Jeremiah 4
1 “If you return, O Israel,” A declaration of YHWH, “Return to Me, And if you turn aside Your abominations from My face, Then you do not bemoan.
“Nxa uphenduka, wena Israyeli, buyela kimi,” kutsho uThixo. “Ungasusa phambi kwami izithombe zakho ezenyanyekayo ungabe usaphambuka futhi,
2 And you have sworn—YHWH lives, In truth, in judgment, and in righteousness, And nations have blessed themselves in Him, And they boast themselves in Him.”
njalo nxa uzafunga ngobuqotho, ngokulunga langokuqonda, uthi, ‘Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona,’ ngakho izizwe uzazibusisa ziziqhenye ngaye.”
3 For thus said YHWH, To the man of Judah, and to Jerusalem: “Till for yourselves tillage, And do not sow to the thorns.
Ebantwini bakoJuda labeJerusalema uThixo uthi: “Qhathani ingqatho yenu, lingahlanyeli phakathi kwameva.
4 Be circumcised to YHWH, And turn aside the foreskins of your heart, O man of Judah, and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, Lest My fury goes out as fire, and has burned, And there is none quenching, Because of the evil of your doings.”
Zisokeleni kuThixo, lisoke inhliziyo zenu, lina bantu bakoJuda lani bantu baseJerusalema, hlezi ulaka lwami luvuke luvuthe njengomlilo ngenxa yobubi elibenzileyo, lutshise kungekho muntu ongalucitsha.”
5 Declare in Judah, and sound in Jerusalem, and say: “Blow a horn in the land, Call, Fill up together, And say, Assemble yourselves and let us go into the fortified cities.
“Bikani koJuda limemezele laseJerusalema lithi: ‘Tshayani icilongo elizweni lonke!’ Klabalalani lithi, ‘Buthanani ndawonye! Kasibalekeleni emadolobheni avikelweyo!’
6 Lift up an ensign toward Zion, Strengthen yourselves, do not stand still, For I am bringing evil in from the north, And a great destruction.”
Phakamisani uphawu lokuya eZiyoni! Balekelani ekusileni ngokuphangisa! Ngoba ngiletha umonakalo ovela enyakatho, lencithakalo embi kakhulu.”
7 A lion has gone up from his thicket, And a destroyer of nations has journeyed, He has come forth from his place To make your land become a desolation, Your cities are laid waste, without inhabitant.
Isilwane sesiphumile esikhundleni saso, umchithi wezizwe usephumile. Usesukile endaweni yakhe ukuba achithe ilizwe lenu. Amadolobho enu azakuba ngamanxiwa engelamuntu ohlala kuwo.
8 For this, gird on sackcloth, lament and howl, For the fierce anger of YHWH has not turned back from us.
Ngakho gqokani amasaka, khalani lilile, ngoba ulaka lukaThixo olwesabekayo kalususwanga kithi.
9 “And it has come to pass in that day,” A declaration of YHWH, “The heart of the king perishes, And the heart of the princes, And the priests have been astonished, And the prophets wonder.”
UThixo uthi, “Ngalolosuku inkosi lezikhulu bazaphelelwa lithemba, abaphristi bazathuthumela, abaphrofethi bazakwesaba.”
10 And I say, “Aah! Lord YHWH, Surely you have entirely forgotten this people and Jerusalem, Saying, Peace is for you, And a sword has struck to the soul!”
Lapho-ke mina ngathi, “Awu, Thixo Wobukhosi, ubakhohlisile sibili abantu laba kanye leJerusalema ngokuthi, ‘Lizakuba lokuthula,’ inkemba yona isemiphinjeni yethu!”
11 At that time it is said of this people, And of Jerusalem: “A dry wind of high places in the wilderness, The way of the daughter of My people (Not for winnowing, nor for cleansing),
Ngalesosikhathi abantu laba leJerusalema kuzathiwa kubo, “Umoya otshisayo ovela enkangala emiqolweni elugwadule uvunguza usiya ebantwini bami, kodwa kungayisikwela kumbe ukuhlungula,
12 A full wind from these comes for Me, Now also, I speak judgments with them.”
umoya olamandla kakhulu uvela kimi. Khathesi-ke sengimemezela ukwahlulela kwami kubo.”
13 “Behold, he comes up as clouds, And his chariots as a windstorm, His horses have been lighter than eagles, Woe to us, for we have been spoiled.”
Khangela! Uyeza njengamayezi, izinqola zakhe zempi zibuya njengesivunguzane, amabhiza akhe alesiqubu esedlula esengqungqulu. Maye! Sesiphelile!
14 Wash evil from your heart, O Jerusalem, That you may be saved, Until when do you lodge in your heart Thoughts of your strength?
We Jerusalema, geza ububi obusenhliziyweni yakho usindiswe. Koze kube nini ugcine imicabango emibi na?
15 For a voice is declaring from Dan, And sounding sorrow from Mount Ephraim:
Ilizwi elivela koDani liyamemeza, libika umonakalo ovela emaqaqeni ako-Efrayimi
16 “Make mention to the nations, Behold, sound to Jerusalem, Besiegers are coming from the far-off land, And they give forth their voice against cities of Judah.
