UJeremiya 32
1 Leli yilizwi elafika kuJeremiya livela kuThixo ngomnyaka wetshumi wokubusa kukaZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda, owawungumnyaka wetshumi lasificaminwembili wokubusa kukaNebhukhadineza.
This is the Lord's message that came to Jeremiah in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah's reign, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign.
2 Ngalesosikhathi ibutho lenkosi yaseBhabhiloni lalivimbezele iJerusalema, uJeremiya umphrofethi evalelwe egumeni labalindi phakathi kwesigodlo senkosi yakoJuda.
This was when the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem. Jeremiah the prophet was imprisoned in the guard's courtyard, part of the king of Judah's palace.
3 UZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda wayemvalele lapho esithi, “Kungani uphrofetha njengalokhu okwenzayo? Uthi: ‘UThixo uthi: Sekuseduze ukuthi idolobho leli ngilinikele enkosini yaseBhabhiloni, njalo izalithumba.
Zedekiah king of Judah had put him in prison, telling him: “Why do you have to prophesy like this? You say the Lord is saying, ‘Look, I'm going to hand over this city to the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.
4 UZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda akayikuphunyuka ezandleni zamaKhaladiya, kodwa uzanikelwa impela enkosini yaseBhabhiloni, njalo uzakhuluma layo ubuso ngobuso ayibone ngamehlo akhe.
Zedekiah king of Judah won't escape from the Babylonians. He will be captured and taken to the king of Babylon to speak with him personally and see him face to face.
5 Izathatha uZedekhiya imuse eBhabhiloni, lapho azahlala khona ngize ngibone engingakwenza kuye, kutsho uThixo. Nxa usilwa lamaKhaladiya, kawuyikuphumelela.’”
He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he'll remain until I deal with him, declares the Lord. You won't be successful if you fight against the Babylonians.’”
6 UJeremiya wathi, “Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi:
Jeremiah answered, “The Lord gave me a message, saying:
7 UHanameli indodana kaShalumi umalumakho uzakuza kuwe athi, ‘Thenga insimu yami e-Anathothi, ngoba njengesinini sami kulilungelo lakho lomlandu wakho ukuba uyithenge.’
Your cousin Hanamel, son of Shallum, is coming to tell you, ‘Why don't you buy my field in Anathoth because you have the right to redeem it and buy it?’
8 Ngakho, njengokutsho kukaThixo, umzawami uHanameli weza kimi egumeni labalindi wathi, ‘Thenga insimu yami e-Anathothi elizweni lakoBhenjamini. Njengoba kulilungelo lakho ukuba uyihlenge ibe ngeyakho, zithengele yona.’ Ngakwazi ukuthi leli laliyilizwi likaThixo;
Just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel arrived to see me in the guard's courtyard and asked me, ‘Please buy my field in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin because you have the right of family ownership to redeem it. You should buy it for yourself.’” This convinced me that this was a message from the Lord.
9 ngakho ngayithenga insimu ye-Anathothi kumzawami uHanameli, ngamlinganisela amashekeli alitshumi lesikhombisa esiliva.
So I bought the field in Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel. I weighed out seventeen shekels of silver to pay him.
10 Ngasayina incwadi yesivumelwano sokuthenga ngayinamathisela, yafakazelwa, ngalinganisa isiliva esikalini.
I signed the deed and sealed it, had it witnessed, and weighed out the silver using the scales.
11 Ngathatha incwadi yokuthenga enanyekiweyo eyayilemithetho lezimiso, kanye leyayingananyekwangwa,
Then I took the deed of sale, both the sealed original containing the terms and conditions, and the unsealed copy,
12 incwadi yokuthenga le ngayinika uBharukhi indodana kaNeriya, indodana kaMahaseyiya; umzawami uHanameli ekhona kanye labafakazi ababesayine incwadi yokuthenga lamaJuda wonke ehlezi egumeni labalindi.
and handed them to Baruch son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah. I did this in the presence of my cousin Hanamel, the witnesses who had signed the deed of sale, and all the people of Judah who were sitting there in the guard's courtyard.
13 Nganika uBharukhi imilayo le labo bekhona ngathi:
I gave Baruch these instructions in front of them,
14 ‘UThixo uSomandla uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Thatha izincwadi lezi zesivumelwano sokuthenga enanyekiweyo lengananyekwanga uzifake embizeni yomdaka ukuze zihlale khona isikhathi eside.
“This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Put these deeds of sale, the sealed original and the open copy, in a clay jar so they can be kept safe for a long time.
15 UThixo uSomandla uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Izindlu lamasimu lezivini kuzathengwa futhi kulelilizwe.’
For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: The time will come when once again houses, fields, and vineyards will be bought in this country.”
