UJeremiya 38
1 UShefathiya indodana kaMathani, loGedaliya indodana kaPhashuri, uJewukhali indodana kaShelemiya, loPhashuri indodana kaMalikhija bakuzwa uJeremiya ayekutshela abantu bonke esithi,
At that time, saith the Lord, I will be a God to the family of Israel, and they shall be to me a people.
2 “UThixo uthi: ‘Lowo ozasala kulelidolobho uzabulawa yinkemba, yindlala kumbe yisifo; kodwa lowo ozakuya kumaKhaladiya uzasila. Uzaphunyuka lokuphila kwakhe; uzaphila.’
Thus saith the Lord, I found him warm in the wilderness with them that were slain with the sword: go ye and destroy not Israel.
3 Njalo uThixo uthi: ‘Idolobho leli lizanikelwa impela ebuthweni lenkosi yaseBhabhiloni ezalithumba.’”
The Lord appeared to him from afar, [saying], I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore have I drawn thee in compassion.
4 Izikhulu zasezisithi enkosini, “Umuntu lo kumele abulawe. Wenza amabutho asala kulelidolobho aphelelwe lithemba, kanye labantu bonke, ngenxa yezinto azitshoyo kubo. Umuntu lo kadingi okuhle kwabantu laba, kodwa ukubhujiswa kwabo.”
For I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt yet take thy timbrel, and go forth with the party of them that make merry.
5 UZedekhiya inkosi waphendula wathi, “Usezandleni zenu. Inkosi ingeke yenze lutho ukuba iliphikise.”
For ye have planted vineyards on the mountains of Samaria: plant ye, and praise.
6 Ngakho bamthatha uJeremiya bamfaka emgodini kaMalikhija, indodana yenkosi, owawusegumeni labalindi. UJeremiya bamehlisela phansi phakathi komgodi ngemichilo; wawungelamanzi, kuludaka kuphela, ngakho uJeremiya watshona edakeni.
For it is a day when those that plead on the mountains of Ephraim shall call, [saying], Arise ye, and go up to Sion to the Lord your God.
7 Kodwa u-Ebhedi-Meleki, umKhushi, isikhulu endlini yobukhosi, wezwa ukuthi basebefake uJeremiya emgodini. Kwathi-ke inkosi ihlezi eSangweni lakoBhenjamini,
For thus saith the Lord to Jacob; Rejoice ye, and exult over the head of the nations: make proclamation, and praise ye: say, The Lord has delivered his people, the remnant of Israel.
8 u-Ebhedi-Meleki waphuma esigodlweni wathi kuyo,
Behold, I bring them from the north, and will gather them from the end of the earth to the feast of the passover: and [the people] shall beget a great multitude, and they shall return hither.
9 “Nkosi yami lombusi wami, abantu laba benze ububi kukho konke abakwenze kuJeremiya umphrofethi. Sebemphosele emgodini lapho azalamba khona aze afe kungaselakudla edolobheni.”
They went forth with weeping, and I will bring them back with consolation, causing them to lodge by the channels of waters in a straight way, and they shall not err in it: for I am become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my first-born.
10 Ngakho inkosi yalaya u-Ebhedi-Meleki umKhushi yathi, “Thatha amadoda angamatshumi amathathu lapha likhuphe uJeremiya umphrofethi emgodini engakafi.”
Hear the words of the Lord, ye nations, and proclaim [them] to the islands afar off; say, He that scattered Israel will also gather him, and keep him as one that feeds his flock.
11 Ngakho u-Ebhedi-Meleki wathatha amadoda lawo waya lawo endlini engaphansi kwendlu yengcebo esigodlweni. Wathatha amanikiniki amadala lezigqoko ezigugileyo khonapho wakwehlisela phansi kuJeremiya emgodini ngemichilo.
For the Lord has ransomed Jacob, he has rescued him out of the hand of them [that were] stronger than he.
12 U-Ebhedi-Meleki umKhushi wathi kuJeremiya, “Faka amanikiniki la amadala lezigqoko lezi ezigugileyo emakhwapheni akho ukuze imichilo ingakulimazi.” UJeremiya wenza njalo,
And they shall come, and shall rejoice in the mount of Sion, and shall come to the good things of the Lord, [even] to a land of corn, and wine, and fruits, and cattle, and sheep: and their soul shall be as a fruitful tree; and they shall hunger no more.
13 basebemdonsela phezulu ngemichilo, bamkhupha emgodini. UJeremiya wahlala egumeni labalindi.
Then shall the virgins rejoice in the assembly of youth, and the old men shall rejoice; and I will turn their mourning into joy, and will make them merry.
14 Inkosi uZedekhiya wabiza uJeremiya umphrofethi wasiwa entubeni yesithathu yethempeli likaThixo. Inkosi yasisithi kuJeremiya, “Ngizakubuza okuthize. Ungangifihleli lutho.”
I will expand and cheer with wine the soul of the priests the sons of Levi, and my people shall be satisfied with my good things: thus saith the Lord.
15 UJeremiya wathi kuZedekhiya, “Ngingakuphendula kawuyikungibulala na? Loba ngingakweluleka, kawuyikungilalela.”
A voice was heard in Rama, of lamentation, and of weeping, and wailing; Rachel would not cease weeping for her children, because they are not.
16 Kodwa inkosi uZedekhiya wafunga isifungo lesi ngasese kuJeremiya, wathi, “Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona, yena owasinika ukuphefumula, angiyikukubulala loba ngikunikele kulabo abafuna ukukubulala.”
