< Jeremiah 37 >

1 And King Zedekiah son of Josiah reigns instead of Coniah son of Jehoiakim whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had caused to reign in the land of Judah,
UZedekhiya indodana kaJosiya wabekwa nguNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni ukuba abe yinkosi yakoJuda; wabusa esikhundleni sikaJehoyakhini indodana kaJehoyakhimi.
2 and he has not listened—he, and his servants, and the people of the land—to the words of YHWH that He spoke by the hand of Jeremiah the prophet.
Yena lezinceku zakhe kanye labantu baselizweni kabawanakanga amazwi kaThixo ayewakhulume ngoJeremiya umphrofethi.
3 And Zedekiah the king sends Jehucal son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Pray, we implore you, for us to our God YHWH.”
Kodwa uZedekhiya inkosi, wathuma uJehukhali indodana kaShelemiya lomphristi uZefaniya indodana kaMaseya kuJeremiya umphrofethi belaleli ilizwi, elithi, “Ake usikhulekele kuThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.”
4 And Jeremiah is coming in and going out in the midst of the people (and they have not put him in the prison-house),
Ngalesisikhathi uJeremiya wayesekhululekile ukuza lokuhamba phakathi kwabantu, ngoba wayengakafakwa entolongweni.
5 and the force of Pharaoh has come out of Egypt, and the Chaldeans who are laying siege against Jerusalem hear their report, and go up from off Jerusalem.
Ibutho likaFaro laseliphumile eGibhithe, kwasekusithi amaKhaladiya ayevimbezele iJerusalema esezwe umbiko ngalo, asuka eJerusalema.
6 And there is a word of YHWH to Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
Kwasekufika ilizwi likaThixo kuJeremiya umphrofethi lisithi:
7 “Thus said YHWH, God of Israel: Thus you say to the king of Judah who is sending you to Me, to seek Me: Behold, the force of Pharaoh that is coming out to you for help has turned back to its land, to Egypt,
“UThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi, tshelani inkosi yakoJuda elithume ukuba lizengibuza lithi, ‘Ibutho likaFaro eseliphume ukuba lizelisekela, lizabuyela elizweni lalo eGibhithe.
8 and the Chaldeans have turned back and fought against this city, and captured it, and burned it with fire.
Emva kwalokho amaKhaladiya azaphenduka ahlasele idolobho leli; azalithumba alitshise ngomlilo.’
9 Thus said YHWH: Do not lift up your souls, saying, The Chaldeans surely go from off us, for they do not go;
UThixo uthi: Lingazikhohlisi licabange lithi, ‘AmaKhaladiya azasuka kithi impela.’ Kawayikusuka!
10 for though you had struck all the force of the Chaldeans who are fighting with you, and there were left of them wounded men—they rise, each in his tent, and have burned this city with fire.”
Lanxa linganqoba lonke ibutho lamaKhaladiya alihlaselayo, kusale abantu abalimeleyo kuphela emathenteni abo, bazaphuma balitshise idolobho leli ngomlilo.”
11 And it has come to pass, in the going up of the force of the Chaldeans from off Jerusalem, because of the force of Pharaoh,
Kwathi ibutho lamaKhaladiya selisukile eJerusalema ngenxa yebutho likaFaro,
12 that Jeremiah goes out from Jerusalem to go [to] the land of Benjamin, to receive a portion there in the midst of the people.
uJeremiya wasuka edolobheni ukuba aye elizweni lakoBhenjamini ukuba ayethatha isabelo sakhe selifa phakathi kwabantu khonale.
13 And it comes to pass, he is at the Gate of Benjamin, and there [is] a master of the ward, and his name is Irijah son of Shelemiah, son of Hananiah; and he catches Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are defecting to the Chaldeans!”
Kodwa kwathi esefikile eSangweni lakoBhenjamini, induna yabalindi ebizo layo lalingu-Irija indodana kaShelemiya, indodana kaHananiya, wambopha wasesithi kuye, “Ubalekela kumaKhaladiya wena!”
14 And Jeremiah says, “Falsehood! I am not defecting to the Chaldeans”; and he has not listened to him, and Irijah lays hold on Jeremiah, and brings him to the heads,
UJeremiya wathi, “Akusiqiniso lokho! Kangibalekeli kumaKhaladiya.” Kodwa u-Irija kamlalelanga; esikhundleni salokho, wabopha uJeremiya wamusa ezikhulwini.
15 and the heads are angry against Jeremiah, and have struck him, and put him in the prison-house—the house of Jonathan the scribe, for they had made it for a prison-house.
Izikhulu zamthukuthelela uJeremiya zalaya ukuba atshaywe aphinde avalelwe endlini kaJonathani umabhalani, ezaseziyenze yaba yintolongo.
16 When Jeremiah has entered into the house of the dungeon, and to the cells, then Jeremiah dwells there many days,
UJeremiya wafakwa esitokisini esiyingubhe emgodini oyintolongo lapho ahlala khona okwesikhathi eside.
17 and King Zedekiah sends, and takes him, and the king asks him in his house in secret, and says, “Is there a word from YHWH?” And Jeremiah says, “There is,” and he says, “You are given into the hand of the king of Babylon.”
Inkosi uZedekhiya wathi kayethathwa alethwe esigodlweni lapho ambuzela khona ensitha esithi, “Kulelizwi elivela kuThixo na?” UJeremiya waphendula wathi, “Yebo, wena uzanikelwa enkosini yaseBhabhiloni.”
18 And Jeremiah says to King Zedekiah, “What have I sinned against you, and against your servants, and against this people, that you have put me into a prison-house?
UJeremiya wabuye wathi kuZedekhiya inkosi, “Ngoneni kuwe loba ezikhulwini zakho kumbe kulababantu, uze ungifake entolongweni nje?
19 And where [are] your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, The king of Babylon does not come in against you, and against this land?
Bangaphi abaphrofethi bakho abaphrofetha kuwe besithi, ‘Inkosi yaseBhabhiloni kayiyikukuhlasela wena kanye lelizwe leli’?
20 And now, please listen, O my lord the king; please let my supplication fall before you, and do not cause me to return [to] the house of Jonathan the scribe, that I do not die there.”
Kodwa khathesi, nkosi yami, ake ulalele. Ngivumela ngethule isicelo sami kuwe: Ungangibuyiseli endlini kaJonathani umabhalani, hlezi ngifele khona.”
21 And King Zedekiah commands, and they commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, also to give a cake of bread to him daily from the bakers’ street, until the consumption of all the bread of the city, and Jeremiah dwells in the court of the prison.
UZedekhiya inkosi waselaya ukuba uJeremiya afakwe egumeni labalindi aphiwe isinkwa esivela emgwaqweni wabapheki bezinkwa usuku ngalunye izinkwa zonke zize ziphele edolobheni. Ngakho uJeremiya wahlala egumeni labalindi.

< Jeremiah 37 >