Izizwe zitshele lokhu, ukubike laseJerusalema, “Ibutho elivimbezelayo liyeza livela elizweni elikhatshana, limemezela umkhosi wempi emadolobheni akoJuda.
17 As the keepers of a field They have been against her all around, For she has been rebellious with Me,” A declaration of YHWH.
Balihanqile njengabantu abalinda insimu, ngoba langihlamukela,” kutsho uThixo.
18 “Your way and your doings have done these to you, This [is] your distress, for [it is] bitter, For it has struck to your heart.”
“Ukuziphatha kwakho lezenzo zakho kwehlisele lokhu phezu kwakho. Lesi yisijeziso sakho. Sibuhlungu kakhulu! Sihlaba enhliziyweni!”
19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained [in] the walls of my heart, My heart makes a noise for me, I am not silent, For I have heard the voice of a horn, O my soul—a shout of battle!
Maye, ngobuhlungu, ubuhlungu engibuzwayo. Ngiyazitshila ngenxa yobuhlungu. Maye, ngokufuthelwa kwenhliziyo yami! Inhliziyo yami iyatshaya ngaphakathi kwami, angingeke ngithule, ngoba ukukhala kwecilongo sengikuzwile, umkhosi wempi sengiwuzwile.
20 Destruction on destruction is proclaimed, For all the land has been spoiled, My tents have suddenly been spoiled, In a moment—my curtains.
Incithakalo ilandela incithakalo, ilizwe lonke selingamanxiwa. Ngesikhatshana nje amathente ami adiliziwe, lamakhetheni ami ngomzuzwana nje.
21 Until when do I see an ensign? Do I hear the voice of a horn?
Koze kube nini ngibona uphawu lwempi ngisizwa lokukhala kwecilongo na?
22 “For My people [are] foolish, They have not known Me, They [are] foolish sons, Indeed, they [are] not intelligent, They [are] wise to do evil, And they have not known to do good.”
“Abantu bami bayiziwula, kabangazi. Bangabantwana abangelangqondo, kabalakho ukuqedisisa. Bahlakaniphele ukwenza okubi, kabakwazi ukwenza okulungileyo.”
23 I looked [to] the earth, and behold—formless and void, And to the heavens, and they [had] no light.
Ngakhangela umhlaba, wawungelasimo njalo ungelalutho; lasemazulwini, ukukhanya kwawo kwakungasekho.
24 I have looked [to] the mountains, And behold, they are trembling. And all the hills moved themselves lightly.
Ngakhangela ezintabeni, zazinyikinyeka, lamaqaqa wonke ayezunguzeka.
25 I have looked, and behold, man is not, And all birds of the heavens have fled.
Ngakhangela, kwakungelabantu, izinyoni zonke zasezisukile emkhathini.
26 I have looked, and behold, The fruitful place [is] a wilderness, And all its cities have been broken down, Because of YHWH, Because of the fierceness of His anger.
Ngakhangela, ilizwe elithelayo laseliyinkangala, amadolobho alo wonke ayesengamanxiwa phambi kukaThixo, phambi kolaka lwakhe olwesabekayo.
27 For thus said YHWH: “All the land is a desolation, but I do not make a completion.
UThixo uthi: “Ilizwe lonke lizachitheka lanxa ngingayikulitshabalalisa ngokupheleleyo.
28 For this the earth mourns, And the heavens above have been black, Because I have spoken—I have purposed, And I have not relented, Nor do I turn back from it.
Ngakho umhlaba uzalila iphezulu libe mnyama, ngoba sengikhulumile njalo angiyikuyekethisa, sengenze isinqumo angiyikubuyela emuva.”
29 From the voice of the horseman, And of him shooting with the bow, All the city is fleeing, They have come into thickets, And they have gone up on cliffs, All the city is forsaken, And there is no one dwelling in them.
Ekuzwakaleni komsindo wabagadi bamabhiza labemitshoko amadolobho wonke ayabaleka. Abanye bangena ezixukwini, abanye bakhwele emadwaleni. Amadolobho wonke atshiyiwe, akulamuntu ohlala kuwo.
30 And you, O spoiled one, what do you do? For you put on scarlet, For you adorn yourself [with] ornaments of gold. For you tear your eyes with pain, In vain you make yourself beautiful, Unhealthy ones have kicked against you, They seek your life.
Wenzani na, wena ohlutshwe kakhulu? Kungani ugqoka okubomvu gebhu ufaka lezigqoko zegolide na? Kungani ucomba amehlo akho ngomphendulo na? Uzicecisela ize. Izithandwa zakho ziyakweyisa, zifuna ukukubulala.
31 For I have heard a voice as of a travailing woman, Distress, as of one bringing forth a firstborn, The voice of the daughter of Zion, She laments herself, She spreads out her hands, Woe to me now, my soul is weary of slayers!”
Ngizwa ukukhala okunjengokowesifazane ohelelwayo, ukububula okufana lozuza umntwana wakhe wakuqala, ukukhala kweNdodakazi yaseZiyoni ikhefuzela, yelule izandla zayo isithi, “Maye mina! Amandla ami asephela, ukuphila kwami sekunikelwe kubabulali.”
