UJeremiya 26
1 Ekuqaleni kokubusa kukaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda, kwafika ilizwi leli livela kuThixo lisithi,
In the beginning of the reign of king Sedekias, there came this word concerning Aelam.
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.
FOR EGYPT, AGAINST THE POWER OF PHARAO NECHAO KING OF EGYPT, who was by the river Euphrates in Charmis, whom Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon struck in the fourth year of Joakim king of Juda.
3 Mhlawumbe bazalalela omunye lomunye wabo aphenduke endleleni yakhe embi. Lapho-ke ngizadeda ngingabehliseli umonakalo ebengizawenza kubo ngenxa yobubi ababenzileyo.
Take up arms and spears, and draw near to battle;
4 Tshono kubo uthi, ‘UThixo uthi: Nxa lingangilaleli lilandele umthetho wami engalibekela wona,
and harness the horses: mount, you horsemen, and stand ready in your helmets; advance the spears, and put on your breastplates.
5 njalo nxa lingalaleli amazwi ezinceku zami abaphrofethi, engabathuma kini njalonjalo (lanxa lingalalelanga),
Why do they fear, and turn back? even because their mighty men shall be slain: they have utterly fled, and being hemmed in they have not rallied, says the Lord.
6 ngizakwenza indlu le ibe njengeShilo ledolobho leli libe yinto yokuqalekiswa phakathi kwezizwe zonke zomhlaba.’”
Let not the swift flee, and let not the mighty man escape to the north: the [forces] at Euphrates are become feeble, and they have fallen.
7 Abaphristi, labaphrofethi kanye labantu bonke bamuzwa uJeremiya ekhuluma amazwi la endlini kaThixo.
Who is this [that] shall come up as a river, and as rivers roll [their] waves?
8 Kodwa kwathi uJeremiya eqeda nje ukubatshela bonke abantu konke uThixo ayemlaye ukuba akutsho, abaphristi, labaphrofethi kanye labantu bonke bamphuthuma bathi kuye, “Kumele ufe!
The waters of Egypt shall come up like a river: and he said, I will go up, and will cover the earth, and will destroy the dwellers in it.
9 Kungani uphrofetha ngebizo likaThixo usithi indlu le izakuba njengeShilo ledolobho leli lizachitheka abantu basuke kulo?” Abantu bonke bambuthanela uJeremiya endlini kaThixo.
Mount you the horses, prepare the chariots; go forth, you warriors of the Ethiopians, and Libyans armed with shields; and mount, you Lydians, bend the bow.
10 Kwathi izikhulu zakoJuda sezizwe ngalezizinto, zaya endlini kaThixo zisuka esigodlweni senkosi zahlala ezindaweni zazo entubeni yeSango elitsha lendlu kaThixo.
And that day [shall be] to the Lord our God a day of vengeance, to take vengeance on his enemies: and the sword of the Lord shall devour, and be glutted, and be drunken with their blood: for the Lord [has] a sacrifice from the land of the north at the river Euphrates.
11 Abaphristi, labaphrofethi basebesithi ezikhulwini lasebantwini bonke, “Umuntu lo kumele agwetshelwe ukufa ngoba uphrofetha kubi ngedolobho leli. Likuzwile ngezindlebe zenu!”
Go up to Galaad, and take balm for the virgin daughter of Egypt: in vain have you multiplied your medicines; there is no help in you.
12 UJeremiya wasesithi ezikhulwini zonke lasebantwini bonke: “UThixo ungithumile ukuba ngiphrofethe kubi ngendlu le langedolobho leli zonke izinto elizizwileyo.
The nations have heard your voice, and the land has been filled with your cry: for the warriors have fainted fighting one against another, [and] both are fallen together.
13 Ngakho lungisani izindlela zenu lezenzo zenu lilalele uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu. Ngalokho uThixo uzadeda angabe esalehlisela umonakalo abememezele ukuwehlisela kini.
THE WORDS WHICH THE LORD SPOKE by Jeremias, concerning the coming of the king of Babylon to strike the land of Egypt.
14 Kodwa mina, ngisezandleni zenu; yenzani kimi loba kuyini lokho elikubona kukuhle, kufanele.
Proclaim [it] at Magdol, and declare [it] at Memphis: say you, Stand up, and prepare; for the sword has devoured your yew tree.
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.”
Therefore has Apis fled from you? your choice calf has not remained; for the Lord has utterly weakened him.
16 Izikhulu labantu bonke basebesithi kubaphristi lakubaphrofethi, “Umuntu lo akumelanga abulawe! Ukhulume kithi ngebizo likaThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.”
And your multitude has fainted and fallen; and each one said to his neighbour, Let us arise, and return into our country to our people, from the Grecian sword.
17 Abanye babadala baselizweni basondela phambili bakhuluma kulolonke ibandla labantu bathi,
Call you the name of Pharao Nechao king of Egypt, Saon esbeie moed.
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.’
[As] I live, says the Lord God, he shall come as Itabyrion amongst the mountains, and as Carmel that is on the sea.
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!”
O daughter of Egypt dwelling [at home], prepare you stuff for removing: for Memphis shall be utterly desolate, and shall be called Woe, because there are no inhabitants in it.
20 (U-Uriya indodana kaShemaya owaseKhiriyathi-Jeyarimi ungomunye umuntu owaphrofetha ngebizo likaThixo: waphrofitha izinto ezinjalo ngedolobho leli langelizwe leli njengoJeremiya.
Egypt is a fair heifer, [but] destruction from the north is come upon her.
21 Kwathi inkosi uJehoyakhimi lezinduna zakhe kanye lezikhulu zakhe besizwa amazwi akhe, bafuna ukumbulala. Kodwa u-Uriya wakuzwa lokho wasebalekela eGibhithe esesaba.
Also her hired [soldiers] in the midst of her are as fatted calves fed in her; for they also have turned, and fled with one accord: they stood not, for the day of destruction was come upon them, and the time of their retribution.
22 UJehoyakhimi inkosi, wathuma u-Elinathani indodana ka-Akhibhori lamanye amadoda eGibhithe.
Their voice is as [that] of a hissing serpent, for they go upon the sand; they shall come upon Egypt with axes, as men that cut wood.
23 Bamthatha u-Uriya eGibhithe bamusa kuJehoyakhimi inkosi wambulala ngenkemba isidumbu sakhe saphoselwa endaweni yokungcwabela abantukazana.)
They shall cut down her forest, says the Lord, for [their number] can’t at all be conjectured, for it exceeds the locust in multitude, and they are innumerable.
24 Phezu kwalokho, u-Ahikhami indodana kaShafani wasekela uJeremiya, ngakho kanikezwanga ebantwini ukuba bambulale.
The daughter of Egypt is confounded; she is delivered into the hands of a people from the north.
Behold, I [will] avenge Ammon her son upon Pharao, and upon them that trust in him.
But fear not you, my servant Jacob, neither be you alarmed, Israel: for, behold, I will save you from afar, and your seed from their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be at ease, and sleep, and there shall be no one to trouble him.
Fear not you, my servant Jacob, says the Lord; for I am with you: she [that was] without fear and in luxury, has been delivered up: for I will make a full end of every nation amongst whom I have thrust you forth; but I will not cause you to fail: yet will I chastise you in the way of judgement, and will not hold you entirely guiltless.
