UJeremiya 42

1 Zonke izikhulu zebutho, kanye loJohanani indodana kaKhareya loJezaniya indodana kaHoshayiya, labantu bonke kusukela komncane kusiya komkhulu baya

Then all the captains of the warriors, and Johanan the son of Caree, and Jezonias the son of Osaias, and the rest of the people from the least to the greatest came near:

2 kuJeremiya umphrofethi bathi kuye, “Ake uzwe isicelo sethu ubakhulekele bonke laba abaseleyo kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakho. Ngoba njengoba lawe uzibonela khathesi, lanxa sake saba banengi khathesi kusele abalutshwana kuphela.

And they said to Jeremias the prophet: Let our supplication fall before thee: and pray thou for us to the Lord thy God for all this remnant, for we are left but a few of many, as thy eyes do behold us.

3 Khuleka ukuba uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho asitshele lapho okumele siye khona lalokho okumele sikwenze.”

And let the Lord thy God shew us the way by which we may walk, and the thing that we must do.

4 UJeremiya umphrofethi waphendula wathi, “Ngizwile. Ngizakhuleka impela kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu njengoba licelile; ngizalitshela konke uThixo akutshoyo ngingalifihleli lutho.”

And Jeremias the prophet said to them: I have heard you: behold I will pray to the Lord your God according to your words: and whatsoever thing he shall answer me, I will declare it to you: and I will hide nothing from you.

5 Basebesithi kuJeremiya, “UThixo kabe ngufakazi wethu oqotho lothembekileyo nxa singenzi okuvumelana lakho konke uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho akuthuma ukuba usitshele khona.

And they said to Jeremias: The Lord be witness between us of truth and faithfulness, if we do not according to every thing for which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us.

6 Lanxa kukuhle kumbe kukubi sizamlalela uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu esikuthuma kuye, ukuze kusilungele, ngoba sizamlalela uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.”

Whether it be good or evil, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God, to whom me send thee: that it may be well with us when we shall hearken to the voice of the Lord our God.

7 Emva kwensuku ezilitshumi ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuJeremiya.

Now after ten days, the word of the Lord came to Jeremias.

8 Ngakho wabiza uJohanani indodana kaKhareya lezikhulu zonke zebutho ezazilaye kanye labantu bonke kusukela komncane kusiya komkhulu.

And he called Johanan the son of Caree, and all the captains of the fighting men that were with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest.

9 Wathi kubo, “UThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, elingithume ukuba ngiyekwethula isicelo senu kuye, uthi:

And he said to them: Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel, to whom you sent me, to present your supplications before him:

10 ‘Lingahlala kulelilizwe ngizalakha, ngingalibhidlizi, ngizalihlanyela ngingalisiphuni, ngoba ngilusizi ngomonakalo engawenza kini.

If you will be quiet and remain in this land, I will build you up, and not pull you down: I will plane you, and not pluck you up: for now I am appeased for the evil that I have done to you.

11 Lingayesabi inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, eliyesabayo khathesi. Lingayesabi, kutsho uThixo, ngoba ngilani njalo ngizalihlenga ngilikhulule ezandleni zayo.

Fear not because of the king of Babylon, of whom you are greatly afraid: fear him not, saith the Lord: for I am with you, to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.

12 Ngizakuba lesihawu kini ukuze layo ibe lesihawu kini ilibuyisele elizweni lakini.’

And I will shew mercies to you, and will take pity on you, and will cause you to dwell in your own land.

13 Kodwa lina lingathi, ‘Kasiyikuhlala kulelizwe,’ ngalokho lingalaleli uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu,

But if you say: We will not dwell in this land, neither will we hearken to the voice of the Lord our God,

14 njalo nxa lisithi, ‘Hatshi, thina sizakuyahlala eGibhithe lapho esingayikubona khona impi loba sizwe icilongo kumbe silambele ukudla,

Saying: No, but we will go into the land of Egypt: where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor suffer hunger: and there we will dwell.

15 zwanini-ke ilizwi likaThixo, lina abasele koJuda.’ UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: ‘Nxa liphitshekela ukuya eGibhithe njalo lihambe ukuyahlala khona,

For this now hear the word of the Lord, ye remnant of Juda: Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: If you set your faces to go into Egypt, and enter in to dwell there:

16 lapho-ke inkemba eliyesabayo izalifica khona, lendlala eliyesabayo izalilandela eGibhithe, njalo lizafela khonale.

The sword which you fear, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt: and the famine, whereof you are afraid, shall cleave to you in Egypt, and there you shall die.

17 Ngempela bonke abaphitshekela ukuya eGibhithe ukuba bahlale khona bazakufa ngenkemba, indlala lesifo; kakho lamunye wabo ozasinda loba aphephe kumonakalo engizabehlisela wona.’

And all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt, to dwell there, shall die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence: none of them shall remain, nor escape from the face of the evil that I will bring upon them.

18 UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi, ‘Njengalokhu ukuthukuthela kwami lolaka lwami kwehliselwa phezu kwabantu abahlala eJerusalema, ngokunjalo ulaka lwami luzakwehliselwa phezu kwenu lapho lisiya eGibhithe. Lizakuba yinto yokuthukwa lokwesatshwa, ukulahlwa lokuhlekwa; indawo le kaliyikuyibona futhi.’

For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: As my anger and my indignation hath been kindled against the inhabitants of Jerusalem: so shall my indignation be kindled against you, when you shall enter into Egypt, and you shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach: and you shall see this place no more.

19 Lina abasele koJuda, uThixo ulitshelile wathi, ‘Lingayi eGibhithe.’ Wobani leqiniso lalokhu ukuthi: Ngiyalixwayisa lamuhla

This is the word of the Lord concerning you, O ye remnant of Juda: Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have adjured you this day.

20 ukuthi lenza iphutha elikhulu kakhulu ngokungithuma kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu lisithi, ‘Sikhulekele kuThixo uNkulunkulu wethu; usitshele konke akutshoyo sizakwenza.’

For you have deceived your own souls: for you sent me to the Lord our God, saying: Pray for us to the Lord our God, and according to all that the Lord our God shall say to thee, so declare unto us, and we will do it.

21 Sengilitshelile lamuhla, kodwa lilokhu lingalaleli lokho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu angithume ukuthi ngilitshele khona.

And now I have declared it to you this day, and; you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord your God, with regard to all the things for which he hath sent me to you.

22 Ngakho khathesi wobani leqiniso ukuthi lizakufa ngenkemba, indlala lesifo endaweni elifuna ukuyahlala kuyo.”

Now therefore know certainly that you shall die by the sword, and by famine, and by pestilence in the place to which you desire to go to dwell there.