UJeremiya 26
1 Ekuqaleni kokubusa kukaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda, kwafika ilizwi leli livela kuThixo lisithi,
At the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came from the LORD:
2 “UThixo uthi: Mana egumeni lendlu kaThixo ukhulume kubo bonke abantu basemadolobheni akoJuda abeza endlini kaThixo ukuba bakhonze. Batshele konke engakulaya khona, kungabi lelizwi olitshiyayo.
“This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the house of the LORD and speak all the words I have commanded you to speak to all the cities of Judah who come to worship there. Do not omit a word.
3 Mhlawumbe bazalalela omunye lomunye wabo aphenduke endleleni yakhe embi. Lapho-ke ngizadeda ngingabehliseli umonakalo ebengizawenza kubo ngenxa yobubi ababenzileyo.
Perhaps they will listen and turn—each from his evil way of life—so that I may relent of the disaster I am planning to bring upon them because of the evil of their deeds.
4 Tshono kubo uthi, ‘UThixo uthi: Nxa lingangilaleli lilandele umthetho wami engalibekela wona,
And you are to tell them that this is what the LORD says: ‘If you do not listen to Me and walk in My law, which I have set before you,
5 njalo nxa lingalaleli amazwi ezinceku zami abaphrofethi, engabathuma kini njalonjalo (lanxa lingalalelanga),
and if you do not listen to the words of My servants the prophets, whom I have sent you again and again even though you did not listen,
6 ngizakwenza indlu le ibe njengeShilo ledolobho leli libe yinto yokuqalekiswa phakathi kwezizwe zonke zomhlaba.’”
then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.’”
7 Abaphristi, labaphrofethi kanye labantu bonke bamuzwa uJeremiya ekhuluma amazwi la endlini kaThixo.
Now the priests and prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD,
8 Kodwa kwathi uJeremiya eqeda nje ukubatshela bonke abantu konke uThixo ayemlaye ukuba akutsho, abaphristi, labaphrofethi kanye labantu bonke bamphuthuma bathi kuye, “Kumele ufe!
and as soon as he had finished telling all the people everything the LORD had commanded him to say, the priests and prophets and all the people seized him, shouting, “You must surely die!
9 Kungani uphrofetha ngebizo likaThixo usithi indlu le izakuba njengeShilo ledolobho leli lizachitheka abantu basuke kulo?” Abantu bonke bambuthanela uJeremiya endlini kaThixo.
How dare you prophesy in the name of the LORD that this house will become like Shiloh and this city will be desolate and deserted!” And all the people assembled against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.
10 Kwathi izikhulu zakoJuda sezizwe ngalezizinto, zaya endlini kaThixo zisuka esigodlweni senkosi zahlala ezindaweni zazo entubeni yeSango elitsha lendlu kaThixo.
When the officials of Judah heard these things, they went up from the king’s palace to the house of the LORD and sat there at the entrance of the New Gate.
11 Abaphristi, labaphrofethi basebesithi ezikhulwini lasebantwini bonke, “Umuntu lo kumele agwetshelwe ukufa ngoba uphrofetha kubi ngedolobho leli. Likuzwile ngezindlebe zenu!”
Then the priests and prophets said to the officials and all the people, “This man is worthy of death, for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears!”
12 UJeremiya wasesithi ezikhulwini zonke lasebantwini bonke: “UThixo ungithumile ukuba ngiphrofethe kubi ngendlu le langedolobho leli zonke izinto elizizwileyo.
But Jeremiah said to all the officials and all the people, “The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard.
13 Ngakho lungisani izindlela zenu lezenzo zenu lilalele uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu. Ngalokho uThixo uzadeda angabe esalehlisela umonakalo abememezele ukuwehlisela kini.
So now, correct your ways and deeds, and obey the voice of the LORD your God, so that He might relent of the disaster He has pronounced against you.
14 Kodwa mina, ngisezandleni zenu; yenzani kimi loba kuyini lokho elikubona kukuhle, kufanele.
As for me, here I am in your hands; do to me what you think is good and right.
15 Kodwa likwazi, impela ukuthi lingangibulala, lizakwehlisela phezu kwenu icala legazi elimsulwa laphezu kwedolobho leli kanye laphezu kwabantu abahlala kulo, ngoba ngeqiniso uThixo ungithumile kini ukuba ngikhulume wonke amazwi la lani lisizwa.”
But know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves, upon this city, and upon its residents; for truly the LORD has sent me to speak all these words in your hearing.”
16 Izikhulu labantu bonke basebesithi kubaphristi lakubaphrofethi, “Umuntu lo akumelanga abulawe! Ukhulume kithi ngebizo likaThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.”
Then the officials and all the people told the priests and prophets, “This man is not worthy of death, for he has spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God!”
17 Abanye babadala baselizweni basondela phambili bakhuluma kulolonke ibandla labantu bathi,
Some of the elders of the land stood up and said to the whole assembly of the people,
18 “UMikha waseMoreshethi waphrofitha ensukwini zikaHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda. Wabatshela bonke abantu bakoJuda wathi, ‘UThixo uSomandla uthi: IZiyoni izalinywa njengensimu, iJerusalema izakuba yinqwaba yemfucuza, intaba yethempeli ibe yindunduma eyande izixukwana.’
“Micah the Moreshite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah and told all the people of Judah that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, and the temple mount a wooded ridge.’
19 Kanje uHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda loba omunye umuntu nje wakoJuda wambulala na? UHezekhiya kamesabanga yini uThixo wacela umusa kuye? UThixo kadedanga wayekela ukubehlisela umonakalo ayewumemezele kubo na? Sekuseduze ukuthi sizehlisele umonakalo owesabekayo phezu kwethu!”
Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in Judah put him to death? Did Hezekiah not fear the LORD and seek His favor, and did not the LORD relent of the disaster He had pronounced against them? But we are about to bring great harm on ourselves!”
20 (U-Uriya indodana kaShemaya owaseKhiriyathi-Jeyarimi ungomunye umuntu owaphrofetha ngebizo likaThixo: waphrofitha izinto ezinjalo ngedolobho leli langelizwe leli njengoJeremiya.
Now there was another man prophesying in the name of the LORD, Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against this city and against this land the same things that Jeremiah did.
21 Kwathi inkosi uJehoyakhimi lezinduna zakhe kanye lezikhulu zakhe besizwa amazwi akhe, bafuna ukumbulala. Kodwa u-Uriya wakuzwa lokho wasebalekela eGibhithe esesaba.
King Jehoiakim and all his mighty men and officials heard his words, and the king sought to put him to death. But when Uriah found out about it, he fled in fear and went to Egypt.
22 UJehoyakhimi inkosi, wathuma u-Elinathani indodana ka-Akhibhori lamanye amadoda eGibhithe.
Then King Jehoiakim sent men to Egypt: Elnathan son of Achbor along with some other men.
23 Bamthatha u-Uriya eGibhithe bamusa kuJehoyakhimi inkosi wambulala ngenkemba isidumbu sakhe saphoselwa endaweni yokungcwabela abantukazana.)
They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him put to the sword and his body thrown into the burial place of the common people.
24 Phezu kwalokho, u-Ahikhami indodana kaShafani wasekela uJeremiya, ngakho kanikezwanga ebantwini ukuba bambulale.
Nevertheless, Ahikam son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.
