UJeremiya 20
1 Kwathi uPhashuri umphristi indodana ka-Imeri, induna enkulu ethempelini likaThixo, ezwe uJeremiya ephrofitha lezizinto,
Now Phassur the son of Emmur, the priest, who was appointed chief in the house of the Lord, heard Jeremias prophesying these words.
2 wenza ukuthi uJeremiya umphrofethi atshaywe njalo wamvalela esitokisini eSangweni laPhezulu koBhenjamini ethempelini likaThixo.
And Phassur struck Jeremias the prophet, and put him in the stocks, that were in the upper gate of Benjamin, in the house of the Lord.
3 Ngosuku olwalandelayo, uPhashuri esemkhupha esitokisini, uJeremiya wathi kuye, “Ibizo lakho oliphiwe nguThixo akusiPhashuri, kodwa uMagori-Misabibi,
And when it was light the next day, Phassur brought Jeremias out of the stocks. And Jeremias said to him: The Lord hath not called thy name Phassur, but fear on every side.
4 ngoba uThixo uthi: ‘Ngizakwenza ubelucuku ngokwakho lakubo bonke abangane bakho; uzababona ngamehlo akho besiwa ngenkemba yezitha zabo. UJuda wonke ngizamnikela enkosini yaseBhabhiloni, ezabathumba ibase eBhabhiloni loba ibabulale ngenkemba.
For thus saith the Lord: Behold I will deliver thee up to fear, thee and all thy friends: and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thy eyes shall see it, and I will give all Juda into the hand of the king of Babylon: and he shall strike them with the sword.
5 Yonke inotho yedolobho leli ngizayipha izitha zabo lazozonke izithelo zalo, zonke izinto zalo eziligugu kanye lemfuyo yonke yamakhosi akoJuda zizayithumba njengempango ziyithwalele eBhabhiloni.
And I will give all the substance of this city, and all its labour, and every precious thing thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Juda will I give into the hands of their enemies: and they shall pillage them, and take them away, and carry them to Babylon.
6 Wena Phashuri, labo bonke abahlala endlini yakho lizathunjwa liye eBhabhiloni. Uzafela khonale, ungcwatshwe khonale, wena kanye labangane bakho bonke ophrofetha amanga kubo.’”
But thou, Phassur, and all that dwell in thy house, shall go into captivity, and thou shalt go to Babylon, and there thou shalt die, and there thou shalt be buried, thou and all thy friends, to whom thou hast prophesied a lie.
7 Awu Thixo, wangiyenga, ngayengeka; wangehlula wanqoba. Ngiyahlekwa insuku zonke; bonke bayangiklolodela.
Thou hast deceived me, O Lord, and I am deceived: thou hast been stronger than I, and thou hast prevailed. I am become a laughing-stock all the day, all scoff at me.
8 Zonke izikhathi lapho ngikhuluma, ngiyakhala ngimemezela ukuba kube lodlakela lokuchitheka. Ngakho ilizwi likaThixo selingilethele isithuko lensolo ilanga lonke.
For I am speaking now this long time, crying out against iniquity, and I often proclaim devastation: and the word of the Lord is made a reproach to me, and a derision all the day.
9 Kodwa nxa ngisithi, “Kangiyikumqamba loba ngikhulume ngebizo lakhe futhi,” ilizwi lakhe lisenhliziyweni yami njengomlilo, umlilo ovalelwe emathanjeni ami. Sengidiniwe ngokuligodla ngaphakathi; impela, ngingeke nganelise.
Then I said: I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name: and there came in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was wearied, not being able to bear it.
10 Ngizwa abanengi benyenyeza besithi, “Kulokuthuthumela indawo yonke! Mmangaleleni! Kasimangalele!” Abangane bami bonke balindele ukuwa kwami, besithi, “Mhlawumbe uzakhohliseka; besesimehlula siphindisele kuye.”
For I heard the reproaches of many, and terror on every side: Persecute him, and let us persecute him: from all the men that were my familiars, and continued at my side: if by any means he may be deceived, and we may prevail against him, and be revenged on him.
11 Kodwa uThixo ulami njengebutho elilamandla; ngakho abangihluphayo bazakuwa banganqobi. Bazakwehluleka njalo bayangeke kakhulu; ihlazo labo kaliyikukhohlakala lanini.
But the Lord is with me as a strong warrior: therefore they that persecute me shall fall, and shall be weak: they shall be greatly confounded, because they have not understood the everlasting reproach, which never shall be effaced.
12 Awu Thixo Somandla, wena ohlola abalungileyo, uhlole inhliziyo lengqondo, kangibone ukuphindisela kwakho kubo, ngoba indaba yami ngiyinikele kuwe.
And thou, O Lord of hosts, prover of the just, who seest the reins and the heart: let me see, I beseech thee, thy vengeance on them: for to thee I have laid open my cause.
13 Hlabelani uThixo! Limdumise uThixo! Uhlenga impilo yabaswelayo ezandleni zababi.
Sing ye to the Lord, praise the Lord: because he hath delivered the soul of the poor out of the hand of the wicked.
14 Kaluqalekiswe usuku engazalwa ngalo! Usuku umama angizala ngalo kalungabusiswa!
Cursed be the day wherein I was borne: let not the day in which my mother bore me, be blessed.
15 Kaqalekiswe umuntu owayabikela ubaba izindaba, owamemeza wathaba, esithi, “Uzalelwe indodana!”
Cursed be the man that brought the tidings to my father, saying: A man child is born to thee: and made him greatly rejoice.
16 Lowomuntu kabe njengamadolobho uThixo awachitha kungekho sihawu. Kezwe ukulila ekuseni, lomkhosi wempi emini.
Let that man be as the cities that the Lord hath overthrown, and hath not repented: let him hear a cry in the morning, and howling at noontide:
17 Ngoba kangibulalelanga esiswini, umama enjengengcwaba lami, isisu sakhe sikhukhumele kokuphela.
Who slew me not from the womb, that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb an everlasting conception.
18 Ngaphumelani esiswini ukuba ngibone uhlupho losizi njalo akuthi ngiphethe insuku zami ngiphakathi kwehlazo?
Why came I out of the womb, to see labour and sorrow, and that my days should be spent in confusion?
