UJeremiya 25
1 Ilizwi lafika kuJeremiya mayelana labantu bonke bakoJuda ngomnyaka wesine kaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda, okwakungumnyaka wokuqala kaNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni.
This is the word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, which was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.
2 Ngakho uJeremiya umphrofethi wathi kubo bonke abantu bakoJuda lakubo bonke abahlala eJerusalema:
So the prophet Jeremiah spoke to all the people of Judah and all the residents of Jerusalem as follows:
3 Okweminyaka engamatshumi amabili lantathu, kusukela ngomnyaka wetshumi lantathu kaJosiya indodana ka-Amoni inkosi yakoJuda kuze kube yilolusuku, ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi njalo ngalikhuluma kini njalonjalo, kodwa kalilalelanga.
“From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah until this very day—twenty-three years—the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken to you again and again, but you have not listened.
4 Lanxa uThixo wathumela zonke izinceku zakhe abaphrofethi kini njalonjalo, kalilalelanga njalo kalinakanga.
And the LORD has sent all His servants the prophets to you again and again, but you have not listened or inclined your ear to hear.
5 Bathi, “Phendukani khathesi, omunye lomunye wenu, ezindleleni zenu ezimbi lasezenzweni zenu ezimbi, lihlale elizweni uThixo alinika lona kanye labokhokho benu kuze kube nininini.
The prophets told you, ‘Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and deeds, and you can dwell in the land that the LORD has given to you and your fathers forever and ever.
6 Lingalandeli abanye onkulunkulu ukuba libasebenzele njalo libakhonze; lingangithukuthelisi ngalokho okwenziwa yizandla zenu. Lapho-ke angiyikulehlisela okubi.”
Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.’
7 “Kodwa kalingilalelanga,” kutsho uThixo, “njalo lingithukuthelisile ngokwenziwa ngezandla zenu, lazehlisela okubi.”
‘But to your own harm, you have not listened to Me,’ declares the LORD, ‘so you have provoked Me to anger with the works of your hands.’
8 Ngakho uThixo uSomandla uthi: “Ngenxa yokuthi kalilalelanga amazwi ami,
Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Because you have not obeyed My words,
9 ngizabiza bonke abantu basenyakatho lenceku yami uNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni,” kutsho uThixo, “njalo ngizabaletha ukuba bamelane lelizwe leli labahlala kulo kanye lezizwe zonke eziseduze lalo. Ngizababhubhisa ngokupheleleyo ngibenze babe yinto eyesabekayo leyokuklolodelwa, lencithakalo yanini lanini.
behold, I will summon all the families of the north, declares the LORD, and I will send for My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, whom I will bring against this land, against its residents, and against all the surrounding nations. So I will devote them to destruction and make them an object of horror and contempt, an everlasting desolation.
10 Ngizasusa phakathi kwabo imisindo yokuthokoza lokuthaba, lelizwi lomlobokazi lelomyeni, lomsindo wamatshe okuchola kanye lokukhanya kwesibane.
Moreover, I will banish from them the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of the bride and bridegroom, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the lamp.
11 Ilizwe leli lonke lizakuba yinkangala ephundlekileyo, lezizwe lezi zizasebenzela inkosi yaseBhabhiloni iminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa.
And this whole land will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years.
12 Kodwa lapho iminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa isiphelile, ngizayijezisa inkosi yaseBhabhiloni lesizwe sayo, ilizwe lamaKhaladiya, ngenxa yobubi babo,” kutsho uThixo, “njalo ngizalenza lichitheke kokuphela.
But when seventy years are complete, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their guilt, declares the LORD, and I will make it an everlasting desolation.
13 Ngizakwehlisela phezu kwelizwe lelo zonke izinto engazitshoyo ngalo, konke okulotshwe encwadini le okwaphrofethwa nguJeremiya ezizweni zonke.
I will bring upon that land all the words I have pronounced against it, all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah has prophesied against all the nations.
14 Lazo uqobo zizathunjwa yizizwe ezinengi lamakhosi amakhulu; ngizaphindisela kubo mayelana lezenzo zabo langemisebenzi yezandla zabo.”
For many nations and great kings will enslave them, and I will repay them according to their deeds and according to the work of their hands.’”
15 UThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli wathi kimi, “Yamukela esandleni sami inkezo le egcwele iwayini lolaka lwami unathise zonke izizwe engikuthuma kuzo.
This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from My hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink from it.
16 Zingalinatha, zizadiyazela zihlanye ngenxa yenkemba engizayithumela phakathi kwazo.”
And they will drink and stagger and go out of their minds, because of the sword that I will send among them.”
