UJeremiya 3
1 “Indoda ingehlukana lomkayo ayitshiye endele kwenye indoda, kufanele imbuyise futhi na? Kambe ilizwe lingeke langcoliswa kakhulukazi na? Kodwa wena usuphile njengesifebe esilezithandwa ezinengi, kambe khathesi ungabuyela kimi na?” kutsho uThixo.
Kuthiwa: Uba indoda ilahla umkayo, asuke kuyo, abe ngowenye indoda, izabuyela kuye futhi yini? Lelolizwe belingayikungcoliswa kakhulu yini? Kanti wena ufebile lezithandwa ezinengi; kodwa buyela kimi, itsho iNkosi.
2 “Khangela emiqolweni elugwadule ubone. Kungaphi lapho ongazange udlwangululwe khona? Emigwaqweni wahlala ulindele izithandwa, wahlala njengomhambuma enkangala. Ulingcolisile ilizwe ngobufebe bakho langobubi bakho.
Phakamisela amehlo akho emadundulwini, ubone; kungaphi lapho ongalalwanga khona? Ezindleleni wabahlalela, njengomArabhiya enkangala; njalo ulingcolisile ilizwe ngobufebe bakho langenkohlakalo yakho.
3 Ngalokho imikhizo imisiwe, lezulu lentwasa kalinanga. Ikanti wena uziphethe okwesifebe, awulanhloni.
Ngakho izihlambo zigodliwe; njalo lalingekho izulu langemuva; njalo waba lebunzi lewule, wala ukuba lenhloni.
4 Kawungibizanga khathesi nje wathi, ‘Baba, mngane wami kusukela ebutsheni bami,
Kawuyikuthi kusukela khathesi ukhale yini kimi uthi: Baba, ungumeluleki wobutsha bami?
5 uzahlala uzondile kokuphela na? Ulaka lwakho luzaqhubeka kokuphela na?’ Le yindlela okhuluma ngayo, kodwa wenza konke okubi ongakwenza.”
Yena uzalugcina yini ulaka lwakhe phakade? Uzalulondoloza kuze kube sekucineni yini? Khangela, ukhulumile, wenza izinto ezimbi, uphumelele.
6 Ekubuseni kwenkosi uJosiya, uThixo wathi kimi, “Ukubonile yini okwenziwe ngu-Israyeli ongathembekanga? Usekhwele phezu kwamaqaqa wonke aphakemeyo langaphansi kwezihlahla zonke eziluhlaza wafebela khona.
INkosi yasisithi kimi ensukwini zikaJosiya inkosi: Ubonile yini lokho uIsrayeli ohlehlele nyovane akwenzileyo? Yena waya kuyo yonke intaba ephakemeyo, langaphansi kwaso sonke isihlahla esiluhlaza, waphingela khona.
7 Ngacabanga ukuthi emva kokuba esenze konke lokhu uzaphinda eze kimi, kodwa kabuyanga, lodadewabo ongathembekanga uJuda wakubona lokho.
Ngasengisithi esezenzile zonke lezizinto: Buyela kimi; kodwa kabuyelanga. Lodadewabo ongathembekanga uJuda wakubona lokho.
8 U-Israyeli ongathembekanga ngamnika incwadi yakhe yesehlukaniso ngamxotsha ngenxa yobufebe bakhe bonke. Kodwa ngabona ukuthi udadewabo ongathembekanga, uJuda, kesabanga, laye wasuka wayafeba.
Ngasengibona, lapho ngenxa yazo zonke imbangela uIsrayeli ohlehlela nyovane aphinga ngazo, ngamxotsha ngamnika incwadi yesehlukaniso, ukuthi udadewabo ongathembekanga, uJuda, kesabanga, kodwa laye wayafeba.
9 Ngenxa yokuthi ububi buka-Israyeli babungatsho lutho kuye, wangcolisa ilizwe wakhonza amatshe lezihlahla.
Kwasekusithi ngenxa yendumela yokufeba kwakhe wangcolisa ilizwe, waphinga lamatshe lezihlahla.
10 Kukho konke lokhu, udadewabo ongathembekanga uJuda kabuyelanga kimi ngenhliziyo yakhe yonke, kodwa ngokuzenzisa nje kuphela,” kutsho uThixo.
Kube kanti kukho konke lokhu udadewabo ongathembekanga, uJuda, kabuyelanga kimi ngenhliziyo yakhe yonke, kodwa ngenkohliso, itsho iNkosi.
11 UThixo wathi kimi, “U-Israyeli ongathembekanga ungcono kuloJuda ongelaqiniso.
INkosi yasisithi kimi: UIsrayeli ohlehlela nyovane uzilungisise kuloJuda okhohlisayo.
12 Hamba, uyememezela ilizwi leli ngasenyakatho: ‘Phenduka Israyeli ongathembekanga,’ kutsho uThixo, ‘Kangisayikukuhwaqela futhi, ngoba ngilesihawu,’ kutsho uThixo. ‘Kangiyikuthukuthela kokuphela.
Hamba uyememezela lamazwi ngasenyakatho uthi: Phenduka, Israyeli ohlehlela nyovane, itsho iNkosi. Kangiyikwenza ulaka lwami lwehlele phezu kwakho, ngoba ngilesihawu, itsho iNkosi, njalo kangiyikugcina ulaka lwami kuze kube phakade.
13 Vuma icala lakho nje kuphela, wahlamukela uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho, uzihlakazelele kubonkulunkulu bezizweni ngaphansi kwezihlahla zonke eziluhlaza, njalo kawaze wangilalela,’” kutsho uThixo.
