Jeremiah 4
1 If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, unto me shalt thou return: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not be removed;
Uba uphenduka, Israyeli, itsho iNkosi, phendukela kimi; njalo uba ususa phambi kwami izinengiso zakho, kawuyikuphambuka.
2 and thou shalt swear, As the LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.
Futhi uzafunga: Kuphila kukaJehova, ngeqiniso, ngokwahlulela, langokulunga; lezizwe zizazibusisa kuyo, lakuyo zizincome.
3 For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.
Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi kumadoda akoJuda leJerusalema: Qhathani ingqatho yenu, lingahlanyeli phakathi kwameva.
4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury go forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
Zisokeleni eNkosini, lisuse amajwabu aphambili enhliziyo yenu, madoda akoJuda labahlali beJerusalema; hlezi ulaka lwami luphume njengomlilo, lutshise, kungabi khona ongalucitsha, ngenxa yobubi bezenzo zenu.
5 Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry aloud and say? Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fenced cities.
Bikani koJuda, lizwakalise eJerusalema, lithi: Vuthelani uphondo elizweni; klabalalani ngokugcweleyo lithi: Buthanani, singene emizini ebiyelweyo.
6 Set up a standard toward Zion: flee for safety, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.
Misani uphawu ngaseZiyoni, balekani, lingemi; ngoba ngizaletha ububi buvela enyakatho, lokwephuka okukhulu.
7 A lion is gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations; he is on his way, he is gone forth from his place; to make thy land desolate, that thy cities be laid waste, without inhabitant.
Isilwane sesenyukile siphuma ehlathini laso, lomchithi wezizwe usukile, uphumile endaweni yakhe ukuze ulenze ilizwe lakho incithakalo; imizi yakho izakuba ngamanxiwa, ingabi lomhlali.
8 For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.
Ngenxa yalokhu bhincani amasaka, lilani liqhinqe isililo; ngoba ulaka lweNkosi oluvuthayo kaluphendukanga lusuka kithi.
9 And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the LORD, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.
Njalo kuzakuthi ngalolosuku, itsho iNkosi, inhliziyo yenkosi izaphela, lenhliziyo yeziphathamandla; labapristi bazamangala kakhulu, labaprofethi bazathithibala.
10 Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.
Ngasengisithi: Hawu, Nkosi Jehova! Isibili ubakhohlisile lokubakhohlisa lababantu leJerusalema usithi: Lizakuba lokuthula; kanti inkemba ifinyelela emphefumulweni.
11 At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A hot wind from the bare heights in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse;
Ngalesosikhathi kuzakuthiwa kulabobantu lakuyo iJerusalema: Umoya otshisayo wamadundulu enkangala, indlela yendodakazi yabantu bami, ungeyisiwo wokwela njalo ungeyisiwo wokuhlambulula.
12 a full wind from these shall come for me: now will I also utter judgments against them.
Umoya ogcweleyo ovela kuwo uzakuza kimi. Khathesi lami ngizakhuluma izahlulelo zimelene labo.
13 Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots [shall be] as the whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.
Khangela, uzakwenyuka njengamayezi, lenqola zakhe njengesivunguzane; amabhiza akhe alesiqubu kulezinkozi. Maye kithi, ngoba sichithiwe!
14 O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thine evil thoughts lodge within thee?
Jerusalema, hlambulula inhliziyo yakho kuphume inkohlakalo, ukuze usindiswe. Koze kube nini imicabango yakho emibi ihlala phakathi kwakho?
15 For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth evil from the hills of Ephraim:
Ngoba ilizwi liyamemeza lisuka koDani, lizwakalisa uhlupho oluvela entabeni yakoEfrayimi.
16 make ye mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, [that] watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.
Khumbuzani izizwe, khangelani, lizwakalise limelene leJerusalema; kufika abalindi bevela elizweni elikhatshana, baphakamisa ilizwi labo bemelene lemizi yakoJuda.
