UJeremiya 37
1 UZedekhiya indodana kaJosiya wabekwa nguNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni ukuba abe yinkosi yakoJuda; wabusa esikhundleni sikaJehoyakhini indodana kaJehoyakhimi.
And Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned as king, instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.
2 Yena lezinceku zakhe kanye labantu baselizweni kabawanakanga amazwi kaThixo ayewakhulume ngoJeremiya umphrofethi.
But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken unto the words of the LORD, which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah.
3 Kodwa uZedekhiya inkosi, wathuma uJehukhali indodana kaShelemiya lomphristi uZefaniya indodana kaMaseya kuJeremiya umphrofethi belaleli ilizwi, elithi, “Ake usikhulekele kuThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.”
And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now unto the LORD our God for us.
4 Ngalesisikhathi uJeremiya wayesekhululekile ukuza lokuhamba phakathi kwabantu, ngoba wayengakafakwa entolongweni.
Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people: for they had not put him into prison.
5 Ibutho likaFaro laseliphumile eGibhithe, kwasekusithi amaKhaladiya ayevimbezele iJerusalema esezwe umbiko ngalo, asuka eJerusalema.
And Pharaoh’s army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they brake up from Jerusalem.
6 Kwasekufika ilizwi likaThixo kuJeremiya umphrofethi lisithi:
Then came the word of the LORD unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
7 “UThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi, tshelani inkosi yakoJuda elithume ukuba lizengibuza lithi, ‘Ibutho likaFaro eseliphume ukuba lizelisekela, lizabuyela elizweni lalo eGibhithe.
Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to inquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.
8 Emva kwalokho amaKhaladiya azaphenduka ahlasele idolobho leli; azalithumba alitshise ngomlilo.’
And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city; and they shall take it, and burn it with fire.
9 UThixo uthi: Lingazikhohlisi licabange lithi, ‘AmaKhaladiya azasuka kithi impela.’ Kawayikusuka!
Thus saith the LORD: Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart.
10 Lanxa linganqoba lonke ibutho lamaKhaladiya alihlaselayo, kusale abantu abalimeleyo kuphela emathenteni abo, bazaphuma balitshise idolobho leli ngomlilo.”
For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.
11 Kwathi ibutho lamaKhaladiya selisukile eJerusalema ngenxa yebutho likaFaro,
And it came to pass that when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,
12 uJeremiya wasuka edolobheni ukuba aye elizweni lakoBhenjamini ukuba ayethatha isabelo sakhe selifa phakathi kwabantu khonale.
then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to receive his portion there, in the midst of the people.
13 Kodwa kwathi esefikile eSangweni lakoBhenjamini, induna yabalindi ebizo layo lalingu-Irija indodana kaShelemiya, indodana kaHananiya, wambopha wasesithi kuye, “Ubalekela kumaKhaladiya wena!”
And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he laid hold on Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans.
14 UJeremiya wathi, “Akusiqiniso lokho! Kangibalekeli kumaKhaladiya.” Kodwa u-Irija kamlalelanga; esikhundleni salokho, wabopha uJeremiya wamusa ezikhulwini.
Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans; but he hearkened not to him: so Irijah laid hold on Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.
15 Izikhulu zamthukuthelela uJeremiya zalaya ukuba atshaywe aphinde avalelwe endlini kaJonathani umabhalani, ezaseziyenze yaba yintolongo.
And the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the prison.
16 UJeremiya wafakwa esitokisini esiyingubhe emgodini oyintolongo lapho ahlala khona okwesikhathi eside.
When Jeremiah was come into the dungeon house, and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;
17 Inkosi uZedekhiya wathi kayethathwa alethwe esigodlweni lapho ambuzela khona ensitha esithi, “Kulelizwi elivela kuThixo na?” UJeremiya waphendula wathi, “Yebo, wena uzanikelwa enkosini yaseBhabhiloni.”
Then Zedekiah the king sent, and fetched him: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is. He said also, Thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.
18 UJeremiya wabuye wathi kuZedekhiya inkosi, “Ngoneni kuwe loba ezikhulwini zakho kumbe kulababantu, uze ungifake entolongweni nje?
Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, Wherein have I sinned against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison?
19 Bangaphi abaphrofethi bakho abaphrofetha kuwe besithi, ‘Inkosi yaseBhabhiloni kayiyikukuhlasela wena kanye lelizwe leli’?
Where now are your prophets which prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?
20 Kodwa khathesi, nkosi yami, ake ulalele. Ngivumela ngethule isicelo sami kuwe: Ungangibuyiseli endlini kaJonathani umabhalani, hlezi ngifele khona.”
And now hear, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.
21 UZedekhiya inkosi waselaya ukuba uJeremiya afakwe egumeni labalindi aphiwe isinkwa esivela emgwaqweni wabapheki bezinkwa usuku ngalunye izinkwa zonke zize ziphele edolobheni. Ngakho uJeremiya wahlala egumeni labalindi.
Then Zedekiah the king commanded, and they committed Jeremiah into the court of the guard, and they gave him daily a loaf of bread out of the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
