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 that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders of the captivity, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive 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 that Jeconiah the king, and the queen-mother, and the officers, and the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the craftsmen, and the smiths, were departed 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 unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying:
4 UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi kubo bonke labo engabasa ekuthunjweni eBhabhiloni besuka eJerusalema:
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all the captivity, whom I have caused to be carried away captive from Jerusalem unto Babylon:
5 “Yakhani izindlu lihlale phansi; limani izivande lidle izithelo zazo.
Build ye houses, and dwell in them, and plant gardens, and eat 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 ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply ye there, and be not diminished.
7 Funani ukuthula lokuphumelela kwedolobho engilise ekuthunjweni kulo. Likhulekeleni kuThixo, ngoba nxa liphumelela lani lizaphumelela.”
And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray unto the LORD for it; for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.
8 Ye, uThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi, “Lingavumeli ukuthi abaphrofethi labahlahluli abaphakathi kwenu balikhohlise. Lingawalaleli amaphupho elibakhuthaza ukuthi bawaphuphe.
For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Let not your prophets that are in the midst of you, and your diviners, beguile you, neither hearken ye to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.
9 Baphrofetha amanga kini ngebizo lami. Kangibathumanga,” kutsho uThixo.
For they prophesy falsely unto you in My name; I have not sent them, saith the LORD.
10 UThixo uthi: “Lapho iminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa isiphelile eBhabhiloni, ngizakuza kini ngigcwalise isithembiso sami somusa sokulibuyisela kule indawo.
For thus saith the LORD: After seventy years are accomplished for Babylon, I will remember you, and perform My good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
11 Ngoba ngiyawazi amacebo engilawo ngani,” kutsho uThixo, “amacebo okuliphumelelisa hatshi ukulilimaza, amacebo okulinika ithemba kanye lesikhathi esizayo.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
12 Ngalesosikhathi lizangibiza lizekhuleka kimi, njalo ngizalizwa.
And ye shall call upon Me, and go, and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you.
13 Lizangidinga lingifumane nxa lingidinga ngenhliziyo yenu yonke.
And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for 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.”
And I will be found of you, saith the LORD, and I will turn your captivity, and gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you back unto the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
15 Lingatsho lithi, “UThixo usesiphe abaphrofethi eBhabhiloni,”
For ye have said: 'The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon.'
16 kodwa uThixo uthi mayelana lenkosi ehlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida labantu bonke abasala kulelidolobho, abantu bakini abangahambanga lani ekuthunjweni,
For thus saith the LORD concerning the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and concerning all the people that dwell in this city, your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;
17 yebo, uThixo uSomandla uthi, “Ngizabathumela inkemba, lendlala lesifo njalo ngizabenza babe njengomkhiwa obolileyo ongeke udliwe.
thus saith the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, 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.
And I will pursue after them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will make them a horror unto all the kingdoms of the earth, a curse, and an astonishment, and a hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them;
19 Ngoba kabawalalelanga amazwi ami,” kutsho uThixo, “amazwi engawathumela kubo njalonjalo ngezinceku zami abaphrofethi. Lani abasekuthunjweni kalilalelanga,” kutsho uThixo.
because they have not hearkened to My words, saith the LORD, wherewith I sent unto them My servants the prophets, sending them betimes and often; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD.
20 Ngakho, zwanini ilizwi likaThixo, lonke lina elisekuthunjweni engalisusa eJerusalema ngalisa eBhabhiloni.
Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent away 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.
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie unto you in My name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them 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 of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah that are in Babylon, saying: 'The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire';
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 wrought vile deeds in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken words in My name falsely, which I commanded them not; but I am He that knoweth, and am witness, saith the LORD.
24 Tshela uShemaya umNehelami uthi,
And concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite thou shalt speak, saying:
25 “UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: ‘Wathumela izincwadi ngebizo lakho kubo bonke abantu baseJerusalema, lakuZefaniya indodana kaMaseya umphristi, lakwabanye abaphristi bonke.’ KuZefaniya wathi,
Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: Because thou hast sent letters in thine own name unto all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying:
26 ‘UThixo usekubeke ukuba ngumphristi esikhundleni sikaJehoyada ukuba ube ngumphathi wendlu kaThixo; umuntu ohlanyayo ozenza umphrofethi ubomfaka esitokisini umfake lezankosi zentanyeni.
'The LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that there should be officers in the house of the LORD for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in the stocks and in the collar.
27 Pho kungani ungamkhuzanga uJeremiya wase-Anathothi, ozenza umphrofethi phakathi kwenu?
Now therefore, why hast thou not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who maketh himself a prophet to you,
28 Uthumele ilizwi leli kithi eBhabhiloni elithi: Kuzakuba yisikhathi eside. Ngakho yakhani izindlu lihlale phansi; limani izivande lidle izithelo zazo.’”
forasmuch as he hath sent unto us in Babylon, saying: The captivity is long; build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them?'
29 Kodwa, uZefaniya umphristi incwadi le wayibalela uJeremiya umphrofethi.
And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.
30 Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kuJeremiya lisithi,
Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, 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 them of the captivity, saying: Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because that Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not, and he hath caused you to trust in a lie;
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.’”
therefore thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite, and his seed; he shall not have a man to dwell among this people, neither shall he behold the good that I will do unto My people, saith the LORD; because he hath spoken perversion against the LORD.
