UJeremiya 23
1 “Maye kubelusi abachitha izimvu zedlelo lami njalo bezihlakaza!” kutsho uThixo.
Woe unto the shepherds that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith Jehovah.
2 Ngakho uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi kubelusi abelusa abantu bami: “Ngenxa yokuthi lina lihlakaze umhlambi wami lawuxotshela khatshana kalaze lawunaka, ngizakwehlisela isijeziso phezu kwenu ngenxa yobubi elibenzileyo,” kutsho uThixo.
Therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, against the shepherds that feed my people: Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them; behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith Jehovah.
3 “Mina ngokwami ngizabutha insalela zezimvu zami emazweni wonke engangizixotshele kuwo ngizibuyisele edlelweni lazo, lapho ezizazalana khona zande.
And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and multiply.
4 Ngizazilethela abelusi abazazelusa, njalo kazisayikwesaba loba zithuthumele, loba enye yazo ilahleke,” kutsho uThixo.
And I will set up shepherds over them, who shall feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be lacking, saith Jehovah.
5 UThixo uthi, “Ziyeza insuku, lapho uDavida ngizamvusela uGatsha olulungileyo, iNkosi ezabusa ngokuhlakanipha, yenze okulungileyo, lokufaneleyo elizweni.
Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
6 Ensukwini zayo uJuda uzasindiswa, lo-Israyeli ahlale evikelekile. Ibizo azabizwa ngalo yileli elithi: UThixo Oyikulunga Kwethu.”
In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called: Jehovah our righteousness.
7 UThixo uthi, “Ngakho-ke, insuku ziyeza, lapho abantu bengasayikuthi, ‘Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona, yena owakhupha u-Israyeli eGibhithe,’
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that they shall no more say, As Jehovah liveth, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
8 kodwa bazakuthi, ‘Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona, yena owakhipha izizukulwane zika-Israyeli elizweni elisenyakatho lakuwo wonke amazwe abaxotshela kuwo.’ Lapho-ke bazahlala elizweni labo.”
but, As Jehovah liveth, who brought up and who led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all the countries whither I had driven them. And they shall dwell in their own land.
9 Mayelana labaphrofethi: Inhliziyo yami idabukile ngaphakathi kwami; wonke amathambo ami ayaqhaqhazela. Ngifana lomuntu odakiweyo, lanjengomuntu owehlulwa liwayini, ngenxa kaThixo lamazwi akhe angcwele.
Concerning the prophets. My heart within me is broken, all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of Jehovah, and because of his holy words.
10 Ilizwe leli ligcwele izifebe; ngenxa yesiqalekiso ilizwe lomile lamadlelo enkangala abunile. Abaphrofethi balandela indlela embi, basebenzisa amandla abo ngokungalungi.
For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. And their course is evil, and their might is not right;
11 “Umphrofethi lomphristi kabakholwa kunkulunkulu; lasethempelini lami ngiyabufumana ububi babo,” kutsho uThixo.
for both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith Jehovah.
12 “Ngakho indlela yabo izatshelela; bazaxotshelwa emnyameni njalo lapho bazakuwa. Ngizabehlisela umonakalo ngomnyaka wokujeziswa kwabo,” kutsho uThixo.
Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery places in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein; for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith Jehovah.
13 “Phakathi kwabaphrofethi baseSamariya ngabona into eyenyanyekayo: Baphrofetha ngoBhali njalo baholela abantu bami ekulahlekeni.
And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied by Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
14 Lakubaphrofethi baseJerusalema sengibone into eyesabekayo: Bayafeba baphile ngamanga. Baqinisa izandla zabenza okubi, ukuba kungabikhona oguquka ebubini bakhe. Kimi bonke banjengeSodoma; abantu baseJerusalema banjengeGomora.”
In the prophets of Jerusalem also I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies; and they strengthen the hands of evil-doers, so that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them become unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
15 Ngakho, mayelana labaphrofethi uThixo uSomandla uthi: “Ngizabenza badle ukudla okubabayo, banathe lamanzi aletshefu, ngoba kusukela kubaphrofethi baseJerusalema ukungakholwa kuNkulunkulu sekugcwele ilizwe lonke.”
Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts concerning the prophets: Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall; for from the prophets of Jerusalem is ungodliness gone forth into all the land.
16 UThixo uSomandla uthi: “Lingalaleli okuphrofethwa ngabaphrofethi kini; balenza lithembe amanga. Bakhuluma imibono evela ezingqondweni zabo, engaveli emlonyeni kaThixo.
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they teach you vanity; they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of Jehovah.
17 Bahlala besithi kulabo abangidelelayo, ‘UThixo uthi: Lizakuba lokuthula.’ Lakubo bonke abalandela inkani yezinhliziyo zabo bathi, ‘Akulabubi obuzalehlela.’
They say continually unto them that despise me, Jehovah hath said, Ye shall have peace; and unto every one that walketh in the stubbornness of his own heart they say, No evil shall come upon you.
18 Kodwa nguphi wabo owake wema emhlanganweni kaThixo ukuba abone kumbe ezwe ilizwi lakhe na? Ngubani olilaleleyo walizwa ilizwi lakhe?
For who hath stood in the council of Jehovah, that he should perceive and hear his word? who hath marked my word, and heard it?
19 Khangelani, isiphepho sikaThixo sizaphutsha silulaka, isavunguzane esibhoda ngolaka phezu kwamakhanda ababi.
Behold, the tempest of Jehovah, [even his] wrath, is gone forth, yea, a whirling tempest: it shall burst upon the head of the wicked.
