UJeremiya 15
1 UThixo wasesithi kimi, “Lanxa uMosi loSamuyeli bengema phambi kwami, inhliziyo yami ingeke iphendukele kulababantu. Basuse phambi kwami! Kabahambe!
Then said Yahweh unto me, Though Moses and Samuel should stand before me, My soul could not be toward this people, —Send them away from before me And let them go forth.
2 Bangakubuza bathi, ‘Sizakuya ngaphi na?’ uthi kubo, uThixo uthi: ‘Abamiselwe ukufa, baya ekufeni; abenkemba, enkembeni; abendlala, endlaleni; abokuthunjwa, ekuthunjweni.’
And it shall come to pass when they say unto thee Whither shall we go? Then shalt, thou say unto them, Thus saith Yahweh—Such as are for death, to death, and Such as are for the sword, to the sword, and Such as are for famine, to the famine, and Such as are for captivity, to captivity.
3 Ngizabathumela imihlobo emine yabachithi,” kutsho uThixo, “inkemba yokubulala lezinja zokuhudulela khatshana njalo lezinyoni zasemoyeni kanye lezinyamazana zeganga ukuba zidle zibhuqe.
And I will set in charge over them—four species Declareth Yahweh, The sword to slay, and The dogs to trail along, —and The bird of the heavens and The beast of the earth to devour and to destroy.
4 Ngizabenza banengeke emibusweni yonke yasemhlabeni ngenxa yalokho okwenziwa eJerusalema nguManase indodana kaHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda.
And I will make them a terror, to all the kingdoms of the earth, —On account of Manasseh son of Hezekiah king of Judah, For what he did in Jerusalem.
5 Ngubani ozakuba lesihawu kuwe wena Jerusalema? Ngubani ozakukhalela na? Ngubani ozakuma abuze ukuthi unjani na?
For who shall have pity upon thee O Jerusalem? And who shall lament for thee? And who shall turn aside, to ask for thy welfare?
6 Ungalile,” kutsho uThixo. “Uqhubeka uhlehlela emuva. Ngakho ngizabeka izandla phezu kwakho ngikuchithe; ngingeke ngibe lesihawu futhi.
Thou, hast abandoned, me, Declareth Yahweh, Backward, thou wilt go, Therefore have I stretched forth my hand against thee and laid thee waste, —I am weary of having compassion.
7 Ngizabahlungula ngefologwe yokwela emasangweni amadolobho elizwe. Ngizaletha ukufelwa lokuchitheka ebantwini bami, ngoba kabaguqulanga izindlela zabo.
Therefore have I winnowed them with a winnowing shovel in the gates of the land, —I have bereaved—I have destroyed my people, From their own ways, have they not returned.
8 Ngizakwenza abafelokazi babo bande kakhulu kuletshebetshebe lasolwandle. Emini ngizakwehlisela umbulali phezu kwabonina bamajaha akibo; khonokho ngizabehlisela usizi lokwesaba.
Their widows have become multiplied to me, beyond the sand of the seas, I have brought against them—upon the mother of young men—the spoiler in the broad noon, —I have let fall upon her suddenly, excitement and terrors.
9 Unina wabayisikhombisa uzaqaleka aphefumule okokucina. Ilanga lakhe lizatshona kusesemini; uzayangiswa njalo eyiswe. Izinsalela ngizaziqeda ngenkemba phambi kwezitha zazo,” kutsho uThixo.
Languisheth! she who had given birth to seven, She hath breathed out her life Her sun hath gone in, while yet it was day, She hath turned pale and hath turned red, —And the remnant of them, to the sword, will I deliver before their enemies, Declareth Yahweh.
10 Maye, wena mama, ngokuthi wangizala, mina muntu ilizwe lonke elibangisana laye njalo liphikisana laye! Kangikaze ngebolekise loba ngeboleke, kodwa bonke bayangithuka.
Woe to me! my mother, That thou didst bear me, A man of litigation and a man of contention to all the land, —I have not lent on interest Nor have they lent on interest to me, Every one, hath treated me with contempt.
