< Jeremiah 26 >

1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoyakim the son of Josiah the king of Judah came this word from the Lord, saying,
Ekuqaleni kokubusa kukaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda kwafika lelilizwi livela eNkosini lisithi:
2 Thus hath said the Lord, Place thyself in the court of the house of the Lord, and speak against all of the cities of Judah, who come to prostrate themselves in the house of the Lord, all the words that I have commanded thee to speak unto them: omit not a word [thereof];
Itsho njalo iNkosi: Mana egumeni lendlu yeNkosi, ukhulume kuyo yonke imizi yakoJuda, efikayo ukuzakhonza endlini yeNkosi, wonke amazwi engikulaya ukuthi uwakhulume kubo; unganciphisi lalizwi.
3 Perhaps it be that they will hearken, and return every man from his evil way, that I may bethink me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them, because of the wrongfulness of their doings.
Mhlawumbe bazalalela, baphenduke ngulowo lalowo endleleni yakhe embi, ukuze ngizisole ngokubi ebengicabanga ukukwenza kubo ngenxa yobubi bezenzo zabo.
4 And thou shalt say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord, if ye will not hearken unto me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,
Uzakuthi-ke kibo: Itsho njalo INkosi: Uba lingayikungilalela, ukuthi lihambe ngomlayo wami engiwubeka phambi kwenu,
5 To hearken unto the words of my servants the prophets, whom I send unto you, yea, making them rise up early, and sending them, while ye have not hearkened:
ukuthi lilalele amazwi enceku zami abaprofethi engibathume kini, yebo ngivuka ngovivi ngibathuma, kodwa kalilalelanga,
6 Then will I render this house like Shiloh, and this city will I render a curse unto all the nations of the earth.
ngizakwenza-ke lindlu ibe njengeShilo, ngenze lumuzi ube yisiqalekiso kuzo zonke izizwe zomhlaba.
7 And the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord:
Ngakho abapristi labaprofethi labo bonke abantu bamuzwa uJeremiya ekhuluma lamazwi endlini yeNkosi.
8 And it came to pass, when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded [him] to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people seized on him, saying, Thou shalt surely die.
Kwathi uJeremiya eseqedile ukukhuluma konke iNkosi eyayimlaye ukuthi akukhulume ebantwini bonke, abapristi labaprofethi labo bonke abantu bambamba besithi: Uzakufa lokufa!
9 Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, Like Shiloh shall this house be, and this city shall be ruined, [left] without an inhabitant? And all the people assembled themselves against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord.
Kungani uprofetha ngebizo leNkosi usithi: Lindlu izakuba njengeShilo, lomuzi lo uzakuba lunxiwa, ungabi lamhlali? Bonke abantu basebembuthanela uJeremiya endlini yeNkosi.
10 But when the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house unto the house of the Lord, and sat down at the entrance of the new gate of the Lord's house.
Kwathi iziphathamandla zakoJuda sezizwile lezizinto, zenyuka zivela endlini yenkosi zafika endlini yeNkosi, zahlala emnyango wesango elitsha lendlu yeNkosi.
11 Then said the priests and the prophets unto the princes and unto all the people, as followeth, This man deserveth the punishment of death; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your own ears.
Abapristi labaprofethi basebekhuluma kuzo iziphathamandla lakubo bonke abantu besithi: Umuntu lo ufanele isigwebo sokufa, ngoba uprofethe emelene lalumuzi, njengoba lizwile ngendlebe zenu.
12 Then said Jeremiah unto all the princes and unto all the people, as followeth, The Lord hath sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.
Wasekhuluma uJeremiya kuzo zonke iziphathamandla lakubo bonke abantu esithi: INkosi yangithuma ukuprofetha ngimelene lalindlu ngimelene lalumuzi wonke amazwi eliwezwileyo.
13 But now amend your ways and your doings, and hearken to the voice of the Lord your God: and the Lord will bethink him of the evil that he hath spoken against you.
