Jeremiah 29
1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the residue of the elders of the captivity, and to the priests, to the prophets, and to all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon,
La-ke ngamazwi encwadi ayithumelayo uJeremiya umprofethi ivela eJerusalema isiya kunsali yabadala babathunjiweyo lakubapristi lakubaprofethi lebantwini bonke ayebathumbile uNebhukadinezari besuka eJerusalema wabasa eBhabhiloni
2 (after that Jeconiah the king, the queen mother, the eunuchs, the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the metal workers, had departed from Jerusalem),
(emva kokuphuma kukaJekoniya inkosi, lendlovukazi, labathenwa, iziphathamandla zakoJuda lezeJerusalema, lababazi, labakhandi, besuka eJerusalema),
3 by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), saying,
ngesandla sikaElasa indodana kaShafani, loGemariya indodana kaHilikhiya, uZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda eyabathuma eBhabhiloni kuNebhukadinezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, isithi:
4 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the captivity, whom I have caused to be carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon:
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, kibo bonke abathunjiweyo engabenza bathunjwa besuswa eJerusalema basiwa eBhabhiloni:
5 'Build houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat their fruit.
Yakhani izindlu, lihlale kizo, lihlanyele izivande, lidle izithelo zazo;
6 Take wives, and father sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there, and do not be diminished.
lithathe abafazi, lizale amadodana lamadodakazi, lithathele amadodana enu abafazi, lendise amadodakazi enu emadodeni, ukuze azale amadodana lamadodakazi, lande khona, linganciphi.
7 Seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you shall have peace.'
Lidinge ukuthula komuzi lapho engilithumbele khona, liwukhulekele eNkosini; ngoba ekuthuleni kwawo lizakuba lokuthula.
8 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Do not let your prophets who are in the midst of you, and your diviners, deceive you; neither listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed.
Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Akuthi abaprofethi benu labavumisi benu abaphakathi kwenu bangalikhohlisi; lingawalaleli amaphupho enu eliwenza aphutshwe;
9 For they prophesy falsely to you in my name: I have not sent them,' says the LORD.
ngoba baprofetha amanga kini ngebizo lami; kangibathumanga, itsho iNkosi.
10 "For thus says the LORD, 'After seventy years are accomplished for Babylon, I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi: Qiniso, lapho iminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa isigcwalisekile eBhabhiloni, ngizalihambela, ngiqinise ilizwi lami elihle kini, ukuthi ngilibuyise kulindawo.
11 For I know the plans that I have for you,' says the LORD, 'plans for your welfare, and not for calamity, to give you hope and a future.
Ngoba mina ngiyazi imicabango engiyicabanga ngani, itsho iNkosi, imicabango yokuthula, kayisiyo eyokubi, ukuthi ngilinike isiphetho lokulindelweyo.
12 You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
Khona lizangibiza liyekhuleka kimi, ngilizwe.
13 You shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.
Njalo lizangidinga, lingithole, lapho lingidingisisa ngenhliziyo yenu yonke.
14 I will be found by you,' says the LORD, 'and I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you,' says the LORD; 'and I will bring you again to the place from where I caused you to be carried away captive.'
Njalo ngizatholwa yini, itsho iNkosi, ngibuyise ukuthunjwa kwenu, ngiliqoqe kuzo zonke izizwe lakuzo zonke indawo lapho engilixotshele khona, itsho iNkosi, ngilibuyise endaweni engalithumba livela khona.
15 "Because you have said, 'The LORD has raised us up prophets in Babylon';
Ngoba litshilo: INkosi isivusele abaprofethi eBhabhiloni.
16 thus says the LORD concerning the king who sits on the throne of David, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brothers who haven't gone forth with you into captivity;
Ngoba utsho njalo uJehova ngenkosi ehlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida langabo bonke abantu abahlala kulumuzi, abafowenu abangaphumelanga ekuthunjweni kanye lani:
17 thus says the LORD of hosts; 'Look, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that can't be eaten, they are so bad.
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Khangelani, ngizathumela phakathi kwabo inkemba, indlala, lomatshayabhuqe wesifo, ngibenze babe njengemikhiwa eyenyanyekayo, engadlekiyo ngenxa yobubi.
