< Jeremiah 36 >

1 When Jehoiakim had been the king of Judah for almost four years, Yahweh gave this message to me:
Ngomnyaka wesine kaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda ilizwi leli lafika kuJeremiya livela kuThixo, lisithi:
2 “Get a scroll, and write on it the messages that I have given to you regarding Israel, Judah, and the other nations. Write all of the messages, starting from the time that I gave you the first message, when Josiah was the king, up until now.
“Thatha umqulu ulobe kuwo wonke amazwi engawatsho kuwe ngo-Israyeli, uJuda lezinye zonke izizwe kusukela ngiqalisa ukukhuluma kuwe ekubuseni kukaJosiya kuze kube khathesi.
3 When the people of Judah hear [again] about all the disasters that I plan to cause them to experience, perhaps each one of them will repent. If they do that, I will be able to forgive them for the wrong/evil things that they have done.”
Mhlawumbe lapho abantu bakoJuda besizwa ngawo wonke umonakalo engiceba ukuwehlisela phezu kwabo, omunye lomunye wabo uzaphenduka ezindleleni zakhe ezimbi; kulapho-ke ngizabathethelela ububi babo lezono zabo.”
4 [So] I summoned Baruch, the son of Neraiah. Then, as I dictated to him all the messages that Yahweh had spoken to me, he wrote them on a scroll.
Ngakho uJeremiya wabiza uBharukhi indodana kaNeriya. Kwathi uJeremiya ewatsho wonke amazwi ayekhulunywe nguThixo, uBharukhi ewaloba emqulwini.
5 Then I said to him, “I am not allowed to [leave here and] go to the temple.
UJeremiya wasesithi kuBharukhi, “Mina ngivalelwe; ngingeke ngiye ethempelini likaThixo.
6 So, you go [to the temple] on the [next] day when the people are (fasting/abstaining from food), and read to them the messages from Yahweh that you wrote while I dictated them to you. Read them [aloud] to all the people [who are there, including] the people of Judah who come [there] from their towns.
Ngakho yana endlini kaThixo ngosuku lokuzila ukudla ubalele abantu amazwi kaThixo asemqulwini owawaloba ngikutshela. Abalele bonke abantu bakoJuda abangena bevela emadolobheni akibo.
7 Perhaps they will turn from their evil behavior and request Yahweh [to act mercifully toward them]. [They must do that, ] because Yahweh is very angry with them and has threatened to punish them severely.”
Engxenye bazaletha isicelo sabo phambi kukaThixo, omunye lomunye aphenduke ezindleleni zakhe ezimbi, ngoba intukuthelo lolaka okumenyezelwe kulababantu nguThixo kukhulu.”
8 Baruch did what I told him to do. He [went to the temple and] read [to the people] all those messages from Yahweh.
UBharukhi indodana kaNeriya wenza konke ayekutshelwe nguJeremiya umphrofethi ukuba akwenze; ethempelini likaThixo wabala amazwi kaThixo emqulwini.
9 He did it in December on a day when their leaders had proclaimed that all the people in Jerusalem and the people who had come there from [other] towns in Judah should fast to [please/honor] Yahweh. [It was when] Jehoiakim had been king for almost five years.
Ngenyanga yesificamunwemunye yomnyaka wesihlanu kaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda, kwamenyezelwa isikhathi sokuzila ukudla phambi kukaThixo ebantwini bonke baseJerusalema lakulaba ababeze bevela emadolobheni akoJuda.
10 Baruch read to all the people the messages [that he had written] on the scroll. [He read them while he was] in the temple, in the room where Gemariah stayed. He was the son of Shaphan, [who had previously been the king’s] secretary. That room was close to the upper courtyard [of the temple], near the entrance to the temple that is [called] the New Gate.
Esendlini kaGemariya indodana kaShafani umabhalani, eyayisegumeni langaphezulu ekungeneni kweSango eLitsha lethempeli, uBharukhi wawabalela abantu bonke ethempelini likaThixo amazwi kaJeremiya asemqulwini.
