UJeremiya 29
1 La ngamazwi encwadi umphrofethi uJeremiya ayithumela eseJerusalema ebadaleni abasindayo phakathi kwabathunjwayo lakubaphristi, abaphrofethi, lakubo bonke abantu uNebhukhadineza abathatha eJerusalema wabasa ekuthunjweni eBhabhiloni.
Now these are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the responsible men among those who had been taken away, and to the priests and the prophets and to all the rest of the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken away prisoners from Jerusalem to Babylon;
2 (Lokhu kwakungemva kokuba inkosi uJekhoniya lendlovukazi engunina, izikhulu zasemthethwandaba kanye labadala bakoJuda labaseJerusalema, izingcitshi lezingcwethi basebeye ekuthunjweni besuka eJerusalema.)
(After Jeconiah the king and the queen-mother and the unsexed servants and the rulers of Judah and Jerusalem and the expert workmen and the metal-workers had gone away from Jerusalem; )
3 Incwadi leyo wayiphathisa u-Eleyasa indodana kaShafani loGemariya indodana kaHilikhiya, abathunywa nguZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda kuNebhukhadineza eBhabhiloni. Yathi:
By the hand of Elasah, the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah, the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah, king of Judah, sent to Babylon, to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, ) saying,
4 UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi kubo bonke labo engabasa ekuthunjweni eBhabhiloni besuka eJerusalema:
This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, has said to all those whom I have taken away prisoners from Jerusalem to Babylon:
5 “Yakhani izindlu lihlale phansi; limani izivande lidle izithelo zazo.
Go on building houses and living in them, and planting gardens and using the fruit of them;
6 Thathani abafazi lizale amadodana lamadodakazi; dingelani amadodana enu abafazi lendise lamadodakazi enu, ukuze lawo abe lamadodana kanye lamadodakazi; inani lenu lande ngapho; lingehli.
Take wives and have sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may have sons and daughters; and be increased in number there and do not become less.
7 Funani ukuthula lokuphumelela kwedolobho engilise ekuthunjweni kulo. Likhulekeleni kuThixo, ngoba nxa liphumelela lani lizaphumelela.”
And be working for the peace of the land to which I have had you taken away prisoners, and make prayer to the Lord for it: for in its peace you will have peace.
8 Ye, uThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi, “Lingavumeli ukuthi abaphrofethi labahlahluli abaphakathi kwenu balikhohlise. Lingawalaleli amaphupho elibakhuthaza ukuthi bawaphuphe.
For this is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, has said: Do not let yourselves be tricked by the prophets who are among you, and the readers of signs, and give no attention to their dreams which they may have;
9 Baphrofetha amanga kini ngebizo lami. Kangibathumanga,” kutsho uThixo.
For they are saying to you what is false in my name: I have not sent them, says the Lord.
10 UThixo uthi: “Lapho iminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa isiphelile eBhabhiloni, ngizakuza kini ngigcwalise isithembiso sami somusa sokulibuyisela kule indawo.
For this is what the Lord has said: When seventy years are ended for Babylon, I will have pity on you and give effect to my good purpose for you, causing you to come back to this place.
11 Ngoba ngiyawazi amacebo engilawo ngani,” kutsho uThixo, “amacebo okuliphumelelisa hatshi ukulilimaza, amacebo okulinika ithemba kanye lesikhathi esizayo.
For I am conscious of my thoughts about you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you hope at the end.
12 Ngalesosikhathi lizangibiza lizekhuleka kimi, njalo ngizalizwa.
And you will go on crying to me and making prayer to me, and I will give ear to you.
13 Lizangidinga lingifumane nxa lingidinga ngenhliziyo yenu yonke.
And you will be searching for me and I will be there, when you have gone after me with all your heart.
14 Lizangifumana,” kutsho uThixo, “njalo ngizalibuyisa livela ekuthunjweni. Ngizaliqoqa ezizweni zonke lasezindaweni zonke engalixotshela kuzo,” kutsho uThixo, “njalo ngilibuyise endaweni engalithatha kuyo ngilisa ekuthunjweni.”
I will be near you again, says the Lord, and your fate will be changed, and I will get you together from all the nations and from all the places where I had sent you away, says the Lord; and I will take you back again to the place from which I sent you away prisoners.
15 Lingatsho lithi, “UThixo usesiphe abaphrofethi eBhabhiloni,”
For you have said, The Lord has given us prophets in Babylon.
16 kodwa uThixo uthi mayelana lenkosi ehlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida labantu bonke abasala kulelidolobho, abantu bakini abangahambanga lani ekuthunjweni,
For this is what the Lord has said about the king who is seated on the seat of David's kingdom, and about all the people living in this town, your countrymen who have not gone out with you as prisoners;
17 yebo, uThixo uSomandla uthi, “Ngizabathumela inkemba, lendlala lesifo njalo ngizabenza babe njengomkhiwa obolileyo ongeke udliwe.
This is what the Lord of armies has said: See, I will send on them the sword and need of food and disease, and will make them like bad figs, which are of no use for food, they are so bad.
