Jeremiah 23
1 “Woe to shepherds destroying, And scattering the flock of My pasture,” A declaration of YHWH.
Maye kubelusi abachitha behlakaza izimvu zedlelo lami! itsho iNkosi.
2 Therefore, thus said YHWH, God of Israel, Against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, and drive them away, And have not inspected them, Behold, I am charging on you the evil of your doings,” A declaration of YHWH.
Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, imelene labelusi abelusa abantu bami: Lizihlakazile izimvu zami, lazixotsha, kalizethekelelanga. Khangelani, ngizaphindisela phezu kwenu ububi bezenzo zenu, itsho iNkosi.
3 “And I gather the remnant of My flock Out of all the lands to where I drove them, And have brought them back to their fold, And they have been fruitful, and multiplied.
Mina-ke ngizabutha insali yezimvu zami iphume kuwo wonke amazwe lapho engizixotshele khona, ngizibuyise futhi esibayeni sazo; njalo zizazala, zande.
4 And I have raised shepherds for them, And they have fed them, And they no longer fear, nor are frightened, Nor are they lacking,” A declaration of YHWH.
Ngizamisa phezu kwazo abelusi abazazelusa; njalo kazisayikwesaba, kaziyikutshaywa luvalo, kaziyikulahleka, itsho iNkosi.
5 “Behold, days are coming,” A declaration of YHWH, “And I have raised a righteous shoot to David, And a king has reigned and acted wisely, And done judgment and righteousness in the earth.
Khangela, insuku ziyeza, itsho iNkosi, lapho engizavusela uDavida iHlumela elilungileyo; njalo iNkosi izabusa iphumelele, izakwenza isahlulelo lokulunga emhlabeni.
6 Judah is saved in His days, and Israel dwells confidently, And this [is] His Name that YHWH proclaims Him: Our Righteousness.
Ensukwini zalo uJuda uzasindiswa, loIsrayeli ahlale evikelekile. Njalo leli libizo layo ezabizwa ngalo: INkosi Ukulunga Kwethu.
7 Therefore, behold, days are coming,” A declaration of YHWH, “And they no longer say, YHWH lives who brought up The sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,
Ngakho khangela, insuku ziyeza, itsho iNkosi, lapho abangasayikuthi: Kuphila kweNkosi, eyabakhuphula abantwana bakoIsrayeli elizweni leGibhithe.
8 But—YHWH lives, who brought up, And who brought in, the seed of the house of Israel, From the land of the north, And from all the lands to where I drove them, And they have dwelt on their own ground!”
Kodwa: Kuphila kweNkosi eyakhuphula eyaletha inzalo yendlu kaIsrayeli isuka elizweni lenyakatho lakuwo wonke amazwe engangiyixotshele khona. Njalo bazahlala elizweni lakibo.
9 In reference to the prophets: My heart has been broken in my midst, All my bones have fluttered, I have been as a man—a drunkard, And as a man—wine has passed over him, Because of YHWH, and of His holy words.
Mayelana labaprofethi: Inhliziyo yami yephukile ngaphakathi kwami; amathambo ami wonke ayathuthumela; nginjengesidakwa, lanjengomuntu owehlulwe liwayini, ngenxa yeNkosi, langenxa yamazwi obungcwele bayo.
10 For the land has been full of adulterers, For the land has mourned because of these, The pleasant places of the wilderness have dried up, And their course is evil, and their might—not right.
Ngoba ilizwe ligcwele izifebe; ngoba ngenxa yesiqalekiso ilizwe liyalila; amadlelo enkangala omile, lokuhamba kwabo kubi, lamandla abo kawaqondanga.
11 “For both prophet and priest have been profane, Indeed, I found their wickedness in My house,” A declaration of YHWH.
Ngoba lomprofethi lompristi kabamesabi uNkulunkulu; ngitsho endlini yami ngitholile ububi babo, itsho iNkosi.
12 “Therefore their way is as slippery places to them, They are driven into thick darkness, And they have fallen in it, For I bring in calamity against them, The year of their inspection,” A declaration of YHWH.
Ngakho indlela yabo izakuba kibo njengezindlela ezitshelelayo emnyameni; bafuqelwa phansi, bawele kuyo; ngoba ngizabehlisela okubi ngomnyaka wokuhanjelwa kwabo, itsho iNkosi.
13 “And I have seen folly in prophets of Samaria, They have prophesied by Ba‘al, And cause My people—Israel—to err.
