Jeremiah 12
1 You [are] righteous, O YHWH, When I plead toward You, Only, let me speak judgments with You, Why did the way of the wicked prosper? All treacherous dealers have been at rest.
Wena ulungile izikhathi zonke, Oh Thixo, lapho ngiletha indaba kuwe. Ikanti ngingakhuluma lawe ngokulunga kwakho: Kungani indlela yababi iphumelela na? Kungani abangathembekanga behlezi kuhle na?
2 You have planted them, Indeed, they have taken root, They go on, indeed, they have made fruit, You [are] near in their mouth, And far off from their reins.
Ubahlanyele, njalo sebemilile; bayakhula bathele izithelo. Bahlezi bekhuluma ngawe, kodwa ezinhliziyweni zabo ukhatshana.
3 And You, O YHWH, You have known me, You see me, and have tried my heart with You, Draw them away as sheep to slaughter, And separate them for a day of slaughter.
Kodwa mina, Oh Thixo, uyangazi; uyangibona uhlole imicabango yami ngawe. Bahudule njengezimvu eziyahlatshwa! Bamisele usuku lokubulawa!
4 Until when does the earth mourn, And the herb of the whole field wither? For the wickedness of those dwelling in it, Beast and bird have been consumed, Because they said, “He does not see our latter end.”
Koze kube nini ilizwe lomile lotshani iganga lonke bubunile? Ngenxa yokuthi labo abahlala kulo babi, izinyamazana lezinyoni sezibhubhile. Kanti futhi abantu bathi, “Kasoze akubone okwenzakala kithi.”
5 “For you have run with footmen, And they weary you, And how you fret yourself with horses! Even in the land of peace, [In which] you are confident—And how will you do in the rising of Jordan?
“Nxa ugijime labantu ngezinyawo bakudinisa, ungancintisana njani lamabhiza na? Nxa ukhubeka elizweni elingelangozi, pho uzakwanelisa njani ezixukwini zaseJodani na?
6 For even your brothers and the house of your father, Even they dealt treacherously against you, Even they called after you fully, Do not trust in them when they speak good things to you.
Abafowenu, abendlu yakwenu labo futhi bakunikele; baklabalale batsho okubi ngawe. Ungabathembi, lanxa bekhuluma kuhle ngawe.
7 I have forsaken My house, I have left My inheritance, I have given the beloved of My soul Into the hand of her enemies.
Indlu yami ngizayitshiya, ngilidele ilifa lami; lowo engimthandayo ngizamnikela ezandleni zezitha zakhe.
8 My inheritance has been to Me as a lion in a forest, She gave forth against Me with her voice, Therefore I have hated her.
Ilifa lami kimi selibe njengesilwane ehlathini. Liyangihwabhela; ngakho ngiyalizonda.
9 [Is] My inheritance a speckled bird to Me? Is the bird around against her? Come, assemble, every beast of the field, Come for food.
Ilifa lami kimi kaselibe njengenyoni emabalabala edla inyama ehanqwa ngezinye izinyoni ezidla inyama, ziyihlasela na? Hamba uyebutha zonke izinyamazana zeganga; uzilethe ukuba zidle.
10 Many shepherds destroyed My vineyard, They have trodden down My portion, They have made My desirable portion Become a wilderness—a desolation.
Abelusi abanengi bazasichitha isivini sami bagandele insimu yami; bazaguqula insimu yami enhle ibe lugwadule oluphundlekileyo.
11 He has made it become a desolation, The desolation has mourned to Me, All the land has been desolated, But there is no one laying it to heart.
Izakwenziwa ugwadule, yome iphundlekile phambi kwami; ilizwe lonke lizachitheka ngoba kakho olinakayo.
12 Spoilers have come in on all high places in the plain, For the sword of YHWH is consuming, From the end of the land even to the end of the land, There is no peace to any flesh.
Emiqolweni yonke engelalutho enkangala abachithi bazaphithizela, ngoba inkemba kaThixo izakudla kusukela komunye umkhawulo welizwe kusiya komunye; kakho ozavikeleka.
13 They sowed wheat, and have reaped thorns, They have become sick—they do not profit, And they have been ashamed of your increases, Because of the fierceness of the anger of YHWH.”
Bazahlanyela ingqoloyi kodwa bavune ameva; bazazidinisa kodwa bangazuzi lutho. Ngakho wobani lenhloni ngesivuno senu ngenxa yolaka olwesabekayo lukaThixo.”
14 Thus said YHWH: “Concerning all My evil neighbors, who are striking against the inheritance that I caused My people—Israel—to inherit: Behold, I am plucking them from off their ground, And I pluck the house of Judah out of their midst.
UThixo uthi: “Bonke omakhelwane bami ababi abathumba ilifa engalinika abantu bami bako-Israyeli, ngizabasusa emazweni abo ngisuse lendlu kaJuda phakathi kwabo.
15 And it has been, after My plucking them out, I turn back, and have pitied them, And I have brought them back, Each to his inheritance, and each to his land.
Kodwa emva kokubasusa kwami, ngizaphinda ngibe lesihawu ngibuyisele omunye lomunye wabo endaweni eyilifa lakhe elizweni lakhe.
16 And it has come to pass, If they learn the ways of My people well, To swear by My Name, YHWH lives, As they taught My people to swear by Ba‘al, Then they have been built up in the midst of My people.
Bangazifunda kuhle izindlela zabantu bami njalo bafunge ngebizo lami besithi, ‘Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ephila’ lanxa nje bake bafundisa abantu bami ukufunga ngoBhali, bazahlaliswa phakathi kwabantu bami.
17 And if they do not listen, Then I have plucked up that nation, Plucking up and destroying,” A declaration of YHWH!
Kodwa nxa isizwe singalaleli, ngizasisusa ngokupheleleyo ngisibhubhise,” kutsho uThixo.