11 When Micaiah, who was the son of Gemariah and grandson of Shaphan, heard those messages from Yahweh,
Kwathi uMikhaya indodana kaGemariya, indodana kaShafani, esezwe wonke amazwi kaThixo ayesemqulwini,
12 he went down to the secretary’s room in the palace, where all the king’s officials were meeting. Elishama the [king’s] secretary [was there]. Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, Elnathan the son of Acbor, Gemariah, Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the [other] officials [of the king were also there].
waya phansi endlini kamabhalani esigodlweni, lapho izikhulu zonke ezazihlezi khona: u-Elishama umabhalani, uDelaya indodana kaShemaya, u-Elinathani indodana ka-Akhibhori, uGemariya indodana kaShafani, uZedekhiya indodana kaHananiya kanye lezinye zonke izikhulu.
13 When Micaiah told them about the messages that Baruch had been reading to the people,
Emva kokuba uMikhaya esebatshele konke ayezwe uBharukhi ekubalela abantu emqulwini,
14 the officials sent Jehudi, who was the son of Nethaniah and grandson of Shelemiah and great-grandson of Cushi, to tell Baruch to come [and read the messages to them, also]. So Baruch took the scroll and went to them.
izikhulu zonke zathuma uJehudi indodana kaNethaniya, indodana kaShelemiya, indodana kaKhushi, ukuba ayekuthi kuBharukhi, “Woza lomqulu owubalele abantu.” Ngakho uBharukhi indodana kaNeriya waya kubo lomqulu ewuphethe ngesandla.
15 They said to him, “Please sit down and read it [to us].” So Baruch did what they requested.
Bathi kuye, “Ake uhlale phansi usibalele wona.” Ngakho uBharukhi wababalela.
16 After they had heard all the messages, they were afraid. They looked at each other and [then] they said, “We must tell these messages to the king!”
Sebezwe wonke amazwi la bakhangelana ngokwesaba, basebesithi kuBharukhi, “Amazwi la kumele siwabike wonke enkosini.”
17 Then they asked Baruch, “How did you get this scroll? Did Jeremiah dictate to you all the messages on this scroll?”
Babuya bambuza uBharukhi bathi, “Sitshele, kwenzakale njani ukuthi ubhale konke lokhu? Kukhulunywe nguJeremiya na?”
18 Baruch replied, “[Yes], Jeremiah dictated them to me, and I wrote them with ink on this scroll.”
UBharukhi waphendula wathi, “Ye, amazwi wonke la uwakhulume kimi, mina ngawaloba nge-inki emqulwini.”
19 Then the officials told Baruch, “You and Jeremiah must both hide. Do not tell anyone where you are!”
Izikhulu zasezisithi kuBharukhi, “Wena loJeremiya hambani liyecatsha. Lingatsheli muntu ukuthi lingaphi.”
20 They put the scroll in the room of Elishama, the king’s secretary. Then they went to the king, who was in the courtyard, and reported to him everything [that Baruch had read to them].
Sebefake umqulu endlini ka-Elishama umabhalani, baya enkosini egumeni bayibikela konke,
21 Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. Jehudi brought it from Elishama’s room and read it to the king, while all the [king’s] officials were standing there.
inkosi yathuma uJehudi ukuba ayethatha umqulu lowo, uJehudi weza lawo ewuthethe endlini ka-Elishama umabhalani wawubalela inkosi lezikhulu zonke ezazimi phansi kwayo.
22 It was in the cold season, and the king was in a part of the palace where he stayed when it was cold. He was sitting in front of a fire [to keep/be warm].
Kwakuyinyanga yesificamunwemunye, njalo inkosi yayihlezi ekamelweni lebusika, kulomlilo ovuthayo eziko phambi kwayo.
23 Each time Jehudi finished reading three or four columns, the king cut off that section of the scroll with a knife and threw it into the fire. He did that, section by section, until the entire scroll was burned up.