Ngibonile-ke ubuwula kubaprofethi beSamariya; baprofetha ngoBhali, baduhisa abantu bami uIsrayeli.
14 And I have seen a horrible thing in prophets of Jerusalem, Committing adultery, and walking falsely, Indeed, they strengthened the hands of evildoers, So that they have not turned back, Each from his wickedness, All of them have been as Sodom to me, And its inhabitants as Gomorrah.”
Kodwa kubaprofethi beJerusalema ngibonile into eyesabekayo; bayafeba, bahambe emangeni, baqinisa izandla zabenzi bobubi ukuze bangaphenduki ngulowo ebubini bakhe; bonke sebenjengeSodoma kimi, labakhileyo bayo njengeGomora.
15 Therefore, thus said YHWH of Hosts, concerning the prophets: “Behold, I am causing them to eat wormwood, And have caused them to drink water of gall, For from prophets of Jerusalem Profanity has gone forth to all the land.”
Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla mayelana labaprofethi: Khangela, ngizabadlisa umhlonyane, ngibanathise amanzi enyongo; ngoba kusukela kubaprofethi beJerusalema ukungamesabi uNkulunkulu kuphumele ilizwe lonke.
16 Thus said YHWH of Hosts: “You do not listen to the words Of the prophets who are prophesying to you, They are making you vain things, They speak a vision of their own heart, Not from the mouth of YHWH.
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Lingalaleli amazwi abaprofethi abaprofetha kini; balenza libe yize; bakhuluma umbono wenhliziyo yabo, hatshi ovela emlonyeni weNkosi.
17 Diligently saying to those despising, The word of YHWH: Peace is for you, And [to] everyone walking in the stubbornness of his heart, they have said: Evil does not come to you.”
Baqhubeka besithi kwabangidelelayo: INkosi ithe: Lizakuba lokuthula; njalo bathi kuye wonke ohamba ngenkani yenhliziyo yakhe: Ububi kabuyikukwehlela.
18 For who has stood in the counsel of YHWH, And sees and hears His word? Who has regarded My word, and listens?
Ngoba ngubani omi kucebo leNkosi, wabona wezwa ilizwi layo? Ngubani oqaphelise ilizwi lakhe, walizwa?
19 Behold, a whirlwind of YHWH—Fury has gone out, even a piercing whirlwind, It stays on the head of the wicked.
Khangela, isivunguzane seNkosi, ulaka luphumile, ngitsho isivunguzane esibuhlungu; sizakwehlela ngamandla phezu kwekhanda labakhohlakeleyo.
20 The anger of YHWH does not turn back Until His doing, and until His establishing, The thoughts of His heart, In the latter end of the days You attend to it with understanding.
Ulaka lweNkosi kaluyikuphenduka, ize yenze, njalo ize iqinise iminakano yenhliziyo yayo. Ekucineni kwezinsuku lizakuqedisisa lokukuqedisisa.
21 “I have not sent the prophets, and they have run, I have not spoken to them, and they have prophesied.
Kangibathumanga lababaprofethi, kanti bona bagijima; kangikhulumanga labo, kanti bona baprofetha.
22 But if they stood in My counsel, Then they cause My people to hear My words, And they turn them back from their evil way, And from the evil of their doings.
Kodwa uba bebemi kucebo lami, ngabe benza abantu bami bezwa amazwi ami, ngabe babaphendula endleleni yabo embi lebubini bezenzo zabo.
23 [Am] I a God near,” A declaration of YHWH, “And not a God far off?
NginguNkulunkulu oseduze yini, itsho iNkosi, njalo hatshi uNkulunkulu okhatshana?
24 Is anyone hidden in secret places, And I do not see him?” A declaration of YHWH, “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” A declaration of YHWH.
Ukhona yini ongacatsha endaweni ezisithekileyo ukuze ngingamboni? itsho iNkosi. Kangigcwalisi yini amazulu lomhlaba? itsho iNkosi.
25 “I have heard that which the prophets said, Who prophesy falsehood in My Name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
Ngizwile ukuthi abaprofethi batheni, abaprofetha amanga ebizweni lami besithi: Ngiphuphile, ngiphuphile!
26 Until when is it in the heart of the prophets? The prophets of falsehood, Indeed, prophets of the deceit of their heart,
Koze kube nini kusenhliziyweni yabaprofethi abaprofetha amanga? Yebo, bangabaprofethi benkohliso yenhliziyo yabo;
27 Who are devising to cause My people To forget My Name by their dreams, That they each recount to his neighbor, As their fathers forgot My Name for Ba‘al.
abacabanga ukwenza abantu bami bakhohlwe ibizo lami ngamaphupho abo abawalandisa ngulowo umakhelwane wakhe, njengaboyise bakhohlwa ibizo lami ngenxa kaBhali.
