UJeremiya 15
1 UThixo wasesithi kimi, “Lanxa uMosi loSamuyeli bengema phambi kwami, inhliziyo yami ingeke iphendukele kulababantu. Basuse phambi kwami! Kabahambe!
Then said the LORD to me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, [yet] my mind [could] not [be] towards this people: cast [them] out of my sight, 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, if they say to thee, Whither shall we go forth? then thou shalt tell them, Thus saith the LORD; Such as [are] for death, to death; and such as [are] for the sword, to the sword; and such as [are] for the famine, to the famine; and such as [are] for the captivity, to the 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 appoint over them four kinds, saith the LORD: the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and destroy.
4 Ngizabenza banengeke emibusweni yonke yasemhlabeni ngenxa yalokho okwenziwa eJerusalema nguManase indodana kaHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda.
And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah king of Judah, for [that] which 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? or who shall bemoan thee? or who shall go aside to ask concerning thy welfare?
6 Ungalile,” kutsho uThixo. “Uqhubeka uhlehlela emuva. Ngakho ngizabeka izandla phezu kwakho ngikuchithe; ngingeke ngibe lesihawu futhi.
Thou hast forsaken me, saith the LORD, thou art gone backward: therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting.
7 Ngizabahlungula ngefologwe yokwela emasangweni amadolobho elizwe. Ngizaletha ukufelwa lokuchitheka ebantwini bami, ngoba kabaguqulanga izindlela zabo.
And I will fan them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave [them] of children, I will destroy my people, [since] they return not from their ways.
8 Ngizakwenza abafelokazi babo bande kakhulu kuletshebetshebe lasolwandle. Emini ngizakwehlisela umbulali phezu kwabonina bamajaha akibo; khonokho ngizabehlisela usizi lokwesaba.
Their widows are multiplied to me above the sand of the seas: I have brought upon them against the mother of the young men a spoiler at noon-day: I have caused [him] to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon the city.
9 Unina wabayisikhombisa uzaqaleka aphefumule okokucina. Ilanga lakhe lizatshona kusesemini; uzayangiswa njalo eyiswe. Izinsalela ngizaziqeda ngenkemba phambi kwezitha zazo,” kutsho uThixo.
She that hath borne seven languisheth: she hath resigned her breath; her sun is gone down while [it was] yet day: she hath been ashamed and confounded: and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies, saith the LORD.
10 Maye, wena mama, ngokuthi wangizala, mina muntu ilizwe lonke elibangisana laye njalo liphikisana laye! Kangikaze ngebolekise loba ngeboleke, kodwa bonke bayangithuka.
Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor have men lent to me on usury; [yet] every one of them doth curse me.
11 UThixo wathi, “Ngeqiniso ngizakukhulula ngenjongo enhle; ngeqiniso ngizakwenza izitha zakho zikuncenge ezikhathini zomonakalo lezokuhlupheka.
The LORD said, Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to treat thee [well] in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.
12 Umuntu angayiqamula insimbi, insimbi evela enyakatho kumbe ithusi na?
Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel?
13 Inotho yakho lamatshe akho aligugu ngizakwenza kube yimpango, yamahala, ngenxa yezono zakho kulolonke ilizwe lakini.
Thy substance and thy treasures will I give to the spoil without price, and [that] for all thy sins, even in all thy borders.
14 Ngizakwenza ube yisigqili sezitha zakho elizweni ongalaziyo, ngoba ulaka lwami luzabhebha umlilo ozakutshisa.”
And I will make [thee] to pass with thy enemies into a land [which] thou knowest not: for a fire is kindled in my anger, [which] shall burn upon you.
15 Uyazwisisa wena Thixo; ngikhumbula ungikhathalele. Ungiphindiselele kwabangihluphayo. Uyabekezela, ungangigudluli; khumbula ukuthi ngithukwa njani ngenxa yakho.
O LORD, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and avenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy long-suffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke.
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; and thy word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD 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 assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with indignation.
18 Kungani ubuhlungu engibuzwayo bungapheli lenxeba lami lilibi kakhulu njalo lingelapheki na? Kimi uzakuba njengesifula esikhohlisayo, lanjengomthombo ongelamanzi na?
Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, [which] refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether to me as a liar, [and as] waters [that] fail?
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.
Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou shalt return, then will I bring thee again, [and] thou shalt stand before me: and if thou shalt separate the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return to thee; but return not thou to them.
20 Ngizakwenza ube ngumduli kulababantu, umduli ovikelweyo wethusi; bazakulwa lawe kodwa kabayikukwehlula, ngoba mina ngilawe ukuba ngikuhlenge ngikusize,” kutsho uThixo.
And I will make thee to this people a fortified brazen wall: and they shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee: for I [am] with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the LORD.
21 “Ngizakuhlenga ezandleni zababi ngikukhulule ezandleni zabalesihluku.”
And I will deliver thee from the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee from the hand of the terrible.
