< Jeremiah 33 >

1 And the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying,
UJeremiya elokhu esavalelwe egumeni labalindi, ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuye ngokwesibili lisithi:
2 Thus hath said the Lord who doth this, the Lord that formeth it, to establish it: the Eternal is his name;
“UThixo, yena owadala umhlaba, uThixo owawenzayo wawumisa, uThixo yilo ibizo lakhe, uthi,
3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and I will tell thee great and unheard of things, which thou knowest not.
‘Ngibiza ngizakusabela, ngikutshele izinto ezinkulu ezifihlakeleyo ongazaziyo.’
4 For thus hath said the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by means of the mounds, and by means of the sword;
Ngoba lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli mayelana lezindlu ezikulelidolobho langezindlu zobukhosi koJuda ezadilizwayo ukuba zisetshenziswe ekumelaneni lamadundulu okuvimbezela kanye lenkemba
5 As they come to fight with the Chaldeans, but only to fill those with the corpses of the men whom I slay in my anger and in my fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hidden my face from this city:
ekulweni lamaKhaladiya: ‘Zizagcwala izidumbu zabantu abafileyo engizababulala ekuthukutheleni kwami langolaka lwami. Idolobho leli ngizalifihlela ubuso bami ngenxa yobubi balo bonke.
6 Behold, I will bring it healing and cure, and I will cure them, and I will display unto them the abundance of peace and truth.
Kodwa, ngizaletha ukuphila lokusiliswa kulo. Abantu bami ngizabasilisa ngibenze bajabulele ukuthula okukhulu kanye lokuvikeleka.
7 And I will cause to return the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel, and I will build them up, as at the first.
Ngizabuyisa uJuda lo-Israyeli besuka ekuthunjweni njalo ngizabakha futhi njengalokhu ababeyikho kuqala.
8 And I will cleanse them from all their guiltiness, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned toward me, and whereby they have transgressed against me.
Ngizabahlambulula kuzozonke izono abazenza kimi njalo ngizabathethelela zonke izono zabo zokungihlamukela.
9 And it shall be to me for a name of gladness, a praise and an honor with all the nations of the earth, who will hear all the good that I am doing unto them: and they shall dread and tremble because of all the good and because of all the happiness that I prepare unto it.
Ngakho idolobho leli lizangilethela indumela, ukuthokoza, lokubongwa kanye lodumo phambi kwezizwe zonke emhlabeni ezizwa ngezinto zonke ezinhle engizenzela lona; njalo zizakwesaba ziqhaqhazele ngenxa yokuphumelela okukhulu lokuthula engizakuletha kulo.’
10 Thus hath said the Lord, Yet again shall there be heard in this place, of which ye say, “It is ruined, without man and without beast” [[[even] in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate, without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast, ]]
UThixo uthi: ‘Liyatsho ngendawo le lithi, “Ilugwadule oluphundlekileyo, olungelabantu kumbe izinyamazana.” Kodwa emadolobheni akoJuda lasemigwaqweni yaseJerusalema okwatshiywayo, okungekho muntu kumbe inyamazana ehlala khona, kuzazwakala khona futhi
11 The voice of gladness, and the voice of joy, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of those that say, “Give thanks unto the Lord of hosts; for the Lord is good; because to eternity endureth his kindness:” of those that bring thanksgiving-offering unto the house of the Lord. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the Lord.
imisindo yokuthokoza lokuthaba, amazwi omlobokazi lomyeni, lamazwi alabo abaletha iminikelo yokubonga endlini kaThixo besithi, “Bongani uThixo uSomandla, ngoba uThixo ulungile; uthando lwakhe lumi kuze kube nini lanini.” Ngoba inotho yelizwe ngizayibuyisela njengoba yayinjalo kuqala,’ kutsho uThixo.
12 Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Yet again shall there be in this place, which is ruined, without man and even without beast, and in all its cities, a habitation of shepherds who cause their flocks to lie down.
UThixo uSomandla uthi, ‘Kuyo yonale indawo ephundlekileyo, engelabantu kumbe izinyamazana, kuwo wonke amadolobho ayo kuzakuba lamadlelo futhi ukuba abelusi baphumuze imihlambi yabo.
