UJeremiya 10
1 Zwana okutshiwo nguThixo kuwe, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli.
Hear the word, O house of Israel, That YHWH has spoken for you.
2 UThixo uthi: “Lingazifundi izindlela zezizwe kumbe ukwethuswa yizibonakaliso zasemkhathini, lanxa nje izizwe zisethuswa yizo.
Thus said YHWH: “Do not accustom yourselves to the way of the nations, And do not be frightened by the signs of the heavens, For the nations are frightened by them.
3 Ngoba imikhuba yabantu iyize, bagamula isihlahla ehlathini, ingcwethi isibaze ngetshizela yayo.
For the statutes of the peoples are vanity, For one has cut a tree from a forest, Work of the hands of a craftsman, with an axe,
4 Bayasicecisa ngesiliva langegolide, basibethele ngesando langezipikili ukuze singanyikinyeki.
They beautify it with silver and with gold, They fix it with nails and with hammers, And it does not stumble.
5 Njengezinto zokwethusa endimeni yamajodo, izithombe zabo azikhulumi, kumele zithwalwe ngoba azingeke zihambe. Lingazesabi, azingeke zenze okubi, lokuhle azingeke zikwenze.”
They [are] stiff as a palm, and they do not speak, They are surely carried, for they do not step, Do not be afraid of them, for they do no evil, Indeed, to do good is also not in them.”
6 Kakho ofana lawe, wena Thixo, wena umkhulu, lebizo lakho lilamandla amakhulu.
Because there is none like You, O YHWH, You [are] great, and Your Name [is] great in might.
7 Ngubani ongeke akwesabe, wena Nkosi yezizwe? Lokhu kukufanele. Phakathi kwabantu bonke abahlakaniphileyo bezizwe lakuyo yonke imibuso yabo, kakho onjengawe.
Who does not fear You, King of the nations? For it is befitting to You, For among all the wise of the nations, And in all their kingdom, there is none like You.
8 Bonke kabalangqondo njalo bayizithutha, bafundiswa yizithombe zezigodo eziyize.
And as one they are brutish and foolish, An instruction of vanities [is] the tree itself.
9 Isiliva esikhandiweyo siyalethwa sivela eThashishi legolide livela e-Ufazi. Okwenziwe yingcwethi lomkhandi wegolide kugqokiswa okuluhlaza lokuyibubende, njalo konke kwenziwe zingcitshi.
Spread-out silver is brought from Tarshish, And gold from Uphaz, Work of an artisan, and of the hands of a refiner, Their clothing [is] blue and purple, Work of the skillful—all of them.
10 Kodwa uThixo unguNkulunkulu oqotho, unguNkulunkulu ophilayo, iNkosi yanininini. Lapho ethukuthele, umhlaba uyagedezela, izizwe azingeke zimelane lolaka lwakhe.
And YHWH [is] a God of truth, He [is] a living God, and a perpetual King, The earth shakes from His wrath, And nations do not endure His indignation.
11 “Batshele lokhu uthi, onkulunkulu laba, abangawenzanga amazulu lomhlaba, bazabhubha emhlabeni langaphansi kwamazulu.”
Thus you say to them, “The gods who have not made the heavens and earth, They perish from the earth, And from under these heavens.”
12 Kodwa uNkulunkulu wenza umhlaba ngamandla akhe, wamisa umhlaba ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe, njalo wendlala lamazulu ngokuqedisisa kwakhe.
The Maker of the earth by His power, The Establisher of the world by His wisdom, Who, by His understanding, stretched forth the heavens—
13 Lapho evungama, amanzi asemazulwini ayahlokoma, wenza amayezi aphakame evela emikhawulweni yomhlaba. Uthumela umbane ulezulu njalo akhuphe umoya eziphaleni zakhe.
When He gives forth His voice, A multitude of waters [is] in the heavens, And He causes vapors to come up from the end of the earth, He has made lightnings for rain, And brings out wind from His treasures.
14 Abantu bonke kabalangqondo njalo kabalalwazi, wonke umkhandi wegolide uyangiswa yizithombe zakhe. Izithombe zakhe azenzayo ziyinkohliso, kazilamphefumulo phakathi kwazo.
Every man is brutish by knowledge, Every refiner is put to shame by a carved image, For his molten image [is] false. And there is no breath in them.
15 Ziyize, izinto zenhlekisa nje, lapho ukwahlulelwa kwazo sekufikile, zizabhubha.
They [are] vanity, work of erring ones, They perish in the time of their inspection.
16 Lowo oyiNgxenye kaJakhobe kafani lalaba, ngoba unguMenzi wezinto zonke, kubalwa lo-Israyeli, isizwe selifa lakhe, ibizo lakhe nguThixo uSomandla.
The Portion of Jacob [is] not like these, For He [is] the Framer of all things, And Israel [is] the rod of His inheritance, YHWH of Hosts [is] His Name.
17 Qoqani impahla yenu ukuba lisuke elizweni, lina elihlezi livinjezelwe.
Gather your merchandise from the land, O dweller in the bulwark,
18 Ngoba uThixo uthi, “Ngalesisikhathi ngizabaphosela phandle labo abahlala kulelilizwe, ngizabehlisela usizi ukuze bathunjwe.”
For thus said YHWH: “Behold, I am slinging out the inhabitants of the land at this time, And have been an adversary to them, So that they are found out.”
19 Maye mina ngenxa yokulimala kwami! Inxeba lami kalelapheki! Ikanti ngazitshela ngathi, “Lo ngumkhuhlane wami, njalo kumele ngiwubekezelele.”
Woe to me for my breaking, My striking has been grievous, And I said, “Surely this [is] my sickness, and I bear it.”
20 Ithente lami lidiliziwe, izintambo zalo zonke ziqumekile. Amadodana ami asukile kimi njalo kawasekho, kakho oseleyo ukuba angimisele ithente lami, loba ongangilungisela amakhetheni ami.
My tent has been spoiled, And all my cords have been broken, My sons have gone out from me, and they are not, There is none stretching out my tent anymore, And raising up my curtains.
21 Abelusi kabalangqondo njalo kabambuzi uThixo, ngakho kabaphumeleli, njalo lemihlambi yabo yonke ihlakazekile.
For the shepherds have become brutish, And they have not sought YHWH, Therefore they have not acted wisely, And all their flock is scattered.
22 Lalelani! Umbiko uyeza, ukuxokozela okukhulu okuvela elizweni lenyakatho! Kuzakwenza amadolobho akoJuda achitheke, abe yizikhundla zamakhanka.
A voice of a report, behold, it has come, Even a great shaking from the north country, To make the cities of Judah a desolation, A habitation of dragons.
23 Ngiyazi, Oh Thixo, ukuthi ukuphila komuntu akusikho kwakhe, umuntu akusikho kwakhe ukuthi aqondise izinyathelo zakhe.
I have known, O YHWH, that not of man [is] his way, Not of man [is] the going and establishing of his step.
24 Ngiqondise Thixo, kodwa kube ngokulunga, kungabi ngolaka lwakho, hlezi ungenze ngibe yize.
Discipline me, O YHWH, only in judgment, Not in Your anger, lest You make me small.
25 Yehlisela ulaka lwakho phezu kwezizwe ezingakwamukeliyo, phezu kwabantu abangakhuleki ebizweni lakho. Ngoba bamdlile uJakhobe, bamdlile waphela bachitha lelizwe lakhe.
Pour out Your fury on the nations that have not known You, And on the families that have not called on Your Name, For they have eaten up Jacob, Indeed, they have eaten him up, indeed, they consume him, And they have made his habitation desolate!
