UJeremiya 44
1 Ilizwi leli lafika kuJeremiya limayelana lamaJuda ayehlala eGibhithe, eMigidoli, leThahiphanesi leMemfisi, lasePhathrosi lisithi,
The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who dwell in the land of Egypt, who dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying,
2 “UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Liwubonile umonakalo omkhulu engawehlisela phezu kweJerusalema laphezu kwamadolobho wonke akoJuda. Lamhlanje kawahlali muntu njalo angamanxiwa
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and behold, this day they [are] a desolation, and no man dwelleth in them.
3 ngenxa yobubi ababenzayo. Bangithukuthelisa ngokukhonza langokutshisela impepha abanye onkulunkulu abangabaziyo bona, lani kanye labokhokho benu.
Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, [and] to serve other gods, whom they knew not, [neither] they, ye, nor your fathers.
4 Ngathuma izinceku zami, abaphrofethi, njalonjalo ezathi, ‘Lingayenzi into le enengisayo engiyizondayo!’
Yet I sent to you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending [them], saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.
5 Kodwa kabalalelanga njalo kabanakanga; kabaphendukanga ebubini babo kumbe bayekele ukutshisela abanye onkulunkulu impepha.
But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense to other gods.
6 Ngakho ulaka lwami olwesabekayo lwaphuphuma; lwavutha emadolobheni akoJuda lasemigwaqweni yaseJerusalema, lwakwenza kwaba ngamanxiwa achithekileyo ayikho lamhlanje.
Wherefore my fury and my anger was poured forth, and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted [and] desolate, as at this day.
7 Khathesi uThixo uNkulunkulu uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Kungani lizilethela umonakalo omkhulu kangaka ngokususa koJuda amadoda labafazi, abantwana lensane, ngalokho lingazitshiyeli lensalela na?
Therefore now thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; Why do ye commit [this] great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah, to leave you none to remain;
8 Kungani lingithukuthelisa ngokwenziwa yizandla zenu, litshisela abanye onkulunkulu impepha eGibhithe, lapho eselayahlala khona? Lizazibhubhisa lina ngokwenu lizenze into yokuthukwa lokuhlekwa phakathi kwezizwe zonke emhlabeni.
In that ye provoke me to wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt, whither ye are gone to dwell, that ye may cut yourselves off, and that ye may be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?
9 Selibukhohliwe yini ububi obenziwa ngokhokho benu lobubi obenziwa ngamakhosi lamakhosikazi akoJuda, lobubi obenziwa yini labomkenu elizweni lakoJuda, lasemigwaqweni yaseJerusalema?
Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives, which they have committed in the land of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?
10 Kuze kube lamhla kabazithobanga kumbe batshengise ukuhlonipha, kumbe balandele imithetho yami lezimiso engalibekela zona lina labokhokho benu.
They are not humbled [even] to this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers.
11 Ngakho uThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Ngizimisele ukulehlisela umonakalo ngibhubhise loJuda wonke.
Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will set my face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah.
12 Ngizathatha abaseleyo koJuda ababezimisele ukuya eGibhithe; ukuba bahlale khona. Bonke bazabhubha eGibhithe; bazabulawa ngenkemba loba babulawe yindlala. Bazabulawa yinkemba loba indlala kusukela komncinyane kusiya komkhulu. Bazakuba yinto yokuqalekiswa lokwesaba, eyokulahlwa lokuthukwa.
And I will take the remnant of Judah, that have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed, [and] fall in the land of Egypt; they shall [even] be consumed by the sword [and] by the famine: they shall die, from the least even to the greatest, by the sword and by the famine: and they shall be an execration, [and] an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach.
13 Abahlala eGibhithe ngizabajezisa ngenkemba, ngendlala langesifo, njengokujezisa engakwenza iJerusalema.
For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence:
14 Kakho owensalela yakoJuda owayahlala eGibhithe ozaphunyuka kumbe aphephe ukuba abuyele elizweni lakoJuda asebefisa ukubuyela bayehlala kulo, kakho ozabuyela ngaphandle kweziphepheli ezilutshwane.”
So that none of the remnant of Judah, who have gone into the land of Egypt, to sojourn there, shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah, to which they have a desire to return to dwell there: for none shall return but such as shall escape.
15 Lapho-ke wonke amadoda ayekwazi ukuthi omkawo babetshisela abanye onkulunkulu impepha, kanye labesifazane bonke ababekhona, ixuku elikhulu, labantu bonke ababehlala ePhathrosi elizweni laseGibhithe, bathi kuJeremiya:
Then all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense to other gods, and all the women that stood by, a great multitude, even all the people that dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,
16 “Thina kasiyikulilalela ilizwi olikhulume kithi ngebizo likaThixo!
[As for] the word that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken to thee.
