Jeremiah 12
1 You are righteous, Yahweh, when I contend with you; yet I would like to plead a case with you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why are they all at ease who deal very treacherously?
Ulungile wena Nkosi, lapho ngiphikisana lawe; kanti ngizakhuluma lawe ngezahlulelo zakho. Kungani indlela yabakhohlakeleyo iphumelela? Kungani behlezi kuhle bonke abenza inkohliso ngenkohliso?
2 You have planted them. Yes, they have taken root. They grow. Yes, they produce fruit. You are near in their mouth, and far from their heart.
Ubahlanyele, yebo, bagxilile impande; bayaqhubeka, yebo, bathele izithelo; useduze emlonyeni wabo, kanti ukhatshana lezinso zabo.
3 But you, Yahweh, know me. You see me, and test my heart toward you. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.
Kodwa wena, Nkosi, uyangazi, ungibonile, wahlola inhliziyo yami ngakuwe. Bahudule njengezimvu zokuhlatshwa, ubehlukanisele usuku lokuhlatshwa.
4 How long will the land mourn, and the herbs of the whole country wither? Because of the wickedness of those who dwell therein, the animals and birds are consumed; because they said, “He won’t see our latter end.”
Koze kube nini ilizwe lilila, lohlaza lweganga lonke lubuna? Ngenxa yobubi babakhileyo kulo izinyamazana lenyoni ziyabhubha; ngoba bathi: Kayiyikubona isiphetho sethu.
5 “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? Though in a land of peace you are secure, yet how will you do in the pride of the Jordan?
Uba ugijime labezinyawo, bakudinisa, pho, ungancintisana njani lamabhiza? Uba uthembela elizweni elilokuthula, pho, uzakwenza njani ekukhukhumaleni kweJordani?
6 For even your brothers, and the house of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you! Even they have cried aloud after you! Don’t believe them, though they speak beautiful words to you.
Ngoba ngitsho abafowenu lendlu kayihlo, ngitsho labo bakuphatha ngenkohliso, yebo, bona bayamemeza emva kwakho ngokugcweleyo; ungabakholwa, loba bekhuluma izinto ezinhle kuwe.
7 “I have forsaken my house. I have cast off my heritage. I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies.
Ngiyidelile indlu yami, ngilitshiyile ilifa lami; nginikele othandiweyo womphefumulo wami esandleni sezitha zakhe.
8 My heritage has become to me as a lion in the forest. She has uttered her voice against me. Therefore I have hated her.
Ilifa lami kimi linjengesilwane ehlathini; lingiphumisele ilizwi; ngakho-ke ngilizondile.
9 Is my heritage to me as a speckled bird of prey? Are the birds of prey against her all around? Go, assemble all the animals of the field. Bring them to devour.
Ilifa lami kimi linjengenyoni elamabalabala edla inyama, inyoni ezidla inyama ziyihanqile zimelene layo; wozani, libuthe zonke izilo zeganga, lizilethe ukuthi zidle.
10 Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard. They have trodden my portion under foot. They have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.
Abelusi abanengi basichithile isivini sami, banyathelele phansi isabelo sami, basenzile isabelo sami esiloyisekayo saba yinkangala elunxiwa.
11 They have made it a desolation. It mourns to me, being desolate. The whole land is made desolate, because no one cares.
Basenze saba lunxiwa, sililela kimi silunxiwa; ilizwe lonke lilunxiwa, ngoba kakulamuntu okubeka enhliziyweni.
12 Destroyers have come on all the bare heights in the wilderness; for the sword of Yahweh devours from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land. No flesh has peace.
Abachithi bafikile phezu kwawo wonke amadundulu enkangala; ngoba inkemba yeNkosi izakudla kusukela komunye umkhawulo welizwe kusiya komunye umkhawulo welizwe; kakulakuthula kuyo yonke inyama.
13 They have sown wheat, and have reaped thorns. They have exhausted themselves, and profit nothing. You will be ashamed of your fruits, because of Yahweh’s fierce anger.”
Bahlanyele ingqoloyi, kodwa bazavuna ameva; bazihluphe, kabayikuzuza; njalo lizakuba lenhloni ngezivuno zenu, ngenxa yokuvutha kolaka lweNkosi.
14 Yahweh says, “Concerning all my evil neighbors, who touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit: Behold, I will pluck them up from off their land, and will pluck up the house of Judah from among them.
Itsho njalo iNkosi: Mayelana labo bonke omakhelwane bami ababi abathinta ilifa engenze isizwe sami uIsrayeli ukuthi sidle ilifa lalo: Khangela, ngizabasiphuna elizweni labo, ngiyisiphune indlu yakoJuda isuke phakathi kwabo.
15 It will happen that after I have plucked them up, I will return and have compassion on them. I will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land.
Kuzakuthi-ke emva kokubasiphuna kwami, ngizabuya ngibe lesihawu kubo, ngibabuyise, kube ngulowo lalowo elifeni lakhe, langulowo lalowo elizweni lakhe.
16 It will happen, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, ‘As Yahweh lives;’ even as they taught my people to swear by Baal, then they will be built up in the middle of my people.
Kuzakuthi-ke uba bezazifunda ngokukhuthala izindlela zabantu bami, ukuthi bafunge ngebizo lami bathi: Kuphila kukaJehova; njengalokho bafundisa abantu bami ukufunga ngoBhali, khona bezakwakhiwa phakathi kwabantu bami.
17 But if they will not hear, then I will pluck up that nation, plucking up and destroying it,” says Yahweh.
Kodwa uba bengalaleli, ngizasisiphuna lesosizwe, ngisisiphune ngisibhubhise, itsho iNkosi.
