UJeremiya 10
1 Zwana okutshiwo nguThixo kuwe, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli.
Hear ye the word which Jehovah speaketh to you, O house of Israel!
2 UThixo uthi: “Lingazifundi izindlela zezizwe kumbe ukwethuswa yizibonakaliso zasemkhathini, lanxa nje izizwe zisethuswa yizo.
Thus saith Jehovah: Conform ye not to the way of the heathen, And be not dismayed at the signs of the heavens, Because the heathen are dismayed at them!
3 Ngoba imikhuba yabantu iyize, bagamula isihlahla ehlathini, ingcwethi isibaze ngetshizela yayo.
The customs of the nations are vanity. For a tree of the wood is cut down, It is wrought by the hands of the artificer with the axe,
4 Bayasicecisa ngesiliva langegolide, basibethele ngesando langezipikili ukuze singanyikinyeki.
It is decked with silver and gold, And with nails and with hammers is it fastened, That it may not totter.
5 Njengezinto zokwethusa endimeni yamajodo, izithombe zabo azikhulumi, kumele zithwalwe ngoba azingeke zihambe. Lingazesabi, azingeke zenze okubi, lokuhle azingeke zikwenze.”
They are like a turned palm-tree pillar, and cannot speak; They must be borne by men, for they cannot walk. Be not afraid of them, for they cannot hurt, Nor is it in their power to do good.
6 Kakho ofana lawe, wena Thixo, wena umkhulu, lebizo lakho lilamandla amakhulu.
There is none like thee, O Jehovah! Thou art great, And great is thy name by mighty deeds.
7 Ngubani ongeke akwesabe, wena Nkosi yezizwe? Lokhu kukufanele. Phakathi kwabantu bonke abahlakaniphileyo bezizwe lakuyo yonke imibuso yabo, kakho onjengawe.
Who shall not fear thee, O king of nations, For to thee doth it belong! For among all the wise men of the nations, And in all their kingdoms, there is none like thee.
8 Bonke kabalangqondo njalo bayizithutha, bafundiswa yizithombe zezigodo eziyize.
They are all brutish and without understanding; A doctrine of vanities is the stock.
9 Isiliva esikhandiweyo siyalethwa sivela eThashishi legolide livela e-Ufazi. Okwenziwe yingcwethi lomkhandi wegolide kugqokiswa okuluhlaza lokuyibubende, njalo konke kwenziwe zingcitshi.
Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, And gold from Uphaz, The work of the artificer and the founder; Blue and purple is their clothing; The work of the skilful is it all.
10 Kodwa uThixo unguNkulunkulu oqotho, unguNkulunkulu ophilayo, iNkosi yanininini. Lapho ethukuthele, umhlaba uyagedezela, izizwe azingeke zimelane lolaka lwakhe.
But Jehovah is the true God, He is the living God, and an everlasting king; At his wrath the earth trembleth, And the nations are not able to abide his indignation.
11 “Batshele lokhu uthi, onkulunkulu laba, abangawenzanga amazulu lomhlaba, bazabhubha emhlabeni langaphansi kwamazulu.”
[[Thus shall ye say to them: The gods, that have not made the heavens and the earth, Shall 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.
He made the earth by his power; He established the world by his wisdom, And by his understanding he spread out the heavens.
13 Lapho evungama, amanzi asemazulwini ayahlokoma, wenza amayezi aphakame evela emikhawulweni yomhlaba. Uthumela umbane ulezulu njalo akhuphe umoya eziphaleni zakhe.
When he uttereth his voice there is an abundance of water in the heavens; He causeth clouds to ascend from the ends of the earth; He maketh lightnings with rain; He bringeth the wind from his storehouses.
14 Abantu bonke kabalangqondo njalo kabalalwazi, wonke umkhandi wegolide uyangiswa yizithombe zakhe. Izithombe zakhe azenzayo ziyinkohliso, kazilamphefumulo phakathi kwazo.
Brutish is every one who hath not this knowledge; By his image is every founder put to shame, For his molten-work is deceit; There is no breath in it.
15 Ziyize, izinto zenhlekisa nje, lapho ukwahlulelwa kwazo sekufikile, zizabhubha.
They are vanity, deceptive work; In the time of their punishment shall they perish.
16 Lowo oyiNgxenye kaJakhobe kafani lalaba, ngoba unguMenzi wezinto zonke, kubalwa lo-Israyeli, isizwe selifa lakhe, ibizo lakhe nguThixo uSomandla.
Not like them is He who is the portion of Jacob; He is the former of all things, And Israel is his allotted inheritance; Jehovah of hosts is his name.
17 Qoqani impahla yenu ukuba lisuke elizweni, lina elihlezi livinjezelwe.
Gather up thy goods out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress!
18 Ngoba uThixo uthi, “Ngalesisikhathi ngizabaphosela phandle labo abahlala kulelilizwe, ngizabehlisela usizi ukuze bathunjwe.”
For thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will sling forth the inhabitants of the land at this time; I will distress them, so that they shall be taken.
19 Maye mina ngenxa yokulimala kwami! Inxeba lami kalelapheki! Ikanti ngazitshela ngathi, “Lo ngumkhuhlane wami, njalo kumele ngiwubekezelele.”
“Ah me! my wound!” [[saith the daughter of Zion; ]] “My bruise is deadly; Yet I say, This is my affliction, and I must 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 is torn down, And all my cords broken. My children are gone forth from me, and are no more; There is none to stretch forth my tent any more, Or to set up my curtains.
21 Abelusi kabalangqondo njalo kabambuzi uThixo, ngakho kabaphumeleli, njalo lemihlambi yabo yonke ihlakazekile.
For the shepherds have become brutish; They have not sought Jehovah; Therefore have they not prospered, And all their flock is dispersed.”
22 Lalelani! Umbiko uyeza, ukuxokozela okukhulu okuvela elizweni lenyakatho! Kuzakwenza amadolobho akoJuda achitheke, abe yizikhundla zamakhanka.
[[Hark!]] the sound of tiding! Behold it cometh, And a great tumult from the land of the North, To make the cities of Judah desolate, A dwelling-place for jackals.
23 Ngiyazi, Oh Thixo, ukuthi ukuphila komuntu akusikho kwakhe, umuntu akusikho kwakhe ukuthi aqondise izinyathelo zakhe.
“I know, O Jehovah, that the way of a man is not within his power, That it is not within the power of a man that walketh to establish his steps.
24 Ngiqondise Thixo, kodwa kube ngokulunga, kungabi ngolaka lwakho, hlezi ungenze ngibe yize.
Chasten me, O Jehovah, but in measure; Not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing!
25 Yehlisela ulaka lwakho phezu kwezizwe ezingakwamukeliyo, phezu kwabantu abangakhuleki ebizweni lakho. Ngoba bamdlile uJakhobe, bamdlile waphela bachitha lelizwe lakhe.
Pour out thy wrath on the nations which acknowledge thee not, And on the kingdoms which call not on thy name! For they have devoured Jacob; They have devoured and consumed him, And laid waste his dwelling-place.”
