UJeremiya 13
1 UThixo wathi kimi: “Hamba uyethenga ibhanti lelineni ubophe ukhalo lwakho ngalo, kodwa lingathinti amanzi.”
Thus saith the Lord to me: Go, and get thee a linen girdle, and thou shalt put it about thy loins, and shalt not put it into water.
2 Ngakho ngathenga ibhanti, njengokulaya kukaThixo, ngabopha ukhalo lwami ngalo.
And I got a girdle accoding to the word of the Lord, and put it about my loins.
3 Ilizwi likaThixo labuya lafika kimi ngokwesibili lathi:
And the word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying:
4 “Thatha ibhanti olithengileyo obophe ngalo ukhalo lwakho, uye eYufrathe, khathesi nje ulifihle khona eminkenkeni yamatshe.”
Take the girdle which thou hast got, which is about thy loins, and arise, and go to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock.
5 Ngakho ngahamba ngayalifihla eYufrathe, njengokutsho kukaThixo kimi.
And I went, and hid it by the Euphrates, as the Lord had commanded me.
6 Sekudlule insuku ezinengi uThixo wathi kimi, “Hamba khathesi eYufrathe uyethatha ibhanti engathi lifihle khona.”
And it came to pass after many days, that the Lord said to me: Arise, go to the Euphrates, and take from thence the girdle, which I commanded thee to hide there.
7 Ngakho ngaya eYufrathe ngagebha lapho engangifihle khona ibhanti, kodwa laselonakele impela lingaselasizo.
And I went to the Euphrates, and digged, and took the girdle out of the place where I had hid it: and behold the girdle was rotten, so that it was fit for no use.
8 Lapho-ke kwafika ilizwi likaThixo kimi lisithi:
And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:
9 “UThixo uthi: ‘Ngendlela efanayo ngizakuchitha ukuzigqaja kukaJuda lokuzigqaja okukhulu kweJerusalema.
Thus saith the Lord: after this manner will I make the pride of Juda, and the great pride of Jerusalem to rot.
10 Lababantu abangalunganga, abalayo ukulalela amazwi ami, abalandela ubulukhuni bezinhliziyo zabo badinge abanye onkulunkulu ukuba babasebenzele njalo babakhonze, bazakuba njengebhanti leli, bengelasizo loluncane!
This wicked people, that will not hear my words, and that walk in the perverseness of their heart, and have gone after strange gods to serve them, and to adore them: and they shall be as this girdle which is fit for no use.
11 Ngoba njengebhanti libopha ukhalo lomuntu, ngayibophela kanjalo kimi yonke indlu ka-Israyeli layo yonke indlu kaJuda, kutsho uThixo, ukuba babengabantu bami ngenxa yodumo lwami, ukubongwa lokudunyiswa. Kodwa kabalalelanga.’”
For as the girdle sticketh close to the loins of a man, so have I brought close to me all of the house of Israel, and all the house of Juda, saith the Lord: that they might be my people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory: but they would not hear.
12 “Batshele uthi, ‘UThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi, zonke izikhumba zewayini kumele zigcwaliswe ngewayini.’ Bona bangathi kuwe, ‘Kanti thina kasikwazi yini ukuthi izikhumba zonke kumele zigcwaliswe ngewayini?’
Thou shalt speak therefore to them this word: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Every bottle shall be filled with wine, and they shall say to thee: Do we not know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?
13 wena uthi kubo, ‘UThixo uthi: Ngizabenza badakwe bonke abahlala kulelilizwe, kanye lamakhosi ahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida, abaphristi, abaphrofethi labo bonke abahlala eJerusalema.
And thou shalt say to them: Thus saith the Lord: Behold I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, and the kings of the race of David that sit upon his throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem. with drunkenness.
14 Ngizabamahlaza omunye komunye, oyise lamadodana ngokufananayo, kutsho uThixo. Angiyikuvumela isihawu loba umusa kumbe uzwelo ukuba kungivimbele ukubabhubhisa.’”
And I will scatter them every man from his brother, and fathers and sons in like manner, saith the Lord: I will not spare, and I will not pardon: nor will I have mercy, but to destroy them.
