Jeremiah 8
1 “At that time,” A declaration of YHWH, “They bring the bones of the kings of Judah, And the bones of its princes, And the bones of the priests, And the bones of the prophets, And the bones of inhabitants of Jerusalem, Out of their graves,
“‘Ngalesosikhathi, kutsho uThixo, amathambo amakhosi akoJuda lawezikhulu zakhona, amathambo abaphristi lawabaphrofethi, kanye lamathambo abantu baseJerusalema azakhutshwa emangcwabeni awo.
2 And have spread them to sun, and to moon, And to all the host of the heavens, that they have loved, And that they have served, And that they have walked after, And that they have sought, And to which they have bowed themselves, They are not gathered, nor buried, They are for dung on the face of the ground.
Azachaywa elangeni lasenyangeni lakuzo zonke izinkanyezi zasemazulwini, abakuthandayo bakukhonza njalo abakulandelayo bakubuza bakudumisa. Kawayikubuthwa loba angcwatshwe, kodwa azakuba njengezibi phezu komhlabathi.
3 And death is chosen rather than life By all the remnant who are left of this evil family, In all the remaining places, to where I have driven them,” A declaration of YHWH of Hosts.
Loba kungaphi engibaxotshela khona, bonke abasilayo balesisizwe esibi bazakhetha ukufa kulokuphila, kutsho uThixo uSomandla.’”
4 “And you have said to them, Thus said YHWH: Do they fall, and not rise? Does he turn back, and not return?
“Wothi kubo, ‘UThixo uthi: Abantu bangawa, kabavuki na? Omunye angaphambuka, kaphenduki na?
5 Why has this people of Jerusalem Turned back—a continuous backsliding? They have kept hold on deceit, They have refused to turn back.
Pho kungani abantu laba bedukile? Kungani iJerusalema lihlala liseduka? Bayanamathela enkohlisweni, bayala ukuphenduka.
6 I have given attention, indeed, I listen, They do not speak right, No man has sighed over his wickedness, Saying, What have I done? Everyone has turned to his courses, As a horse is rushing into battle.
Ngilalele ngesineke, kodwa kabatsho okulungileyo. Kakho ophenduka ebubini bakhe, esithi, “Kuyini engikwenzileyo na?” Yilowo lalowo ulandela indlela yakhe njengebhiza lizithela empini.
7 Even a stork in the heavens has known her seasons, And turtle, and swallow, and crane, Have watched the time of their coming, And—My people have not known the judgment of YHWH.
Lengabuzane emoyeni liyazazi izikhathi zalo zomnyaka, lejuba, lenkonjane lohemu kuyasigcina isikhathi sakho sokuthutha. Kodwa abantu bami kabakwazi okufunwa nguThixo.
8 How do you say, We [are] wise, And the Law of YHWH [is] with us? Surely, behold, it has worked falsely, The false pen of scribes.
Lingatsho kanjani ukuthi, “Sihlakaniphile, ngoba silomthetho kaThixo,” lona iqiniso kuyikuthi amanga alotshwe ngosiba lwababhali asenze umthetho wangabi liqiniso?
9 The wise have been ashamed, They have been frightened, and are captured, Behold, they kicked against a word of YHWH, And what wisdom do they have?
Abahlakaniphileyo bazayangiswa, bazakwesaba bathiyeke. Njengoba belalile ilizwi likaThixo, balenhlakanipho bani na?
10 Therefore, I give their wives to others, Their fields to dispossessors, For from the least even to the greatest, Everyone is gaining dishonest gain, From prophet even to priest, everyone is dealing falsely.
Ngakho abafazi babo ngizabapha amanye amadoda lamasimu abo abe ngawabanye abatsha. Kusukela kwabancane kusiya kwabakhulu, bonke bayizihwaba ezifuna inzuzo, banjalo abaphrofethi kanye labaphristi, bonke benza inkohliso.
