Jeremiah 8
1 At that time, an affirmation of Jehovah, They bring the bones of the kings of Judah, And the bones of its princes, And the bones of the priests, And the bones of the prophets, And the bones of inhabitants of Jerusalem, Out of their graves,
“‘Ngalesosikhathi, kutsho uThixo, amathambo amakhosi akoJuda lawezikhulu zakhona, amathambo abaphristi lawabaphrofethi, kanye lamathambo abantu baseJerusalema azakhutshwa emangcwabeni awo.
2 And have spread them to sun, and to moon, And to all the host of the heavens, that they have loved, And that they have served, And that they have walked after, And that they have sought, And to which they have bowed themselves, They are not gathered, nor buried, They are for dung on the face of the ground.
Azachaywa elangeni lasenyangeni lakuzo zonke izinkanyezi zasemazulwini, abakuthandayo bakukhonza njalo abakulandelayo bakubuza bakudumisa. Kawayikubuthwa loba angcwatshwe, kodwa azakuba njengezibi phezu komhlabathi.
3 And chosen is death rather than life By all the remnant who are left of this evil family, In all the remaining places, whither I have driven them, An affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts.
Loba kungaphi engibaxotshela khona, bonke abasilayo balesisizwe esibi bazakhetha ukufa kulokuphila, kutsho uThixo uSomandla.’”
4 And thou hast said unto them: Thus said Jehovah, Do they fall, and not rise? Doth he turn back, and not return?
“Wothi kubo, ‘UThixo uthi: Abantu bangawa, kabavuki na? Omunye angaphambuka, kaphenduki na?
5 Wherefore hath this people of Jerusalem Turned back — a perpetual backsliding? They have kept hold on deceit, They have refused to turn back.
Pho kungani abantu laba bedukile? Kungani iJerusalema lihlala liseduka? Bayanamathela enkohlisweni, bayala ukuphenduka.
6 I have given attention, yea, I hearken, They do not speak right, No man hath repented of his wickedness, Saying, What have I done? Every one hath turned to his courses, As a horse is rushing into battle.
Ngilalele ngesineke, kodwa kabatsho okulungileyo. Kakho ophenduka ebubini bakhe, esithi, “Kuyini engikwenzileyo na?” Yilowo lalowo ulandela indlela yakhe njengebhiza lizithela empini.
7 Even a stork in the heavens hath known her seasons, And turtle, and swallow, and crane, Have watched the time of their coming, And — My people have not known the judgment of Jehovah.
Lengabuzane emoyeni liyazazi izikhathi zalo zomnyaka, lejuba, lenkonjane lohemu kuyasigcina isikhathi sakho sokuthutha. Kodwa abantu bami kabakwazi okufunwa nguThixo.
8 How do ye say, We [are] wise, And the law of Jehovah [is] with us? Surely, lo, falsely it hath wrought, The false pen of scribes.
Lingatsho kanjani ukuthi, “Sihlakaniphile, ngoba silomthetho kaThixo,” lona iqiniso kuyikuthi amanga alotshwe ngosiba lwababhali asenze umthetho wangabi liqiniso?
9 Ashamed have been the wise, They have been affrighted, and are captured, Lo, against a word of Jehovah they kicked, And the wisdom of what — have they?
Abahlakaniphileyo bazayangiswa, bazakwesaba bathiyeke. Njengoba belalile ilizwi likaThixo, balenhlakanipho bani na?
10 Therefore, I give their wives to others, Their fields to dispossessors, For from the least even unto the greatest, Every one is gaining dishonest gain, From prophet even unto priest, every one is dealing falsely.
Ngakho abafazi babo ngizabapha amanye amadoda lamasimu abo abe ngawabanye abatsha. Kusukela kwabancane kusiya kwabakhulu, bonke bayizihwaba ezifuna inzuzo, banjalo abaphrofethi kanye labaphristi, bonke benza inkohliso.
