Jeremiah 40
1 [The soldiers from Babylonia] captured me and many other people from Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah. They [planned to] take us to Babylon. So they fastened chains around our wrists and took us to Ramah [town north of Jerusalem]. While we were there, I was released. [This is how it happened]:
Ilizwi elafika kuJeremiya livela eNkosini emva kokuthi uNebuzaradani induna yabalindi esemyekele wahamba esuka eRama, esemthethe ebotshiwe ngamaketane phakathi kwabo bonke ababethunjwe eJerusalema lakoJuda, abasiwa ekuthunjweni eBhabhiloni.
2 [Nebuzaradan, ] the captain of the [king’s] bodyguards, [found that I was there]. He summoned me and said to me, “Yahweh your God said that he would cause this land to experience a disaster.
Induna yabalindi yasimthatha uJeremiya yathi kuye: INkosi, uNkulunkulu wakho, yakhuluma lokhu okubi ngalindawo.
3 And now he has caused it to happen. He has done just what he said [that he would do], because you people sinned against Yahweh and refused to obey him.
INkosi isikulethile yakwenza njengokutsho kwayo, ngoba lonile eNkosini, kalilalelanga ilizwi layo; ngakho loludaba lwenzakele kini.
4 But today I am going to take the chains off your wrists and release you. If you want to come with me to Babylon, [that will be fine]. I will take care of you. But if you do not want to come with me, do not come. [Stay here]. Look, the entire country is available; you can choose whatever part you want to go to. You can go wherever you wish.” [Then he took the chains off my wrists].
Khathesi-ke, khangela, lamuhla ngiyakukhulula kulamaketane asezandleni zakho. Uba kukuhle emehlweni akho ukuya lami eBhabhiloni, woza, ngimise ilihlo lami phezu kwakho; kodwa uba kukubi emehlweni akho ukuya lami eBhabhiloni, yekela. Bona, ilizwe lonke liphambi kwakho; lapho kukuhle kuqondile emehlweni akho ukuhamba, hamba uye khona.
5 He said, “If you [decide to] stay here, go to Gedaliah. The King of Babylon appointed him to be the governor of Judah. [You will be allowed to] stay here with the people [that he is governing]. But you can do whatever you want to.” Then Nebuzaradan gave me some food and some money, and he allowed me to go.
Kodwa engakabuyeli, wathi: Buyela kuGedaliya, indodana kaAhikhamu, indodana kaShafani, emmisileyo inkosi yeBhabhiloni abe phezu kwemizi yakoJuda, uhlale laye phakathi kwabantu; kumbe loba kungaphi lapho kuqondile emehlweni akho ukuya khona, hamba. Ngakho induna yabalindi yasimnika umphako lesipho, yamyekela ukuthi ahambe.
6 I returned to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and I stayed in Judah with the people who still remained in the land.
Ngakho uJeremiya wafika kuGedaliya indodana kaAhikhamu eMizipa, wahlala laye phakathi kwabantu ababesele elizweni.
7 The [Israeli] soldiers [who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia] were roaming around in the countryside. Then their leaders heard someone say that the King of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah to be the governor of the very poor people [who were still in Judah], who had not been taken to Babylon.
Kwathi zonke induna zamabutho ezazisegangeni, zona kanye lamadoda azo, besizwa ukuthi inkosi yeBhabhiloni ibekile uGedaliya indodana kaAhikhamu abe phezu kwelizwe, lokuthi inikele kuye amadodana labesifazana labantwana, lakwabangabayanga belizwe, kulabo ababengathunjelwanga eBhabhiloni,
8 So they went [to talk] to Gedaliah at Mizpah. [Those who went included] Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai from Netophath, and Jezaniah from Maacah, and the soldiers who were with them.
khona beza kuGedaliya eMizipa, oIshmayeli, indodana kaNethaniya, loJohanani, loJonathani, amadodana kaKareya, loSeraya, indodana kaTanihumethi, lamadodana kaEfayi, umNetofa, loJezaniya, indodana yomMahakathi, bona lamadoda abo.
9 Gedaliah solemnly promised that the soldiers from Babylonia would not harm them. He said, “Do not be afraid to do things for them. Stay [here] in this land and do things for the King of Babylon. If you do that, things will go well for you.
UGedaliya, indodana kaAhikhamu, indodana kaShafani, wasefunga kibo lamadoda abo, esithi: Lingesabi ukusebenzela amaKhaladiya; hlalani elizweni, liyisebenzele inkosi yeBhabhiloni; khona kuzalilungela.
10 As for me, I will stay [here] at Mizpah to be your representative to the [officials from] Babylonia who come to [talk with] us. But you should [return to your towns, and eat the things that are produced on your land]. Harvest the grapes and the fruit [that ripen in] the (summer/hot season) and the olives, [make wine and olive oil, ] and store it.”
Khangelani-ke, mina ngihlala eMizipa ukuma phambi kobuso bamaKhaladiya azafika kithi; kodwa lina buthani iwayini lezithelo zehlobo lamafutha, likufake ezitsheni zenu, lihlale emizini yenu eliyithetheyo.
11 Then the Jews who had fled to Moab, Ammon, Edom, and other [nearby] countries heard people say that the King of Babylon had allowed a few people [to remain] in Judah, and that he had appointed Gedaliah to be their governor.
Futhi, lapho wonke amaJuda ayekoMowabi laphakathi kwabantwana bakoAmoni leEdoma lawayekuwo wonke amazwe esezwile ukuthi inkosi yeBhabhiloni itshiyile insali yakoJuda, lokuthi yabeka phezu kwabo uGedaliya, indodana kaAhikhamu, indodana kaShafani;
12 So they [began to] return to Judah. They stopped at Mizpah to [talk with] Gedaliah. Then [they went to various places in Judea, and] they harvested a great amount of grapes and summer fruit.
wonke amaJuda asebuya esuka endaweni zonke ayexotshelwe khona, eza elizweni lakoJuda, kuGedaliya eMizipa; abutha iwayini lezithelo zehlobo, kwaba kunengi kakhulu.
13 [Some time later, ] Johanan and all the [other] leaders of the Israeli soldiers [who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia] came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.
UJohanani indodana kaKareya lazo zonke induna zamabutho ayesegangeni basebesiza kuGedaliya eMizipa,
14 They said to him, “Do you know that Baalis, the king of the Ammon [people-group], has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to assassinate you?” But Gedaliah did not believe what they said.
bathi kuye: Uyakwazi isibili yini ukuthi uBhahalisi inkosi yabantwana bakoAmoni uthume uIshmayeli indodana kaNethaniya ukukutshaya empilweni? Kodwa uGedaliya indodana kaAhikhamu kabakholwanga.
15 Later Johanan talked with Gedaliah privately. He said, “Allow me to go and murder Ishmael secretly. It would not be good [RHQ] to allow him to come and murder you! If you are killed, what will happen to all the Jews who have returned to this area? They will be scattered, and the other people who remain in Judah will all be killed!”
UJohanani indodana kaKareya wasekhuluma loGedaliya ensitha eMizipa esithi: Ake ungiyekele ngihambe ngiyetshaya uIshmayeli indodana kaNethaniya, kungabi lamuntu okwaziyo. Uzakutshayelani empilweni, ukuze bahlakazeke bonke abakoJuda ababuthene kuwe, kubhubhe insali yakoJuda?
16 But Gedaliah said to Johanan, “[No], I will not allow you to do that. [I think that] you are lying about Ishmael.”
Kodwa uGedaliya indodana kaAhikhamu wathi kuJohanani indodana kaKareya: Ungayenzi le indaba, ngoba uqamba amanga ngoIshmayeli.
