Jeremiah 7
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,
Leli yilizwi elafika kuJeremiya livela kuThixo lisithi:
2 Place thyself in the gate of the house of the Lord, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the Lord, all ye of Judah, that enter in by these gates to bow down before the Lord.
“Mana esangweni lendlu kaThixo umemezele ilizwi leli ukhonapho uthi: ‘Zwanini ilizwi likaThixo, lonke lina bantu bakoJuda abangena ngala amasango ukuzakhonza uThixo.
3 Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your deeds, and I will permit you to dwell in this place.
UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Lungisani izindlela zenu lezenzo zenu, ukuze ngilivumele ukuba lihlale kule indawo.
4 [But] do not rely on the words of falsehood, saying, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, [as] they [say].
Lingathembi amazwi akhohlisayo lithi, “Leli lithempeli likaThixo, ithempeli likaThixo, ithempeli likaThixo!”
5 For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your deeds; if ye thoroughly execute justice between a man and his neighbor;
Lingalungisa izindlela zenu lezenzo zenu sibili liphathane ngokulunga,
6 If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, and walk not after other gods to your own hurt:
nxa lingancindezeli owezizweni, izintandane loba umfelokazi njalo lingachithi gazi elingelacala kule indawo, njalo nxa lingalandeli abanye onkulunkulu okuzalilimaza,
7 Then will I permit you to dwell in this place, in the land that I have given to your fathers, from eternity to eternity.
ngizalivumela ukuba lihlale kule indawo, elizweni engalinika okhokho benu ukuba libe ngelabo kuze kube nini lanini.
8 Behold, ye rely on the words of falsehood, that cannot profit.
Kodwa khangelani, lina lithemba amazwi akhohlisayo angasizi lutho.
9 How? will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Ba'al, and walk after other gods of which ye have no knowledge;
Kambe lizantshontsha njalo libulale, lifebe, lifunge amanga, litshisele uBhali impepha njalo lilandele abanye onkulunkulu elingakaze libazi,
10 And [then] come and stand before my presence in this house, which is called by my name, and say, “We are delivered;” in order to do all these abominations?
beselisizakuma phambi kwami kuyonale indlu, eleBizo lami, lithi, “Sivikelekile,” livikeleka ukuba lenze zonke lezizinto ezenyanyekayo na?
11 Is then this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? [But] I also, behold, I have seen it, saith the Lord.
Indlu le, eleBizo lami, seyaba lubhalu lwabaphangi na? Kodwa kade ngikhangele! kutsho uThixo.
12 For go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I caused my name to dwell at the first, and see what I did unto it because of the wickedness of my people Israel.
Hambani khathesi endaweni yami eShilo lapho engenza khona kuqala indawo yokuhlala iBizo lami, libone engakwenza kuyo ngenxa yobubi babantu bami bako-Israyeli.
13 And now, whereas ye have done all these acts, saith the Lord, and I spoke unto you, causing [the prophets] to rise up early and speaking, while ye would not hear; and I called you, but ye would not answer:
UThixo uthi, kwathi lapho lisenza lezizinto, mina ngakhuluma lani futhifuthi, kodwa kalingilalelanga, ngalibiza, kalaze lasabela.
14 Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, whereon ye rely, and unto the place which I have given to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.
Ngakho-ke, lokho engakwenza eShilo khathesi ngizakwenza kule indlu eleBizo lami, ithempeli elilithembileyo, indawo engalinika yona lina kanye labokhokho benu.
15 And I will cast you out of my presence, as I have cast out all your brethren, all the seed of Ephraim.
Ngizalixotsha phambi kwami, njengalokho engakwenza abafowenu bonke, abantu bako-Efrayimi.’
16 But thou—pray not thou in behalf of this people, nor lift up in their behalf entreaty or prayer, nor make intercession to me; for I will not hear thee.
Ngakho abantu laba ungabakhulekeli loba ubakhulumele kumbe ubenzele isicelo; ungangincengi ngoba angiyikukulalela.
17 Dost thou not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?
Abakwenzayo emadolobheni akoJuda lasemigwaqweni yaseJerusalema kawukuboni na?
18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven, and they pour out drink-offerings unto other gods, in order to provoke me to anger.
Abantwana batheza inkuni, oyise babasa imililo, labesifazane baxova inhlama benzele iNdlovukazi yaseZulwini isinkwa. Bathelela abanye onkulunkulu iminikelo yokunathwayo ukuba bangithukuthelise.
19 Do they provoke me to anger? saith the Lord, [and] not themselves, to the shame of their own faces?
Kodwa yimi abangithukuthelisayo na? kutsho uThixo. Kabazilimazi bona ngokwabo na, okulihlazo kubo?
20 Therefore thus hath said the Lord Eternal, Behold my anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, over man, and over beast, and over the trees of the field, and over the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and it shall not be quenched.
