UJeremiya 23
1 “Maye kubelusi abachitha izimvu zedlelo lami njalo bezihlakaza!” kutsho uThixo.
“Woe to shepherds destroying, And scattering the flock of My pasture,” A declaration of YHWH.
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 said YHWH, God of Israel, Against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, and drive them away, And have not inspected them, Behold, I am charging on you the evil of your doings,” A declaration of YHWH.
3 “Mina ngokwami ngizabutha insalela zezimvu zami emazweni wonke engangizixotshele kuwo ngizibuyisele edlelweni lazo, lapho ezizazalana khona zande.
“And I gather the remnant of My flock Out of all the lands to where I drove them, And have brought them back to their fold, And they have been fruitful, and multiplied.
4 Ngizazilethela abelusi abazazelusa, njalo kazisayikwesaba loba zithuthumele, loba enye yazo ilahleke,” kutsho uThixo.
And I have raised shepherds for them, And they have fed them, And they no longer fear, nor are frightened, Nor are they lacking,” A declaration of YHWH.
5 UThixo uthi, “Ziyeza insuku, lapho uDavida ngizamvusela uGatsha olulungileyo, iNkosi ezabusa ngokuhlakanipha, yenze okulungileyo, lokufaneleyo elizweni.
“Behold, days are coming,” A declaration of YHWH, “And I have raised a righteous shoot to David, And a king has reigned and acted wisely, And done judgment and righteousness in the earth.
6 Ensukwini zayo uJuda uzasindiswa, lo-Israyeli ahlale evikelekile. Ibizo azabizwa ngalo yileli elithi: UThixo Oyikulunga Kwethu.”
Judah is saved in His days, and Israel dwells confidently, And this [is] His Name that YHWH proclaims Him: Our Righteousness.
7 UThixo uthi, “Ngakho-ke, insuku ziyeza, lapho abantu bengasayikuthi, ‘Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona, yena owakhupha u-Israyeli eGibhithe,’
Therefore, behold, days are coming,” A declaration of YHWH, “And they no longer say, YHWH lives who brought up The sons 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—YHWH lives, who brought up, And who brought in, the seed of the house of Israel, From the land of the north, And from all the lands to where I drove them, And they have dwelt on their own ground!”
9 Mayelana labaphrofethi: Inhliziyo yami idabukile ngaphakathi kwami; wonke amathambo ami ayaqhaqhazela. Ngifana lomuntu odakiweyo, lanjengomuntu owehlulwa liwayini, ngenxa kaThixo lamazwi akhe angcwele.
In reference to the prophets: My heart has been broken in my midst, All my bones have fluttered, I have been as a man—a drunkard, And as a man—wine has passed over him, Because of YHWH, and 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 has been full of adulterers, For the land has mourned because of these, The pleasant places of the wilderness have dried up, And their course is evil, and their might—not right.
11 “Umphrofethi lomphristi kabakholwa kunkulunkulu; lasethempelini lami ngiyabufumana ububi babo,” kutsho uThixo.
“For both prophet and priest have been profane, Indeed, I found their wickedness in My house,” A declaration of YHWH.
12 “Ngakho indlela yabo izatshelela; bazaxotshelwa emnyameni njalo lapho bazakuwa. Ngizabehlisela umonakalo ngomnyaka wokujeziswa kwabo,” kutsho uThixo.
“Therefore their way is as slippery places to them, They are driven into thick darkness, And they have fallen in it, For I bring in calamity against them, The year of their inspection,” A declaration of YHWH.
13 “Phakathi kwabaphrofethi baseSamariya ngabona into eyenyanyekayo: Baphrofetha ngoBhali njalo baholela abantu bami ekulahlekeni.
“And I have seen folly in prophets of Samaria, They have prophesied by Ba‘al, And cause 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.”
And I have seen a horrible thing in prophets of Jerusalem, Committing adultery, and walking falsely, Indeed, they strengthened the hands of evildoers, So that they have not turned back, Each from his wickedness, All of them have been as Sodom to me, And its inhabitants 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 said YHWH of Hosts, concerning the prophets: “Behold, I am causing them to eat wormwood, And have caused them to drink water of gall, For from prophets of Jerusalem Profanity has gone forth to all the land.”
16 UThixo uSomandla uthi: “Lingalaleli okuphrofethwa ngabaphrofethi kini; balenza lithembe amanga. Bakhuluma imibono evela ezingqondweni zabo, engaveli emlonyeni kaThixo.
Thus said YHWH of Hosts: “You do not listen to the words Of the prophets who are prophesying to you, They are making you vain things, They speak a vision of their own heart, Not from the mouth of YHWH.
17 Bahlala besithi kulabo abangidelelayo, ‘UThixo uthi: Lizakuba lokuthula.’ Lakubo bonke abalandela inkani yezinhliziyo zabo bathi, ‘Akulabubi obuzalehlela.’
Diligently saying to those despising, The word of YHWH: Peace is for you, And [to] everyone walking in the stubbornness of his heart, they have said: Evil does not come to you.”
18 Kodwa nguphi wabo owake wema emhlanganweni kaThixo ukuba abone kumbe ezwe ilizwi lakhe na? Ngubani olilaleleyo walizwa ilizwi lakhe?
For who has stood in the counsel of YHWH, And sees and hears His word? Who has regarded My word, and listens?
19 Khangelani, isiphepho sikaThixo sizaphutsha silulaka, isavunguzane esibhoda ngolaka phezu kwamakhanda ababi.
Behold, a whirlwind of YHWH—Fury has gone out, even a piercing whirlwind, It stays on the head of the wicked.