11 And they heal the breach of the daughter of my people slightly, Saying, Peace, peace! and there is no peace.
Babopha inxeba labantu bami kungathi kalilibi kakhulu. Bathi, “Ukuthula, ukuthula,” khona ukuthula kungekho.
12 They were ashamed when they did abomination! Yea, they are not at all ashamed, And blushing they have not known, Therefore, they do fall among falling ones, In the time of their inspection they stumble, said Jehovah.
Kambe bayayangeka na ngokuziphatha kwabo okunengisayo? Hatshi, bavele kabalazo inhloni, lokuyangeka kabakwazi. Ngakho bazawela phakathi kwabawileyo, bazakwehliselwa phansi lapho sebejeziswa, kutsho uThixo.
13 I utterly consume them, an affirmation of Jehovah, There are no grapes in the vine, Yea, there are no figs in the fig-tree, And the leaf hath faded, And the strength they have passeth from them.
Ngizabemuka isivuno sabo, kutsho uThixo. Akuyikuba lezithelo ezivinini zabo. Akuyikuba lezithelo zomkhiwa esihlahleni, lamahlamvu aso azabuna. Engibanike khona kuzathathwa kubo.’”
14 Wherefore are we sitting still? Be gathered, and we go in to the fenced cities, And we are silent there, For Jehovah our God hath made us silent, Yea, He causeth us to drink water of gall, For we have sinned against Jehovah.
Pho sihlaleleni lapha? Buthanini! Kasibalekeleni emadolobheni avikelweyo siyebhubhela khona! Ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu usesilahlele ekubhubheni wasinika amanzi aletshefu ukuba sinathe, ngoba sonile kuye.
15 Looking for peace — and there is no good, For a time of healing, and lo, terror.
Sathemba ukuba lokuthula kodwa akubanga lobuhle obukhona, ekubeni kube yisikhathi sokwelatshwa kwaba lokwesaba.
16 From Dan hath been heard the snorting of his horses, From the voice of the neighings of his mighty ones, Trembled hath all the land, And they come in and consume the land and its fulness, The city and the inhabitants in it.
Ukuthimula kwamabhiza esitha kuyezwakala kuvelela koDani, ekukhaleni kwamabhiza amaduna ilizwe lonke liyaqhaqhazela. Zilande ukuzatshwabadela ilizwe lakho konke okukulo, idolobho labo bonke abahlala kulo.
17 For, lo, I am sending among you serpents, Vipers that have no charmer, And they have bitten you, an affirmation of Jehovah.
“Khangelani, ngizathumela phakathi kwenu izinyoka ezilobuhlungu, izinhlangwana ezingeke zithakathwe, njalo zizaliluma,” kutsho uThixo.
18 My refreshing for me [is] sorrow, For me my heart [is] sick.
Awu Mduduzi wami osizini, inhliziyo yami isiqaleka phakathi kwami.
19 Lo, the voice of a cry of the daughter of my people from a land afar off, Is Jehovah not in Zion? is her king not in her? Wherefore have they provoked Me with their graven images, With the vanities of a foreigner?
Lalela ukukhala kwabantu bami okuvela elizweni elikhatshana besithi: “UThixo kakho eZiyoni na? INkosi yalo kayisekho lapho na?” “Kungani bevuse ulaka lwami ngezifanekiso zabo, langezithombe zezizweni eziyize na?”
20 Harvest hath passed, summer hath ended, And we — we have not been saved.
“Ukuvuna sekwedlule, ihlobo seliphelile, kodwa kasihlengwanga.”
21 For a breach of the daughter of my people have I been broken, I have been black, astonishment hath seized me.
Njengoba abantu bami benqotshiwe lami nginqotshiwe, ngiyalila njalo ukwesaba kungiphethe.
22 Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? For wherefore hath not the health of the daughter of my people gone up?
Akulamuthi yini eGiliyadi? Kakho yini lomelaphi khona? Pho kungani kungekho kwelatshwa kwenxeba labantu bami na?
