Jeremiah 35
1 [Several years earlier, ] when Jehoiakim was the King of Judah, Yahweh gave me this message:
Leli yilizwi elafika kuJeremiya livela kuThixo ekubuseni kukaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda, elathi,
2 “Go to the place where families of the Rechab clan live. Invite them to my temple. [When they arrive, ] take them into one of the inside rooms and offer them [some] wine.”
“Yana endlini yamaRekhabi uwabize ukuba eze kwelinye lamakamelo endlu kaThixo uwanike iwayini anathe.”
3 So I went to see Jaazaniah and all his brothers and sons who represented the Rechab clan. Jaazaniah was the son of [another man named] Jeremiah and grandson of Habazziniah.
Ngakho ngayathatha uJazaniya indodana kaJeremiya, indodana kaHabhaziniya, labafowabo kanye lamadodana akhe wonke lomuzi wonke wamaRekhabi.
4 I took them to the temple, [and we went] into the room where the sons of Igdaliah’s son Hanan, who was a prophet, stayed. That room was next to the room that was used by the men who were in charge of the entrances to the temple. It was above the room that belonged to Maaseiah, who was the temple gatekeeper and the son of Shallum.
Ngabasa endlini kaThixo, ekamelweni lamadodana kaHanani indoda ka-Igidaliya umuntu kaNkulunkulu. Laliseduze lekamelo lezikhulu elalingaphezu kwelikaMaseya indodana kaShalumi umlindi wesango.
5 I set jugs of wine in front of them and urged them to drink some,
Emva kwalokho ngabeka imiganu eyayigcwele iwayini lezinkezo phambi kwabantu bomndeni wamaRekhabi, ngathi kubo, “Nathani iwayini.”
6 but they refused. They said, “We do not drink wine, because our ancestor Jehonadab, the son of Rechab, commanded us, saying ‘You and your descendants must never drink wine.
Kodwa bona baphendula bathi, “Iwayini kasilinathi ngoba ukhokho wethu uJehonadabi indodana kaRekhabi wasinika umlayo lo othi: ‘Lina loba inzalo yenu akumelanga linathe iwayini.
7 And you must not build houses or plant vineyards or [other] crops. Instead, you must always live in tents. If you obey those commands, you all will live for many years in this land.’
Njalo lingakhi zindlu, lingahlanyeli kumbe lilime izivini; lingabi lokunye kwalezizinto, kodwa kumele lihlale emathenteni kokuphela. Ngalokho lizaphila isikhathi eside elizweni elizinzulane kulo.’
8 [So] we have obeyed him in all those matters. We have never drunk wine. Our wives and our sons and our daughters [have also never drunk wine].
Sakulalela konke ukhokho wethu uJehonadabi indodana kaRekhabi asilaya khona. Thina labomkethu lamadodana ethu kanye lamadodakazi ethu asikaze silinathe iwayini,
9 We have not built houses or planted vineyards or [other] crops or [worked in] fields.
kumbe sakhe izindlu zokuhlala kuzo loba sibe lezivini, amasimu kumbe amabele.
10 We have lived in tents. We have obeyed all the commands that Jehonadab, our ancestor, gave us.
Sihlala emathenteni njalo siyakulalela konke ukhokho wethu uJehonadabi asilaya khona.
11 But when [the army of] King Nebuchadnezzar attacked this country, we said, ‘We must go to Jerusalem to escape from the armies of Babylonia and Syria.’ So, [we came] to Jerusalem and we are living [here].”
Kodwa ekuhlaseleni kukaNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni ilizwe leli, sathi, ‘Wozani siye eJerusalema sibalekele amabutho amaKhaladiya kanye lawama-Aramu.’ Sahlala kanjalo eJerusalema.”
12 Then Yahweh gave this message to me: “This is what [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom the Israeli [people say that they belong to], say:
Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kuJeremiya lisithi:
13 'Go and tell this to the people in Jerusalem and in [other places in] Judah: “Why do you not [RHQ] listen to me or learn something about how to obey me?
“UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Hamba uyetshela abantu bakoJuda labahlala eJerusalema ukuthi, ‘Kalifundi sifundo lilalele amazwi ami na?’ kutsho uThixo.
14 The Rechab clan still do not drink wine, because their ancestor Jehonadab told them to not do that. [In contrast], I have spoken to you many times, but you refuse to obey me.
‘UJehonadabi indodana kaRekhabi walaya amadodana akhe ukuba anganathi iwayini, njalo umlayo lo wagcinwa. Kuze kube lamhla iwayini kabalinathi ngoba balalela umlayo kakhokho wabo. Kodwa mina sengakhuluma lani njalonjalo, kodwa kalingilalelanga.
15 Many times I sent prophets to you. They told you, 'Turn away from your wicked behavior, and do things that you should do. Stop worshiping other gods, in order that you will be able to live [peacefully] in this land that I gave to you and your ancestors.' But you would not pay attention to what I said or obey me.
Ngathuma izinceku zami abaphrofethi kini kanenginengi. Bathi, “Ngamunye wenu kumele liphenduke ezindleleni zenu ezimbi lilungise lezenzo zenu; lingalandeli abanye onkulunkulu ukuba libakhonze. Ngalokho lizahlala elizweni engalipha lona lina labokhokho benu.” Kodwa kalinakanga, njalo kalingilalelanga.
16 The descendants of Jehonadab have obeyed their ancestor, but you have refused to pay attention to what I told you.
Inzalo kaJehonadabi indodana kaRekhabi iwulandele umlayo eyawuphiwa ngukhokho wayo, kodwa abantu laba mina kabangilalelanga.’
17 Therefore, this is what [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom you Israeli people [say you belong to], say: 'You have refused to listen to me and you did not answer when I called you. Therefore, I will cause the people in Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah to experience all the disasters that I said that I would cause to happen.'” '”
Ngakho uThixo, uNkulunkulu uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi; ‘Lalelani, ngizakwehlisela phezu kukaJuda laphezu komuntu wonke ohlala eJerusalema wonke umonakalo engabathembisa wona. Ngabatshela, kodwa kabalalelanga; ngababiza, kodwa kabasabelanga.’”
18 Then I turned to the Rechab clan and said, “This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [say we belong to], says: ‘You have obeyed what your ancestor Jehonadab told you. You have obeyed all his instructions.
UJeremiya wasesithi kwabomndeni wamaRekhabi, “UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi, ‘Liwulalele umlayo kakhokho wenu uJehonadabi layilandela yonke imfundiso yakhe njalo lenza konke alilaya khona.’
19 Therefore, this is what I say: “There will always be descendants of Jehonadab who will do work for me.”’”
Ngakho uThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ‘UJehonadabi indodana kaRekhabi kayikuswela umuntu wokungikhonza.’”
