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, itsho iNkosi, bazakhupha amathambo amakhosi akoJuda, lamathambo eziphathamandla zayo, lamathambo abapristi, lamathambo abaprofethi, lamathambo abahlali beJerusalema, emangcwabeni abo;
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.
baweneke elangeni lenyangeni, lakulo lonke ibutho lamazulu, abakuthandayo, labakusebenzelayo, labakulandelayo, labakudingayo, labakukhonzayo; kawayikubuthwa, kawayikungcwatshwa; azakuba ngawomquba phezu kobuso bomhlaba.
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.
Njalo ukufa kuzakhethwa kulempilo yiyo yonke insali yabaseleyo balolusapho olubi, kuzo zonke indawo zabaseleyo lapho engibaxotshele khona, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
4 “And you have said to them, Thus said YHWH: Do they fall, and not rise? Does he turn back, and not return?
Uzakuthi kibo futhi: Itsho njalo INkosi: Bazakuwa bangavuki yini? Uzaphambuka angaphenduki yini?
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, baphambukelani lababantu eJerusalema ngokuphambuka okulaphakade? Babambelela 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 ngezwa, kabakhulumanga kuhle; kakulamuntu ozisolayo ngobubi bakhe esithi: Ngenzeni? Wonke uphendukela emjahweni wakhe njengebhiza ligijimela 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.
Yebo ingabuzane emazulwini liyazazi izikhathi zalo ezimisiweyo; lejuba lehemu lenkonjane kuyagcina isikhathi sokubuya kwakho; kodwa abantu bami kabazazi izimiso zeNkosi.
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.
Litsho njani ukuthi: Sihlakaniphile, lomlayo weNkosi ulathi? Khangelani, isibili usiba lwamanga lwababhali lusebenzela ize.
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 bayangekile, besabe kakhulu bathethwe; khangela, balalile ilizwi leNkosi; pho balenhlakanipho bani?
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 omkabo ngizabanika abanye, amasimu abo kwabazakudla ilifa labo; ngoba kusukela komncinyane kuze kufike komkhulu bonke bayizihwaba zenzuzo embi, kusukela kumprofethi kuze kube kumpristi wonke wenza ngenkohliso.
11 And they heal the breach of the daughter of My people slightly, Saying, Peace, peace! And there is no peace.
Ngoba balipholise kancane inxeba lendodakazi yabantu bami, besithi: Ukuthula, ukuthula; khona kungelakuthula.
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.
Baba lenhloni yini lapho sebenze amanyala? Hatshi, kababanga lanhloni lakanye, futhi kabakwazi ukuyangeka; ngakho bazakuwa phakathi kwabawayo; ngesikhathi sokuhanjelwa kwabo bazawiselwa phansi, itsho iNkosi.
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.
Isibili ngizabaqeda, itsho iNkosi; kakuyikuba khona izithelo zevini evinini; njalo kakuyikuba khona imikhiwa emkhiweni, lehlamvu lizabuna; lengibanike khona kuzakwedlula kibo.
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.
Sihlaleleni? Buthanani, singene emizini evikelweyo, sithule khona; ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu isithulisile, yasinathisa amanzi enyongo, ngoba sonile eNkosini.
15 Looking for peace—and there is no good, For a time of healing, and behold—terror.
Salindela ukuthula, kodwa kakubanga lokuhle; isikhathi sokwelatshwa, kodwa khangela, luhlupho.
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 akhe kwezwakala kusukela koDani; ilizwe lonke lathuthumela emsindweni wokukhonya kwalamandla akhe; ngoba afikile, adla ilizwe lokugcwala kwalo, umuzi labahlala kiwo.
17 For behold, I am sending serpents among you, Vipers that have no charmer, And they have bitten you,” A declaration of YHWH.
Ngoba khangelani, ngithumela phakathi kwenu izinyoka, amabululu, angelakulunjwa, njalo azaliluma, itsho iNkosi.
18 My sorrow [is] beyond comfort, My heart [is] sick in me.
Ukududuzwa kwami kusosizini, inhliziyo yami iphelelwa ngamandla kimi.
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?”
Khangelani, ilizwi lokukhala kwendodakazi yabantu bami livela elizweni elikhatshana. INkosi kayikho eZiyoni yini? Inkosi yayo kayikho phakathi kwayo yini? Bangicunuleleni ngezithombe zabo ezibaziweyo, ngokuyize kwabezizwe?
20 Harvest has passed, summer has ended, And we have not been saved.
Isivuno sidlulile, ihlobo liphelile, kanti thina kasisindiswanga.
21 For a breach of the daughter of my people I have been broken, I have been dark, Astonishment has seized me.
Ngokwephuka kwendodakazi yabantu bami ngephukile; ngimnyama; ukumangala okukhulu kungibambile.
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?
Kakulabhalisamu yini eGileyadi? Kakho yini umelaphi khona? Ngoba kungani kungaveli ukwelatshwa kwendodakazi yabantu bami?
