UJeremiya 46
1 Leli yilizwi likaThixo elafika kuJeremiya umphrofethi mayelana lezizwe:
The word of the Lord that came to Jeremias the prophet against the Gentiles,
2 Mayelana leGibhithe: Leli yilizwi elimayelana lebutho likaFaro Nekho inkosi yaseGibhithe, elanqotshwayo eKharikhemishi emfuleni iYufrathe nguNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni ngomnyaka wesine kaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda:
Against Egypt, against the army of Pharao Nechao king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Charcamis, whom Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon defeated, in the fourth year of Joakim the son of Josias king of Juda.
3 “Lungisani amahawu enu, amakhulu lamancane, liphume liye empini.
Prepare ye the shield and buckler, and go forth to battle.
4 Bophani amabhiza, liwagade! Manini ezindaweni zenu lilezingowane zenu! Lolani imikhonto yenu, ligqoke impahla zempi!
Harness the horses, and get up, ye horsemen: stand forth with helmets, furbish the spears, put on coats of mail.
5 Kuyini engikubonayo? Bayesaba, bahlehlela emuva, amabutho abo ehlulwe. Abaleka ngesiqubu anganyemukuli, njalo kulokwesaba izindawo zonke,” kutsho uThixo.
What then? I have seen them dismayed, and turning their backs, their valiant ones slain: they fled apace, and they looked not back: terror was round about, saith the Lord.
6 “Olejubane kasoze abaleke kumbe olamandla aphephe. Ngasenyakatho, emfuleni iYufrathe bayakhubeka bawe.
Let not the swift flee away, nor the strong think to escape: they are overthrown, and fallen down, towards the north by the river Euphrates.
7 Ngubani lo ophakama njengeNayili, njengemifula elamanzi agubhazelayo na?
Who is this that cometh up as a flood: and his streams swell like those of rivers?
8 IGibhithe liphakama njengeNayili, njengemifula elamanzi agubhazelayo. Lithi: ‘Ngizaphakama ngembese umhlaba; ngizachitha amadolobho labantu bawo.’
Egypt riseth up like a flood, and the waves thereof shall be moved as rivers, and he shall say: I will go up and will cover the earth: I will destroy the city, and its inhabitants.
9 Hlaselani, lina mabhiza! Qhubekani ngentukuthelo, lina zinqola zempi! Yanini phambili, lina mabutho, madoda aseKhushi lawePhuthi, aphatha amahawu, madoda aseLudi agoba idandili.
Get ye up on horses, and glory in chariots, and let the valiant men come forth, the Ethiopians, and the Libyans that hold the shield, and the Lydians that take, and shoot arrows.
10 Kodwa usuku lolo ngolweNkosi, uThixo uSomandla, usuku lokuphindisela, olokuphindisela ezitheni zakhe. Inkemba izakudla ize isuthe, ize icitshe ukoma kwayo ngegazi. Ngoba iNkosi, uThixo uSomandla uzanikela umhlatshelo elizweni lasenyakatho ngasemfuleni iYufrathe.
For this is the day of the Lord the God of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may revenge himself of his enemies: the sword shall devour, and shall be filled, and shall be drunk with their blood: for there is a sacrifice of the Lord God of hosts in the north country, by the river Euphrates.
11 Yana eGiliyadi uyethatha umuthi wokwelapha, wena Ndodakazi egcweleyo yaseGibhithe. Kodwa imithi uyandisela ize; akukho kusila kuwe.
Go up into Galaad, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt: in vain dost thou multiply medicines, there shall be no cure for thee.
12 Izizwe zizakuzwa ngehlazo lakho; ukukhala kwakho kuzagcwala umhlaba. Elinye ibutho lizakhubeka kwelinye; womabili azawela phansi ndawonye.”
The nations have heard of thy disgrace, and thy howling hath filled the land: for the strong hath stumbled against the strong, and both are fallen together.
13 Leli yilizwi uThixo alikhuluma kuJeremiya umphrofethi ngokuza kukaNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni ukuba ahlasele iGibhithe:
The word that the Lord spoke to Jeremias the prophet, how Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon should come and strike the land of Egypt:
14 “Memezelani lokhu eGibhithe, likubike laseMigidoli; kumemezeleni njalo laseMemfisi laseThahiphanesi lithi: ‘Manini ezindaweni zenu lilunge, ngoba inkemba idla abakhelene lani.’
Declare ye to Egypt, and publish it in Magdal, and let it be known in Memphis, and in Taphnis: say ye: Stand up, and prepare thyself: for the sword shall devour all round about thee.