20 Ulaka lukaThixo kaluyikuphela aze azifeze ngokupheleleyo injongo zenhliziyo yakhe. Ensukwini ezizayo lizakuzwisisa kuhle lokhu.
The anger of YHWH does not turn back Until His doing, and until His establishing, The thoughts of His heart, In the latter end of the days You attend to it with understanding.
21 Abaphrofethi laba angibathumanga; kodwa bagijima lemibiko yabo; kangizange ngikhulume labo, kodwa sebephrofethile.
“I have not sent the prophets, and they have run, I have not spoken to them, and they have 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 stood in My counsel, Then they cause My people to hear My words, And they turn them back 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 near,” A declaration of YHWH, “And not a God far off?
24 Umuntu angacatsha endaweni efihlakeleyo ukuba ngingamboni na?” kutsho uThixo. “Angithi ngigcwele ezulwini lasemhlabeni na?” kutsho uThixo.
Is anyone hidden in secret places, And I do not see him?” A declaration of YHWH, “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” A declaration of YHWH.
25 “Ngikuzwile okutshiwo ngabaphrofethi abaphrofetha amanga ngebizo lami. Bathi, ‘Ngiphuphile! Ngiphuphile!’
“I have heard that which the prophets said, Who prophesy falsehood in My Name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
26 Koze kube nini lokhu kuqhubeka ezinhliziyweni zalaba abaphrofethi abalamanga na?
Until when is it in the heart of the prophets? The prophets of falsehood, Indeed, prophets of the deceit of their heart,
27 Bacabanga ukuthi amaphupho abawatshelanayo azakwenza abantu bami bakhohlwe ibizo lami, njengabokhokho babo abakhohlwa ibizo lami ngenxa yokukhonza uBhali.
Who are devising to cause My people To forget My Name by their dreams, That they each recount to his neighbor, As their fathers forgot My Name for Ba‘al.
28 Akuthi umphrofethi ophupha iphupho kalitsho, kodwa lowo olelizwi lami kalikhulume ngobuqotho, ngoba amakhoba angenzani lamabele na?” kutsho uThixo.
The prophet with whom [is] a dream, Let him recount the dream, And he with whom [is] My word, Let him truly speak My word. What does the straw [have to do] with the grain?” A declaration of YHWH.
29 “Ilizwi lami kalinjengomlilo,” kutsho uThixo, “lanjengesando esidabula idwala libe yizicucu na?”
“Is it not thus? My word [is] as fire,” A declaration of YHWH. “And as a hammer—it breaks a rock in pieces.
30 UThixo uthi, “Ngakho, ngimelana labaphrofethi abantshontsha kwabanye amazwi okuthiwa avela kimi.
Therefore, behold, I [am] against the prophets,” A declaration of YHWH, “Each stealing My words from his neighbor.
31 Yebo, ngimelana labaphrofethi abasebenzisa indimi zabo kodwa bathi, ‘UThixo uthi,’
Behold, I [am] against the prophets,” A declaration of YHWH, “Who are making their tongue smooth, And they affirm—an affirmation.
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 the prophets of false dreams,” A declaration of YHWH, “And they recount them, and cause My people to err, By their falsehoods, and by their instability, And I have not sent them, Nor have I commanded them, And they are not profitable to this people at all,” A declaration of YHWH.
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, asks you, saying, What [is] the burden of YHWH? Then you have said to them: You [are] the burden, and I have left you,” A declaration of YHWH.
34 Nxa umphrofethi loba umphristi kumbe omunye umuntu esithi, ‘Leli lizilo likaThixo,’ lowomuntu ngizamjezisa kanye labendlu yakhe.
“And the prophet, and the priest, and the people, That says, The burden of YHWH, I have seen after that man, and after his house.
35 Lokhu yikho omunye wenu ohlala ekutsho kumngane wakhe loba isihlobo sakhe ukuthi: ‘Impendulo kaThixo ithini na?’ loba ‘UThixo utheni?’
Thus you each say to his neighbor, And each to his brother: What has YHWH answered? And what has YHWH 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 you do not mention the burden of YHWH anymore, For the burden to each is His word, And you have overturned the words of the living God, YHWH of Hosts, our God.
37 Lokhu yikho elihlala likutsho kumphrofethi ukuthi, ‘Impendulo kaThixo kuwe ithini?’ loba ‘UThixo utheni?’
Thus you say to the prophet, What has YHWH answered you? And what has YHWH spoken?
38 Lanxa lina lisithi, ‘Leli lizilo likaThixo,’ uThixo uthi: Lasebenzisa amazwi athi, ‘Leli lizilo likaThixo.’ Lanxa mina ngalitshela ukuthi lingabokuthi, ‘Leli lizilo likaThixo.’
And if you say, The burden of YHWH, Therefore, thus said YHWH: Because of your saying this word, The burden of YHWH, And I send to you, saying, You do not say, The burden of YHWH.
39 Ngakho, ngeqiniso ngizalikhohlwa ngiliphosele khatshana lami kanye ledolobho engalinika lona lina labokhokho benu.
Therefore, behold, I have utterly taken you away, And I have sent you out, And the city that I gave to you, And to your fathers, from before My face,
40 Ngizalehlisela ihlazo elingapheliyo lokuyangeka okungayikukhohlakala.”
And I have put continuous reproach on you, And continuous shame that is not forgotten!”