13 In the cities of the mountain, in the cities of the lowlands, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the environs of Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks yet pass again under the hands of him that counteth them, saith the Lord.
Emadolobheni elizwe lamaqaqa, lawemawatheni entshonalanga kanye lawaseNegebi, elizweni lakoBhenjamini, emizini eseduze leJerusalema lasemadolobheni akoJuda, imihlambi izadlula ngaphansi kwesandla salowo oyibalayo,’ kutsho uThixo.
14 Behold, days are coming, saith the Lord, when I will fulfill that good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and respecting the house of Judah.
‘Insuku ziyeza,’ kutsho uThixo, ‘lapho engizagcwalisa isithembiso somusa engasenza endlini ka-Israyeli lasendlini kaJuda.
15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause to grow up unto David the sprout of righteousness: and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
Ngalezonsuku langalesosikhathi ngizahlumisa uGatsha olulungileyo osendweni lukaDavida; uzakwenza okulungileyo lokufaneleyo elizweni.
16 In those days shall Judah be helped, and Jerusalem shall dwell in safety: and this is what she shall be called, The Lord is our righteousness.
Ngalezonsuku uJuda uzasindiswa leJerusalema ihlale ngokuvikeleka. Ibizo ezabizwa ngalo yileli elithi; uThixo oyikuLunga Kwethu.’
17 For thus hath said the Lord, There shall never be wanting unto David a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;
Ngoba uThixo uthi, ‘UDavida kayikuswela umuntu ozahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi bendlu ka-Israyeli,
18 And unto the priests the Levites there shall not be wanting a man before me, to offer burnt-offerings, and to burn meat-offerings, and to prepare sacrifices at all times.
labaphristi, abangabaLevi, kabayikuswela umuntu oma phambi kwami kokuphela ukuba anikele iminikelo yokutshiswa, atshise iminikelo yamabele lokwethula imihlatshelo.’”
19 And the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuJeremiya lisithi:
20 Thus hath said the Lord, If ye can break my covenant with the day, and my covenant with the night, and so, that there be not day and night in their season:
“Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, ‘Nxa lingephula isivumelwano sami lemini lesivumelwano sami lobusuku, ukuze imini lobusuku kungabe kusaqalisa ngezikhathi zakho ezamiswayo,
21 Then also shall my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and [that] with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
lapho-ke isivumelwano sami loDavida inceku yami lesivumelwano sami labaLevi abangabaphristi abakhonzayo phambi kwami singephulwa njalo uDavida angeke abe lenzalo ezabusa esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi.
22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, and the sand of the sea not be measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.
Ngizakwenza inzalo kaDavida inceku yami labaLevi abakhonzayo phambi kwami ingabi lakubalwa njengezinkanyezi zasemazulwini njalo ingalinganiseki njengetshebetshebe lasekhunjini lolwandle.’”
23 And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuJeremiya lisithi:
24 Hast thou not observed what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the Lord hath made choice of, even these hath he rejected: and they [thus] have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.
“Kawukananzeleli na ukuthi abantu laba bathi, ‘UThixo useyilahlile imibuso emibili ayeyikhethile’? Ngakho bayabeyisa abantu bami njalo kabasabanaki njengesizwe.
25 Thus hath said the Lord, If my covenant be not with day and night, if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth:
UThixo uthi, ‘Nxa ngingamisanga isivumelwano sami lelanga lobusuku kanye lemithetho eqinileyo yasezulwini lasemhlabeni,
26 Then also will I reject the seed of Jacob, and David my servant, so as not to take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; for I will cause their captivity to return, and have mercy on them.
lapho-ke ngizayilahla inzalo kaJakhobe lekaDavida inceku yami njalo ngingakhethi enye yamadodana akhe ukuba ibuse inzalo ka-Abhrahama, leka-Isaka lekaJakhobe. Ngoba ngizabuyisela inhlanhla yabo ngibe lesihawu kubo.’”

< Jeremiah 33 >