18 Ngizaxotshana labo ngenkemba, ngendlala langesifo njalo ngizabenza benyanyeke kuyo yonke imibuso yasemhlabeni njalo babe yinto yokuqalekiswa lokwesatshwa, ukuklolodelwa lokuthukwa, phakathi kwezizwe zonke engibaxotshela kuzo.
I will go after them, attacking them with the sword and with need of food and with disease, and will make them a cause of fear to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse and a wonder and a surprise and a name of shame among all the nations where I have sent them:
19 Ngoba kabawalalelanga amazwi ami,” kutsho uThixo, “amazwi engawathumela kubo njalonjalo ngezinceku zami abaphrofethi. Lani abasekuthunjweni kalilalelanga,” kutsho uThixo.
Because they have not given ear to my words, says the Lord, when I sent to them my servants the prophets, getting up early and sending them; but you did not give ear, says the Lord.
20 Ngakho, zwanini ilizwi likaThixo, lonke lina elisekuthunjweni engalisusa eJerusalema ngalisa eBhabhiloni.
And now, give ear to the word of the Lord, all you whom I have sent away prisoners from Jerusalem to Babylon.
21 Mayelana lo-Ahabi indodana kaKholaya loZedekhiya indodana kaMaseya, abaphrofetha amanga kini ngebizo lami, uThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: “Ngizabanikela kuNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni ozababulala phambi kobuso benu.
This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, has said about Ahab, the son of Kolaiah, and about Zedekiah, the son of Maaseiah, who are saying to you what is false in my name: See, I will give them up into the hands of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, and he will put them to death before your eyes.
22 Ngenxa yabo, bonke abathunjiweyo abavela koJuda abaseBhabhiloni bazasebenzisa isiqalekiso lesi sokuthi: ‘UThixo makenze kini njengalokhu akwenze kuZedekhiya lo-Ahabi, abatshiswa yinkosi yaseBhabhiloni ngomlilo.’
And their fate will be used as a curse by all the prisoners of Judah who are in Babylon, who will say, May the Lord make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, who were burned in the fire by the king of Babylon;
23 Ngoba benze izinto ezimbi kakhulu ko-Israyeli; bafeba labafazi babomakhelwane babo, baqamba amanga ngebizo lami, engingazange ngithi bakwenze. Ngiyakwazi njalo ngingufakazi kukho,” kutsho uThixo.
Because they have done shame in Israel, and have taken their neighbours' wives, and in my name have said false words, which I did not give them orders to say; and I myself am the witness, says the Lord.
24 Tshela uShemaya umNehelami uthi,
About Shemaiah the Nehelamite.
25 “UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: ‘Wathumela izincwadi ngebizo lakho kubo bonke abantu baseJerusalema, lakuZefaniya indodana kaMaseya umphristi, lakwabanye abaphristi bonke.’ KuZefaniya wathi,
Shemaiah the Nehelamite sent a letter in his name to Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,
26 ‘UThixo usekubeke ukuba ngumphristi esikhundleni sikaJehoyada ukuba ube ngumphathi wendlu kaThixo; umuntu ohlanyayo ozenza umphrofethi ubomfaka esitokisini umfake lezankosi zentanyeni.
The Lord has made you priest in place of Jehoiada the priest, to be an overseer in the house of the Lord for every man who is off his head and is acting as a prophet, to put such men in prison and in chains.
27 Pho kungani ungamkhuzanga uJeremiya wase-Anathothi, ozenza umphrofethi phakathi kwenu?
So why have you made no protest against Jeremiah of Anathoth, who is acting as a prophet to you?
28 Uthumele ilizwi leli kithi eBhabhiloni elithi: Kuzakuba yisikhathi eside. Ngakho yakhani izindlu lihlale phansi; limani izivande lidle izithelo zazo.’”
For he has sent to us in Babylon saying, The time will be long: go on building houses and living in them, and planting gardens and using the fruit of them.
29 Kodwa, uZefaniya umphristi incwadi le wayibalela uJeremiya umphrofethi.
And Zephaniah the priest made clear to Jeremiah the prophet what was said in the letter, reading it to him.
30 Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kuJeremiya lisithi,
Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
31 “Thumela ilizwi leli kubo bonke abathunjiweyo uthi, Mayelana loShemaya umNehelami uThixo uthi: ‘Njengoba uShemaya esephrofitha kini, lanxa mina ngingamthumanga, walenza lakholwa amanga,
Send to all those who have been taken away, saying, This is what the Lord has said about Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah has been acting as a prophet to you, and I did not send him, and has made you put your faith in what is false;
32 ngeqiniso ngizamjezisa uShemaya umNehelami kanye lenzalo yakhe. Kakuyikuba lowakibo ozasala ekhona phakathi kwalababantu, njalo lezinto ezinhle engizazenzela abantu bami kasoze azibone, kutsho uThixo, ngoba uphrofetha ukungihlamukela.’”
For this cause the Lord has said, Truly I will send punishment on Shemaiah and on his seed; not a man of his family will have a place among this people, and he will not see the good which I am going to do to my people, says the Lord: because he has said words against the Lord.
