Jeremiah 8
1 "At that time," says YHWH, "they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his officials, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the 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 they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven, which they have loved, and which they have served, and after which they have walked, and which they have sought, and which they have worshiped: they shall not be gathered, nor be buried, they shall be for dung on the surface of the earth.
Azachaywa elangeni lasenyangeni lakuzo zonke izinkanyezi zasemazulwini, abakuthandayo bakukhonza njalo abakulandelayo bakubuza bakudumisa. Kawayikubuthwa loba angcwatshwe, kodwa azakuba njengezibi phezu komhlabathi.
3 Death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue that remain of this evil family, that remain in all the places where I have driven them," says YHWH of hosts.
Loba kungaphi engibaxotshela khona, bonke abasilayo balesisizwe esibi bazakhetha ukufa kulokuphila, kutsho uThixo uSomandla.’”
4 "Moreover you shall tell them, 'Thus says YHWH: Shall men fall, and not rise up again? Shall one turn away, and not return?
“Wothi kubo, ‘UThixo uthi: Abantu bangawa, kabavuki na? Omunye angaphambuka, kaphenduki na?
5 Why then do these people of Jerusalem turn away in perpetual backsliding? They hold fast deceit; they refuse to return.
Pho kungani abantu laba bedukile? Kungani iJerusalema lihlala liseduka? Bayanamathela enkohlisweni, bayala ukuphenduka.
6 I listened and heard, but they did not speak what is right: no man repents him of his wickedness, saying, "What have I done?" Everyone turns to his course, as a horse that rushes headlong in the battle.
Ngilalele ngesineke, kodwa kabatsho okulungileyo. Kakho ophenduka ebubini bakhe, esithi, “Kuyini engikwenzileyo na?” Yilowo lalowo ulandela indlela yakhe njengebhiza lizithela empini.
7 Yes, the stork in the sky knows her appointed times; and the turtledove and the swallow and the crane observe the time of their coming; but my people do not know YHWH's law.
Lengabuzane emoyeni liyazazi izikhathi zalo zomnyaka, lejuba, lenkonjane lohemu kuyasigcina isikhathi sakho sokuthutha. Kodwa abantu bami kabakwazi okufunwa nguThixo.
8 How can you say, "We are wise, and the law of YHWH is with us?" But, look, the lying pen of the scribes has worked falsehood.
Lingatsho kanjani ukuthi, “Sihlakaniphile, ngoba silomthetho kaThixo,” lona iqiniso kuyikuthi amanga alotshwe ngosiba lwababhali asenze umthetho wangabi liqiniso?
9 The wise men are disappointed, they are dismayed and taken: look, they have rejected the word of YHWH; and what kind of wisdom is in them?
Abahlakaniphileyo bazayangiswa, bazakwesaba bathiyeke. Njengoba belalile ilizwi likaThixo, balenhlakanipho bani na?
10 therefore I will give their wives to others, and their fields to those who shall possess them: for everyone from the least even to the greatest is given to covetousness; from the prophet even to the priest every one deals 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 They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people superficially, saying, "Peace, peace;" when there is no peace.
Babopha inxeba labantu bami kungathi kalilibi kakhulu. Bathi, “Ukuthula, ukuthula,” khona ukuthula kungekho.
12 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No. They were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among those who fall; in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, says 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 will utterly consume them, says YHWH: no grapes shall be on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them.'"
Ngizabemuka isivuno sabo, kutsho uThixo. Akuyikuba lezithelo ezivinini zabo. Akuyikuba lezithelo zomkhiwa esihlahleni, lamahlamvu aso azabuna. Engibanike khona kuzathathwa kubo.’”
14 "Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the fortified cities, and let us be silent there; for YHWH our God has put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because 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 We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of healing, and look, dismay.
Sathemba ukuba lokuthula kodwa akubanga lobuhle obukhona, ekubeni kube yisikhathi sokwelatshwa kwaba lokwesaba.
16 The snorting of his horses is heard from Dan: at the sound of the neighing of his strong ones the whole land trembles; for they have come, and have devoured the land and all that is in it; the city and those who dwell 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, look, I will send serpents, adders, among you, which will not be charmed; and they shall bite you," says YHWH.
“Khangelani, ngizathumela phakathi kwenu izinyoka ezilobuhlungu, izinhlangwana ezingeke zithakathwe, njalo zizaliluma,” kutsho uThixo.
18 "My joy for me is sorrow. My heart is faint within me.
Awu Mduduzi wami osizini, inhliziyo yami isiqaleka phakathi kwami.
19 Look, the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people from a land that is very far off: 'Isn't YHWH in Zion? Isn't her King in her?'" "Why have they provoked me to anger with their engraved images, and with foreign vanities?"
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 "'The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.'
“Ukuvuna sekwedlule, ihlobo seliphelile, kodwa kasihlengwanga.”
21 For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt: I mourn; dismay has taken hold on me.
Njengoba abantu bami benqotshiwe lami nginqotshiwe, ngiyalila njalo ukwesaba kungiphethe.
22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then isn't the health of the daughter of my people recovered?
Akulamuthi yini eGiliyadi? Kakho yini lomelaphi khona? Pho kungani kungekho kwelatshwa kwenxeba labantu bami na?
