UJeremiya 4
1 “Nxa uphenduka, wena Israyeli, buyela kimi,” kutsho uThixo. “Ungasusa phambi kwami izithombe zakho ezenyanyekayo ungabe usaphambuka futhi,
If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, unto me must thou return; and if thou wilt put away thy abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not wander about [any more].
2 njalo nxa uzafunga ngobuqotho, ngokulunga langokuqonda, uthi, ‘Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona,’ ngakho izizwe uzazibusisa ziziqhenye ngaye.”
And if thou wilt swear, As the Lord liveth, in truth, in justice, and in righteousness: then shall nations bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glorify themselves.
3 Ebantwini bakoJuda labeJerusalema uThixo uthi: “Qhathani ingqatho yenu, lingahlanyeli phakathi kwameva.
For thus hath said the Lord to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, Plough up your fallow ground, that ye may not sow among thorns.
4 Zisokeleni kuThixo, lisoke inhliziyo zenu, lina bantu bakoJuda lani bantu baseJerusalema, hlezi ulaka lwami luvuke luvuthe njengomlilo ngenxa yobubi elibenzileyo, lutshise kungekho muntu ongalucitsha.”
Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and remove the obduracy of your heart, O ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn so that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
5 “Bikani koJuda limemezele laseJerusalema lithi: ‘Tshayani icilongo elizweni lonke!’ Klabalalani lithi, ‘Buthanani ndawonye! Kasibalekeleni emadolobheni avikelweyo!’
Tell ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem, and say, Blow ye the cornet in the land: call out, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities.
6 Phakamisani uphawu lokuya eZiyoni! Balekelani ekusileni ngokuphangisa! Ngoba ngiletha umonakalo ovela enyakatho, lencithakalo embi kakhulu.”
Set up the standard toward Zion; save yourselves by flight, stay not; for evil do I bring from the north, and a great destruction.
7 Isilwane sesiphumile esikhundleni saso, umchithi wezizwe usephumile. Usesukile endaweni yakhe ukuba achithe ilizwe lenu. Amadolobho enu azakuba ngamanxiwa engelamuntu ohlala kuwo.
The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of nations hath commenced his march, he is gone forth from his place, to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, left without an inhabitant.
8 Ngakho gqokani amasaka, khalani lilile, ngoba ulaka lukaThixo olwesabekayo kalususwanga kithi.
For this gird yourselves with sackcloths, lament and wail; for the fierce anger of the Lord is not turned away from us.
9 UThixo uthi, “Ngalolosuku inkosi lezikhulu bazaphelelwa lithemba, abaphristi bazathuthumela, abaphrofethi bazakwesaba.”
And it shall come to pass on that day, saith the Lord, that the heart of the king and the heart of the princes shall fail; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.
10 Lapho-ke mina ngathi, “Awu, Thixo Wobukhosi, ubakhohlisile sibili abantu laba kanye leJerusalema ngokuthi, ‘Lizakuba lokuthula,’ inkemba yona isemiphinjeni yethu!”
Then said I, Ah, Lord Eternal! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.
11 Ngalesosikhathi abantu laba leJerusalema kuzathiwa kubo, “Umoya otshisayo ovela enkangala emiqolweni elugwadule uvunguza usiya ebantwini bami, kodwa kungayisikwela kumbe ukuhlungula,
At that time shall be announced to this people and to Jerusalem a dry wind from the mountain-peaks in the wilderness, [coming] on the road to the daughter of my people; not to winnow, nor to cleanse [the corn],
12 umoya olamandla kakhulu uvela kimi. Khathesi-ke sengimemezela ukwahlulela kwami kubo.”
A strong wind from these places shall come unto me: now also will I myself pronounce judgment against them.
13 Khangela! Uyeza njengamayezi, izinqola zakhe zempi zibuya njengesivunguzane, amabhiza akhe alesiqubu esedlula esengqungqulu. Maye! Sesiphelile!
Behold, like clouds shall he come up, and like a whirlwind shall be his chariots: swifter than eagles are his horses. “Woe unto us! for we are wasted.”
14 We Jerusalema, geza ububi obusenhliziyweni yakho usindiswe. Koze kube nini ugcine imicabango emibi na?
Wash from wrong doing thy heart, O Jerusalem, in order that thou mayest be saved. How long wilt thou let lodge within thee the thoughts of thy wickedness?
15 Ilizwi elivela koDani liyamemeza, libika umonakalo ovela emaqaqeni ako-Efrayimi
For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth unhappiness from the mountain of Ephraim.
16 Izizwe zitshele lokhu, ukubike laseJerusalema, “Ibutho elivimbezelayo liyeza livela elizweni elikhatshana, limemezela umkhosi wempi emadolobheni akoJuda.
Make ye mention of it to the nations; behold, let it be heard against Jerusalem, that beleaguerers come from a far-off country, and send forth their voice against the cities of Judah.