16 Emva kokuba uBharukhi indodana kaNeriya sengimphile incwadi yokuthenga, ngakhuleka kuThixo ngathi:
After I had given the deed of sale to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord:
17 Thixo Wobukhosi, wadala amazulu lomhlaba ngamandla akho amakhulu langengalo yakho eyeluliweyo. Akukho lutho olunzima kuwe.
“Ah, Lord God! You created the heavens and the earth by your great strength and power. Nothing is too hard for you!
18 Ubonakalisa uthando kuzinkulungwane kodwa ulethe isijeziso sezono zaboyise ebantwaneni babo ngemva kwabo. Wena Nkulunkulu omkhulu olamandla, obizo lakho nguThixo uSomandla,
You give your trustworthy love to thousands, but you punish the sins of the fathers the consequences affect their children too., Great and powerful God whose name is the Lord Almighty,
19 zinkulu injongo zakho njalo zilamandla izenzo zakho. Amehlo akho ayazibona zonke izindlela zabantu; unika umuntu wonke umvuzo kusiya ngokuziphatha kwakhe langokufanele izenzo zakhe.
you are the one who is supremely wise and who does incredible things. You watch what everyone does, and you reward them according to the way they live and what their actions deserve.
20 Wenza izibonakaliso lezimangaliso eGibhithe, waqhubeka uzenza kwaze kwaba yilolusuku, khona ko-Israyeli laphakathi koluntu lonke, wathola udumo olukhulu lungolwakho lalamhlanje.
You carried out signs and miracles in Egypt, and you still do so today, both here in Israel and among all people everywhere. As a result you gained a great reputation, and this is still true today.
21 Wakhupha abantu bakho u-Israyeli eGibhithe ngezibonakaliso langezimangaliso; ngesandla esilamandla langengalo eyeluliweyo kanye lokwesaba okukhulu.
You led your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and miracles, with your great power and strength that terrified people.
22 Wabanika ilizwe leli owawufunge ukulipha okhokho babo, ilizwe eligeleza uchago loluju.
You gave them this land that you had promised to give their forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.
23 Beza bafika balithatha, kodwa kabakulalelanga kumbe balandele imithetho yakho; kabakwenzanga owawubalaye ukuthi bakwenze. Ngakho wabehlisela wonke umonakalo lo.
They came and took it over, but they didn't do what you said or follow your laws. They didn't do everything you ordered them to do, which is why you've brought all this disaster down on them.
24 Khangela ukuthi akhiwe njani amadundulu okuvimbezela ukuba idolobho lihlaselwe. Ngenxa yenkemba, lendlala lesifo idolobho lizanikelwa kumaKhaladiya alihlaselayo. Owakutshoyo sekusenzakala njengoba ubona khathesi.
Look at the siege ramps piled up against the city to capture it! Through war and famine and disease, the city will be taken by the Babylonians who are attacking it. You can see that everything you said would happen has happened.
25 Kodwa lanxa idolobho lizanikelwa kumaKhaladiya, wena Thixo Wobukhosi uthe kimi, ‘Thenga insimu ngesiliva kube labafakaza lokho.’”
Yet, Lord God, you have told me, ‘Buy yourself the field with silver in front of witnesses, even though the city has been handed over to the Babylonians!’”
26 Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kuJeremiya lisithi:
Then Lord gave Jeremiah this message:
27 “Mina nginguThixo, uNkulunkulu woluntu lonke. Kambe kulento engehlulayo na?
Look! I am the Lord, the God of everyone. Is anything too hard for me to do?
28 Ngakho, nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, uthi: Sekuseduze ukuthi idolobho leli ngilinikele kumaKhaladiya lakuNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, ozalithumba.
So this is what the Lord says: Listen! I'm going to hand over this city to the king of Babylon and the Babylonians, and they will capture it.
29 AmaKhaladiya ahlasela idolobho leli azangena alithungele ngomlilo; alitshise, kanye lezindlu lapho abantu abangithukuthelisela khona ngokutshisela uBhali impepha phezu kwezimpahla zezindlu langokuthululela abanye onkulunkulu iminikelo enathwayo.
The Babylonians who are attacking the city are going to come and set fire to it. They will burn it down, including the houses belonging to the people who made me angry by burning incense to Baal on their rooftops, and by pouring out drink offerings in worship of other gods.
30 Abantu bakoJuda labako-Israyeli benza ububi bodwa emehlweni ami kusukela ebutsheni babo; impela, abantu bako-Israyeli bangithukuthelisa ngalokhu abakwenza ngezandla zabo, kutsho uThixo.
From their earliest days all the people of Israel and of Judah have ever done has been evil in my sight. In fact all they've even done is to make me angry through their actions, declares the Lord.