11 And they heal the breach of the daughter of My people slightly, Saying, Peace, peace! And there is no peace.
Babopha inxeba labantu bami kungathi kalilibi kakhulu. Bathi, “Ukuthula, ukuthula,” khona ukuthula kungekho.
12 They were ashamed when they did abomination! Indeed, they are not ashamed at all, And they have not known blushing, Therefore, they fall among falling ones, They stumble in the time of their inspection, said YHWH.
Kambe bayayangeka na ngokuziphatha kwabo okunengisayo? Hatshi, bavele kabalazo inhloni, lokuyangeka kabakwazi. Ngakho bazawela phakathi kwabawileyo, bazakwehliselwa phansi lapho sebejeziswa, kutsho uThixo.
13 I utterly consume them,” A declaration of YHWH, “There are no grapes in the vine, Indeed, there are no figs in the fig tree, And the leaf has faded, And the strength they have passes from them.
Ngizabemuka isivuno sabo, kutsho uThixo. Akuyikuba lezithelo ezivinini zabo. Akuyikuba lezithelo zomkhiwa esihlahleni, lamahlamvu aso azabuna. Engibanike khona kuzathathwa kubo.’”
14 Why are we sitting still? Be gathered, and we go into the fortified cities, And we are silent there, For our God YHWH has made us silent, Indeed, He causes us to drink water of gall, For we have sinned against YHWH.
Pho sihlaleleni lapha? Buthanini! Kasibalekeleni emadolobheni avikelweyo siyebhubhela khona! Ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu usesilahlele ekubhubheni wasinika amanzi aletshefu ukuba sinathe, ngoba sonile kuye.
15 Looking for peace—and there is no good, For a time of healing, and behold—terror.
Sathemba ukuba lokuthula kodwa akubanga lobuhle obukhona, ekubeni kube yisikhathi sokwelatshwa kwaba lokwesaba.
16 The snorting of his horses has been heard from Dan, From the voice of the neighings of his mighty ones, All the land has trembled, And they come in and consume the land and its fullness, The city and the inhabitants in it.
Ukuthimula kwamabhiza esitha kuyezwakala kuvelela koDani, ekukhaleni kwamabhiza amaduna ilizwe lonke liyaqhaqhazela. Zilande ukuzatshwabadela ilizwe lakho konke okukulo, idolobho labo bonke abahlala kulo.
17 For behold, I am sending serpents among you, Vipers that have no charmer, And they have bitten you,” A declaration of YHWH.
“Khangelani, ngizathumela phakathi kwenu izinyoka ezilobuhlungu, izinhlangwana ezingeke zithakathwe, njalo zizaliluma,” kutsho uThixo.
18 My sorrow [is] beyond comfort, My heart [is] sick in me.
Awu Mduduzi wami osizini, inhliziyo yami isiqaleka phakathi kwami.
19 Behold, the voice of a cry of the daughter of my people from a far-off land, Is YHWH not in Zion? Is her King not in her? “Why have they provoked Me with their carved images, With the vanities of a foreigner?”
Lalela ukukhala kwabantu bami okuvela elizweni elikhatshana besithi: “UThixo kakho eZiyoni na? INkosi yalo kayisekho lapho na?” “Kungani bevuse ulaka lwami ngezifanekiso zabo, langezithombe zezizweni eziyize na?”
20 Harvest has passed, summer has ended, And we have not been saved.
“Ukuvuna sekwedlule, ihlobo seliphelile, kodwa kasihlengwanga.”
21 For a breach of the daughter of my people I have been broken, I have been dark, Astonishment has seized me.
Njengoba abantu bami benqotshiwe lami nginqotshiwe, ngiyalila njalo ukwesaba kungiphethe.
22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why has the health of the daughter of my people not gone up?
Akulamuthi yini eGiliyadi? Kakho yini lomelaphi khona? Pho kungani kungekho kwelatshwa kwenxeba labantu bami na?
