UJeremiya 27
1 Ekuqaleni kokubusa kukaZedekhiya indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda, ilizwi leli lafika kuJeremiya livela kuThixo lisithi:
In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
2 UThixo wathi kimi, “Yenza ijogwe ngemichilo langemigoqo uligaxe entanyeni yakho.
the LORD says to me: “Make bonds and bars, and put them on your neck.
3 Ubusuthumela ilizwi enkosini yase-Edomi, leyaseMowabi, leyase-Amoni, eyeThire kanye leyaseSidoni ngezithunywa ezize eJerusalema kuZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda.
Then send them to the king of Edom, to the king of Moab, to the king of the children of Ammon, to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah.
4 Zinike ilizwi eliya emakhosini azo uthi, ‘UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Tshelani amakhosi enu lokhu ukuthi:
Give them a command to their masters, saying, ‘The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel says, “You shall tell your masters:
5 Ngamandla ami amakhulu langengalo yami eyeluliweyo ngenza umhlaba labantu bawo kanye lezinyamazana ezikuwo, njalo ngiwunika loba ngubani ngokuthanda kwami.
‘I have made the earth, the men, and the animals that are on the surface of the earth by my great power and by my outstretched arm. I give it to whom it seems right to me.
6 Khathesi wonke amazwe enu ngizawanikela encekwini yami uNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, ngizakwenza lezinyamazana zeganga zibe ngaphansi kwakhe.
Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant. I have also given the animals of the field to him to serve him.
7 Izizwe zonke zizamsebenzela yena lamadodana akhe kanye labazukulu bakhe kuze kufike isikhathi selizwe lakhe lapho azanqotshwa khona yizizwe ezinengi lamakhosi amakhulu.
All the nations will serve him, his son, and his son’s son, until the time of his own land comes. Then many nations and great kings will make him their bondservant.
8 Kodwa, loba yisiphi isizwe loba umbuso ongasebenzeli uNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni loba ukhothamisele intamo yawo ejogeni lakhe, ngizasijezisa lesosizwe ngenkemba, ngendlala langesifo, ngize ngiwuchithe ngesandla sakhe, kutsho uThixo.
“‘“‘It will happen that I will punish the nation and the kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon,’ says the LORD, ‘with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.
9 Ngakho lingabalaleli abaphrofethi benu, izanuse zenu, abachazi bamaphupho, izangoma zenu loba izinyanga zenu ezithi kini, kaliyikuyisebenzela inkosi yaseBhabhiloni.’
But as for you, don’t listen to your prophets, to your diviners, to your dreams, to your soothsayers, or to your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, “You shall not serve the king of Babylon;”
10 Baphrofetha amanga kini azasebenza ukulisusa nje kuphela emazweni enu; ngizalixotsha njalo lizabhubha.
for they prophesy a lie to you, to remove you far from your land, so that I would drive you out, and you would perish.
11 Kodwa isizwe esizabeka intamo yaso ngaphansi kwejogwe lenkosi yaseBhabhiloni siyisebenzele, lesosizwe ngizasiyekela siselizweni laso ukuba sililime njalo sihlale kulo, kutsho uThixo.”
But the nation that brings their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serves him, that nation I will let remain in their own land,’ says the LORD; ‘and they will till it and dwell in it.’”’”
12 UZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda ngamnika ilizwi elinjalo; Ngathi, “Beka intamo yakho ngaphansi kwejogwe lenkosi yaseBhabhiloni; isebenzele yona kanye labantu bayo, uzaphila.
I spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.
13 Kungani wena labantu bakho lizabulawa ngenkemba, indlala lesifo uThixo ayesongele ngakho isizwe esingayikusebenzela inkosi yaseBhabhiloni na?
Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD has spoken concerning the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?
14 Lingawalaleli amazwi abaphrofethi abathi kini, ‘Kaliyikuyisebenzela inkosi yaseBhabhiloni,’ ngoba baphrofetha amanga kini.
Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon;’ for they prophesy a lie to you.
15 ‘Angibathumanga,’ kutsho uThixo. ‘Baphrofetha amanga ngebizo lami. Ngakho ngizalixotsha, libhubhe lina kanye labaphrofethi abaphrofetha kini.’”
For I have not sent them,” says the LORD, “but they prophesy falsely in my name; that I may drive you out, and that you may perish, you, and the prophets who prophesy to you.”
16 Ngasengisithi kubaphristi lakubo bonke abantu laba, “UThixo uthi: Lingabalaleli abaphrofethi abathi, ‘Masinyane nje izitsha zasendlini kaThixo zizabuyiswa zivela eBhabhiloni.’ Baphrofetha amanga kini.
Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, the LORD says, “Don’t listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, ‘Behold, the vessels of the LORD’s house will now shortly be brought again from Babylon;’ for they prophesy a lie to you.
17 Lingabalaleli. Isebenzeleni inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, lizaphila. Kungani idolobho leli kumele libe lunxiwa na?
Don’t listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and live. Why should this city become a desolation?
18 Nxa bengabaphrofethi njalo belelizwi likaThixo, kabamncenge uThixo uSomandla ukuba izitsha eziseleyo endlini kaThixo lasesigodlweni senkosi yakoJuda kanye laseJerusalema zingasiwa eBhabhiloni.
But if they are prophets, and if the LORD’s word is with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of Armies, that the vessels which are left in the LORD’s house, in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, don’t go to Babylon.
19 Ngoba lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguThixo uSomandla mayelana lensika, loLwandle, lokokumisa okuphakamisekayo kanye lezinye izitsha eziseleyo kulelidolobho,
For the LORD of Armies says concerning the pillars, concerning the sea, concerning the bases, and concerning the rest of the vessels that are left in this city,
20 uNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni engahambanga layo ekuthatheni kwakhe uJehoyakhini indodana kaJehoyakhimi inkosi yakoJuda emsusa eJerusalema emusa ekuthunjweni eBhabhiloni, kanye lezikhulu zonke zakoJuda lezeJerusalema,
which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon didn’t take when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem—
21 yebo, lokhu yikho okutshiwo nguThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, mayelana lezinto eziseleyo endlini kaThixo lasesigodlweni senkosi yakoJuda kanye laseJerusalema ukuthi:
yes, the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says concerning the vessels that are left in the LORD’s house, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem:
22 ‘Zizasiwa eBhabhiloni lapho ezizakuba khona kuze kufike usuku engizazilanda ngalo,’ kutsho uThixo. ‘Lapho-ke ngizazibuyisela emuva kule indawo.’”
‘They will be carried to Babylon, and there they will be, until the day that I visit them,’ says the LORD; ‘then I will bring them up, and restore them to this place.’”