Thus saith the Lord; Let thy voice cease from weeping, and thine eyes from thy tears: for their is a reward for thy works; and they shall return from the land of [thine] enemies.
17 Lapho-ke uJeremiya wathi kuZedekhiya, “UThixo uNkulunkulu uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Ungazinikela ezikhulwini zenkosi yaseBhabhiloni, impilo yakho izaphepha njalo ledolobho leli kaliyikutshiswa ngomlilo; wena labendlu yakho lizasila.
[There shall be] an abiding [home] for thy children.
18 Kodwa nxa ungazinikeli ezikhulwini zenkosi yaseBhabhiloni, idolobho leli lizanikelwa kumaKhaladiya azalitshisa ngomlilo; njalo wena uqobo kawuyikuphunyuka ezandleni zawo.’”
I have heard the sound of Ephraim lamenting, [and saying], Thou hast chastened me, and I was chastened; I as a calf was not [willingly] taught: turn thou me, and I shall turn; for thou [art] the Lord my God.
19 INkosi uZedekhiya wasesithi kuJeremiya, “Ngiyabesaba abakoJuda asebe kumaKhaladiya, ngoba amaKhaladiya anganginikela kubo bangiphathe kubi.”
For after my captivity I repented; and after I knew, I groaned for the day of shame, and shewed thee that I bore reproach from my youth.
20 UJeremiya wathi, “Kabayikukunikela. Lalela uThixo ngokwenza lokhu engikutshela khona. Lapho-ke kuzakulungela, njalo lempilo yakho izaphepha.
Ephraim is a beloved son, a pleasing child to me: for because my words are in him, I will surely remember him: therefore I made haste [to help] him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord.
21 Kodwa ungala ukuzinikela, nanku okuvezwe nguThixo kimi:
Prepare thyself, O Sion; execute vengeance; look to thy ways: return, O virgin of Israel, by the way by which thou wentest, return mourning to thy cities.
22 Bonke abesifazane abasele endlini yobukhosi yenkosi yakoJuda bazakhutshelwa phandle ezikhulwini zenkosi yaseBhabhiloni bathi kuwe: ‘Bakukhohlisile bakwehlula abangane bakho abathenjiweyo. Inyawo zakho zitshonile edakeni; abangane bakho bakudelile.’
How long, O disgraced daughter, wilt thou turn away? for the Lord has created safety for a new plantation: men shall go about in safety.
23 Abafazi bakho kanye labantwana bazakhutshelwa phandle kumaKhaladiya. Lawe uqobo kawuyikuphunyuka ezandleni zawo, kodwa uzathunjwa yinkosi yaseBhabhiloni; njalo idolobho leli lizatshiswa ngomlilo.”
For thus saith the Lord; They shall yet speak this word in the land of Juda, and in the cities thereof, when I shall turn his captivity; blessed be the Lord on his righteous holy mountain!
24 UZedekhiya wasesithi kuJeremiya, “Akungabi lomuntu omazisa inkulumo le, hlezi ufe.
And there shall be dwellers in the cities of Juda, and in all his land, together with the husbandman, and [the shepherd] shall go forth with the flock.
25 Izikhulu zingezwa ukuthi ngike ngakhuluma lawe, besezisiza kuwe zithi, ‘Sitshele lokho okutshiloyo enkosini kanye lokutshiwo yinkosi kuwe; ungasifihleli funa sikubulale,’
For I have saturated every thirsting soul, and filled every hungry soul.
26 wena zitshele uthi, ‘Kade ngincenga inkosi ukuthi ingangibuyiseli endlini kaJonathani ukuyafela khona.’”
Therefore I awake, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet to me.
27 Lakanye izikhulu zonke zaya kuJeremiya zambuza, yena wazitshela konke inkosi eyayimlaye ukuthi akutsho. Ngakho kazisatshongo lutho kuye futhi, ngoba kakho owayeyizwile inkulumo yakhe lenkosi.
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Juda with the seed of man, and the seed of beast.
28 UJeremiya wahlala egumeni labalindi kwaze kwaba lusuku lokuthunjwa kweJerusalema. IJerusalema lathunjwa kanje:
And it shall come to pass, that as I watched over them, to pull down, and to afflict, so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the Lord.
In those days they shall certainly not say, The fathers ate a sour grape, and the children's teeth were set on edge.
But every one shall die in his own sin; and the teeth of him that eats the sour grape shall be set on edge.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Juda:
not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day when I took hold of their hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; for they abode not in my covenant, and I disregarded them, saith the Lord.
For this is my covenant which I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, saith the Lord, I will surely put my laws into their mind, and write them on their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.
And they shall not at all teach every one his [fellow] citizen, and every one his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them: for I will be merciful to their iniquities, and their sins I will remember no more.
Thus saith the Lord, who gives the sun for a light by day, the moon and the stars for a light by night, and [makes] a roaring in the sea, so that the waves thereof roar; the Lord Almighty is his name:
if these ordinances cease from before me, saith the Lord, then shall the family of Israel cease to be a nation before me forever.
Though the sky should be raised to a [greater] height, saith the Lord, and though the ground of the earth should be sunk [lower] beneath, yet I will not cast off the family of Israel, saith the Lord, for all that they have done.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when the city shall be built to the Lord from the tower of Anameel to the gate of the corner.
And the measurement of it shall proceed in front of them as far as the hills of Gareb, and it shall be compassed with a circular wall of choice stones.
And all the Asaremoth even to Nachal Kedron, as far as the corner of the horse-gate eastward, shall be holiness to the Lord; and it shall not fail any more, and shall not be destroyed for ever.