17 As keepers of a field are they against her round about; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD.
Njengabalindi bensimu bamelene layo inhlangothi zonke, ngoba ingivukele, itsho iNkosi.
18 Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness; for it is bitter, for it reacheth unto thine heart.
Indlela yakho lezenzo zakho kukwenzele lezizinto; lokhu kuyinkohlakalo yakho, ngoba kubuhlungu, ngoba kufinyelela enhliziyweni yakho.
19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart is disquieted in me; I cannot hold my peace; because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
Imibilini yami, imibilini yami! Ngilobuhlungu emidulini yenhliziyo yami. Inhliziyo yami yenza umsindo phakathi kwami; ngingeke ngithule; ngoba wena mphefumulo wami, uzwile ukukhala kophondo, umkhosi wempi.
20 Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, [and] my curtains in a moment.
Kuyamenyezelwa incithakalo phezu kwencithakalo, ngoba ilizwe lonke lichithekile. Amathente ami ahle achithwa, amakhetheni ami ngokucwayiza kwelihlo.
21 How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?
Koze kube nini ngibona isiboniso, ngizwe ukukhala kophondo?
22 For my people is foolish, they know me not; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
Ngoba abantu bami bayizithutha, mina kabangazi; bangabantwana abayiziphukuphuku, kabalakuqedisisa; bahlakaniphele ukwenza okubi, kodwa ukwenza okuhle kabakwazi.
23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was waste and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.
Ngabona umhlaba, khangela-ke, wawungelasimo, ungelalutho; lemazulwini, kodwa kakukho ukukhanya kwawo.
24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved to and fro.
Ngabona izintaba, khangela-ke, zazinyikinyeka, lamaqaqa wonke ayenyakazela.
25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
Ngabona, khangela-ke, kwakungelamuntu, lenyoni zonke zamazulu zibalekile.
26 I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful field was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, [and] before his fierce anger.
Ngabona, khangela-ke, ilizwe elivundileyo laliyinkangala, lemizi yalo yonke yayidiliziwe phambi kweNkosi, phambi kokuvutha kolaka lwayo.
27 For thus saith the LORD, The whole land shall be a desolation; yet will I not make a full end.
Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi: Ilizwe lonke lizakuba lunxiwa, kodwa kangiyikuqeda ngokupheleleyo.
28 For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black: because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and I have not repented, neither will I turn back from it.
Ngenxa yalokhu umhlaba uzalila, lamazulu aphezulu abe mnyama; ngenxa yokuthi ngikhulumile, ngikuhlosile, njalo kangiyikuzisola, njalo kangiyikubuyela emuva ngisuka kukho.
29 The whole city fleeth for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they go into the thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city is forsaken, and not a man dwelleth therein.
Umuzi wonke uzabaleka ngenxa yomsindo wabagadi bamabhiza labatshoki ngamadandili; bazangena ezixukwini, bakhwele emadwaleni; wonke umuzi uzatshiywa, njalo kungabi lamuntu ohlala kuwo.
30 And thou, when thou art spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with scarlet, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou enlargest thine eyes with paint, in vain dost thou make thyself fair; [thy] lovers despise thee, they seek thy life.
Wena-ke ozachitheka, uzakwenzani? Loba ugqoka okubomvu, loba uzicecisa ngezigqizo zegolide, loba ucomba amehlo akho ngomphendulo, uzenza ube muhle ngeze, izithandwa zakho zizakudelela, zidinga impilo yakho.
31 For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that gaspeth for breath, that spreadeth her hands, [saying], Woe is me now! for my soul fainteth before the murderers.
Ngoba ngizwile ilizwi kungathi ngelowesifazana ohelelwayo, ubuhlungu obunjengobeletha umntwana olizibulo, ilizwi lendodakazi yeZiyoni, ikhefuzela, iselula izandla zayo isithi: Maye-ke mina! Ngoba umphefumulo wami uphele amandla ngenxa yababulali.
