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 that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all of his army, together with all the kingdoms of the earth, the domains under his power, and all their people were waging war against Jerusalem and all of her cities, 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.
“Yahweh, God of Israel, says this: Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and say to him, 'Yahweh says this: Look, I am about to give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon. He will burn it.
3 Kawuyikuphunyuka esandleni sayo kodwa uzathunjwa impela unikelwe kuyo. Inkosi yaseBhabhiloni uzayibona ngamehlo akho, njalo izakhuluma lawe ubuso ngobuso. Njalo uzahamba eBhabhiloni.
You will not escape from his hand, for you will certainly be seized and given into his hand. Your eyes will look at the eyes of the king of Babylon; he will speak directly to you as you go to Babylon.'
4 Kodwa-ke zwana isithembiso sikaThixo, wena Zedekhiya nkosi yakoJuda. Ngawe uThixo uthi: Awuyikufa ngenkemba;
Listen to the word of Yahweh, Zedekiah king of Judah! Yahweh says this concerning you, 'You will 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.’”
You will die in peace. As in the funeral burning of your ancestors, the kings who were before you, they will burn your body. They will say, “Woe, master!” They will lament for you. Now I have spoken—this is Yahweh's declaration.'”
6 Ngakho uJeremiya umphrofethi wamtshela konke lokhu uZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda, eJerusalema,
So Jeremiah the prophet proclaimed to Zedekiah king of Judah all these words in Jerusalem.
7 lapho ibutho lenkosi yaseBhabhiloni lalisilwa leJerusalema lamanye amadolobho akoJuda ayelokhu esaqinisele, iLakhishi le-Azekha. La yiwo kuphela amadolobho ayevikelwe ngezinqaba ayesasele koJuda.
The army of the king of Babylon made war against Jerusalem and all the remaining cities of Judah: Lachish and Azekah. These cities of Judah remained as fortified cities.
8 Ilizwi lafika kuJeremiya livela kuThixo emva kokuba inkosi uZedekhiya esenze isivumelwano labantu bonke baseJerusalema sokumemezela ukukhululwa kwezigqili.
The word came to Jeremiah from Yahweh after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem, to proclaim freedom to them,
9 Wonke umuntu kwakumele akhulule izigqili zakhe ezingamaHebheru, ezesilisa lezesifazane; kakho owayezagcina umJuda wakibo ebugqilini.
that each man must free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female, so one was to make a slave of a Jew, who was his brother.
10 Ngakho zonke izikhulu labantu bonke abenza isivumelwano lesi bavuma ukuthi babezakhulula izigqili zabo zesilisa lezesifazane bangazigcini ebugqilini futhi. Bavuma, bazikhulula.
So all the leaders and people entered into the covenant that each person would free his male and female slaves so that they would not be enslaved any longer. They obeyed and set them free.
11 Kodwa muva bantshintsha ingqondo zabo bazithumba njalo izigqili zabo ababezikhulule bazenza izigqili futhi.
But after this they changed their minds. They brought back the slaves whom they had freed. They forced them to become slaves again.
12 Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kuJeremiya lisithi,
So the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, saying,
13 “UThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Ngenza isivumelwano labokhokho benu ekubakhupheni kwami eGibhithe, elizweni lobugqili. Ngathi,
“Yahweh, God of Israel, says this, 'I myself made a covenant with your ancestors on the day that I brought them out from the land of Egypt, out from the house of slavery. That was when I 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 every seven years, each man must send away his brother, his fellow Hebrew who had sold himself to you and served you for six years. Send him away in freedom.” But your ancestors did not listen to me or incline their ears to me.
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.
Now you yourselves repented and began to do what is right in my eyes. You proclaimed freedom, each man to his neighbor, and you made a covenant before me in the house that 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.
But then you turned and polluted my name; you caused each man to bring back his male and female slaves, the ones whom you had sent out to go where they wished. You forced them to become your slaves again.'
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 Yahweh says this, 'You yourselves have not listened to me. You should have proclaimed freedom, every one of you, to your brothers and fellow Israelites. So look! I am about to proclaim freedom to you—this is Yahweh's declaration—freedom for the sword, the plague, and famine, for I am going to make you a horrible thing in the sight of every kingdom on earth.
18 Abantu abephula isivumelwano sami kabaze bagcwalisa izimiso zesivumelwano abasenza phambi kwami, ngizabaphatha njengethole abalidabula phakathi basebehamba phakathi kweziqa zalo.
Then I will deal with the people who have broken my covenant, who did not keep the words of the covenant that they established before me when they cut a bull in two and walked between its parts,
19 Abakhokheli bakoJuda labeJerusalema, izikhulu zasemthethwandaba, abaphristi labantu bonke abahamba phakathi kweziqa zethole,
and then the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the eunuchs and the priests, and all the people of the land walked between the parts of the bull.
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 those who are seeking their lives. Their bodies will be food for the birds of the skies and the beasts on the earth.
21 UZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda kanye lezikhulu zakhe ngizabanikela ezitheni zabo ezifuna ukubabulala, lakubutho lenkosi yaseBhabhiloni eselisukile kini.
So I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his leaders into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who are seeking their life, and into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon that has risen up against you.
22 Ngizakhupha ilizwi, kutsho uThixo njalo ngizababuyisa futhi kulelidolobho. Bazakulwa lalo, balithumbe, balitshise ngomlilo. Amadolobho akoJuda ngizawabhidliza ukuze kungabi lamuntu ohlala kuwo.”
Look, I am about to give a command—this is Yahweh's declaration—and will bring them back to this city to wage war against it and take it, and to burn it. For I will turn the cities of Judah into ruined places in which there will be no inhabitants.'”
