UJeremiya 30
1 Leli yilizwi elafika kuJeremiya livela kuThixo lisithi:
CONCERNING THE SONS OF AMMON thus saith the Lord, Are there no sons in Israel? or have they no one to succeed [them]? wherefore has Melchol inherited Galaad, and why shall their people dwell in their cities?
2 “UThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi, ‘Loba encwadini wonke amazwi engiwakhulume kuwe.
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will cause to be heard in Rabbath a tumult of wars; and they shall become a waste and ruined place, and her altars shall be burned with fire; then shall Israel succeed to his dominion.
3 Insuku ziyeza,’ kutsho uThixo, ‘lapho engizabuyisa abantu bami u-Israyeli loJuda bevela ekuthunjweni ngibabuyisele elizweni engalinika okhokho babo ukuba libe ngelabo,’ kutsho uThixo.”
Howl, O Esebon, for Gai has perished; cry, ye daughters of Rabbath, gird yourselves with sack-clothes, and lament; for Melchol shall go into banishment, his priests and his princes together.
4 Amazwi akhulunywa nguThixo ngo-Israyeli loJuda:
Why do ye exult in the plains of the Enakim, thou haughty daughter, that trustest in [thy] treasures, that sayest, Who shall come in to me?
5 “Wathi: ‘Ukukhala kokwesaba kuzwakele, ukwesaba okukhulu, hatshi ukuthula.
Behold, I [will] bring terror upon thee, saith the Lord, from all the country round about thee; and ye shall be scattered every one right before him, and there is none to gather you.
6 Buzani libone: Indoda ingazala abantwana na? Pho kungani ngibona wonke amadoda aqinileyo ebambe izisu zawo ngezandla njengowesifazane ohelelwayo, ubuso bonke sebube mhlotshana okokufa?
7 Yeka ukwesabeka okuzakuba yilolosuku! Kalukho oluzakuba njengalo. Kuzakuba yisikhathi sokuhlupheka kukaJakhobe, kodwa uzahlengwa kukho.
8 Ngalolosuku,’ kutsho uThixo uSomandla, ‘ngizalephula ijogwe entanyeni zabo ngiqamule lezibopho zabo; abezizweni kabasayikubagqilaza futhi.
9 Esikhundleni salokho, bazasebenzela uThixo uNkulunkulu wabo, loDavida inkosi yabo, engizabavusela yona.
10 Ngakho ungesabi, wena Jakhobe nceku yami; ungadangali, wena Israyeli,’ kutsho uThixo. ‘Ngeqiniso ngizakuhlenga ezindaweni ezikude, lenzalo yakho elizweni lokuthunjwa kwayo. UJakhobe uzakuba lokuthula futhi kanye lokuvikeleka, njalo kakho ozamenza esabe.
11 Ngilawe njalo ngizakuhlenga,’ kutsho uThixo. ‘Lanxa ngizichitha ngokupheleleyo zonke izizwe engikuhlakazela kuzo, wena angiyikukuchitha ngokupheleleyo. Ngizakuqondisa kodwa ngokufaneleyo kuphela; kangiyikukuyekela ungajeziswanga.’
12 UThixo uthi: ‘Isilonda sakho kaselapheki, ukulimala kwakho akupholi.
13 Kakho okhulumela inhloso yakho, akulamuthi wesilonda sakho, akukho kuphola kuwe.
14 Bonke abangane bakho sebekukhohliwe; kabalandaba lawe. Ngikutshaye njengokungenziwa yisitha ngakujezisa njengokungenziwa ngolesihluku, ngoba icala lakho likhulu kakhulu lezono zakho zinengi kakhulu.
15 Kungani ukhaliswa linxeba lakho, ubuhlungu bakho obungelaphekiyo na? Ngenxa yecala lakho elikhulu lezono ezinengi ngenze lezizinto kuwe.
16 Kodwa bonke abakudlayo bazadliwa; zonke izitha zakho zizathunjwa. Labo abakuphangayo bazaphangwa; bonke abakwemukayo ngizabemuka.
17 Kodwa ngizakusilisa ngipholise lamanxeba akho,’ kutsho uThixo, ‘ngoba kuthiwa ungolahliweyo, iZiyoni okungekho olendaba lalo.’
18 UThixo uthi: ‘Ngizavuselela inotho yasemathenteni kaJakhobe ngibe lesihawu emakhaya akhe; idolobho lizakwakhiwa kutsha emanxiweni alo, lendlu yobukhosi izakuma endaweni yayo uqobo.
19 Kubo kuzavela izingoma zokubonga kanye lomsindo wokuthokoza. Ngizakwandisa amanani abo, njalo kabayikuphungulwa; ngizabenza bahlonitshwe, njalo kabayikweyiswa.
20 Abantwana babo bazakuba njengezinsukwini zakudala, lebandla labo lizamiselwa phambi kwami; ngizabajezisa bonke ababancindezelayo.
21 Umkhokheli wabo uzakuba ngomunye wabakibo; umbusi wabo uzavela phakathi kwabo. Ngizamsondeza eduze, uzakuza phansi kwami, ngoba ngubani lowo ongazinikela ukuba seduze kwami na?’ kutsho uThixo.
22 ‘Ngakho lina lizakuba ngabantu bami, mina ngibe nguNkulunkulu wenu.’”
23 Khangelani, isiphepho sikaThixo sizakhupha ulaka, umoya osasivunguzane usehlela phezu kwamakhanda ababi.
CONCERNING DAMASCUS. Emath is brought to shame, and Arphath: for they have heard an evil report: they are amazed, they are angry, they shall be utterly unable to rest.
24 Ulaka olwesabekayo lukaThixo kaluyikudeda aze ayifeze ngokupheleleyo injongo yenhliziyo yakhe. Ensukwini ezizayo lizakuzwisisa lokhu.
Damascus is utterly weakened, she is put to flight; trembling has seized upon her.
How has she not left my city, they have loved the village?
Therefore shall the young men fall in thy streets, and all thy warriors shall fall, saith the Lord.
And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall devour the streets of the son of Ader.
CONCERNING KEDAR THE QUEEN OF THE PALACE, WHOM NABUCHODONOSOR KING OF BABYLON SMOTE, thus saith the Lord; Arise ye, and go up to Kedar, and fill the sons of Kedem.
They shall take their tents and their sheep, they shall take for themselves their garments, and all their baggage and their camels; and summon ye destruction against them from every side.
Flee ye, dig very deep for a dwelling-place, ye that dwell in the palace; for the king of Babylon has framed a counsel, and devised a device against you.
Rise up, and go up against a nation settled [and] dwelling at ease, who have no doors, nor bolts, nor bars, [who] dwell alone.
And their camels shall be a spoil, and the multitude of their cattle shall be destroyed: and I will scatter them as chaff with every wind, having their hair cut about their foreheads, I will bring on their overthrow from all sides, saith the Lord.
And the palace shall be a resting-place for ostriches, and desolate for ever: no man shall abide there, and no son of man shall dwell there.
