Jeremiah 3
1 They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man’s, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the LORD.
“Indoda ingehlukana lomkayo ayitshiye endele kwenye indoda, kufanele imbuyise futhi na? Kambe ilizwe lingeke langcoliswa kakhulukazi na? Kodwa wena usuphile njengesifebe esilezithandwa ezinengi, kambe khathesi ungabuyela kimi na?” kutsho uThixo.
2 Lift up thine eyes unto the bare heights, and see; where hast thou not been lain with? By the ways hast thou sat for them, as an Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.
“Khangela emiqolweni elugwadule ubone. Kungaphi lapho ongazange udlwangululwe khona? Emigwaqweni wahlala ulindele izithandwa, wahlala njengomhambuma enkangala. Ulingcolisile ilizwe ngobufebe bakho langobubi bakho.
3 Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; yet thou hadst a whore’s forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.
Ngalokho imikhizo imisiwe, lezulu lentwasa kalinanga. Ikanti wena uziphethe okwesifebe, awulanhloni.
4 Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?
Kawungibizanga khathesi nje wathi, ‘Baba, mngane wami kusukela ebutsheni bami,
5 Will he retain [his anger] for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and hast done evil things, and hast had thy way.
uzahlala uzondile kokuphela na? Ulaka lwakho luzaqhubeka kokuphela na?’ Le yindlela okhuluma ngayo, kodwa wenza konke okubi ongakwenza.”
6 Moreover the LORD said unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.
Ekubuseni kwenkosi uJosiya, uThixo wathi kimi, “Ukubonile yini okwenziwe ngu-Israyeli ongathembekanga? Usekhwele phezu kwamaqaqa wonke aphakemeyo langaphansi kwezihlahla zonke eziluhlaza wafebela khona.
7 And I said after she had done all these things, She will return unto me; but she returned not: and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
Ngacabanga ukuthi emva kokuba esenze konke lokhu uzaphinda eze kimi, kodwa kabuyanga, lodadewabo ongathembekanga uJuda wakubona lokho.
8 And I saw, when, for this very cause that backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorcement, yet treacherous Judah her sister feared not; but she also went and played the harlot.
U-Israyeli ongathembekanga ngamnika incwadi yakhe yesehlukaniso ngamxotsha ngenxa yobufebe bakhe bonke. Kodwa ngabona ukuthi udadewabo ongathembekanga, uJuda, kesabanga, laye wasuka wayafeba.
9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with stocks.
Ngenxa yokuthi ububi buka-Israyeli babungatsho lutho kuye, wangcolisa ilizwe wakhonza amatshe lezihlahla.
10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not returned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD.
Kukho konke lokhu, udadewabo ongathembekanga uJuda kabuyelanga kimi ngenhliziyo yakhe yonke, kodwa ngokuzenzisa nje kuphela,” kutsho uThixo.
11 And the LORD said unto me, Backsliding Israel hath shewn herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
UThixo wathi kimi, “U-Israyeli ongathembekanga ungcono kuloJuda ongelaqiniso.
12 Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; I will not look in anger upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, I will not keep [anger] for ever.
Hamba, uyememezela ilizwi leli ngasenyakatho: ‘Phenduka Israyeli ongathembekanga,’ kutsho uThixo, ‘Kangisayikukuhwaqela futhi, ngoba ngilesihawu,’ kutsho uThixo. ‘Kangiyikuthukuthela kokuphela.
13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.
Vuma icala lakho nje kuphela, wahlamukela uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho, uzihlakazelele kubonkulunkulu bezizweni ngaphansi kwezihlahla zonke eziluhlaza, njalo kawaze wangilalela,’” kutsho uThixo.
14 Return, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am a husband unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:
“Phendukani, bantu abangathembekanga,” kutsho uThixo, “ngoba ngingumyeni wenu. Ngizalikhetha, oyedwa edolobheni lababili emulini ngililethe eZiyoni.
15 and I will give you shepherds according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Lapho-ke ngizalinika abelusi abathandwa yimi, abazalikhokhela ngokwazi langokuqedisisa.
16 And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD; neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall [that] be done any more.
Ngalezonsuku, ubunengi benu sebande kakhulu elizweni,” kutsho uThixo, “abantu kabasayikuthi, ‘Ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo.’ Kaliyikufika emicabangweni yabo kumbe likhunjulwe; kaliyikudingakala, njalo akuyikwenziwa elinye futhi.
17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
Ngalesosikhathi iJerusalema bazalibiza ngokuthi yisiHlalo Sobukhosi sikaThixo, njalo izizwe zonke zizabuthana eJerusalema ukuba zihloniphe ibizo likaThixo. Kabasayikulandela inkani yezinhliziyo zabo ezimbi.
18 In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I gave for an inheritance unto your fathers.
Ngalezonsuku indlu kaJuda izahlangana leka-Israyeli, njalo ndawonye, zivela elizweni elisenyakatho, zizakuza elizweni engalinika okhokho benu ukuba libe yilifa labo.
19 But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of the nations? and I said, Ye shall call me My father; and shall not turn away from following me.
Mina ngokwami ngathi, ‘Kade ngingathaba kakhulu ukuliphatha njengamadodana, ngilinike ilizwe elifunekayo, ilifa elihle kakhulu ezizweni zonke.’ Bengicabanga ukuthi lizangibiza ngokuthi ‘Baba’ njalo lingaphambuki ekungilandeleni.
20 Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.
Kodwa njengowesifazane ongathembekanga kumkakhe, ubungathembekanga kimi wena ndlu ka-Israyeli,” kutsho uThixo.
21 A voice is heard upon the bare heights, the weeping [and] the supplications of the children of Israel; for that they have perverted their way, they have forgotten the LORD their God.
Ilizwi liyezwakala emiqolweni elugwadule, ukukhala lokuncenga kwabantu bako-Israyeli, ngoba izindlela zabo bazonile bakhohlwa loThixo uNkulunkulu wabo.
22 Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings, Behold, we are come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.
“Phendukani, bantu abangathembekanga, ngizalelapha ukungathembeki kwenu.” “Yebo, sizakuza kuwe, ngoba unguThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.
23 Truly in vain is [the help that is looked for] from the hills, the tumult on the mountains: truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.
Impela umsindo wokukhonza izithombe emaqaqeni lasezintabeni uyinkohliso, ngempela kuThixo uNkulunkulu wethu kulensindiso ka-Israyeli.
24 But the shameful thing hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.
Kusukela ebutsheni bethu onkulunkulu abalihlazo badlile izithelo zamandla abobaba, imihlambi yezimvu zabo leyezinkomo zabo, amadodana abo lamadodakazi abo.
25 Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us: for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day: and we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.
Kasilaleni phansi silenhloni, siphathwe lihlazo lethu. Ngoba sonile kuThixo uNkulunkulu wethu, thina sonke kanye labokhokho bethu; kusukela ebutsheni bethu kuze kube lamhla, kasimlalelanga uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.”
