Jeremias 6
1 Strengthen yourselves, you children of Benjamin, [to flee] out of the midst of Jerusalem, and sound an alarm with the trumpet in Thecue, and set up a signal over Baethacharma: for evil threatens from the north, and a great destruction is coming.
“Balekani ukuze liphephe, bantu bakoBhenjamini! Balekani eJerusalema! Tshayani icilongo eThekhowa! Phakamisani uphawu phezu kweBhethi-Hakheremi. Ngoba umonakalo uyabonakala ngasenyakatho, kanye lencithakalo eyesabekayo.
2 And [your] pride, O daughter of Sion, shall be taken away.
Indodakazi yaseZiyoni enhle kangaka lebucayi ngizayibhubhisa.
3 The shepherds and their flocks shall come to her; and they shall pitch [their] tents against her round about, and shall feed [their flocks] each with his hand.
Abelusi lemihlambi yabo bazakuza bamelane layo; bazamisa amathente abo eyihanqile, lowo lalowo elinde indawo yakhe.”
4 Prepare yourselves for war against her; rise up, and let us go up against her at noon. Woe to us! for the day has gone down, for the shadows of the day fail.
“Lungelani ukulwa layo! Vukani, kasihlaseleni emini! Kodwa, habe, ukukhanya sekufiphala, lamathunzi okuhlwa asesiba made.
5 Rise, and let us go up against her by night, and destroy her foundations.
Ngakho vukani, kasihlaseleni ebusuku sidilize izinqaba zayo!”
6 For thus says the Lord, Hew down her trees, array a numerous force against Jerusalem. O false city; [there is] all oppression in her.
UThixo uSomandla uthi: “Gamulani izihlahla liziwise lakhe imiduli yokuvimbezela iJerusalema. Idolobho leli kumele lijeziswe, ligcwele ukuncindezela.
7 As a cistern cools water, so her wickedness cools her, ungodliness and misery shall be heard in her, [as] continually before her.
Njengomthombo ugobhoza amanzi awo, ngokunjalo lalo ligobhoza ububi balo. Udlakela lokubhubhisa kuyezwakala phakathi kwalo, umkhuhlane walo lamanxeba ngihlezi ngikukhangele.
8 You shall be chastened, O Jerusalem, with pain and the scourge, lest my soul depart from you; lest I make you a desert land, which shall not be inhabited.
Xwayiseka, we Jerusalema, hlezi ngikutshiye, lelizwe lakho ngilichithe, kungabi lomuntu ohlala kulo.”
9 For thus says the Lord, Glean, glean thoroughly as a vine the remnant of Israel: turn back [your hands] as a grape-gatherer to his basket.
UThixo uSomandla uthi: “Kababuthe izinsalela zako-Israyeli ngokupheleleyo njengevini, dlulisa futhi isandla sakho phezu kwezingatsha, njengomuntu ovuna amavini.”
10 To whom shall I speak, and testify, that he may listen? behold, your ears are uncircumcised, and they shall not be able to hear: behold, the word of the Lord is become to them a reproach, they will not at all desire it.
Ngubani engingakhuluma laye ngimxwayise na? Ngubani ozangilalela na? Indlebe zabo zivalekile ngakho abangeke bezwe. Ilizwi likaThixo liyisinengiso kubo. Kabafumani ntokozo kulo.
11 And I allowed my wrath to come to full, yet I kept [it] in, and did not utterly destroy them: I will pour it out on the children without, and on the assembly of young men together: for man and woman shall be taken together, the old man with him that is full of days.
Kodwa mina ngiyafuthelana ngolaka lukaThixo, ngingeke ngibe ngisalugodla ngaphakathi. “Lwehlisele phezu kwabantwana emgwaqweni laphezu kwamajaha abuthene ndawonye, bobabili indoda lomkayo luzabehlela, kanye labadala, labo abakhulelwa yiminyaka.
12 And their houses shall be turned to others, [with] their fields and their wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of this land, says the Lord.
Izindlu zabo zizanikwa abanye, konke lamasimu abo kanye labafazi babo, lapho ngiselula isandla sami ngimelana lalabo abahlala elizweni,” kutsho uThixo.
13 For from the least of them even to the greatest they have all committed iniquity; from the priest even to the false prophet they have all wrought falsely.
“Kusukela kwabancane kusiya kwabakhulu, bonke bayizihwaba ezifuna inzuzo, banjalo abaphrofethi kanye labaphristi, bonke benza inkohliso.
14 And they healed the breach of my people [imperfectly], making light [of it], and saying, Peace, peace, and where is peace?
Babopha inxeba labantu bami kungathi kalilibi kakhulu. Bathi, ‘Ukuthula, ukuthula,’ khona ukuthula kungekho.
15 They were ashamed because they failed; yet they were not ashamed as those who are [truly] ashamed, and they knew not their own disgrace: therefore shall they [utterly] fall when they do fall, and in the time of visitation shall they perish, said the Lord.