20 Ulaka lukaThixo kaluyikuphela aze azifeze ngokupheleleyo injongo zenhliziyo yakhe. Ensukwini ezizayo lizakuzwisisa kuhle lokhu.
The anger of Jehovah shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall understand it perfectly.
21 Abaphrofethi laba angibathumanga; kodwa bagijima lemibiko yabo; kangizange ngikhulume labo, kodwa sebephrofethile.
I sent not these prophets, yet they ran: I spake not unto them, yet they prophesied.
22 Kodwa aluba babekhona emhlanganweni wami, ngabe bamemezela amazwi ami ebantwini bami njalo ngabe babaphendula ezindleleni zabo ezimbi lasezenzweni zabo ezimbi.”
But if they had stood in my council, then had they caused my people to hear my words, and had turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.
23 UThixo uthi, “NginguNkulunkulu oseduze kuphela, uNkulunkulu ongekho khatshana na?
Am I a God at hand, saith Jehovah, and not a God afar off?
24 Umuntu angacatsha endaweni efihlakeleyo ukuba ngingamboni na?” kutsho uThixo. “Angithi ngigcwele ezulwini lasemhlabeni na?” kutsho uThixo.
Can any hide himself in secret places so that I shall not see him? saith Jehovah. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith Jehovah.
25 “Ngikuzwile okutshiwo ngabaphrofethi abaphrofetha amanga ngebizo lami. Bathi, ‘Ngiphuphile! Ngiphuphile!’
I have heard what the prophets have said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
26 Koze kube nini lokhu kuqhubeka ezinhliziyweni zalaba abaphrofethi abalamanga na?
How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies, even the prophets of the deceit of their own heart?
27 Bacabanga ukuthi amaphupho abawatshelanayo azakwenza abantu bami bakhohlwe ibizo lami, njengabokhokho babo abakhohlwa ibizo lami ngenxa yokukhonza uBhali.
that think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbor, as their fathers forgat my name for Baal.
28 Akuthi umphrofethi ophupha iphupho kalitsho, kodwa lowo olelizwi lami kalikhulume ngobuqotho, ngoba amakhoba angenzani lamabele na?” kutsho uThixo.
The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the straw to the wheat? saith Jehovah.
29 “Ilizwi lami kalinjengomlilo,” kutsho uThixo, “lanjengesando esidabula idwala libe yizicucu na?”
Is not my word like fire? saith Jehovah; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
30 UThixo uthi, “Ngakho, ngimelana labaphrofethi abantshontsha kwabanye amazwi okuthiwa avela kimi.
Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith Jehovah, that steal my words every one from his neighbor.
31 Yebo, ngimelana labaphrofethi abasebenzisa indimi zabo kodwa bathi, ‘UThixo uthi,’
Behold, I am against the prophets, saith Jehovah, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.
32 Ngeqiniso, ngimelana lalabo abaphrofetha amaphupho amanga,” kutsho uThixo. “Bayawatsho baholele abantu bami ekulahlekeni ngamanga abo lamawala, ikanti angizange ngibathume kumbe ngibakhethe. Kababasizi ngalutho abantu laba,” kutsho uThixo.
Behold, I am against them that prophesy lying dreams, saith Jehovah, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting: yet I sent them not, nor commanded them; neither do they profit this people at all, saith Jehovah.
33 “Nxa abantu laba, loba umphrofethi kumbe umphristi, bebuza besithi, ‘Izilo likaThixo kuyini?’ wothi kubo, ‘Izilo liphi? Ngizakulahla, kutsho uThixo.’
And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of Jehovah? then shalt thou say unto them, What burden! I will cast you off, saith Jehovah.
34 Nxa umphrofethi loba umphristi kumbe omunye umuntu esithi, ‘Leli lizilo likaThixo,’ lowomuntu ngizamjezisa kanye labendlu yakhe.
And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of Jehovah, I will even punish that man and his house.
35 Lokhu yikho omunye wenu ohlala ekutsho kumngane wakhe loba isihlobo sakhe ukuthi: ‘Impendulo kaThixo ithini na?’ loba ‘UThixo utheni?’
Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbor, and every one to his brother, What hath Jehovah answered? and, What hath Jehovah spoken?
36 Kodwa akumelanga lithi ‘izilo likaThixo’ futhi, ngoba umuntu wonke ilizwi lakhe liba lizilo lakhe ngoba liyawahlanekela amazwi kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, uThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu wethu.
And the burden of Jehovah shall ye mention no more: for every man’s own word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of Jehovah of hosts our God.
37 Lokhu yikho elihlala likutsho kumphrofethi ukuthi, ‘Impendulo kaThixo kuwe ithini?’ loba ‘UThixo utheni?’
Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath Jehovah answered thee? and, What hath Jehovah spoken?
38 Lanxa lina lisithi, ‘Leli lizilo likaThixo,’ uThixo uthi: Lasebenzisa amazwi athi, ‘Leli lizilo likaThixo.’ Lanxa mina ngalitshela ukuthi lingabokuthi, ‘Leli lizilo likaThixo.’
But if ye say, The burden of Jehovah; therefore thus saith Jehovah: Because ye say this word, The burden of Jehovah, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of Jehovah;
39 Ngakho, ngeqiniso ngizalikhohlwa ngiliphosele khatshana lami kanye ledolobho engalinika lona lina labokhokho benu.
therefore, behold, I will utterly forget you, and I will cast you off, and the city that I gave unto you and to your fathers, away from my presence:
40 Ngizalehlisela ihlazo elingapheliyo lokuyangeka okungayikukhohlakala.”
and I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.