18 I will pursue after them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth, to be an object of horror, and an astonishment, and a hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations where I have driven them;
Ngixotshane labo ngenkemba, ngendlala, langomatshayabhuqe wesifo, ngibanikele ukuba yisesabiso kuyo yonke imibuso yomhlaba, babe yisiqalekiso, lento eyesabekayo, lokuncifelwayo, lehlazo, phakathi kwazo zonke izizwe lapho engibaxotshele khona;
19 because they have not listened to my words,' says the LORD, 'with which I sent to them my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but you would not hear,' says the LORD.
ngenxa yokuthi bengawalalelanga amazwi ami, itsho iNkosi, engawathumela kibo ngenceku zami abaprofethi, ngivuka ngovivi ngibathuma, kodwa kalilalelanga, itsho iNkosi.
20 'Hear therefore the word of the LORD, all you of the captivity, whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.'
Lina-ke zwanini ilizwi leNkosi, lina lonke bathunjiweyo, engabathuma besuka eJerusalema besiya eBhabhiloni:
21 "Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahiab the son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in my name: 'Look, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he shall kill them before your eyes;
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, mayelana loAhabi indodana kaKolaya, lamayelana loZedekhiya indodana kaMahaseya, abaprofetha amanga kini ngebizo lami: Khangelani, ngizabanikela esandleni sikaNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, ozababulala phambi kwamehlo enu.
22 and of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captives of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, "The LORD make you like Zedekiah and like Ahiab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire";
Njalo kuzathathwa kubo isiqalekiso yibo bonke abathunjiweyo koJuda abaseBhabhiloni kuthiwe: Kungathi iNkosi ikumise njengoZedekhiya lanjengoAhabi, inkosi yeBhabhiloni eyamosa ngomlilo;
23 because they have worked folly in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and have spoken words in my name falsely, which I did not command them; and I am he who knows, and am witness,' says the LORD."
ngenxa yokuthi benze ubuthutha koIsrayeli, bafeba labafazi babomakhelwane babo, baqamba amazwi angamanga ngebizo lami, engingabalayanga wona; njalo yimi engaziyo, engingumfakazi, itsho iNkosi.
24 "Concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite you shall speak, saying,
Uzakhuluma kuShemaya umNehelami usithi:
25 'Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, "Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, isithi: Ngenxa yokuthi wena uthumele izincwadi ngebizo lakho kubo bonke abantu abaseJerusalema, lakuZefaniya indodana kaMahaseya umpristi, lakubo bonke abapristi, usithi:
26 'The LORD has made you priest in the place of Jehoiada the priest, that there may be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man who is mad, and makes himself a prophet, that you should put him in the stocks and in shackles.
INkosi isikwenze ube ngumpristi esikhundleni sikaJehoyada umpristi, ukuthi libe ngababonisi bendlu yeNkosi phezu kwakhe wonke umuntu ohlanyayo ozitshaya umprofethi, ukuthi limfake esitokisini elezankosi entanyeni.
27 Now therefore, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who makes himself a prophet to you,
Khathesi-ke, kungani ungamkhuzanga uJeremiya umAnathothi ozitshaya umprofethi kini?
28 because he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, "The captivity is long: build houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat their fruit?"'"'
Ngoba ngenxa yalokhu usethumele kithi eBhabhiloni esithi: Kuzakuba kude; yakhani izindlu, lihlale kizo, lihlanyele izivande, lidle izithelo zazo.
29 Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
UZefaniya umpristi waseyifunda lincwadi endlebeni zikaJeremiya umprofethi.
30 Then came the word of the LORD to Jeremiah, saying,
Laselifika ilizwi leNkosi kuJeremiya lisithi:
31 "Send to all them of the captivity, saying, 'Thus says the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: "Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, and I did not send him, and he has caused you to trust in a lie;
Thumela kubo bonke abathunjiweyo usithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi ngoShemaya umNehelami: Ngenxa yokuthi uShemaya eprofethe kini, mina-ke ngingamthumanga, walenza ukuthi lithembe amanga,
32 therefore," thus says the LORD, "Look, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his offspring; he shall not have a man to dwell among this people, neither shall he see the good that I will do to my people, says the LORD, because he has spoken rebellion against the LORD."'"
ngakho itsho iNkosi: Khangela, ngizajezisa uShemaya umNehelami kanye lenzalo yakhe; kayikuba lamuntu ozahlala phakathi kwalababantu, angaboni okuhle engizakwenzela abantu bami, itsho iNkosi, ngoba ukhulume ukuhlamuka emelene leNkosi.
