Jeremiah 13
1 Thus saith the LORD to me, Go and purchase a linen waistband, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water.
Itsho njalo INkosi kimi: Hamba uzithengele ibhanti lelembu elicolekileyo, ulifake ekhalweni lwakho, ungalifaki emanzini.
2 So I bought a waistband according to the word of the LORD, and put it on my loins.
Ngasengithenga ibhanti njengokwelizwi leNkosi, ngalifaka ekhalweni lwami.
3 And the word of the LORD came to me the second time, saying,
Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi ngokwesibili lisithi:
4 Take the waistband that thou hast bought, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.
Thatha ibhanti olithengileyo elisokhalweni lwakho, usukume uye eYufrathi, ulifihle khona engoxweni yedwala.
5 So I went, and hid it by Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me.
Ngasengihamba, ngalifihla ngaseYufrathi njengoba iNkosi ingilayile.
6 And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said to me, Arise, go to Euphrates, and take the waistband from there, which I commanded thee to hide there.
Kwasekusithi ekupheleni kwensuku ezinengi, iNkosi yasisithi kimi: Sukuma, uye eYufrathi, uyethatha khona ibhanti engakulaya ukuthi ulifihle khona.
7 Then I went to Euphrates, and dug, and took the waistband from the place where I had hid it: and, behold, the waistband was marred, it was profitable for nothing.
Ngasengisiya eYufrathi, ngagebha, ngalithatha ibhanti endaweni lapho engangilifihle khona; khangela-ke, ibhanti lalonakele, lalingasasizi lutho.
8 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Laselifika kimi ilizwi leNkosi lisithi:
9 Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.
Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngalindlela ngizakonakalisa ukuziqhenya kukaJuda lokuziqhenya okukhulu kweJerusalema.
10 This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this waistband, which is good for nothing.
Lababantu ababi, abala ukuzwa amazwi ami, abahamba ngobulukhuni benhliziyo yabo, belandela abanye onkulunkulu ukubakhonza, lokubakhothamela, bazakuba njengalelibhanti elingasizi lutho.
11 For as the waistband cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave to me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith the LORD; that they might be to me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.
Ngoba njengoba ibhanti linamathela okhalweni lomuntu, ngokunjalo nginamathelise kimi indlu yonke yakoIsrayeli lendlu yonke yakoJuda, itsho iNkosi; ukuze kimi babe ngabantu, lebizo, lendumiso, lenkazimulo; kodwa kabalalelanga.
12 Therefore thou shalt speak to them this word; Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine: and they shall say to thee, Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?
Ngakho uzakhuluma kibo lelilizwi: Itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Yonke imbodlela izagcwaliswa ngewayini. Njalo bazakuthi kuwe: Isibili kasikwazi yini ukuthi yonke imbodlela izagcwaliswa ngewayini?
13 Then shalt thou say to them, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David’s throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, with drunkenness.
Ubususithi kibo: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela, ngizagcwalisa bonke abakhileyo balelilizwe, lamakhosi ahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida, labapristi, labaprofethi, labo bonke abahlali beJerusalema, ngokudakwa.
14 And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together, saith the LORD: I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but destroy them.
Njalo ngizabaphahlaza omunye komunye, laboyise lamadodana ndawonye, itsho iNkosi; kangiyikuhawukela, kangiyikuyekela, kangiyikuba lomusa, ukuthi ngingabachithi.
15 Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken.
Zwanini, libeke indlebe, lingaziqhenyi, ngoba iNkosi ikhulumile.
16 Give glory to the LORD your God, before he shall cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he shall turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.
Inikeni iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu udumo, ingakalethi ubumnyama, lenyawo zenu zingakakhubeki ezintabeni zokuhwalala, lisalindela ukukhanya, ikwenze kube lithunzi lokufa, ikwenze kube ngumnyama onzima.
17 But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and my eye shall weep bitterly, and run down with tears, because the LORD’S flock is carried away captive.
Kodwa uba lingalaleli, umphefumulo wami uzakhala inyembezi endaweni zensitha ngenxa yokuziqhenya kwenu, lelihlo lami lizakhala inyembezi kabuhlungu, lehlise inyembezi, ngoba umhlambi weNkosi uthunjiwe.
18 Say to the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory.
Tshono enkosini lendlovukazini uthi: Zithobeni, hlalani phansi; ngoba imiqhele yenu izawela phansi, umqhele wodumo lwenu.
19 The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive.
Imizi yeningizimu izavalwa, njalo kakho ozayivula; uJuda uzathunjwa, yena wonke, uzathunjwa ngokupheleleyo.
20 Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?
Phakamisani amehlo enu, libone labo abavela enyakatho. Ungaphi umhlambi owaphiwa wona, umhlambi wakho omuhle?
21 What wilt thou say when he shall punish thee? for thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief over thee: shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail?
Uzakuthini uba esenza isijeziso phezu kwakho, ngoba wena ubafundise ukuthi babe yizinduna lenhloko phezu kwakho; inhlungu kaziyikukubamba yini njengowesifazana obelethayo?
22 And if thou shalt say in thy heart, Why come these things upon me? For the greatness of thy iniquity are thy skirts uncovered, and thy heels made bare.
Njalo uba usithi enhliziyweni yakho: Kungani lezizinto zenzakele kimi? Ngenxa yobunengi bobubi bakho amalogwe akho embuliwe, lezithende zakho zaphathwa ngodlakela.
23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
UmEthiyophiya angasiphendula yini isikhumba sakhe, kumbe ingwe amabala ayo? Khona lani lizakuba lakho ukwenza okuhle elejwayele ukwenza okubi.
24 Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness.
Ngakho ngizabahlakaza njengamakhoba edluliswa ngomoya wenkangala.
25 This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the LORD; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.
Le yinkatho yakho, isabelo sezilinganiso zakho ezivela kimi, itsho iNkosi, ngoba ungikhohliwe, wathemba emangeni.
26 Therefore will I uncover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may appear.
Ngakho lami ngizakwembula amalogwe akho phezu kobuso bakho, ukuze kubonakale ihlazo lakho.
27 I have seen thy adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy harlotry, and thy abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe to thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?
Ngibonile ubufebe bakho, lokukhonya kwakho, inkohlakalo zokuphinga kwakho, phezu kwamaqaqa egangeni, amanyala akho. Maye kuwe, Jerusalema! Kawuyikuhlambuluka yini? Kusezadlula nini?