Kwakusithi uJehudi angabala izigaba ezintathu loba ezine zomqulu, inkosi iziqume ngengqamu iziphosele eziko umqulu waze watsha wonke emlilweni.
24 Neither the king nor his officials showed that they were afraid [that God would punish them]. They did not tear their clothes [to show that they were sorry for what they had done].
Inkosi lezinceku zayo zonke ezawezwayo amazwi la kabesabanga loba badabule izigqoko zabo.
25 Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah pleaded with the king not to burn the scroll, but he did not pay any attention.
Lanxa u-Elinathani loDelaya kanye loGemariya bayincenga inkosi ukuba ingatshisi umqulu, kayibalalelanga.
26 Then the king commanded his son Jerahmeel, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to arrest Baruch and me. But [they were unable to do that because] Yahweh had hidden us.
Esikhundleni salokho inkosi yalaya uJerameli, indodana yenkosi, loSeraya indodana ka-Aziriyeli kanye loShelemiya indodana ka-Abhideli ukuba babophe uBharukhi umbhali kanye loJeremiya umphrofethi. Kodwa uThixo wayesebafihlile.
27 After the king had burned the scroll on which were written the messages that I had dictated to Baruch, Yahweh said this to me:
Inkosi isitshise umqulu owawulamazwi ayebhalwe nguBharukhi ewatshelwa nguJeremiya, ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuJeremiya lisithi,
28 “Get another scroll, and [tell Baruch to] write everything again, the same messages that he had written on the scroll that the king burned.
“Thatha omunye umqulu ulobe kuwo wonke amazwi abesemqulwini wakuqala, otshiswe nguJehoyakhimi inkosi yakoJuda.
29 [Then go to] the king and say to him, ‘Yahweh says this: “You burned the scroll [because you did not like] what was written on it, that the king of Babylon would surely [RHQ] come [with his army] and destroy this land and get rid of all the people and the animals.
Umtshele uJehoyakhimi inkosi yakoJuda uthi, ‘UThixo uthi: Utshise umqulu lowana wathi, “Kungani ulobe kuwo ukuthi inkosi yaseBhabhiloni izakuza ngempela ichithe ilizwe leli, iqothule abantu lezinyamazana kulo na?”
30 Now this is what [I], Yahweh, say about [you], Jehoiakim: 'None of your descendants will rule this kingdom [MTY]. Your corpse will be thrown out [on the ground and not be buried]; it will be under the hot [sun] during the days and [struck by] frost during the nights.
Ngakho mayelana loJehoyakhimi inkosi yakoJuda, uThixo uthi: Akayikuba lomuntu ozahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida; isidumbu sakhe sizaphoselwa phandle sichayeke ekutshiseni kwelanga lakungqwaqwane webusuku.
31 I will punish you and your family and your officials for their sins. And I will cause the people of Jerusalem and the people of the [other] towns in Judah to experience all the disasters that I promised, because you all would not pay attention [to what I said]!'” '”
Ngizamjezisa labantwana bakhe kanye lezinceku zakhe ngenxa yobubi babo. Ngizakwehlisela phezu kwabo laphezu kwalabo abahlala eJerusalema kanye labantu bakoJuda, wonke umonakalo engawumemezela kubo, ngoba kabalalelanga.’”
32 So I took another scroll, and again I dictated the messages to Baruch. He wrote everything that had been written on the [other] scroll, the one that King Jehoiakim had burned in the fire. [But this time, I] added more messages.
Ngakho uJeremiya wathatha omunye umqulu wawunika umbhali uBharukhi indodana kaNeriya, njalo kwathi uJeremiya emtshela uBharukhi waloba kuwo wonke amazwi omqulu owawutshiswe emlilweni nguJehoyakhimi inkosi yakoJuda. Kwengezelelwa ngamanye amazwi amanengi ayefana lalawo.

< Jeremiah 36 >