UJeremiya 23
1 “Maye kubelusi abachitha izimvu zedlelo lami njalo bezihlakaza!” kutsho uThixo.
Woe to shepherds destroying, And scattering the flock of My pasture, An affirmation of 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 said Jehovah, God of Israel, Against the shepherds who feed My people, Ye have scattered My flock, and drive them away, And have not inspected them, Lo, I am charging on you the evil of your doings, An affirmation of Jehovah.
3 “Mina ngokwami ngizabutha insalela zezimvu zami emazweni wonke engangizixotshele kuwo ngizibuyisele edlelweni lazo, lapho ezizazalana khona zande.
And I do gather the remnant of My flock Out of all the lands whither I drove them, And have brought them back unto 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 for them shepherds, And they have fed them, And they fear no more, nor are affrighted, Nor are they lacking — an affirmation of Jehovah.
5 UThixo uthi, “Ziyeza insuku, lapho uDavida ngizamvusela uGatsha olulungileyo, iNkosi ezabusa ngokuhlakanipha, yenze okulungileyo, lokufaneleyo elizweni.
Lo, days are coming — an affirmation of Jehovah, And I have raised to David a righteous shoot, And a king hath 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.”
In his days is Judah saved, and Israel dwelleth confidently, And this his name that Jehovah proclaimeth him, 'Our Righteousness.'
7 UThixo uthi, “Ngakho-ke, insuku ziyeza, lapho abantu bengasayikuthi, ‘Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona, yena owakhupha u-Israyeli eGibhithe,’
Therefore, lo, days are coming, An affirmation of Jehovah, And they do not say any more, Jehovah liveth 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 — Jehovah liveth, 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 whither 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: Broken hath been my heart in my midst, Fluttered have all my bones, I have been as a man — a drunkard, And as a man — wine hath passed over him, Because of Jehovah, 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 of adulterers hath the land been full, For because of these hath the land mourned, Dried up hath been the pleasant places of the wilderness, 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, Yea, in My house I found their wickedness, An affirmation of Jehovah.
12 “Ngakho indlela yabo izatshelela; bazaxotshelwa emnyameni njalo lapho bazakuwa. Ngizabehlisela umonakalo ngomnyaka wokujeziswa kwabo,” kutsho uThixo.
Therefore is their way to them as slippery places, Into thick darkness they are driven, And they have fallen in it, For I bring in against them evil, The year of their inspection, An affirmation of Jehovah.
13 “Phakathi kwabaphrofethi baseSamariya ngabona into eyenyanyekayo: Baphrofetha ngoBhali njalo baholela abantu bami ekulahlekeni.
And in prophets of Samaria I have seen folly, They have prophesied by Baal, 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 in prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing, Committing adultery, and walking falsely, Yea, they strengthened the hands of evil doers, So that they have not turned back Each from his wickedness, They have been to me — all of them — as Sodom, 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 Jehovah of Hosts, concerning the prophets: Lo, I am causing them to eat wormwood, And have caused them to drink water of gall, For, from prophets of Jerusalem Hath profanity 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 Jehovah of Hosts: Ye do not hearken unto the words Of the prophets who are prophesying to you, They are making you vain things, A vision of their own heart they speak, Not from the mouth of Jehovah.
17 Bahlala besithi kulabo abangidelelayo, ‘UThixo uthi: Lizakuba lokuthula.’ Lakubo bonke abalandela inkani yezinhliziyo zabo bathi, ‘Akulabubi obuzalehlela.’
Saying diligently to those despising The word of Jehovah: Peace is for you, And [to] every one walking in the stubbornness of his heart they have said: Evil doth not come in unto 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 counsel of Jehovah, And seeth and heareth His word? Who hath regarded My word, and hearkeneth?
19 Khangelani, isiphepho sikaThixo sizaphutsha silulaka, isavunguzane esibhoda ngolaka phezu kwamakhanda ababi.
Lo, a whirlwind of Jehovah — Fury hath gone out, even a piercing whirlwind, On the head of the wicked it stayeth.
20 Ulaka lukaThixo kaluyikuphela aze azifeze ngokupheleleyo injongo zenhliziyo yakhe. Ensukwini ezizayo lizakuzwisisa kuhle lokhu.
The anger of Jehovah doth not turn back Till His doing, and till His establishing, The thoughts of His heart, In the latter end of the days ye 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 unto 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?
A God near [am] I — an affirmation of Jehovah, And not a God afar off?
24 Umuntu angacatsha endaweni efihlakeleyo ukuba ngingamboni na?” kutsho uThixo. “Angithi ngigcwele ezulwini lasemhlabeni na?” kutsho uThixo.
Is any one hidden in secret places, And I see him not? an affirmation of Jehovah, Do not I fill the heavens and the earth? An affirmation of Jehovah.
25 “Ngikuzwile okutshiwo ngabaphrofethi abaphrofetha amanga ngebizo lami. Bathi, ‘Ngiphuphile! Ngiphuphile!’
I have heard that which the prophets said, Who prophesy in My name falsehood, saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed.'
26 Koze kube nini lokhu kuqhubeka ezinhliziyweni zalaba abaphrofethi abalamanga na?
Till when is it in the heart of the prophets? The prophets of falsehood, Yea, 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 recount each to his neighbour, As their fathers forgot 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 with whom [is] a dream, Let him recount the dream, And he with whom [is] My word, Let him truly speak My word. What — to the straw with the corn? An affirmation of Jehovah.
29 “Ilizwi lami kalinjengomlilo,” kutsho uThixo, “lanjengesando esidabula idwala libe yizicucu na?”
Is it not thus? My word [is] as a fire, An affirmation of Jehovah. And as a hammer — it breaketh in pieces a rock.
30 UThixo uthi, “Ngakho, ngimelana labaphrofethi abantshontsha kwabanye amazwi okuthiwa avela kimi.
Therefore, lo, I [am] against the prophets, An affirmation of Jehovah, Stealing My words each from his neighbour.
31 Yebo, ngimelana labaphrofethi abasebenzisa indimi zabo kodwa bathi, ‘UThixo uthi,’
Lo, I [am] against the prophets, An affirmation of Jehovah, Who are making smooth their tongue, 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.
Lo, I [am] against the prophets of false dreams, An affirmation of Jehovah, And they recount them, and cause my people to err, By their falsehoods, and by their instability, And I — I have not sent them, Nor have I commanded them, And they are not at all profitable to this people, An affirmation of 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, doth ask thee, saying, What [is] the burden of Jehovah? Then thou hast said unto them: Ye [are] the burden, and I have left you, An affirmation of Jehovah.
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 saith, The burden of Jehovah, 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 do ye say each unto his neighbour, And each unto 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 ye do not mention any more, For the burden to each is — His word, And ye have overturned the words of the living God, Jehovah of Hosts, our God.
37 Lokhu yikho elihlala likutsho kumphrofethi ukuthi, ‘Impendulo kaThixo kuwe ithini?’ loba ‘UThixo utheni?’
Thus dost thou say unto 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.’
And if the burden of Jehovah ye say, Therefore thus said Jehovah: Because of your saying this word, The burden of Jehovah, And I do send unto you, saying, Ye do not say, The burden of Jehovah.
39 Ngakho, ngeqiniso ngizalikhohlwa ngiliphosele khatshana lami kanye ledolobho engalinika lona lina labokhokho benu.
Therefore, lo, I — I have taken you utterly 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 on you reproach age-during, And shame age-during that is not forgotten!