15 Zwanini lilalele, lingazigqaji, ngoba uThixo usekhulumile.
Hear ye, and give ear: Be not proud, for the Lord hath spoken.
16 Dumisani uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu engakalethi ubumnyama, inyawo zenu zingakakhubeki emaqaqeni asesembeswa yibumnyama. Lilindele ukukhanya, kodwa yena uzakwenza kube yibumnyama, akuphendule kube yibumnyama obesabekayo.
Give ye glory to the Lord your God, before it be dark, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains: you shall look for light, and he will turn it into the shadow of death, and into darkness.
17 Kodwa nxa lingalaleli, ngizakhalela ensitha ngenxa yokuzigqaja kwenu; amehlo ami azalila kabuhlungu, ageleze inyembezi, ngoba umhlambi kaThixo uzathunjwa.
But if you will not hear this, my soul shall weep in secret for your pride: weeping it shall weep, and my eyes shall run down the tears, because the flock of the Lord is carried away captive.
18 Tshono enkosini lasendlovukazini uthi, “Yehlani ezihlalweni zenu zobukhosi lize phansi, ngoba imiqhele yenu emihle kakhulu izakuwa emakhanda enu.”
Say to the king, and to the queen: Humble yourselves, sit down: for the crown of your glory is come down from your head.
19 Amadolobho aseNegebi azavalwa, njalo akuyikuba khona ozawavula. UJuda wonke uzathathwa asiwe ekuthunjweni, uzasiwa ekuthunjweni ngokupheleleyo.
The cities of the south are shut up, and there is none to open them: all Juda is carried away captive with an entire captivity.
20 Phakamisani amehlo enu libone labo abavela enyakatho. Ungaphi umhlambi ababewugcinisiwe, izimvu elalizazisa ngazo na?
Lift up your eyes, and see, you that come from the north: where is the flock that is given thee, thy beautiful cattle?
21 Lizakuthini lapho uThixo esebabeka phezu kwenu labo elabenza babangabangane benu abaqakathekileyo na? Kaliyikubanjwa yibuhlungu obufana lobowesifazane ehelelwa na?
What wilt thou say when he shall visit thee? for thou hast taught them against thee, and instructed them against thy own head: shall not sorrows lay hold on thee, as a woman in labour?
22 Njalo nxa uzibuza usithi, “Kungani lokhu kwenzakele kimi na?” Kungenxa yezono zakho ezinengi ukuthi izidwaba zakho zidatshulwe lomzimba wakho waphathwa kubi.
And if thou shalt say in thy heart: Why are these things come upon me? For the greatness of thy iniquity, thy nakedness is discovered, the soles of thy feet are defiled.
23 UmTopiya angaliguqula yini ijwabu lakhe loba ingwe iguqule amabala ayo na? Lani lingeke lenze okuhle lina selajwayela ukwenza okubi.
If the Ethiopian can change his skin, or the leopard his spots: you may also do well, when you have learned evil.
24 “Ngizalihlakaza njengamakhoba ephetshulwa ngumoya wasenkangala.
And I will scatter them as stubble, which is carried away by the wind in the desert.
25 Lokhu yikho okungokwenu, isabelo engilimisele sona,” kutsho uThixo, “ngoba lingikhohliwe lathemba onkulunkulu bamanga.
This is thy lot, and the portion of thy measure from me, saith the Lord, because thou hast forgotten me, and hast trusted in falsehood.
26 Ngizaphekulela izidwaba zakho ebusweni bakho ukuba kubonakale ihlazo lakho,
Wherefore I have also bared my thighs against thy face, and thy shame hath appeared.
27 ubufebe bakho lokububuliswa yisigwebo, ukufeba kwakho ungelanhloni! Ngizibonile izenzo zakho ezenyanyekayo phezu kwamaqaqa lasegangeni. Maye kuwe, wena Jerusalema! Koze kube nini ungahlambulukanga na?”
I have seen thy adulteries, and thy neighing, the wickedness of thy fornication: and thy abominations, upon the hills in the field. Woe to thee, Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean after me: how long yet?