Ngakho-ke lungisani indlela zenu lezenzo zenu, lilalele ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu; khona iNkosi izazisola ngobubi ebukhulume imelene lani.
14 As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and just in your eyes.
Kodwa mina, khangela, ngisesandleni senu; yenzani kimi njengokulungileyo lanjengokuqondileyo emehlweni enu.
15 But know ye for certain, that if ye put me to death, ye will surely place [the guilt of] innocent blood upon yourselves, and upon this city, and upon its inhabitants; for in truth hath the Lord sent me unto you to speak in your ears all these words.
Kodwa yazini isibili ukuthi uba lingibulala, isibili lizakwehlisela igazi elingelacala phezu kwenu laphezu kwalumuzi laphezu kwabakhileyo bawo; ngoba ngeqiniso iNkosi ingithume kini ukuthi ngikhulume wonke la amazwi endlebeni zenu.
16 Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets, This man is not deserving the punishment of death; for in the name of the Lord our God hath he spoken unto us.
Iziphathamandla labo bonke abantu basebesithi kubapristi lakubaprofethi: Lumuntu kafanele isigwebo sokufa, ngoba ukhulumile kithi ebizweni leNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu.
17 And then rose up certain men of the elders of the land, and said to all the assembly of the people, as followeth,
Kwasekusukuma abanye babadala belizwe, bakhuluma kulo lonke ibandla labantu, besithi:
18 Michah the Morashthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah the king of Judah. and said to all the people of Judah, as followeth, Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Zion shall be ploughed up like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, and the mountain of the house, woody high-places.
UMika umMorashethi waprofetha ensukwini zikaHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda, wakhuluma kibo bonke abantu bakoJuda esithi: Itsho njalo INkosi yamabandla: IZiyoni izalinywa njengensimu, leJerusalema ibe zinqumbi, lentaba yendlu ibe zindawo eziphakemeyo zegusu.
19 Did Hezekiah the king of Judah and all Judah attempt to put him to death? behold, he did fear the Lord, and besought the Lord, and the Lord bethought him of the evil which he had spoken against them. And shall we bring a great wickedness on our souls?
UHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda layo wonke uJuda bambulala isibili yini? Kayesabanga yini iNkosi, wancenga ubuso beNkosi, njalo iNkosi yazisola ngokubi eyayikukhulume imelene labo? Ngalokho senza ububi obukhulu simelene lemiphefumulo yethu.
20 And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the Lord, Uriyah the son of Shema'yahu of Kiryath-ye'arim, who prophesied against this city and against this land in accordance with all the words of Jeremiah;
Kwakukhona njalo umuntu owaprofetha ebizweni leNkosi, uUriya indodana kaShemaya oweKiriyathi-Jeyarimi, owaprofetha ngalumuzi langalelilizwe njengokwamazwi wonke kaJeremiya.
21 And when king Jehoyakim, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Uriyahu heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and arrived in Egypt;
Kwathi inkosi uJehoyakhimi lawo wonke amaqhawe akhe lazo zonke iziphathamandla zakhe besizwa amazwi akhe, inkosi yadinga ukumbulala; kwathi uUriya ekuzwa, wesaba, wabaleka, waya eGibhithe.
22 But king Jehoyakim sent some men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of 'Achbor, and some men with him into Egypt:
Inkosi uJehoyakhimi yasithuma amadoda eGibhithe, uElinathani indodana kaAkhibhori, lamanye amadoda kanye laye eGibhithe,
23 And they fetched Uriyahu out of Egypt, and brought him unto king Jehoyakim, who slew him with the sword, and cast his dead body upon the graves of the common people.
basebemkhipha uUriya eGibhithe, bamletha enkosini uJehoyakhimi, owambulala ngenkemba, waphosela isidumbu sakhe emangcwabeni abantwana babantu.
24 But the hand of Achikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so as not to give him up into the hand of the people to put him to death.
Kodwa isandla sikaAhikhamu indodana kaShafani sasiloJeremiya, ukuze bangamnikeli esandleni sabantu ukuthi bambulale.

< Jeremiah 26 >