Jeremiah 46
1 The word of the Lord which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the nations:
Leli yilizwi likaThixo elafika kuJeremiya umphrofethi mayelana lezizwe:
2 Concerning Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh-necho the king of Egypt, which was [posted] by the river Euphrates in Karkemish, which Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoyakim the son of Josiah the king of Judah.
Mayelana leGibhithe: Leli yilizwi elimayelana lebutho likaFaro Nekho inkosi yaseGibhithe, elanqotshwayo eKharikhemishi emfuleni iYufrathe nguNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni ngomnyaka wesine kaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda:
3 Make ye ready shield and buckler, and draw near to the battle.
“Lungisani amahawu enu, amakhulu lamancane, liphume liye empini.
4 Harness the horses, and mount, ye horsemen, and stand forth with helmets: sharpen the spears, and put on the coats of mail.
Bophani amabhiza, liwagade! Manini ezindaweni zenu lilezingowane zenu! Lolani imikhonto yenu, ligqoke impahla zempi!
5 Wherefore have I seen them dismayed, moving backward? while their mighty ones are beaten down, and seek safety in flight, and look not back? There is terror round about, saith the Lord.
Kuyini engikubonayo? Bayesaba, bahlehlela emuva, amabutho abo ehlulwe. Abaleka ngesiqubu anganyemukuli, njalo kulokwesaba izindawo zonke,” kutsho uThixo.
6 The swift cannot flee away, nor can the mighty man escape: toward the north by the shore of the river Euphrates do they stumble and fall.
“Olejubane kasoze abaleke kumbe olamandla aphephe. Ngasenyakatho, emfuleni iYufrathe bayakhubeka bawe.
7 Who is this that cometh up like a stream, whose waters are upheaved like the rivers?
Ngubani lo ophakama njengeNayili, njengemifula elamanzi agubhazelayo na?
8 Egypt cometh up like a stream, and like the rivers are the waters upheaved; and he saith, I will go up, I will cover the land; I will destroy the city and those that dwell therein.
IGibhithe liphakama njengeNayili, njengemifula elamanzi agubhazelayo. Lithi: ‘Ngizaphakama ngembese umhlaba; ngizachitha amadolobho labantu bawo.’
9 Come up, ye horses; and rush along wildly, ye chariots; and let the mighty men come forth: Cush and Put, that grasp the shield, and the Ludim, that grasp and bend the bow.
Hlaselani, lina mabhiza! Qhubekani ngentukuthelo, lina zinqola zempi! Yanini phambili, lina mabutho, madoda aseKhushi lawePhuthi, aphatha amahawu, madoda aseLudi agoba idandili.
10 And this same day is for the Lord, the Eternal of hosts, a day of vengeance, to be avenged on his adversaries; that the sword may devour, and may be satiated and made drunken with their blood; for there is a sacrifice for the Lord the Eternal of hosts in the north country by the river Euphrates.
Kodwa usuku lolo ngolweNkosi, uThixo uSomandla, usuku lokuphindisela, olokuphindisela ezitheni zakhe. Inkemba izakudla ize isuthe, ize icitshe ukoma kwayo ngegazi. Ngoba iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla uzanikela umhlatshelo elizweni lasenyakatho ngasemfuleni iYufrathe.
11 Go up into Gil'ad, and fetch balm, O virgin, daughter of Egypt: in vain usest thou many remedies; there is no recovery for thee.
Yana eGiliyadi uyethatha umuthi wokwelapha, wena Ndodakazi egcweleyo yaseGibhithe. Kodwa imithi uyandisela ize; akukho kusila kuwe.
12 Nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry of anguish hath filled the earth; for the mighty man over the mighty have they stumbled, together are both of them fallen.
Izizwe zizakuzwa ngehlazo lakho; ukukhala kwakho kuzagcwala umhlaba. Elinye ibutho lizakhubeka kwelinye; womabili azawela phansi ndawonye.”
13 The word which the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, concerning the coming of Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, to smite the land of Egypt.
Leli yilizwi uThixo alikhuluma kuJeremiya umphrofethi ngokuza kukaNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni ukuba ahlasele iGibhithe:
14 Announce ye in Egypt, and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Thachpanches: say ye, Stand fast, and prepare thyself; for the sword devoureth round about thee.
“Memezelani lokhu eGibhithe, likubike laseMigidoli; kumemezeleni njalo laseMemfisi laseThahiphanesi lithi: ‘Manini ezindaweni zenu lilunge, ngoba inkemba idla abakhelene lani.’