11 UThixo wathi, “Ngeqiniso ngizakukhulula ngenjongo enhle; ngeqiniso ngizakwenza izitha zakho zikuncenge ezikhathini zomonakalo lezokuhlupheka.
Said Yahweh, —Verily, I will loose thee, for good! Verily, I will intercede for thee In the time of calamity, and In the time of distress with the enemy!
12 Umuntu angayiqamula insimbi, insimbi evela enyakatho kumbe ithusi na?
Shall iron crush the iron from the North and the bronze?
13 Inotho yakho lamatshe akho aligugu ngizakwenza kube yimpango, yamahala, ngenxa yezono zakho kulolonke ilizwe lakini.
Thy substance and thy treasures—for a prey, will I give, without price, —Even for all thy sins and in all thy bounds:
14 Ngizakwenza ube yisigqili sezitha zakho elizweni ongalaziyo, ngoba ulaka lwami luzabhebha umlilo ozakutshisa.”
Therefore will I make thee pass, with thine enemies into a land thou knowest not, —For, a fire, hath been kindled in mine anger Upon you, shall it burn.
15 Uyazwisisa wena Thixo; ngikhumbula ungikhathalele. Ungiphindiselele kwabangihluphayo. Uyabekezela, ungangigudluli; khumbula ukuthi ngithukwa njani ngenxa yakho.
Thou knowest—O Yahweh Remember me and visit me and avenge me upon my persecutors, Do not of thy longsuffering, take me away, —Know—I have borne for thy sake, reproach.
16 Ekufikeni kwamazwi akho, ngawadla; ayeyintokozo yami lenjabulo yenhliziyo yami, ngoba mina ngibizwa ngebizo lakho, wena Thixo Nkulunkulu Somandla.
Thy words, were found, and I did eat them, Then became thy words unto me the joy and gladness of my heart, —For thy Name hath been called upon me, O Yahweh God of hosts!
17 Kangizange ngihlale enhlanganisweni yabazithokozisayo, kumbe ngijabule labo; ngahlala ngedwa ngoba isandla sakho sasiphezu kwami njalo wawungenze ngagcwala intukuthelo.
I sat not in the circle of mockers, Nor became I uproarious, —Because of thy hand, by myself did I sit, For with indignation, hadst thou filled me.
18 Kungani ubuhlungu engibuzwayo bungapheli lenxeba lami lilibi kakhulu njalo lingelapheki na? Kimi uzakuba njengesifula esikhohlisayo, lanjengomthombo ongelamanzi na?
Wherefore hath my pain become perpetual? And my wound, incurable? Refuseth to be healed? Wilt thou, indeed be, to me [As a brook] that disappointeth, Waters that cannot be trusted?
19 Ngakho uThixo uthi: “Ungaphenduka, ngizakubuyisela ukuze ungikhonze; nxa ukhuluma amazwi afaneleyo, hatshi angasizi lutho, uzakuba yisikhulumeli sami. Abantu laba kabaphendukele kuwe, kodwa wena akumelanga uphendukele kubo.
Wherefore Thus, saith Yahweh—If thou wouldst return, I will cause thee to return Before me, shalt thou stand, Yea if thou wilt bring out the precious from among the vile, As mine own mouth shalt thou be, —Let them return unto thee, But thou, shalt not return unto them;
20 Ngizakwenza ube ngumduli kulababantu, umduli ovikelweyo wethusi; bazakulwa lawe kodwa kabayikukwehlula, ngoba mina ngilawe ukuba ngikuhlenge ngikusize,” kutsho uThixo.
So will I make thee to this people a wall of bronze, fortified, When they fight against thee, they shall not prevail against thee, —For with thee, am, I, to save thee and to deliver thee, Declareth Yahweh;
21 “Ngizakuhlenga ezandleni zababi ngikukhulule ezandleni zabalesihluku.”
Thus will I deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, —And redeem thee out of the grasp of the tyrants.
