Jeremiah 29
1 Now these [are] the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the residue of the elders who were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon;
La-ke ngamazwi encwadi ayithumelayo uJeremiya umprofethi ivela eJerusalema isiya kunsali yabadala babathunjiweyo lakubapristi lakubaprofethi lebantwini bonke ayebathumbile uNebhukadinezari besuka eJerusalema wabasa eBhabhiloni
2 (After Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths, had departed from Jerusalem; )
(emva kokuphuma kukaJekoniya inkosi, lendlovukazi, labathenwa, iziphathamandla zakoJuda lezeJerusalema, lababazi, labakhandi, besuka eJerusalema),
3 By the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon) saying,
ngesandla sikaElasa indodana kaShafani, loGemariya indodana kaHilikhiya, uZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda eyabathuma eBhabhiloni kuNebhukadinezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, isithi:
4 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all that are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon;
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, kibo bonke abathunjiweyo engabenza bathunjwa besuswa eJerusalema basiwa eBhabhiloni:
5 Build ye houses, and dwell [in them]; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them;
Yakhani izindlu, lihlale kizo, lihlanyele izivande, lidle izithelo zazo;
6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.
lithathe abafazi, lizale amadodana lamadodakazi, lithathele amadodana enu abafazi, lendise amadodakazi enu emadodeni, ukuze azale amadodana lamadodakazi, lande khona, linganciphi.
7 And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray to the LORD for it: for in the peace of it ye shall have peace.
Lidinge ukuthula komuzi lapho engilithumbele khona, liwukhulekele eNkosini; ngoba ekuthuleni kwawo lizakuba lokuthula.
8 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that [are] in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Akuthi abaprofethi benu labavumisi benu abaphakathi kwenu bangalikhohlisi; lingawalaleli amaphupho enu eliwenza aphutshwe;
9 For they prophesy falsely to you in my name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.
ngoba baprofetha amanga kini ngebizo lami; kangibathumanga, itsho iNkosi.
10 For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years shall be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word towards you, in causing you to return to this place.
Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi: Qiniso, lapho iminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa isigcwalisekile eBhabhiloni, ngizalihambela, ngiqinise ilizwi lami elihle kini, ukuthi ngilibuyise kulindawo.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
Ngoba mina ngiyazi imicabango engiyicabanga ngani, itsho iNkosi, imicabango yokuthula, kayisiyo eyokubi, ukuthi ngilinike isiphetho lokulindelweyo.
12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray to me, and I will hearken to you.
Khona lizangibiza liyekhuleka kimi, ngilizwe.
13 And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Njalo lizangidinga, lingithole, lapho lingidingisisa ngenhliziyo yenu yonke.
14 And I will be found by you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD: and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
Njalo ngizatholwa yini, itsho iNkosi, ngibuyise ukuthunjwa kwenu, ngiliqoqe kuzo zonke izizwe lakuzo zonke indawo lapho engilixotshele khona, itsho iNkosi, ngilibuyise endaweni engalithumba livela khona.
15 Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised up for us prophets in Babylon;
Ngoba litshilo: INkosi isivusele abaprofethi eBhabhiloni.
16 [Know] that thus saith the LORD concerning the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and concerning all the people that dwelleth in this city, [and] concerning your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;
Ngoba utsho njalo uJehova ngenkosi ehlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida langabo bonke abantu abahlala kulumuzi, abafowenu abangaphumelanga ekuthunjweni kanye lani:
17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so bad.
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Khangelani, ngizathumela phakathi kwabo inkemba, indlala, lomatshayabhuqe wesifo, ngibenze babe njengemikhiwa eyenyanyekayo, engadlekiyo ngenxa yobubi.