17 Ngakho ngayithatha inkezo esandleni sikaThixo ngazinathisa zonke izizwe ayengithume kuzo:
So I took the cup from the LORD’s hand and made all the nations drink from it, each one to whom the LORD had sent me,
18 IJerusalema lamadolobho akoJuda, amakhosi akhona kanye lezikhulu, ukubenza babe yincithakalo lento eyesabekayo yokuklolodelwa lokuqalekiswa, njengoba benjalo lamhla;
to make them a ruin, an object of horror and contempt and cursing, as they are to this day—Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, its kings and officials;
19 uFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe, lezinceku zakhe, lezikhulu zakhe kanye labantu bakhe bonke,
Pharaoh king of Egypt, his officials, his leaders, and all his people;
20 labantu bonke bezizweni abakhonale; wonke amakhosi ase-Uzi; wonke amakhosi amaFilistiya (awe-Ashikheloni, eGaza, e-Ekroni, labantu abasala e-Ashidodi);
all the mixed tribes; all the kings of Uz; all the kings of the Philistines: Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod;
21 e-Edomi, leMowabi kanye le-Amoni;
Edom, Moab, and the Ammonites;
22 wonke amakhosi aseThire, leSidoni; amakhosi amazwe angasolwandle ngaphetsheya kwalo,
all the kings of Tyre and Sidon; the kings of the coastlands across the sea;
23 eDedani, leThema leBhuzi labo bonke abasezindaweni ezikhatshana;
Dedan, Tema, Buz, and all who cut the corners of their hair;
24 wonke amakhosi ase-Arabhiya lawo wonke amakhosi abantu bezizweni abahlala enkangala;
all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mixed tribes who dwell in the desert;
25 amakhosi wonke aseZimri, le-Elamu leMediya;
all the kings of Zimri, Elam, and Media;
26 lawo amakhosi asenyakatho, eduze lakhatshana, elandelana, yonke imibuso esemhlabeni. Emva kwabo bonke, inkosi yaseSheshaki layo izalinatha.
all the kings of the north, both near and far, one after another—all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. And after all of them, the king of Sheshach will drink it too.
27 “Lapho-ke batshele uthi, ‘UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Nathani, lidakwe lihlanze, njalo liwe lingavuki futhi ngenxa yenkemba engizayithumela phakathi kwenu.’
“Then you are to tell them that this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Drink, get drunk, and vomit. Fall down and never get up again, because of the sword I will send among you.’
28 Kodwa bangala ukwamukela inkezo esandleni sakho ukuba banathe, batshele uthi, ‘UThixo uSomandla uthi: Kumele liyinathe!
If they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink it, you are to tell them that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘You most certainly must drink it!
29 Khangelani, sengiqalisile ukuletha umonakalo edolobheni elileBizo lami, njalo lina lizaphutha impela ukujeziswa na? Kaliyikuphutha ukujeziswa ngoba ngizakwehlisela inkemba phezu kwabo bonke abahlala emhlabeni, kutsho uThixo uSomandla.’
For behold, I am beginning to bring disaster on the city that bears My Name, so how could you possibly go unpunished? You will not go unpunished, for I am calling down a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, declares the LORD of Hosts.’
30 Khathesi-ke phrofetha wonke amazwi la ngabo uthi kubo: ‘UThixo uzahlokoma ephezulu; uzaduma esendaweni yakhe engcwele, njalo ahlokome kakhulu emelana lelizwe lakhe. Uzamemeza njengabahluza amavini, akhwaze ngamandla ekhwazela bonke abahlala emhlabeni.
So you are to prophesy all these words against them and say to them: ‘The LORD will roar from on high; He will raise His voice from His holy habitation. He will roar loudly over His pasture; like those who tread the grapes, He will call out with a shout against all the inhabitants of the earth.
31 Ukuxokozela kuzazwakala emikhawulweni yomhlaba, ngoba uThixo uzazethesa amacala izizwe; uzakwahlulela abantu bonke ababi ababhubhise ngenkemba,’” kutsho uThixo.
The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth because the LORD brings a charge against the nations. He brings judgment on all mankind and puts the wicked to the sword,’”
32 Nanku akutshoyo uThixo uSomandla: “Khangelani! Umonakalo uyanda usuka kwesinye isizwe usiya kwesinye; isiphepho esikhulu siyavunguza sivela emikhawulweni yomhlaba.”
This is what the LORD of Hosts says: “Behold! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth.”
33 Ngalesosikhathi labo ababulewe nguThixo bazakuba sezindaweni zonke kusukela komunye kusiya komunye umkhawulo womhlaba. Kabayikukhalelwa loba babuthwe kumbe bangcwatshwe, kodwa bazakuba njengezibi emhlabathini.
Those slain by the LORD on that day will be spread from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned, gathered, or buried. They will be like dung lying on the ground.
34 Khalani lilile lina belusi; giqikani ethulini lina bakhokheli bomhlambi. Ngoba isikhathi sokubulawa kwenu sesifikile; lizakuwa liphohlozeke njengokubunjiweyo.
Wail, you shepherds, and cry out; roll in the dust, you leaders of the flock. For the days of your slaughter have come; you will fall and be shattered like fine pottery.
35 Abelusi laba kabayikuba lalapho abangabalekela khona, abakhokheli bomhlambi bengelandawo yokubalekela kuyo.
Flight will evade the shepherds, and escape will elude the leaders of the flock.
36 Zwanini ukukhala kwabelusi, ukulila kwabakhokheli bomhlambi, ngoba uThixo uyalichitha idlelo labo.
Hear the cry of the shepherds, the wailing of the leaders of the flock, for the LORD is destroying their pasture.
37 Lamadlelo alokuthula azatshabalaliswa ngenxa yolaka olwesabekayo lukaThixo.
The peaceful meadows have been silenced because of the LORD’s burning anger.
38 Njengesilwane uzaphuma esikhundleni sakhe, njalo ilizwe labo lizakuba yinkangala ngenxa yenkemba yomncindezeli langenxa yolaka lukaThixo olwesabekayo.
He has left His den like a lion, for their land has been made a desolation by the sword of the oppressor, and because of the fierce anger of the LORD.
