UJeremiya 25
1 Ilizwi lafika kuJeremiya mayelana labantu bonke bakoJuda ngomnyaka wesine kaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda, okwakungumnyaka wokuqala kaNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni.
The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah; the same was the first year of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon;
2 Ngakho uJeremiya umphrofethi wathi kubo bonke abantu bakoJuda lakubo bonke abahlala eJerusalema:
the which Jeremiah the prophet spake unto all the people of Judah, and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying:
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 the son of Amon, king of Judah, even unto this day, these three and twenty years, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising up early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.
4 Lanxa uThixo wathumela zonke izinceku zakhe abaphrofethi kini njalonjalo, kalilalelanga njalo kalinakanga.
And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor 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.
saying, Return ye now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers, from of old and even for evermore:
6 Lingalandeli abanye onkulunkulu ukuba libasebenzele njalo libakhonze; lingangithukuthelisi ngalokho okwenziwa yizandla zenu. Lapho-ke angiyikulehlisela okubi.”
and go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the work of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.
7 “Kodwa kalingilalelanga,” kutsho uThixo, “njalo lingithukuthelisile ngokwenziwa ngezandla zenu, lazehlisela okubi.”
Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the LORD; that ye might provoke me to anger with the work of your hands to your own hurt.
8 Ngakho uThixo uSomandla uthi: “Ngenxa yokuthi kalilalelanga amazwi ami,
Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Because ye have not heard 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 send and take all the families of the north, saith the LORD, and [I will send] unto Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about; and I will utterly destroy them, and make them an astonishment, and an hissing, and perpetual desolations.
10 Ngizasusa phakathi kwabo imisindo yokuthokoza lokuthaba, lelizwi lomlobokazi lelomyeni, lomsindo wamatshe okuchola kanye lokukhanya kwesibane.
Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones, and the light of the candle.
11 Ilizwe leli lonke lizakuba yinkangala ephundlekileyo, lezizwe lezi zizasebenzela inkosi yaseBhabhiloni iminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa.
And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon 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.
And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans; and I will make it desolate for ever.
13 Ngizakwehlisela phezu kwelizwe lelo zonke izinto engazitshoyo ngalo, konke okulotshwe encwadini le okwaphrofethwa nguJeremiya ezizweni zonke.
And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath 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 shall serve themselves of them, even of them: and I will recompense 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.
For thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto me: Take the cup of the wine of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it.
16 Zingalinatha, zizadiyazela zihlanye ngenxa yenkemba engizayithumela phakathi kwazo.”
And they shall drink, and reel to and fro, and be mad, because of the sword that I will send among them.
17 Ngakho ngayithatha inkezo esandleni sikaThixo ngazinathisa zonke izizwe ayengithume kuzo:
Then took I the cup at the LORD’S hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto 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 wit], Jerusalem, and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof, and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, an hissing, and a curse; as it is this day;
19 uFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe, lezinceku zakhe, lezikhulu zakhe kanye labantu bakhe bonke,
Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, 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);
and all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Gaza, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod;
21 e-Edomi, leMowabi kanye le-Amoni;
Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon;
22 wonke amakhosi aseThire, leSidoni; amakhosi amazwe angasolwandle ngaphetsheya kwalo,
and all the kings of Tyre, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the isle which is beyond the sea;
23 eDedani, leThema leBhuzi labo bonke abasezindaweni ezikhatshana;
Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that have the corners [of their hair] polled;
24 wonke amakhosi ase-Arabhiya lawo wonke amakhosi abantu bezizweni abahlala enkangala;
and all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the wilderness;
25 amakhosi wonke aseZimri, le-Elamu leMediya;
and all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes;
26 lawo amakhosi asenyakatho, eduze lakhatshana, elandelana, yonke imibuso esemhlabeni. Emva kwabo bonke, inkosi yaseSheshaki layo izalinatha.
and all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another; and all the kingdoms of the world, which are upon the face of the earth: and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.
27 “Lapho-ke batshele uthi, ‘UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Nathani, lidakwe lihlanze, njalo liwe lingavuki futhi ngenxa yenkemba engizayithumela phakathi kwenu.’
And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.
28 Kodwa bangala ukwamukela inkezo esandleni sakho ukuba banathe, batshele uthi, ‘UThixo uSomandla uthi: Kumele liyinathe!
And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts: Ye shall surely drink.
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, lo, I begin to work evil at the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith 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.
Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar against his fold; he shall give a shout, as they that tread [the grapes], 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.
A noise shall come even to the end of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; as for the wicked, he will give them to the sword, saith the LORD.
32 Nanku akutshoyo uThixo uSomandla: “Khangelani! Umonakalo uyanda usuka kwesinye isizwe usiya kwesinye; isiphepho esikhulu siyavunguza sivela emikhawulweni yomhlaba.”
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great tempest shall be raised up from the uttermost parts 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.
And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the face of the ground.
34 Khalani lilile lina belusi; giqikani ethulini lina bakhokheli bomhlambi. Ngoba isikhathi sokubulawa kwenu sesifikile; lizakuwa liphohlozeke njengokubunjiweyo.
Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves [in ashes], ye principal of the flock: for the days of your slaughter are fully come, and I will break you in pieces, and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel.
35 Abelusi laba kabayikuba lalapho abangabalekela khona, abakhokheli bomhlambi bengelandawo yokubalekela kuyo.
And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the principal of the flock to escape.
36 Zwanini ukukhala kwabelusi, ukulila kwabakhokheli bomhlambi, ngoba uThixo uyalichitha idlelo labo.
A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and the howling of the principal of the flock! for the LORD layeth waste their pasture.
37 Lamadlelo alokuthula azatshabalaliswa ngenxa yolaka olwesabekayo lukaThixo.
And the peaceable folds are brought to silence because of the fierce anger of the LORD.
38 Njengesilwane uzaphuma esikhundleni sakhe, njalo ilizwe labo lizakuba yinkangala ngenxa yenkemba yomncindezeli langenxa yolaka lukaThixo olwesabekayo.
He hath forsaken his covert, as the lion: for their land is become an astonishment because of the fierceness of the oppressing [sword], and because of his fierce anger.