28 The prophet with whom [is] a dream, Let him recount the dream, And he with whom [is] My word, Let him truly speak My word. What does the straw [have to do] with the grain?” A declaration of YHWH.
Umprofethi olephupho, kalilandise iphupho; lolelizwi lami, kalikhulume ilizwi lami ngeqiniso. Amahlanga ayini lamabele? itsho iNkosi.
29 “Is it not thus? My word [is] as fire,” A declaration of YHWH. “And as a hammer—it breaks a rock in pieces.
Ilizwi lami kalinjalo njengomlilo yini, itsho iNkosi, lanjengesando esiqhekeza idwala libe yizicucu?
30 Therefore, behold, I [am] against the prophets,” A declaration of YHWH, “Each stealing My words from his neighbor.
Ngakho khangela, ngimelene labaprofethi, itsho iNkosi, abeba amazwi ami, ngulowo kumakhelwane wakhe.
31 Behold, I [am] against the prophets,” A declaration of YHWH, “Who are making their tongue smooth, And they affirm—an affirmation.
Khangela, ngimelene labaprofethi, itsho iNkosi, abasebenzisa ulimi lwabo, bathi: Ithi.
32 Behold, I [am] against the prophets of false dreams,” A declaration of YHWH, “And they recount them, and cause My people to err, By their falsehoods, and by their instability, And I have not sent them, Nor have I commanded them, And they are not profitable to this people at all,” A declaration of YHWH.
Khangela, ngimelene labaprofetha amaphupho amanga, itsho iNkosi, bawalandisa, baduhise abantu bami ngamanga abo, langokuwalazela kwabo, kanti mina ngingabathumanga, ngingabalayanga; ngakho kabayikubasiza ngitsho ngalutho lababantu, itsho iNkosi.
33 “And when this people, or the prophet, Or a priest, asks you, saying, What [is] the burden of YHWH? Then you have said to them: You [are] the burden, and I have left you,” A declaration of YHWH.
Lalapho lababantu, loba umprofethi, kumbe umpristi, bekubuza, besithi: Uyini umthwalo weNkosi? Khona uzakuthi kibo: Umthwalo bani? Ukuthi ngizalidela, itsho iNkosi.
34 “And the prophet, and the priest, and the people, That says, The burden of YHWH, I have seen after that man, and after his house.
Mayelana lomprofethi, lompristi, labantu, abazakuthi: Umthwalo weNkosi; ngizamjezisa lalowomuntu lendlu yakhe.
35 Thus you each say to his neighbor, And each to his brother: What has YHWH answered? And what has YHWH spoken?
Lizakhuluma ngalindlela, ngulowo kumakhelwane wakhe, langulowo kumfowabo: INkosi iphendule yathini? Lokuthi: INkosi ikhulumeni?
36 And you do not mention the burden of YHWH anymore, For the burden to each is His word, And you have overturned the words of the living God, YHWH of Hosts, our God.
Kodwa umthwalo weNkosi kalisayikukhuluma ngawo. Ngoba ilizwi langulowo lalowomuntu lizakuba ngumthwalo wakhe, ngoba liwahlanekele amazwi kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu wethu.
37 Thus you say to the prophet, What has YHWH answered you? And what has YHWH spoken?
Uzakutsho ngokunjalo kumprofethi: INkosi ikuphenduleni? njalo: INkosi ikhulumeni?
38 And if you say, The burden of YHWH, Therefore, thus said YHWH: Because of your saying this word, The burden of YHWH, And I send to you, saying, You do not say, The burden of YHWH.
Kodwa uba lisithi: Umthwalo weNkosi; ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngoba likhuluma lamazwi okuthi: Umthwalo weNkosi; njalo ngithumele kini ngisithi: Lingabokuthi: Umthwalo weNkosi;
39 Therefore, behold, I have utterly taken you away, And I have sent you out, And the city that I gave to you, And to your fathers, from before My face,
ngakho khangelani, mina ngizalikhohlwa ngokupheleleyo, ngitshiye lina lomuzi engalinika wona laboyihlo, lisuke ebusweni bami.
40 And I have put continuous reproach on you, And continuous shame that is not forgotten!”
Njalo ngizabeka phezu kwenu ihlazo elilaphakade lokuyangeka okulaphakade, okungayikukhohlakala.