‘Ngakho uThixo Wobukhosi uthi: Ukuthukuthela kwami lolaka lwami kuzakwehliselwa kule indawo, phezu kwabantu lasezinyamazaneni, phezu kwezihlahla zeganga laphezu kwezithelo zomhlabathi; njalo kuzakutsha kungacitsheki.
21 Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Add your burnt-offerings unto your peace-sacrifices, and eat the flesh thereof.
UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Qhubekani, fakani iminikelo yenu yokutshiswa kweminye imihlatshelo yenu lidle inyama lina ngokwenu!
22 For I spoke not with your fathers, and I commanded them not on the day of my bringing them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt-offering or sacrifice;
Ngoba ekukhupheni kwami okhokho benu eGibhithe ngikhuluma labo, angizange ngibanike imilayo nje kuphela ngeminikelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo,
23 But this thing did I command them, saying, Hearken to my voice, and I will be unto you for a God, and ye shall be unto me for a people; and walk ye altogether on the way which I may command you, in order that it may be well unto you.
kodwa ngabanika umlayo lo othi: Ngilalelani, njalo ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wenu lina libe ngabantu bami. Hambani ngezindlela zonke engililaye zona, ukuze kulilungele.
24 Yet they hearkened not, and inclined not their ear; but they walked in the counsels, in the stubbornness of their evil heart; and they went backward, and not forward:
Kodwa kabazange balalele kumbe banake; esikhundleni salokho, bona balandela inkani yentando yezinhliziyo zabo ezimbi. Baya emuva hatshi phambili.
25 Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt until this day; and I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, sending them daily in the morning early;
Kusukela ngesikhathi okhokho benu besuka eGibhithe kuze kube khathesi, usuku ngosuku, njalonjalo ngalithumela izinceku zami abaphrofethi.
26 Yet they hearkened not unto me, and inclined not their ear; but they hardened their neck; they did worse than their fathers.
Kodwa kabangilalelanga kumbe banake. Babelentamo ezilukhuni njalo benza ububi obudlula obabokhokho babo.’
27 And if thou speak unto them all these words, and they will not hearken to thee; and if thou call unto them, and they will not answer thee:
Lapho ubatshela konke lokhu, kabayikukulalela; lalapho ubabiza, kabayikusabela.
28 Then shalt thou say unto them, This is the nation that hearken not to the voice of the Lord their God, and accept not correction; lost is the truth, and is obliterated from their mouth.
Ngakho batshele uthi, ‘Lesi yisizwe esingalalelanga uThixo uNkulunkulu waso kumbe sivume ukuqondiswa. Iqiniso selifile; kalisekho ezindebeni zabo.
29 Cut off thy flowing hair, and cast it away, and take up on mountain-tops a lamentation; for rejected hath the Lord and forsaken the generation of his wrath.
Gelani inwele zenu lizilahlele khatshana; lenze isililo emiqolweni elugwadule, ngoba uThixo usesalile wasidela isizukulwane lesi esingaphanasi kolaka lwakhe.’”
30 For the children of Judah have done what is evil in my eyes, saith the Lord: they have set up their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it.
“‘Abantu bakoJuda benze ububi phambi kwami, kutsho uThixo. Bamise izithombe zabo ezenyanyekayo endlini eleBizo lami balingcolisa.
31 And they have built the high-places of Thophet, which is in the valley of Ben-hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I had not commanded, and which never came into my mind.
Sebakhe izindawo eziphakemeyo zaseThofethi esigodini saseBheni-Hinomu ukuba batshisele khona amadodana lamadodakazi abo ngomlilo, into engingabalayanga yona, engazange ifike engqondweni yami.
32 Therefore, behold days are coming, saith the Lord, that it shall not be called any more Thophet, or The valley of Ben-hinnom, but The valley of slaughter: and they shall bury in Thophet, for want of room.
Ngakho qaphelani, insuku ziyeza, kutsho uThixo, lapho abantu bengayikuyithi yiThofethi kumbe iSigodi saseBheni-Hinomu, kodwa iSigodi sokuBulala, ngoba abafileyo bazabangcwaba eThofethi kuze kusweleke indawo.
33 And the carcasses of this people shall become food unto the fowls of the heavens, and unto the beasts of the earth, with none to chase them away.
Lapho-ke izidumbu zabantu laba zizakuba yikudla kwezinyoni zasemoyeni lezinyamazana zomhlaba, njalo akuyikuba lomuntu ozazethusa.
34 And I will cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of gladness, and the voice of joy, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride; for a desert shall the land become.
Ngizaqeda imisindo yokuthokoza leyenjabulo emadolobheni akoJuda lasemigwaqweni yaseJerusalema, lokuthaba lelizwi lomlobokazi lelomyeni, ngoba ilizwe lizachitheka.’”