Yazi kuphela isiphambeko sakho ukuthi uphambekile umelene leNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, wahlakaza izindlela zakho kwabezizweni ngaphansi kwaso sonke isihlahla esiluhlaza, njalo kawulalelanga ilizwi lami, itsho iNkosi.
14 “Phendukani, bantu abangathembekanga,” kutsho uThixo, “ngoba ngingumyeni wenu. Ngizalikhetha, oyedwa edolobheni lababili emulini ngililethe eZiyoni.
Phendukani, bantwana abahlehlela nyovane, itsho iNkosi, ngoba mina ngiliganile; njalo ngizalithatha, abe munye emzini, lababili kulo usendo, ngililethe eZiyoni.
15 Lapho-ke ngizalinika abelusi abathandwa yimi, abazalikhokhela ngokwazi langokuqedisisa.
Njalo ngizalinika abelusi njengokwenhliziyo yami, abazalelusa ngolwazi lokuqedisisa.
16 Ngalezonsuku, ubunengi benu sebande kakhulu elizweni,” kutsho uThixo, “abantu kabasayikuthi, ‘Ibhokisi lesivumelwano sikaThixo.’ Kaliyikufika emicabangweni yabo kumbe likhunjulwe; kaliyikudingakala, njalo akuyikwenziwa elinye futhi.
Kuzakuthi-ke lapho selandile laba banengi elizweni, ngalezonsuku, itsho iNkosi, kabasayikuthi: Umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi; njalo kawuyikufika enhliziyweni, njalo kabayikuwukhumbula, futhi kabayikuwuhambela, kungabuyi kwenziwe futhi.
17 Ngalesosikhathi iJerusalema bazalibiza ngokuthi yisiHlalo Sobukhosi sikaThixo, njalo izizwe zonke zizabuthana eJerusalema ukuba zihloniphe ibizo likaThixo. Kabasayikulandela inkani yezinhliziyo zabo ezimbi.
Ngalesosikhathi bazabiza iJerusalema ngokuthi yisihlalo sobukhosi seNkosi; lezizwe zonke zizabuthaniswa kuyo, ngebizo leNkosi, eJerusalema; futhi kazisayikulandela inkani yenhliziyo yazo embi.
18 Ngalezonsuku indlu kaJuda izahlangana leka-Israyeli, njalo ndawonye, zivela elizweni elisenyakatho, zizakuza elizweni engalinika okhokho benu ukuba libe yilifa labo.
Ngalezonsuku indlu yakoJuda izakuya kuyo indlu yakoIsrayeli, ziphume kanyekanye elizweni lenyakatho, zize elizweni engalinika oyihlo libe yilifa labo.
19 Mina ngokwami ngathi, ‘Kade ngingathaba kakhulu ukuliphatha njengamadodana, ngilinike ilizwe elifunekayo, ilifa elihle kakhulu ezizweni zonke.’ Bengicabanga ukuthi lizangibiza ngokuthi ‘Baba’ njalo lingaphambuki ekungilandeleni.
Kodwa mina ngathi: Ngizakubeka njani phakathi kwabantwana, ngikunike ilizwe eliloyisekayo, ilifa elihle kakhulu lezizwe. Ngasengisithi: Uzangibiza ngokuthi: Baba; njalo ungaphambuki ekungilandeleni.
20 Kodwa njengowesifazane ongathembekanga kumkakhe, ubungathembekanga kimi wena ndlu ka-Israyeli,” kutsho uThixo.
Isibili, njengomfazi ungathembekanga kumkakhe, ngokunjalo kalithembekanga kimi, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli, itsho iNkosi.
21 Ilizwi liyezwakala emiqolweni elugwadule, ukukhala lokuncenga kwabantu bako-Israyeli, ngoba izindlela zabo bazonile bakhohlwa loThixo uNkulunkulu wabo.
Ilizwi lezwakala emadundulwini, ukukhala lokuncenga kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, ngoba bephambule indlela yabo, bayikhohlwa iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo.
22 “Phendukani, bantu abangathembekanga, ngizalelapha ukungathembeki kwenu.” “Yebo, sizakuza kuwe, ngoba unguThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.
Phendukani, lina bantwana abahlehlela nyovane; ngizakwelapha ukuhlehlela nyovane kwenu. Khangela, thina siyeza kuwe, ngoba uyiNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu.
23 Impela umsindo wokukhonza izithombe emaqaqeni lasezintabeni uyinkohliso, ngempela kuThixo uNkulunkulu wethu kulensindiso ka-Israyeli.
Isibili kuyize ukuthembela kusindiso oluvela emaqaqeni, lebunengini bezintaba. Isibili luseNkosini uNkulunkulu wethu usindiso lukaIsrayeli.
24 Kusukela ebutsheni bethu onkulunkulu abalihlazo badlile izithelo zamandla abobaba, imihlambi yezimvu zabo leyezinkomo zabo, amadodana abo lamadodakazi abo.
Ngoba ihlazo liwuqedile umtshikatshika wabobaba kusukela ebutsheni bethu, izimvu zabo lenkomo zabo, amadodana abo lamadodakazi abo.
25 Kasilaleni phansi silenhloni, siphathwe lihlazo lethu. Ngoba sonile kuThixo uNkulunkulu wethu, thina sonke kanye labokhokho bethu; kusukela ebutsheni bethu kuze kube lamhla, kasimlalelanga uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.”
Silala phansi ehlazweni lethu, lenhloni zethu zisimbozile; ngoba sonile eNkosini uNkulunkulu wethu, thina labobaba, kusukela ebutsheni bethu kuze kube lamuhla, njalo kasilalelanga ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu.