Bayayangeka na ngokuziphatha kwabo okwenyanyekayo? Hatshi, bavele kabalazo inhloni lokuyangeka kabakwazi. Ngakho bazawela phakathi kwabawileyo, bazakwehliselwa phansi lapho sengibajezisa,” kutsho uThixo.
16 Thus says the Lord, Stand you in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths of the Lord; and see what is the good way, and walk in it, and you shall find purification for your souls. But they said, We will not walk [in them].
UThixo, uthi: “Manini emahlanganweni emigwaqo likhangele, libuze izindledlana ezindala, libuze lapho okulendlela enhle khona, lihambe ngayo, lizathola ukuphumula kwemiphefumulo yenu. Kodwa lina lithe, ‘Kasiyikuhamba ngayo.’
17 I have set watchmen over you, [saying], Hear you the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hear [it].
Ngalibekela abantu bokulilinda ngathi, ‘Lalelani ukukhala kwecilongo!’ Kodwa lina lathi, ‘Kasiyikulalela.’
18 Therefore have the nations heard, and they that feed their flocks.
Ngakho zwanini, lina zizwe, khangelani, lina elingofakazi, libone okuzakwenzakala kubo.
19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evils upon this people, [even] the fruit of their rebellions; for they have not heeded my words, and they have rejected my law.
Zwana, wena mhlaba, ngiletha umonakalo phezu kwabantu laba, izithelo zamaqhinga abo, ngoba kabawalalelanga amazwi ami njalo bawalile lomthetho wami.
20 Therefore do you bring me frankincense from Saba, and cinnamon from a land afar off? your whole burnt offerings are not acceptable, and your sacrifices have not been pleasant to me.
Ngilani lempepha yaseShebha loba imfe evela elizweni elikude na? Iminikelo yenu yokutshiswa kayamukeleki, imihlatshelo yenu kayingithokozisi.”
21 Therefore thus says the Lord, Behold, I [will] bring weakness upon this people, and the fathers and sons shall be weak together; the neighbor and his friend shall perish.
Ngakho uThixo uthi: “Ngizabeka imigoqo phambi kwalababantu. Abazali labantwana bazakhubeka kuyo, omakhelwane labangane bazabhubha.”
22 Thus says the Lord, Behold, a people comes from the north, and nations shall be stirred up from the end of the earth.
UThixo uthi: “Khangelani, ibutho liyeza livela elizweni lasenyakatho, isizwe esikhulu siyadungwa kusukela emikhawulweni yomhlaba.
23 They shall lay hold on bow and spear; [the people] is fierce, and will have no mercy; their voice is as the roaring sea; they shall array themselves for war against you as fire on horses and chariots, O daughter of Sion.
Bahlome ngamadandili langemikhonto, balesihluku kabalasihawu. Bezwakala njengolwandle oluhlokomayo lapho begade amabhiza abo, beza njengabantu abalungele impi ukuba bakuhlasele, wena Ndodakazi yaseZiyoni.”
24 We have heard the report of them: our hands are weakened: anguish has seized us, the pangs as of a woman in travail.
Sesizwe imibiko ngabo, njalo izandla zethu zilenga zingelamandla. Usizi lusibambile, ubuhlungu obunjengowesifazane ohelelwayo.
25 Go not forth into the field, and walk not in the ways; for the sword of the enemy lingers round about.
Lingayi phandle egangeni, loba lihambe emigwaqweni, ngoba isitha silenkemba, njalo silencithakalo emaceleni wonke.
26 O daughter of my people, gird yourself with sackcloth: sprinkle [yourself] with ashes; make for yourself pitiable lamentation, [as] the mourning for a beloved [son]: for misery will come suddenly upon you.
Awu bantu bami, gqokani amasaka, lizibhuqe emlotheni, khalani lilile kabuhlungu njengokwendodana eyiyo yodwa, ngoba masinyane nje umchithi uzafika kithi.
27 I have caused you to be tried among tried nations, and you shall know me when I have tried their way.
“Ngikwenze umhloli wezinsimbi labantu bami babayilitshe elixubene lensimbi ukuba ukhangele ubone ube usuhlola izindlela zabo.
28 [They are] all disobedient, walking perversely: [they are] brass and iron; they are all corrupted.
Bonke bangabahlamuki abalukhuni, abahamba behleba. Balithusi lensimbi, bonke benza ukuxhwala.
29 The bellows have failed from the fire, the lead has failed: the silversmith works at his trade in vain; their wickedness is not consumed.
Imvutho ivutha okwesabekayo incibilikisa umnusu ngokutshisa komlilo kodwa ukucenga kuqhubeka kuyize, ababi kabakhutshwanga.
30 Call you them reprobate silver, because the Lord has rejected them.
Kuthiwa bayisiliva esilahliweyo, ngoba uThixo usebalahlile.”