31 Kusukela ngosuku elakhiwa ngalo kuze kube khathesi, idolobho leli livusa ukuthukuthela kwami lolaka lwami okwenza kufanele ukuba ngilisuse ebusweni bami.
This city has been such a source of anger and frustration from the time it was built right up till now. So I'm going to get rid of it,
32 Abantu bako-Israyeli labakoJuda bangithukuthelisile ngobubi bonke ababenzileyo, bona, amakhosi abo lezikhulu zabo, abaphristi labaphrofethi babo, abantu bakoJuda labantu baseJerusalema.
because of all the evil things the people of Israel and Judah did that made me angry—their kings, and officials, their priests and prophets, all of those living in Judah and Jerusalem, everyone
33 Bangifulathela kabaze bangipha ubuso babo; lanxa ngabafundisa kanenginengi kabalalelanga njalo kabakunakanga ukukhuzwa.
They have turned their backs on me. They wouldn't even look at me. Even though I kept on trying to teach them, they refused to listen or accept instruction.
34 Bamisa izithombe zabo ezinengekayo endlini eleBizo lami bayingcolisa.
They have put their disgusting idols in my Temple, making it unclean.
35 Bakhela uBhali izindawo eziphakemeyo eSigodini saseBheni-Hinomu ukuba banikele amadodana lamadodakazi abo kuMoleki, lanxa ngingazange ngibalaye, kumbe kufike engqondweni yami, ukuthi babokwenza into eyenyanyeka kangaka ngalokho benze uJuda one.
They have built pagan shrines to Baal in the Valley of Hinnom so they could sacrifice their sons and daughters by burning them in the fire. This is something I never commanded. I never even thought of such a thing—doing something so awful and making the people of Judah guilty of sin.
36 Liyatsho ngedolobho leli lithi, ‘Ngenkemba, langendlala kanye langesifo lizanikelwa eNkosini yaseBhabhiloni’; kodwa uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi:
Now about this city. You are correctly saying, “It's going be handed over to the king of Babylon through war and famine and disease.” However, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:
37 Ngizababuyisa kule indawo ngibenze bahlale ngokuvikelwa.
I promise to gather my people from all the lands where I exiled them because they made me so very angry. I will bring them back here and they will live in safety.
38 Bazakuba ngabantu bami, mina ngibe nguNkulunkulu wabo.
They will be my people, and I will be their God.
39 Ngizabenza babemunye enhliziyweni lasezenzweni, ukuze bahlale bengesaba, ukuba kube kuhle kubo lasebantwaneni babo emva kwabo.
I will make sure they think the same way and act in harmony, so that they will always honor me so all will be good for them and their descendants.
40 Ngizakwenza labo isivumelwano esingapheliyo: Angiyikuyekela ukwenza okuhle kubo, ngizabafunzelela ukuba bangesabe, ukuze bangangideli.
I will make an everlasting agreement with them: I'm never going to stop doing them good and I will help them to respect me so that they won't ever abandon me.
41 Ngizathokoza ekubenzeleni okuhle njalo ngibagxumeke ngobuqotho kulelilizwe ngenhliziyo yami yonke langomoya wami wonke.
I will be delighted to treat them well, and I will commit myself with the whole of my being to helping them to grow as a nation in this land.
42 UThixo uthi: Njengoba ngehlisele inkemenkeme le enkulu kangaka phezu kwalababantu, ngokunjalo ngizabapha konke ukuphumelela engabathembisa khona.
This is what the Lord says: Just as certainly as I have brought this whole disaster down on my people, so I'm going to give to them all the good things I have promised.
43 Amasimu azathengwa futhi kulelilizwe lina elithi ngalo, ‘Lilugwadule oluphundlekileyo, olungelabantu lezinyamazana, ngoba lanikelwa kumaKhaladiya.’
Fields will once again be bought in this country that you're describing, saying, “It's been completely destroyed—no people or animals are left. It's been handed over to the Babylonians.”
44 Amasimu azathengwa ngesiliva, lezincwadi zokuthenga zisayinwe, zinanyekwe njalo zifakazelwe elizweni likaBhenjamini, lemizini eseduze leJerusalema, lasemadolobheni akoJuda kanye lasemadolobheni elizwe lamaqaqa, asemawatheni asentshonalanga kanye lawaseNegebi, ngoba ngizabuyisela inotho yabo, kutsho uThixo.”
People will buy fields with silver again, deeds will be signed, sealed, and witnessed. This will happen here in the land of Benjamin, in the areas surrounding Jerusalem, and in all the towns of Judah—including the towns of the hill country, the foothills, and the Negev—because I will bring the people back from exile, declares the Lord.
