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 forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even 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 said to Jeremiah the prophet, We beseech thee, let our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us to the LORD thy God, [even] 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.”

That the LORD thy God may show us the way in which we may walk, and the thing that we may do.

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

Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, I have heard [you]; behold, I will pray to the LORD your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, [that] whatever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare [it] to you; I will keep nothing back from you.

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

Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things 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 whether [it be] evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.

7 Emva kwensuku ezilitshumi ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuJeremiya.

And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah.

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

Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who [were] with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,

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

And said to them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, to whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him;

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

If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull [you] down, and I will plant you, and not pluck [you] up: for I repent of the evil that I have done to you.

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

Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, 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 show mercies to you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.

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

But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD your 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 hunger for bread; and there will we dwell:

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

And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there;

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

Then it shall come to pass, [that] the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine of which ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.

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

So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from 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 fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem: so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more.

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

The LORD hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day.

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

For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me to the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us to the LORD our God; and according to all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare to us, and we will do [it].

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

And [now] I have this day declared [it] to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, nor any [thing] 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 ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go [and] to sojourn.