15 Why are thy valiant men swept away? not one hath stood, because the Lord did drive him off.
Amabutho enu azabulawelwani na? Angeke ame, ngoba uThixo uzawalahlela phansi.
16 He caused many to stumble; yea, one also fell over the other; and they said, Arise, and let us return to our own people, and to the land of our birth, from before the wasting sword.
Azakhubeka kokuphela; azakuwa elekane. Azakuthi, ‘Vukani, kasibuyeleni emuva ebantwini bakithi lasemazweni akithi, kude kwenkemba yomncindezeli.’
17 They called out there, Pharaoh is king of Egypt, it was but vaunting, he hath let the time appointed pass by.
Khonale bazamemeza bathi, ‘UFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe ingumsindo omkhulu nje kuphela; uselahlekelwe lithuba lakhe.’
18 As I live, saith the King, the Lord of hosts is his name, Surely as Thabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel is by the sea, so shall he come.
Ngeqiniso elinjengokuthi ngikhona,” kutsho iNkosi, obizo layo nguThixo uSomandla, “kuzafika omunye onjengoThabhori phakathi kwezintaba, njengoKhameli ngasolwandle.
19 Appurtenances of exile make for thyself, O thou inhabitress, daughter of Egypt; for Noph shall be made a waste and be left desolate without an inhabitant.
Lungisani impahla zekuthunjweni, lina abahlala eGibhithe, ngoba iMemfisi izadilizwa ibe lunxiwa olungahlali muntu.
20 O fairest heifer, Egypt! the butcher from the north cometh, he cometh.
IGibhithe ilithokazi elihle, kodwa isibawu siyeza silisongela sivela enyakatho.
21 Also her hired troops in the midst of her are like fatted calves; for they also are turned round, are fled away together, they do not stand; because the day of their calamity is come upon them, the time of their punishment.
Amabutho okuqatshwa aphakathi kwalo anjengamathole anonisiweyo. Lawo azaphenduka abaleke endawonye, kawayikuma, ngoba usuku lomonakalo luyeza phezu kwabo, isikhathi sabo sokujeziswa.
22 Her cry shall come like [the hissing of] a serpent; for with an army shall they march, and with axes do they come against her, like hewers of wood.
IGibhithe izakhwaza njengenyoka ebalekayo lapho isitha sisondela ngobunengi baso; sizayihlasela ngamahloka okwabantu abagamula izihlahla.
23 They cut down her forest, saith the Lord, though it cannot be searched out; because they are more than the grasshoppers, and there is no number to them.
Sizagamula amahlathi ayo,” kutsho uThixo, “lanxa eminyene kanjani. Banengi kulentethe, ngeke babalwe.
24 Ashamed hath been made the daughter of Egypt: she hath been given up into the hand of the people of the north.
Indodakazi yaseGibhithe izayangiswa, inikelwe ebantwini basenyakatho.”
25 The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, hath said, Behold, I will send visitation on Ahmon of No, and on Pharaoh, and on Egypt, and on her gods, and on her kings; even on Pharaoh, and on those that trust on him;
UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: “Sekuseduze ukuba ngijezise u-Amoni unkulunkulu waseThebesi, loFaro, leGibhithe kanye labonkulunkulu balo lamakhosi alo, lalabo abathembe uFaro.
26 And I will give them up into the hand of those that seek their life, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterward shall she be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the Lord.
Ngizabanikela kulabo abafuna ukubabulala, kuNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni lezikhulu zakhe. Kodwa muva, iGibhithe lizahlalwa ngabantu futhi njengasezinsukwini zakudala,” kutsho uThixo.
27 But thou, —fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel; for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity: and Jacob shall return, and he shall be at rest and at ease, with none to make him afraid.
“Ungesabi, wena Jakhobe nceku yami; ungathuthumeli, wena Israyeli. Impela ngizakukhulula endaweni ekude, lenzalo yakho elizweni lokuthunjwa kwayo. UJakhobe uzakuba lokuthula futhi kanye lokuvikeleka, njalo kakho ozamthuthumelisa.
28 Thou, —fear thou not, O Jacob my servant, saith the Lord; for I am with thee: and although I make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee, yet of thee will I not make a full end; and I will correct thee in measure; yet wholly will I not leave thee unpunished.
Ungesabi wena Jakhobe nceku yami ngoba ngilawe,” kutsho uThixo. “Lanxa ngizachitha ngokupheleleyo izizwe zonke engakuhlakazela kuzo, wena angiyikukuchitha ngokupheleleyo. Ngizakujezisa kodwa ngokufaneleyo kuphela; angiyikukuyekela nje ungajeziswanga.”
