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.
Kuthiwa: Uba indoda ilahla umkayo, asuke kuyo, abe ngowenye indoda, izabuyela kuye futhi yini? Lelolizwe belingayikungcoliswa kakhulu yini? Kanti wena ufebile lezithandwa ezinengi; kodwa buyela kimi, itsho iNkosi.
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.
Phakamisela amehlo akho emadundulwini, ubone; kungaphi lapho ongalalwanga khona? Ezindleleni wabahlalela, njengomArabhiya enkangala; njalo ulingcolisile ilizwe ngobufebe bakho langenkohlakalo yakho.
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.
Ngakho izihlambo zigodliwe; njalo lalingekho izulu langemuva; njalo waba lebunzi lewule, wala ukuba lenhloni.
4 Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth?
Kawuyikuthi kusukela khathesi ukhale yini kimi uthi: Baba, ungumeluleki wobutsha 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.
Yena uzalugcina yini ulaka lwakhe phakade? Uzalulondoloza kuze kube sekucineni yini? Khangela, ukhulumile, wenza izinto ezimbi, uphumelele.
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.
INkosi yasisithi kimi ensukwini zikaJosiya inkosi: Ubonile yini lokho uIsrayeli ohlehlele nyovane akwenzileyo? Yena waya kuyo yonke intaba ephakemeyo, langaphansi kwaso sonke isihlahla esiluhlaza, waphingela 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.
Ngasengisithi esezenzile zonke lezizinto: Buyela kimi; kodwa kabuyelanga. 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.
Ngasengibona, lapho ngenxa yazo zonke imbangela uIsrayeli ohlehlela nyovane aphinga ngazo, ngamxotsha ngamnika incwadi yesehlukaniso, ukuthi udadewabo ongathembekanga, uJuda, kesabanga, kodwa laye 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.
Kwasekusithi ngenxa yendumela yokufeba kwakhe wangcolisa ilizwe, waphinga lamatshe 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.
Kube kanti kukho konke lokhu udadewabo ongathembekanga, uJuda, kabuyelanga kimi ngenhliziyo yakhe yonke, kodwa ngenkohliso, itsho iNkosi.
11 And the LORD said unto me, Backsliding Israel hath shewn herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
INkosi yasisithi kimi: UIsrayeli ohlehlela nyovane uzilungisise kuloJuda okhohlisayo.
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 lamazwi ngasenyakatho uthi: Phenduka, Israyeli ohlehlela nyovane, itsho iNkosi. Kangiyikwenza ulaka lwami lwehlele phezu kwakho, ngoba ngilesihawu, itsho iNkosi, njalo kangiyikugcina ulaka lwami kuze kube phakade.
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.
Yazi kuphela isiphambeko sakho ukuthi uphambekile umelene leNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, wahlakaza izindlela zakho kwabezizweni ngaphansi kwaso sonke isihlahla esiluhlaza, njalo kawulalelanga ilizwi lami, itsho iNkosi.
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, bantwana abahlehlela nyovane, itsho iNkosi, ngoba mina ngiliganile; njalo ngizalithatha, abe munye emzini, lababili kulo usendo, ngililethe eZiyoni.
15 and I will give you shepherds according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Njalo ngizalinika abelusi njengokwenhliziyo yami, abazalelusa ngolwazi lokuqedisisa.
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.
Kuzakuthi-ke lapho selandile laba banengi elizweni, ngalezonsuku, itsho iNkosi, kabasayikuthi: Umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi; njalo kawuyikufika enhliziyweni, njalo kabayikuwukhumbula, futhi kabayikuwuhambela, kungabuyi kwenziwe 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 bazabiza iJerusalema ngokuthi yisihlalo sobukhosi seNkosi; lezizwe zonke zizabuthaniswa kuyo, ngebizo leNkosi, eJerusalema; futhi kazisayikulandela inkani yenhliziyo yazo embi.
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 yakoJuda izakuya kuyo indlu yakoIsrayeli, ziphume kanyekanye elizweni lenyakatho, zize elizweni engalinika oyihlo 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.
Kodwa mina ngathi: Ngizakubeka njani phakathi kwabantwana, ngikunike ilizwe eliloyisekayo, ilifa elihle kakhulu lezizwe. Ngasengisithi: Uzangibiza ngokuthi: Baba; njalo ungaphambuki 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.
Isibili, njengomfazi ungathembekanga kumkakhe, ngokunjalo kalithembekanga kimi, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli, itsho iNkosi.
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 lezwakala emadundulwini, ukukhala lokuncenga kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, ngoba bephambule indlela yabo, bayikhohlwa iNkosi 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, lina bantwana abahlehlela nyovane; ngizakwelapha ukuhlehlela nyovane kwenu. Khangela, thina siyeza kuwe, ngoba uyiNkosi 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.
Isibili kuyize ukuthembela kusindiso oluvela emaqaqeni, lebunengini bezintaba. Isibili luseNkosini uNkulunkulu wethu usindiso lukaIsrayeli.
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.
Ngoba ihlazo liwuqedile umtshikatshika wabobaba kusukela ebutsheni bethu, izimvu zabo lenkomo 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.
Silala phansi ehlazweni lethu, lenhloni zethu zisimbozile; ngoba sonile eNkosini uNkulunkulu wethu, thina labobaba, kusukela ebutsheni bethu kuze kube lamuhla, njalo kasilalelanga ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu.
