Jeremiah 1
1 The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, one of the priests, who dwelt in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin;
Amazwi kaJeremiya, indodana kaHilikhiya wabapristi ababeseAnathothi elizweni lakoBhenjamini;
2 to whom the word of Jehovah came in the days of Josiah, the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign;
okwafika kuye ilizwi leNkosi ensukwini zikaJosiya indodana kaAmoni, inkosi yakoJuda, ngomnyaka wetshumi lantathu wokubusa kwakhe.
3 to whom it also came in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the carrying away of Jerusalem into captivity in the fifth month.
Lafika futhi ensukwini zikaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda, kwaze kwaba sekupheleni komnyaka wetshumi lanye kaZedekhiya indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda, kwaze kwaba sekuthunjweni kweJerusalema enyangeni yesihlanu.
4 The word of Jehovah came to me, saying:
Kwasekufika kimi ilizwi leNkosi lisithi:
5 Before I formed thee in the womb, I knew thee; and before thou camest into the world, I chose thee; I appointed thee to be a prophet to the nations.
Ngingakakubumbi esiswini ngakwazi, njalo ungakaphumi esizalweni ngakwehlukanisa; ngakubeka waba ngumprofethi ezizweni.
6 Then said I, Alas, O Lord Jehovah! Behold, I am not able to speak; for I am a child.
Ngasengisithi: Hawu Nkosi Jehova! Khangela, angikwazi ukukhuluma, ngoba ngingumntwana.
7 But Jehovah said to me, Say not, I am a child; but go to whomever I send thee, and speak whatever I command thee!
Kodwa iNkosi yathi kimi: Ungatsho ukuthi: Ngingumntwana; ngoba uzakuya kubo bonke engikuthuma kubo, lakho konke engikulaya khona uzakukhuluma.
8 Be not afraid of them! For I am with thee to help thee, saith Jehovah.
Ungesabi ubuso babo, ngoba mina ngilawe ukukophula, itsho iNkosi.
9 Then Jehovah put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. Jehovah also said to me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
INkosi yasiselula isandla sayo, yathinta umlomo wami; iNkosi yasisithi kimi: Khangela, ngibekile amazwi ami emlonyeni wakho.
10 Behold, I have set thee this day over nations and over kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to overthrow; and to build, and to plant.
Bona, ngikubekile lamuhla phezu kwezizwe laphezu kwemibuso, ukusiphuna, lokudiliza, lokubhubhisa, lokuphosela phansi, ukwakha, lokuhlanyela.
11 Then the word of Jehovah came to me, saying, What seest thou, Jeremiah? And I said, I see a rod of almond-wood.
Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi: Ubonani, Jeremiya? Ngasengisithi: Ngibona uswazi lwesihlahla se-alimondi.
12 And Jehovah said to me, Thou hast seen right; for I am watchful over my word to perform it.
INkosi yasisithi kimi: Ubone kuhle, ngoba ngizalinda ilizwi lami ukuze ngilenze.
13 And the word of Jehovah came to me a second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a boiling pot, whose face is turned from the north.
Njalo ilizwi leNkosi lafika kimi ngokwesibili lisithi: Ubonani? Ngasengisithi: Ngibona imbiza ebilayo, njalo ubuso bayo bungasenyakatho.
14 And Jehovah said to me, From the north shall evil break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.
INkosi yasisithi kimi: Okubi kuzaqutshulwa kuvela enyakatho phezu kwabo bonke abakhileyo belizwe.
15 For, behold, I will call all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, saith Jehovah; and they shall come, and shall set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all her walls around, and against all the cities of Judah.
Ngoba khangela, ngibiza insapho zonke zemibuso yenyakatho, itsho iNkosi; njalo zizafika, zimise ngasinye isihlalo salo sobukhosi ekungeneni kwamasango eJerusalema, zimelene lemiduli yayo yonke inhlangothi zonke, zimelene lemizi yonke yakoJuda.
16 And I will pronounce my judgments against them for all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and worshipped the work of their own hands.
Ngizakhuluma izigwebo zami zimelene labo ngenxa yabo bonke ububi babo, abangidelileyo, batshisela abanye onkulunkulu impepha, bakhonza imisebenzi yezandla zabo.
17 Thou, therefore, gird up thy loins, and arise, and speak to them all that I command thee; be not afraid of them, lest I confound thee before them.
Wena-ke, bopha ukhalo lwakho, usukume, ukhulume kibo konke mina engikulaya khona. Ungethuki ngenxa yobuso babo, hlezi ngikwethuse phambi kwabo.
18 For, behold, I make thee this day a fortified city, and a pillar of iron, and a wall of brass against all this land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.
Ngoba khangela, mina ngikubekile lamuhla ube ngumuzi ovikelweyo, njalo ube yinsika yensimbi, njalo ube yimiduli yethusi, ukumelana lelizwe lonke, ukumelana lamakhosi akoJuda, ukumelana leziphathamandla zayo, ukumelana labapristi bayo, lokumelana labantu belizwe.
19 They shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee; for I will be with thee, saith Jehovah, to help thee.
Njalo bazakulwa bemelene lawe; kodwa kabayikukwehlula; ngoba ngilawe, itsho iNkosi, ukukophula.