17 Impela sizakwenza konke esathi sizakwenza: Impepha sizayitshisela iNdlovukazi yaseZulwini siyithululele leminikelo yokunathwayo njengalokhu esakwenzayo thina labobaba, amakhosi ethu kanye lezikhulu zakithi emadolobheni akoJuda lasemigwaqweni yaseJerusalema. Ngalesosikhathi sasilokudla okunengi, sinothile kungekho okubi.
But we will certainly do whatever thing proceedeth from our own mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings to her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for [then] we had plenty of provisions, and were well, and saw no evil.
18 Kodwa selokhu sayekela ukutshisela iNdlovukazi yaseZulwini impepha lokuyithululela iminikelo yokunathwayo, kasisabanga lalutho njalo sesilokhu sisifa ngenkemba langendlala.”
But since we ceased to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings to her, we have wanted all [things], and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine.
19 Abesifazane bengeza bathi, “Ngesikhathi sitshisela iNdlovukazi yaseZulwini impepha, siyithululela leminikelo yokunathwa, omkethu babengakwazi na ukuthi sasisenza amakhekhe anjengesithombe sayo, siyithululela leminikelo yokunathwayo?”
And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven, and poured out drink-offerings to her, did we make for her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink-offerings to her, without our men?
20 UJeremiya wasesithi ebantwini bonke, abesilisa labesifazane, ababemphendula,
Then Jeremiah said to all the people, to the men, and to the women, and to all the people who had given him [that] answer, saying,
21 “UThixo kakhumbulanga wanakana ngempepha elayitshisela emadolobheni akoJuda lasemigwaqweni yaseJerusalema lina laboyihlo, lamakhosi enu, lezikhulu zakini kanye labantu belizweni na?
The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it [not] into his mind?
22 Kwathi uThixo engaselakho ukubekezelela izenzo zenu ezimbi lezinto ezinengisayo elazenzayo, ilizwe lenu laba yinto yokuqalekiswa logwadule oluphundlekileyo olungahlali muntu njengoba kunjalo lanamhla.
So that the LORD could no longer bear, because of the evil of your doings, [and] because of the abominations which ye have committed; therefore is your land a desolation, and an astonishment, and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.
23 Umonakalo lo wehlele kini njengoba liwubona khathesi ngoba litshise impepha lenza okubi kuThixo njalo kalaze lamlalela loba lilandele umthetho wakhe kumbe imithetho yakhe loba izimiso zakhe.”
Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil hath happened to you, as at this day.
24 UJeremiya wasesithi ebantwini bonke, kubalwa labesifazane, “Zwanini ilizwi likaThixo lonke lina bantu bakoJuda abaseGibhithe.
Moreover, Jeremiah said to all the people, and to all the women, Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah that [are] in the land of Egypt:
25 UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Lina labomkenu selitshengisile ngezenzo zenu elathembisa ukukwenza lapho lathi, ‘Impela sizagcwalisa izifungo zethu esazenzayo zokutshisela iNdlovukazi yaseZulwini impepha kanye lokuyithululela iminikelo yokunathwayo.’ Ngakho qhubekani, yenzani elakuthembisayo. Gcwalisani izifungo zenu.
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying; Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths, and fulfilled with your hand, saying, We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings to her: ye will surely accomplish your vows, and surely perform your vows.
26 Kodwa zwanini ilizwi likaThixo lonke lina baJuda abahlala eGibhithe elithi: ‘Ngifunga ngebizo lami elidumileyo,’ kutsho uThixo, ‘ukuthi kakho ovela koJuda ohlala loba kungaphi eGibhithe ozabiza ibizo lami kumbe afunge esithi, “Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo Wobukhosi ekhona.”
Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD, all Judah that dwell in the land of Egypt; Behold, I have sworn by my great name, saith the LORD, that my name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, The Lord GOD liveth.
27 Ngoba ngilindele ukubenza okubi, hatshi okuhle. AmaJuda aseGibhithe azabhujiswa yinkemba lendlala aze aphele wonke.
Behold, I will watch over them for evil, and not for good: and all the men of Judah that [are] in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there shall be an end of them.
28 Labo abazaphepha enkembeni babuyele elizweni lakoJuda bevela eGibhithe bazakuba balutshwana. Lapho-ke bonke abayinsalela yakoJuda abayahlala eGibhithe bazakwazi ukuthi ilizwi elizakuma ngelikabani, elami kumbe elabo.
Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return from the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah, that have gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, shall know whose words shall stand, mine, or theirs.
29 Lokhu kuzakuba yisibonakaliso kini sokuthi ngizalijezisa kuyonale indawo,’ kutsho uThixo, ‘ukuze lazi ukuthi okubi engalisongela ngakho kuzakwenzakala.’
And this [shall be] a sign to you, saith the LORD, that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall surely stand against you for evil:
30 UThixo uthi: ‘Ngizanikela uFaro Hofira inkosi yaseGibhithe ezitheni zakhe ezifuna ukumbulala, njengalokhu nganikela uZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda kuNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, isitha sakhe esasifuna ukumbulala.’”
Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give Pharaoh-hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his life; as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, his enemy, and that sought his life.
