UJeremiya 34
1 Kwathi uNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni lebutho lakhe lonke kanye lemibuso yonke, labantu basemazweni ayewabusa besilwa leJerusalema lawo wonke amadolobho alo ayeseduzane, ilizwi leli lafika kuJeremiya livela kuThixo lisithi;
The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his dominion, and all the nations, made war against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying: —
2 “UThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Yana kuZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda uthi kuye, ‘UThixo uthi: Sekuseduze ukuthi idolobho leli ngilinikele enkosini yaseBhabhiloni, njalo izalitshisa ngomlilo.
Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: Go and speak to Zedekiah, the king of Judah, and say to him, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
3 Kawuyikuphunyuka esandleni sayo kodwa uzathunjwa impela unikelwe kuyo. Inkosi yaseBhabhiloni uzayibona ngamehlo akho, njalo izakhuluma lawe ubuso ngobuso. Njalo uzahamba eBhabhiloni.
And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken and delivered into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.
4 Kodwa-ke zwana isithembiso sikaThixo, wena Zedekhiya nkosi yakoJuda. Ngawe uThixo uthi: Awuyikufa ngenkemba;
Yet hear the word of Jehovah, O Zedekiah, king of Judah! Thus saith Jehovah concerning thee: Thou shalt not die by the sword;
5 uzakufa ngokuthula. Njengoba abantu babasa umlilo wesililo bekhumbula oyihlo, amakhosi akuqala akwandulelayo, ngokunjalo bazabasa umlilo wokukukhumbula, balile bathi, Maye, Oh Nkosi! Mina ngokwami ngenza isithembiso lesi, kutsho uThixo.’”
in peace shalt thou die; and according to the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings, who were before thee, so shall they burn for thee; and they shall lament for thee, saying, “Ah, lord!” for I have spoken the word, saith Jehovah.
6 Ngakho uJeremiya umphrofethi wamtshela konke lokhu uZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda, eJerusalema,
And Jeremiah the prophet spake all these words to Zedekiah, king of Judah, at Jerusalem.
7 lapho ibutho lenkosi yaseBhabhiloni lalisilwa leJerusalema lamanye amadolobho akoJuda ayelokhu esaqinisele, iLakhishi le-Azekha. La yiwo kuphela amadolobho ayevikelwe ngezinqaba ayesasele koJuda.
And the army of the king of Babylon fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish, and against Azekah; for these fortified cities remained of the cities of Judah.
8 Ilizwi lafika kuJeremiya livela kuThixo emva kokuba inkosi uZedekhiya esenze isivumelwano labantu bonke baseJerusalema sokumemezela ukukhululwa kwezigqili.
The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people that were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them,
9 Wonke umuntu kwakumele akhulule izigqili zakhe ezingamaHebheru, ezesilisa lezesifazane; kakho owayezagcina umJuda wakibo ebugqilini.
that every one should let his man-servant or his maid-servant, being a Hebrew or Hebrewess, go free, that no one should retain his brother, a Jew, in servitude.
10 Ngakho zonke izikhulu labantu bonke abenza isivumelwano lesi bavuma ukuthi babezakhulula izigqili zabo zesilisa lezesifazane bangazigcini ebugqilini futhi. Bavuma, bazikhulula.
And all the princes, and all the people, who had entered into covenant to let every one his man-servant and every one his maid-servant go free, and retain them in servitude no longer, obeyed; they obeyed, and let them go.
11 Kodwa muva bantshintsha ingqondo zabo bazithumba njalo izigqili zabo ababezikhulule bazenza izigqili futhi.
But they returned afterwards, and took back the men-servants and the maid-servants whom they had let go free, and brought them into subjection as men-servants and as maid-servants.
12 Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kuJeremiya lisithi,
Then came the word of Jehovah to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,
13 “UThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Ngenza isivumelwano labokhokho benu ekubakhupheni kwami eGibhithe, elizweni lobugqili. Ngathi,
Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel: I made a covenant with your fathers in the day when I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondmen, and said,
14 ‘Ngeminyaka yonke yesikhombisa omunye lomunye wenu kumele akhulule umHebheru wakibo ozithengise kuwe. Emva kokuba esekusebenzele iminyaka eyisithupha, kumele umkhulule ahambe.’ Kodwa okhokho benu, kabangilalelanga njalo kabanginakanga.
“At the end of seven years ye shall let go every man his brother, a Hebrew, who shall have been sold to thee; when he shall have served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee.” But your fathers hearkened not to me, nor inclined their ear.
15 Ngesikhathi esisanda kudlula laphenduka lenza okulungileyo emehlweni ami: Omunye lomunye wenu wamemezela ukukhululwa kwabantu belizwe lakibo. Laze lenza lesivumelwano phambi kwami endlini eleBizo lami.
And when ye had turned at this time, and had done what was right in mine eyes, in proclaiming liberty every one to his neighbor, and had entered into a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name,
16 Kodwa khathesi seliguquke langcolisa ibizo lami; omunye lomunye wenu usezithumbile futhi izigqili zesilisa lezesifazane elalizikhulule ukuba zizihambele lapho ezifuna khona. Selizibambe ngamandla ukuba zibe yizigqili zenu futhi.
then ye returned and profaned my name, and took back every one his man-servant, and every one his maid-servant, whom he had set at liberty at their pleasure, and brought them into subjection to be men-servants and maid-servants to you.
17 Ngakho, lokhu yikho uThixo akutshoyo: Kalingilalelanga; kalimemezelanga ukukhululwa kwabantu belizwe lakini. Ngakho khathesi ngimemezela ‘inkululeko’ yenu, kutsho uThixo, ‘inkululeko’ yokubulawa ngenkemba, yisifo lendlala. Ngizalenza linengeke kuyo yonke imibuso yomhlaba.
Therefore thus saith Jehovah: Ye have not hearkened to me in proclaiming liberty every one to his brother, and every one to his neighbor. Behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith Jehovah, to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine, and I will give you up to oppression in all the kingdoms of the earth;
18 Abantu abephula isivumelwano sami kabaze bagcwalisa izimiso zesivumelwano abasenza phambi kwami, ngizabaphatha njengethole abalidabula phakathi basebehamba phakathi kweziqa zalo.
and I will make the men who have transgressed my covenant, who have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before me, like the calf which they cut in twain, and passed between the parts thereof,
19 Abakhokheli bakoJuda labeJerusalema, izikhulu zasemthethwandaba, abaphristi labantu bonke abahamba phakathi kweziqa zethole,
the princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, that passed between the parts of the calf.
20 ngizabanikela ezitheni zabo ezifuna ukubabulala. Izidumbu zabo zizakuba yikudla kwezinyoni zasemoyeni lezinyamazana zeganga.
I will give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life; and their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth.
21 UZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda kanye lezikhulu zakhe ngizabanikela ezitheni zabo ezifuna ukubabulala, lakubutho lenkosi yaseBhabhiloni eselisukile kini.
And Zedekiah, king of Judah, and his princes, will I give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life, even into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which are gone up from you.
22 Ngizakhupha ilizwi, kutsho uThixo njalo ngizababuyisa futhi kulelidolobho. Bazakulwa lalo, balithumbe, balitshise ngomlilo. Amadolobho akoJuda ngizawabhidliza ukuze kungabi lamuntu ohlala kuwo.”
Behold, I will command, saith Jehovah, and cause them to return to this city, and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burn it with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without an inhabitant.