17 Balihanqile njengabantu abalinda insimu, ngoba langihlamukela,” kutsho uThixo.
As keepers of a field are they against her round about; because against me hath she been rebellious, saith the Lord.
18 “Ukuziphatha kwakho lezenzo zakho kwehlisele lokhu phezu kwakho. Lesi yisijeziso sakho. Sibuhlungu kakhulu! Sihlaba enhliziyweni!”
Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee: this is thy wickedness, which is so bitter, which so reacheth unto thy heart.
19 Maye, ngobuhlungu, ubuhlungu engibuzwayo. Ngiyazitshila ngenxa yobuhlungu. Maye, ngokufuthelwa kwenhliziyo yami! Inhliziyo yami iyatshaya ngaphakathi kwami, angingeke ngithule, ngoba ukukhala kwecilongo sengikuzwile, umkhosi wempi sengiwuzwile.
My bowels, my bowels! I am shaken, at the very chambers of my heart; my heart beateth tumultuously in me; I cannot remain silent; because the sound of the cornet hast thou heard, O my soul, the alarm of war.
20 Incithakalo ilandela incithakalo, ilizwe lonke selingamanxiwa. Ngesikhatshana nje amathente ami adiliziwe, lamakhetheni ami ngomzuzwana nje.
Ruin upon ruin is called out; for the whole land is wasted: suddenly are my tents wasted, and in a moment, my curtains.
21 Koze kube nini ngibona uphawu lwempi ngisizwa lokukhala kwecilongo na?
How long shall I see the standard, hear the sound of the cornet?
22 “Abantu bami bayiziwula, kabangazi. Bangabantwana abangelangqondo, kabalakho ukuqedisisa. Bahlakaniphele ukwenza okubi, kabakwazi ukwenza okulungileyo.”
“Because my people is foolish, me have they not known; sottish children are they, and they have not any understanding: wise are they to do evil, but how to do good they do not know.”
23 Ngakhangela umhlaba, wawungelasimo njalo ungelalutho; lasemazulwini, ukukhanya kwawo kwakungasekho.
I look at the earth, and, lo, it is without form and void; and toward the heavens, and their light is gone.
24 Ngakhangela ezintabeni, zazinyikinyeka, lamaqaqa wonke ayezunguzeka.
I look at the mountains, and, lo, they tremble, and all the hills are moved.
25 Ngakhangela, kwakungelabantu, izinyoni zonke zasezisukile emkhathini.
I look, and, lo, there is no man, and all the birds of the heavens are fled.
26 Ngakhangela, ilizwe elithelayo laseliyinkangala, amadolobho alo wonke ayesengamanxiwa phambi kukaThixo, phambi kolaka lwakhe olwesabekayo.
I look, and, lo, the fruitful country is a wilderness, and all its cities are laid waste at the presence of the Lord, because of the fierceness of his anger.
27 UThixo uthi: “Ilizwe lonke lizachitheka lanxa ngingayikulitshabalalisa ngokupheleleyo.
For thus hath said the Lord, Desolate shall be the whole land; yet a full end will I not make.
28 Ngakho umhlaba uzalila iphezulu libe mnyama, ngoba sengikhulumile njalo angiyikuyekethisa, sengenze isinqumo angiyikubuyela emuva.”
For this shall mourn the earth, and black shall be the heavens above; because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and I will not repent, and I will not turn back from it.
29 Ekuzwakaleni komsindo wabagadi bamabhiza labemitshoko amadolobho wonke ayabaleka. Abanye bangena ezixukwini, abanye bakhwele emadwaleni. Amadolobho wonke atshiyiwe, akulamuntu ohlala kuwo.
From the noise of horsemen and those that shoot with the bow fleeth the whole city; they go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city is forsaken, and not a man dwelleth therein.
30 Wenzani na, wena ohlutshwe kakhulu? Kungani ugqoka okubomvu gebhu ufaka lezigqoko zegolide na? Kungani ucomba amehlo akho ngomphendulo na? Uzicecisela ize. Izithandwa zakho ziyakweyisa, zifuna ukukubulala.
And thou, O wasted one, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothe thyself with scarlet, though thou adorn thyself with ornaments of gold, though thou encircle with paint thy eyes: in vain shalt thou make thyself beautiful; the adulterers will despise thee, thy life will they seek.
31 Ngizwa ukukhala okunjengokowesifazane ohelelwayo, ukububula okufana lozuza umntwana wakhe wakuqala, ukukhala kweNdodakazi yaseZiyoni ikhefuzela, yelule izandla zayo isithi, “Maye mina! Amandla ami asephela, ukuphila kwami sekunikelwe kubabulali.”
For a voice as of a woman in travail have I heard, the anguish as of one that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that groaneth, that spreadeth out her hands, [saying, ] “Woe is me now! for my soul succumbeth to the murderers.”
