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 FROM THE LORD TO JEREMIAS, WHEN KING SEDEKIAS SENT TO HIM PASCHOR THE SON OF MELCHIAS, AND SOPHONIAS SON OF BASAEAS, THE PRIEST, SAYING,

2 “Ake usibuzele kuThixo khathesi nje, ngoba uNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni uyasihlasela. Mhlawumbe uThixo angasenzela izimanga njengasezikhathini ezedlulayo ukuze asuke kithi.”

Enquire of the Lord for us; for the king of Babylon has risen up against us; if the Lord will do according to all his wonderful works, and [the king] shall depart from us.

3 Kodwa uJeremiya wathi kubo, “Tshelani uZedekhiya lithi:

And Jeremias said to them, Thus shall you say to Sedekias king of Juda,

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; Behold, I [will] turn back the weapons of war wherewith you fight against the Chaldeans that have besieged you from outside the wall, and I will gather them into the midst of this city.

5 Mina uqobo ngizakulwa lawe ngesandla eseluliweyo langengalo elamandla ngentukuthelo langokufuthelana kanye lolaka olukhulu.

And I will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, with wrath and great anger.

6 Ngizabatshaya abahlala kulelidolobho, abantu lezifuyo njalo bazabulawa yisifo esesabekayo.

And I will strike all the dwellers in this city, [both] men and cattle, with grievous pestilence: and they shall die.

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 after this, thus says the Lord; I will give Sedekias king of Juda, and his servants, and the people that is left in this city from the pestilence, and from the famine, and from the sword, into the hands of their enemies, that seek their lives: and they shall cut them in pieces with the edge of the sword: I will not spare them, and I will not have compassion upon them.

8 Phezu kwalokho, abantu batshele uthi, ‘UThixo uthi: Khangelani, ngiyalimisela phambi kwenu indlela yokuphila lendlela yokufa.

And you shall say to this people, Thus says the Lord; Behold, I have 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.

He that remains in this city shall die by the sword, and by famine: but he that goes forth to advance to the Chaldeans that have besieged you, shall live, and his life shall be to him for a spoil, and he shall live.

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: it shall be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he shall consume it with fire.

11 Phezu kwalokho, wothi endlini yenkosi yakoJuda, ‘Zwanini ilizwi likaThixo;

O house of the king of Juda, hear you 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 judgment in the morning, and act rightly, and rescue the spoiled one from the hand of him that wrongs him, lest mine anger be kindled like fire, and it burn, and there be none to quench [it].

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 that dwell in the valley of Sor; in the plain country, [even against] them that say, Who shall alarm us? or who shall enter into our habitation?

14 Ngizalijezisa njengokufanele izono zenu, kutsho uThixo. Ngizaphemba umlilo emahlathini enu ozalobisa konke okuseduze lani.’”

And I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.