UJeremiya 21
1 Ilizwi lafika kuJeremiya livela kuThixo lapho uZedekhiya inkosi wayethume kuye uPhashuri indodana kaMalikhija lomphristi uZefaniya indodana kaMaseya. Bathi:
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when king Zedekiah sent Pashhur, the son of Malchiah, and Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to him, saying:
2 “Ake usibuzele kuThixo khathesi nje, ngoba uNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni uyasihlasela. Mhlawumbe uThixo angasenzela izimanga njengasezikhathini ezedlulayo ukuze asuke kithi.”
“Question the Lord on our behalf, for Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, is fighting against us. Perhaps it may be that the Lord will act toward us according to all his wonders, and he may withdraw from us.”
3 Kodwa uJeremiya wathi kubo, “Tshelani uZedekhiya lithi:
And Jeremiah said to them: “This is what you shall say to Zedekiah:
4 ‘UThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Sekuseduze ukuthi ngiziphendulele kuwe izikhali zempi ezisezandleni zakho, ozisebenzisayo ekulweni lenkosi yaseBhabhiloni lamaKhaladiya angaphandle komduli ekuvimbezele. Njalo ngizawaqoqa phakathi kwalelidolobho.
Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you fight against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans, who besiege you at the surrounding walls. And I will gather these things together in the midst of this city.
5 Mina uqobo ngizakulwa lawe ngesandla eseluliweyo langengalo elamandla ngentukuthelo langokufuthelana kanye lolaka olukhulu.
And I myself will make war against you: with an outstretched hand, and with a strong arm, and in fury, and in indignation, and in great wrath.
6 Ngizabatshaya abahlala kulelidolobho, abantu lezifuyo njalo bazabulawa yisifo esesabekayo.
And I will strike the inhabitants of this city; men and beasts will die from a great pestilence.
7 Emva kwalokho, kutsho uThixo, uZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda, lezikhulu zakhe kanye labantu bakulelidolobho abaphepha emkhuhlaneni, enkembeni lasendlaleni, ngizabanikela kuNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni lasezitheni zabo ezifuna ukubabulala. Uzababulala ngenkemba; kayikuba lomusa kumbe uzwelo loba isihawu.’
And afterward, thus says the Lord: I will give Zedekiah, the king of Judah, and his servants, and his people, and those who have been left behind in this city after pestilence and the sword and famine, into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their lives. And he will strike them with the edge of the sword. And he will not waver, and he will not be lenient, and he will not take pity.
8 Phezu kwalokho, abantu batshele uthi, ‘UThixo uthi: Khangelani, ngiyalimisela phambi kwenu indlela yokuphila lendlela yokufa.
And to this people, you shall say: Thus says the Lord: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.
9 Loba ngubani osala kulelidolobho uzabulawa ngenkemba, yindlala loba ngumkhuhlane. Kodwa loba ngubani ophumayo kulo ayezinikela kumaKhaladiya alivimbezeleyo uzasila, aphunyuke lokuphila kwakhe.
Whoever lives in this city will die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence. But whoever will have departed and fled away to the Chaldeans, who besiege you, will live, and his life will be to him like a spoil.
10 Sengiqonde ukwenza okubi kulelidolobho hatshi okuhle, kutsho uThixo. Lizanikelwa ezandleni zenkosi yaseBhabhiloni, ezalitshabalalisa ngomlilo.’
For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, says the Lord. It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.
11 Phezu kwalokho, wothi endlini yenkosi yakoJuda, ‘Zwanini ilizwi likaThixo;
And to the house of the king of Judah, you shall say: Listen to the word of the Lord,
12 lina abendlu kaDavida, uThixo uthi: Yenzani ukulunga insuku zonke ekuseni; mhlengeni esandleni somncindezeli wakhe lowo ophangiweyo, hlezi ulaka lwami luqubuke, lutshise njengomlilo ngenxa yobubi elibenzileyo, lutshise engekho ongalucitsha.
O house of David! Thus says the Lord: Judge with judgment from early morning, and rescue anyone who is oppressed by violence from the hand of a false accuser. Otherwise, my indignation may go forth like a fire, and may flare up, and there will be no one who can extinguish it, because of the evil of your intentions.
13 Ngimelane lawe, Jerusalema, wena ohlala ngaphezu kwalesisigodi, emagcekeni alamadwala, kutsho uThixo, lina elithi, “Ngubani ongazasihlasela na? Ngubani ongangena esiphephelweni sethu na?”
Behold, I am against you, O inhabitants of a valley with firm and level ground, says the Lord. And you say: ‘Who can strike us? And who can enter into our houses?’
14 Ngizalijezisa njengokufanele izono zenu, kutsho uThixo. Ngizaphemba umlilo emahlathini enu ozalobisa konke okuseduze lani.’”
But I will visit against you according to the fruit of your intentions, says the Lord. And I will kindle a fire in its forest. And it shall devour everything around it.”