18 And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and a hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:
Ngixotshane labo ngenkemba, ngendlala, langomatshayabhuqe wesifo, ngibanikele ukuba yisesabiso kuyo yonke imibuso yomhlaba, babe yisiqalekiso, lento eyesabekayo, lokuncifelwayo, lehlazo, phakathi kwazo zonke izizwe lapho engibaxotshele khona;
19 Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the LORD, which I sent to them by my servants the prophets, rising early and sending [them]; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD.
ngenxa yokuthi bengawalalelanga amazwi ami, itsho iNkosi, engawathumela kibo ngenceku zami abaprofethi, ngivuka ngovivi ngibathuma, kodwa kalilalelanga, itsho iNkosi.
20 Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon:
Lina-ke zwanini ilizwi leNkosi, lina lonke bathunjiweyo, engabathuma besuka eJerusalema besiya eBhabhiloni:
21 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, mayelana loAhabi indodana kaKolaya, lamayelana loZedekhiya indodana kaMahaseya, abaprofetha amanga kini ngebizo lami: Khangelani, ngizabanikela esandleni sikaNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, ozababulala phambi kwamehlo enu.
22 And concerning them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah who [are] in Babylon, saying, The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;
Njalo kuzathathwa kubo isiqalekiso yibo bonke abathunjiweyo koJuda abaseBhabhiloni kuthiwe: Kungathi iNkosi ikumise njengoZedekhiya lanjengoAhabi, inkosi yeBhabhiloni eyamosa ngomlilo;
23 Because they have committed villainy in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbor's wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and [am] a witness, saith the LORD.
ngenxa yokuthi benze ubuthutha koIsrayeli, bafeba labafazi babomakhelwane babo, baqamba amazwi angamanga ngebizo lami, engingabalayanga wona; njalo yimi engaziyo, engingumfakazi, itsho iNkosi.
24 [Thus] shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,
Uzakhuluma kuShemaya umNehelami usithi:
25 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, Because thou hast sent letters in thy name to all the people that [are] at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, isithi: Ngenxa yokuthi wena uthumele izincwadi ngebizo lakho kubo bonke abantu abaseJerusalema, lakuZefaniya indodana kaMahaseya umpristi, lakubo bonke abapristi, usithi:
26 The LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the LORD, for every man [that is] mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks.
INkosi isikwenze ube ngumpristi esikhundleni sikaJehoyada umpristi, ukuthi libe ngababonisi bendlu yeNkosi phezu kwakhe wonke umuntu ohlanyayo ozitshaya umprofethi, ukuthi limfake esitokisini elezankosi entanyeni.
27 Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, who maketh himself a prophet to you?
Khathesi-ke, kungani ungamkhuzanga uJeremiya umAnathothi ozitshaya umprofethi kini?
28 For therefore he sent to us [in] Babylon, saying, This [captivity is] long: build ye houses, and dwell [in them]; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.
Ngoba ngenxa yalokhu usethumele kithi eBhabhiloni esithi: Kuzakuba kude; yakhani izindlu, lihlale kizo, lihlanyele izivande, lidle izithelo zazo.
29 And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
UZefaniya umpristi waseyifunda lincwadi endlebeni zikaJeremiya umprofethi.
30 Then came the word of the LORD to Jeremiah, saying,
Laselifika ilizwi leNkosi kuJeremiya lisithi:
31 Send to all them of the captivity, saying, Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite; Because Shemaiah hath prophesied to you, and I sent him not, and he caused you to trust in a lie:
Thumela kubo bonke abathunjiweyo usithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi ngoShemaya umNehelami: Ngenxa yokuthi uShemaya eprofethe kini, mina-ke ngingamthumanga, walenza ukuthi lithembe amanga,
32 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people; neither shall he behold the good that I will do for my people, saith the LORD; because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD.
ngakho itsho iNkosi: Khangela, ngizajezisa uShemaya umNehelami kanye lenzalo yakhe; kayikuba lamuntu ozahlala phakathi kwalababantu, angaboni okuhle engizakwenzela abantu bami, itsho iNkosi, ngoba ukhulume ukuhlamuka emelene leNkosi.
