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.
Ulungile wena Nkosi, lapho ngiphikisana lawe; kanti ngizakhuluma lawe ngezahlulelo zakho. Kungani indlela yabakhohlakeleyo iphumelela? Kungani behlezi kuhle bonke abenza inkohliso ngenkohliso?
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, yebo, bagxilile impande; bayaqhubeka, yebo, bathele izithelo; useduze emlonyeni wabo, kanti ukhatshana lezinso zabo.
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 wena, Nkosi, uyangazi, ungibonile, wahlola inhliziyo yami ngakuwe. Bahudule njengezimvu zokuhlatshwa, ubehlukanisele usuku lokuhlatshwa.
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 lilila, lohlaza lweganga lonke lubuna? Ngenxa yobubi babakhileyo kulo izinyamazana lenyoni ziyabhubha; ngoba bathi: Kayiyikubona isiphetho sethu.
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?
Uba ugijime labezinyawo, bakudinisa, pho, ungancintisana njani lamabhiza? Uba uthembela elizweni elilokuthula, pho, uzakwenza njani ekukhukhumaleni kweJordani?
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.
Ngoba ngitsho abafowenu lendlu kayihlo, ngitsho labo bakuphatha ngenkohliso, yebo, bona bayamemeza emva kwakho ngokugcweleyo; ungabakholwa, loba bekhuluma izinto ezinhle kuwe.
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.
Ngiyidelile indlu yami, ngilitshiyile ilifa lami; nginikele othandiweyo womphefumulo wami esandleni sezitha 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 linjengesilwane ehlathini; lingiphumisele ilizwi; ngakho-ke ngilizondile.
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 linjengenyoni elamabalabala edla inyama, inyoni ezidla inyama ziyihanqile zimelene layo; wozani, libuthe zonke izilo zeganga, lizilethe ukuthi 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 basichithile isivini sami, banyathelele phansi isabelo sami, basenzile isabelo sami esiloyisekayo saba yinkangala elunxiwa.
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.
Basenze saba lunxiwa, sililela kimi silunxiwa; ilizwe lonke lilunxiwa, ngoba kakulamuntu okubeka enhliziyweni.
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.
Abachithi bafikile phezu kwawo wonke amadundulu enkangala; ngoba inkemba yeNkosi izakudla kusukela komunye umkhawulo welizwe kusiya komunye umkhawulo welizwe; kakulakuthula kuyo yonke inyama.
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.”
Bahlanyele ingqoloyi, kodwa bazavuna ameva; bazihluphe, kabayikuzuza; njalo lizakuba lenhloni ngezivuno zenu, ngenxa yokuvutha kolaka lweNkosi.
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.
Itsho njalo iNkosi: Mayelana labo bonke omakhelwane bami ababi abathinta ilifa engenze isizwe sami uIsrayeli ukuthi sidle ilifa lalo: Khangela, ngizabasiphuna elizweni labo, ngiyisiphune indlu yakoJuda isuke 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.
Kuzakuthi-ke emva kokubasiphuna kwami, ngizabuya ngibe lesihawu kubo, ngibabuyise, kube ngulowo lalowo elifeni lakhe, langulowo lalowo 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.
Kuzakuthi-ke uba bezazifunda ngokukhuthala izindlela zabantu bami, ukuthi bafunge ngebizo lami bathi: Kuphila kukaJehova; njengalokho bafundisa abantu bami ukufunga ngoBhali, khona bezakwakhiwa 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 uba bengalaleli, ngizasisiphuna lesosizwe, ngisisiphune ngisibhubhise, itsho iNkosi.
