Jeremiah 1
1 The words of Jeremiah the son of Chilkiyahu, one of the priests that were in 'Anathoth in the land of Benjamin;
Amazwi kaJeremiya, indodana kaHilikhiya wabapristi ababeseAnathothi elizweni lakoBhenjamini;
2 To whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon the king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign,
okwafika kuye ilizwi leNkosi ensukwini zikaJosiya indodana kaAmoni, inkosi yakoJuda, ngomnyaka wetshumi lantathu wokubusa kwakhe.
3 And who continued [prophet] in the days of Jehoyakim the son of Josiah the king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah the king of Judah, until the carrying away into exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
Lafika futhi ensukwini zikaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda, kwaze kwaba sekupheleni komnyaka wetshumi lanye kaZedekhiya indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda, kwaze kwaba sekuthunjweni kweJerusalema enyangeni yesihlanu.
4 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Kwasekufika kimi ilizwi leNkosi lisithi:
5 Before yet I had formed thee in thy mother's body I knew thee; and before thou wast yet come forth out of the womb I sanctified thee: a prophet unto the nations did I ordain thee.
Ngingakakubumbi esiswini ngakwazi, njalo ungakaphumi esizalweni ngakwehlukanisa; ngakubeka waba ngumprofethi ezizweni.
6 And I said, Ah, Lord Eternal! behold, I know not how to speak; for I am [but] a lad.
Ngasengisithi: Hawu Nkosi Jehova! Khangela, angikwazi ukukhuluma, ngoba ngingumntwana.
7 And the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am [but] a lad; but to whomsoever I may send thee shalt thou go, and whatsoever I may command thee shalt thou speak.
Kodwa iNkosi yathi kimi: Ungatsho ukuthi: Ngingumntwana; ngoba uzakuya kubo bonke engikuthuma kubo, lakho konke engikulaya khona uzakukhuluma.
8 Be not afraid because of them; for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
Ungesabi ubuso babo, ngoba mina ngilawe ukukophula, itsho iNkosi.
9 And the Lord stretched forth his hand, and touched [me] therewith on my mouth; and the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
INkosi yasiselula isandla sayo, yathinta umlomo wami; iNkosi yasisithi kimi: Khangela, ngibekile amazwi ami emlonyeni wakho.
10 See, I have appointed thee this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down: to build up, and to plant.
Bona, ngikubekile lamuhla phezu kwezizwe laphezu kwemibuso, ukusiphuna, lokudiliza, lokubhubhisa, lokuphosela phansi, ukwakha, lokuhlanyela.
11 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, A staff of all almond-tree do I see.
Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi: Ubonani, Jeremiya? Ngasengisithi: Ngibona uswazi lwesihlahla se-alimondi.
12 And the Lord said unto me, Thou hast well seen; for I am watching over my word to perform it.
INkosi yasisithi kimi: Ubone kuhle, ngoba ngizalinda ilizwi lami ukuze ngilenze.
13 And the word of the Lord came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, A seething pot do I see; and the front thereof is turned from the north.
Njalo ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi ngokwesibili lisithi: Ubonani? Ngasengisithi: Ngibona imbiza ebilayo, njalo ubuso bayo bungasenyakatho.
14 And the Lord said unto me, Out of the north shall the evil break forth over all the inhabitants of the land,
INkosi yasisithi kimi: Okubi kuzaqutshulwa kuvela enyakatho phezu kwabo bonke abakhileyo belizwe.
15 For, lo, I will call unto all the families of the kingdoms of the north, saith the Lord; and they shall come, and they shall set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and upon all its walls round about, and upon [those of] all the cities of Judah.
Ngoba khangela, ngibiza insapho zonke zemibuso yenyakatho, itsho iNkosi; njalo zizafika, zimise ngasinye isihlalo salo sobukhosi ekungeneni kwamasango eJerusalema, zimelene lemiduli yayo yonke inhlangothi zonke, zimelene lemizi yonke yakoJuda.
16 And I will call them to account touching all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burnt incense unto other gods, and have bowed down unto the works of their own hands.
Ngizakhuluma izigwebo zami zimelene labo ngenxa yabo bonke ububi babo, abangidelileyo, batshisela abanye onkulunkulu impepha, bakhonza imisebenzi yezandla zabo.
17 But do thou gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak unto them all that I may command thee; be not discouraged because of them, lest I humble thee before them.
Wena-ke, bopha ukhalo lwakho, usukume, ukhulume kibo konke mina engikulaya khona. Ungethuki ngenxa yobuso babo, hlezi ngikwethuse phambi kwabo.
18 But I, behold, I have made of thee this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls over the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against its princes, against its priests, and against the people of the land.
Ngoba khangela, mina ngikubekile lamuhla ube ngumuzi ovikelweyo, njalo ube yinsika yensimbi, njalo ube yimiduli yethusi, ukumelana lelizwe lonke, ukumelana lamakhosi akoJuda, ukumelana leziphathamandla zayo, ukumelana labapristi bayo, lokumelana labantu belizwe.
19 And [although] they fight against thee, they shall not prevail against thee; for with thee am I saith the Lord, to deliver thee.
Njalo bazakulwa bemelene lawe; kodwa kabayikukwehlula; ngoba ngilawe, itsho iNkosi, ukukophula.
