behold, the sword has reached even to their 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 they shall say to this people and to Jerusalem, [There is] a spirit of error in the wilderness: the way of the daughter of my people is not to purity, nor to holiness.
Ngalesosikhathi abantu laba leJerusalema kuzathiwa kubo, “Umoya otshisayo ovela enkangala emiqolweni elugwadule uvunguza usiya ebantwini bami, kodwa kungayisikwela kumbe ukuhlungula,
12 [But] a spirit of full vengeance shall come upon me; and now I declare my judgments against them.
umoya olamandla kakhulu uvela kimi. Khathesi-ke sengimemezela ukwahlulela kwami kubo.”
13 Behold, he shall come up as a cloud, and his chariots as a tempest: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe to us! for we are in misery.
Khangela! Uyeza njengamayezi, izinqola zakhe zempi zibuya njengesivunguzane, amabhiza akhe alesiqubu esedlula esengqungqulu. Maye! Sesiphelile!
14 Cleanse your heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem, that you may be saved: how long will your grievous thoughts be within you?
We Jerusalema, geza ububi obusenhliziyweni yakho usindiswe. Koze kube nini ugcine imicabango emibi na?
15 For a voice of one publishing from Dan shall come, and trouble out of mount Ephraim shall be heard of.
Ilizwi elivela koDani liyamemeza, libika umonakalo ovela emaqaqeni ako-Efrayimi
16 Remind you the nations; behold, they are come: proclaim [it] in Jerusalem, that bands are approaching from a land afar off, and have uttered their voice against the cities of Juda.
Izizwe zitshele lokhu, ukubike laseJerusalema, “Ibutho elivimbezelayo liyeza livela elizweni elikhatshana, limemezela umkhosi wempi emadolobheni akoJuda.
17 As keepers of a field, they have surrounded her; because you, says the Lord, has neglected me.
Balihanqile njengabantu abalinda insimu, ngoba langihlamukela,” kutsho uThixo.
18 Your ways and your devices have brought these things upon you; this is your wickedness, for [it is] bitter, for it has reached to your heart.
“Ukuziphatha kwakho lezenzo zakho kwehlisele lokhu phezu kwakho. Lesi yisijeziso sakho. Sibuhlungu kakhulu! Sihlaba enhliziyweni!”
19 I am pained in my bowels, my bowels, and the sensitive powers of my heart; my soul is in great commotion, my heart is torn: I will not be silent, for my soul has heard the sound of a trumpet, the cry of war, and of distress: it calls on destruction;
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 for all the land is distressed: suddenly [my] tabernacle is distressed, my curtains have been tore asunder.
Incithakalo ilandela incithakalo, ilizwe lonke selingamanxiwa. Ngesikhatshana nje amathente ami adiliziwe, lamakhetheni ami ngomzuzwana nje.
21 How long shall I see fugitives, and hear the sound of the trumpet?
Koze kube nini ngibona uphawu lwempi ngisizwa lokukhala kwecilongo na?
22 For the princes of my people have not known me, they are foolish and unwise children: they are wise to do evil, but [how] to do good they have not known.
“Abantu bami bayiziwula, kabangazi. Bangabantwana abangelangqondo, kabalakho ukuqedisisa. Bahlakaniphele ukwenza okubi, kabakwazi ukwenza okulungileyo.”
23 I looked upon the earth, and, behold, [it was] not; and to the sky, an there was no light in it.
Ngakhangela umhlaba, wawungelasimo njalo ungelalutho; lasemazulwini, ukukhanya kwawo kwakungasekho.
24 I saw the mountains, and they trembled, and [I saw] all the hills in commotion.
Ngakhangela ezintabeni, zazinyikinyeka, lamaqaqa wonke ayezunguzeka.
25 I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the sky were scared.
Ngakhangela, kwakungelabantu, izinyoni zonke zasezisukile emkhathini.
26 I saw, and, behold, Carmel was desert, and all the cities were burnt with fire at the presence of the Lord, and at the presence of his fierce anger they were utterly destroyed.
Ngakhangela, ilizwe elithelayo laseliyinkangala, amadolobho alo wonke ayesengamanxiwa phambi kukaThixo, phambi kolaka lwakhe olwesabekayo.
27 Thus says the Lord, The whole land shall be desolate; but I will not make a full end.
UThixo uthi: “Ilizwe lonke lizachitheka lanxa ngingayikulitshabalalisa ngokupheleleyo.
28 For these things let the earth mourn, and let the sky be dark above: for I have spoken, and I will not repent; I have purposed, and I will not turn back from it.
Ngakho umhlaba uzalila iphezulu libe mnyama, ngoba sengikhulumile njalo angiyikuyekethisa, sengenze isinqumo angiyikubuyela emuva.”
29 The whole land has recoiled from the noise of the horseman and the bent bow; they have gone into the caves, and have hidden themselves in the groves, and have gone up upon the rocks: every city was abandoned, no man lived in them.
Ekuzwakaleni komsindo wabagadi bamabhiza labemitshoko amadolobho wonke ayabaleka. Abanye bangena ezixukwini, abanye bakhwele emadwaleni. Amadolobho wonke atshiyiwe, akulamuntu ohlala kuwo.
30 And what will you do? Though you clothe yourself with scarlet, and adorn yourself with golden ornaments; though you adorn your eyes with stibium, your beauty [will be] in vain: your lovers have rejected you, they 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 your groaning as the voice of a woman in travail, as of her that brings forth her first child; the voice of the daughter of Zion shall fail through weakness, and she shall lose the strength of her hands, [saying], Woe is me! for my soul faints because of the slain.
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.”
