UJeremiya 24

1 Emva kokuba uJekhoniya indodana kaJehoyakhimi inkosi yakoJuda lezikhulu, izingcitshi kanye lezisebenzi zakoJuda sebethunjwe eJerusalema basiwa eBhabhiloni nguNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, uThixo wangitshengisa izitsha ezimbili zomkhiwa zibekwe phambi kwethempeli likaThixo.

The LORD showed me, and behold, two baskets of figs were set before the LORD’s temple, after Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the craftsmen and smiths, from Jerusalem, and had brought them to Babylon.

2 Esinye isitsha sasilomkhiwa omuhle kakhulu, njengovuthwa kuqala; esinye isitsha sasilomkhiwa omubi, ubolile ungeke wadleka.

One basket had very good figs, like the figs that are first-ripe; and the other basket had very bad figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad.

3 UThixo wasesithi kimi, “Kuyini okubonayo, Jeremiya?” Ngathi, “Ngumkhiwa. Omuhle muhle kakhulu, kodwa omubi ubole kakhulu ungeke udliwe.”

Then the LORD asked me, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” I said, “Figs. The good figs are very good, and the bad are very bad, so bad that they can’t be eaten.”

4 Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kimi lisithi:

The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

5 “UThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi, ‘Njengalo umkhiwa omuhle, ngibathatha njengabalungileyo abathunjwa bakoJuda, engabasusa kule indawo ngabasa elizweni laseBhabhiloni.

“The LORD, the God of Israel says: ‘Like these good figs, so I will regard the captives of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans, as good.

6 Amehlo ami azabakhangela kokuphela, njalo ngizababuyisa kulelilizwe. Ngizabakha ngingabadilizi; ngizabahlanyela ngingabasiphuni.

For I will set my eyes on them for good, and I will bring them again to this land. I will build them, and not pull them down. I will plant them, and not pluck them up.

7 Ngizabapha inhliziyo yokungazi, ukuthi mina nginguThixo. Bazakuba ngabantu bami, mina ngibe nguNkulunkulu wabo, ngoba bazabuyela kimi ngenhliziyo yabo yonke.

I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. They will be my people, and I will be their God; for they will return to me with their whole heart.

8 Kodwa njengomkhiwa omubi, obolileyo ongeke udliwe,’ kutsho uThixo, ‘ngizamphatha kanjalo uZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda, lezikhulu zakhe kanye labasindayo eJerusalema, langabe basele kulelilizwe loba baseGibhithe.

“‘As the bad figs, which can’t be eaten, they are so bad,’ surely the LORD says, ‘So I will give up Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the remnant of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and those who dwell in the land of Egypt.

9 Ngizabenza bazondakale njalo babe yisinengiso kuyo yonke imibuso yasemhlabeni, insolo lesiga, into yokuhlekwa lokuthukwa, loba kungaphi engibaxotshela khona.

I will even give them up to be tossed back and forth amongst all the kingdoms of the earth for evil, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places where I will drive them.

10 Ngizathumela inkemba, indlala lomkhuhlane baze babhujiswe baphele elizweni engabanika lona kanye labokhokho babo.’”

I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence amongst them, until they are consumed from off the land that I gave to them and to their fathers.’”