15 Amabutho enu azabulawelwani na? Angeke ame, ngoba uThixo uzawalahlela phansi.
Why are thy valiant men come to nothing? they stood not: because the Lord hath overthrown them.
16 Azakhubeka kokuphela; azakuwa elekane. Azakuthi, ‘Vukani, kasibuyeleni emuva ebantwini bakithi lasemazweni akithi, kude kwenkemba yomncindezeli.’
He hath multiplied them that fall, and one hath fallen upon another, and they shall say: Arise, and let us return to our own people, and to the land our nativity, from the sword of the dove.
17 Khonale bazamemeza bathi, ‘UFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe ingumsindo omkhulu nje kuphela; uselahlekelwe lithuba lakhe.’
Call ye the name of Pharao king Egypt, a tumult time hath brought.
18 Ngeqiniso elinjengokuthi ngikhona,” kutsho iNkosi, obizo layo nguThixo uSomandla, “kuzafika omunye onjengoThabhori phakathi kwezintaba, njengoKhameli ngasolwandle.
As I live, (saith the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts, ) as Thabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.
19 Lungisani impahla zekuthunjweni, lina abahlala eGibhithe, ngoba iMemfisi izadilizwa ibe lunxiwa olungahlali muntu.
Furnish thyself to go into captivity, thou daughter inhabitant of Egypt: for Memphis shall be made desolate, and shall be forsaken and uninhabited.
20 IGibhithe ilithokazi elihle, kodwa isibawu siyeza silisongela sivela enyakatho.
Egypt is like a fair and beautiful heifer: there shall come from the north one that shall goad her.
21 Amabutho okuqatshwa aphakathi kwalo anjengamathole anonisiweyo. Lawo azaphenduka abaleke endawonye, kawayikuma, ngoba usuku lomonakalo luyeza phezu kwabo, isikhathi sabo sokujeziswa.
Her hirelings also that lived in the midst of her, like fatted calves are turned back, and are fled away together, and they could not stand, for the day of their slaughter is come upon them, the time of their visitation.
22 IGibhithe izakhwaza njengenyoka ebalekayo lapho isitha sisondela ngobunengi baso; sizayihlasela ngamahloka okwabantu abagamula izihlahla.
Her voice shall sound like brass, for they shall hasten with an army, and with axes they shall come against her, as hewers of wood.
23 Sizagamula amahlathi ayo,” kutsho uThixo, “lanxa eminyene kanjani. Banengi kulentethe, ngeke babalwe.
They have cut down her forest, saith the Lord, which cannot be counted: they are multiplied above locusts, and are without number.
24 Indodakazi yaseGibhithe izayangiswa, inikelwe ebantwini basenyakatho.”
The daughter of Egypt is confounded, and delivered into the hand of the people of the north.
25 UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: “Sekuseduze ukuba ngijezise u-Amoni unkulunkulu waseThebesi, loFaro, leGibhithe kanye labonkulunkulu balo lamakhosi alo, lalabo abathembe uFaro.
The Lord of hosts the God of Israel hath said: Behold I will visit upon the tumult of Alexandria, and upon Pharao, and upon Egypt, and upon her gods, and upon her kings, and upon Pharao, upon them that trust in him.
26 Ngizabanikela kulabo abafuna ukubabulala, kuNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni lezikhulu zakhe. Kodwa muva, iGibhithe lizahlalwa ngabantu futhi njengasezinsukwini zakudala,” kutsho uThixo.
And I will deliver them into the hand of them that seek their lives, into the hand of Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterwards it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the Lord.
27 “Ungesabi, wena Jakhobe nceku yami; ungathuthumeli, wena Israyeli. Impela ngizakukhulula endaweni ekude, lenzalo yakho elizweni lokuthunjwa kwayo. UJakhobe uzakuba lokuthula futhi kanye lokuvikeleka, njalo kakho ozamthuthumelisa.
And thou my servant Jacob, fear not and be not thou dismayed, O Israel: for behold I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed out of the land of thy captivity: and Jacob shall return and be at rest, and prosper: and there shall be none to terrify him.
28 Ungesabi wena Jakhobe nceku yami ngoba ngilawe,” kutsho uThixo. “Lanxa ngizachitha ngokupheleleyo izizwe zonke engakuhlakazela kuzo, wena angiyikukuchitha ngokupheleleyo. Ngizakujezisa kodwa ngokufaneleyo kuphela; angiyikukuyekela nje ungajeziswanga.”
And thou, my servant Jacob, fear not, saith the Lord: because I am with thee, for I will consume all the nations to which I have cast thee out: but thee I will not consume, but I will correct thee in judgment, neither will I spare thee as if thou wert innocent.
