UJeremiya 5
1 “Yehla ukhwele ngemigwaqo yaseJerusalema, ukhangele emaceleni wonke, ucabange, uhlolisise wonke amagceke ayo. Nxa ungathola umuntu oyedwa nje oqhuba ngobuqotho efuna iqiniso, ngizalithethelela idolobho leli.
“Travel the streets of Jerusalem; and gaze, and consider, and seek, in its wide streets. If you can find a man exercising judgment and seeking faith, then I will be forgiving to them.
2 Lanxa nje besithi, ‘Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona,’ bajinge befunga amanga.”
For even though they say, ‘As the Lord lives,’ in this, too, they swear falsely.”
3 Awu Thixo, amehlo akho kawadingi qiniso na? Wabatshaya, kodwa kabezwanga buhlungu, wabahlifiza, kodwa bala ukuqondiswa. Benza ubuso babo baba lukhuni kulamatshe, bala ukuphenduka.
O Lord, your eyes look with favor upon faith. You have struck them, and they have not grieved. You have bruised them, and they have refused to accept discipline. They have hardened their faces more than rock, and they are not willing to return.
4 Ngacabanga ngathi, “Laba ngabayanga nje, bayizithutha, ngoba indlela kaThixo kabayazi, lemilayo kaNkulunkulu wabo.
But I said: Perhaps these are the poor and the senseless, who are ignorant of the way of the Lord, of the judgment of their God.
5 Ngakho-ke ngizakuya kubakhokheli ngikhulume labo, ngeqiniso indlela kaThixo bayayazi, lemilayo kaNkulunkulu wabo.” Kodwa nganhliziyonye labo balephula ijogwe baqamula lezibopho.
Therefore, I will go to great men, and I will speak with them. For they have known the way of the Lord, the judgment of their God. And behold, these ones have broken the yoke all the more; they have torn apart the bonds.
6 Ngakho isilwane esivela ehlathini sizabahlasela, lempisi evela enkangala ibadlwengule, ingwe izabacathamela eduze lamadolobho abo ukudabudabula loba ngubani ophumayo, ngoba iziphambeko zabo zinkulu, lokuhlehlela kwabo emuva kunengi.
For this reason, a lion from the forest has struck them down, a wolf toward evening has laid waste to them, a leopard lies in wait over their cities. All who go out from there will be taken. For their transgressions have been multiplied; their rebellions have been strengthened.
7 “Ngingalithethelela ngenxa yani na? Abantwana benu bangidelile, bafunga ngabonkulunkulu abangasibonkulunkulu, ngabanika konke abakuswelayo, kodwa bona bafeba baminyana ezindlini zezifebe.
“Over which things am I able to be merciful to you? Your sons have forsaken me, and they swear by those who are not gods. I gave them everything, and they committed adultery, and they indulged themselves in the house of the harlot.
8 Bangamabhiza amaduna asuthayo, agcwele inkanuko, omunye lomunye ekhalela umfazi wenye indoda.
They have become like wild horses in heat; each one was neighing after his neighbor’s wife.
9 Ngingabajezisi kulokhu na?” kutsho uThixo. “Ngingaphindiseli esizweni esinjengalesi na?
Shall I not visit against these things, says the Lord? And shall my soul not take vengeance on a nation such as this?
10 Ngenani lidabule phakathi kwezivini zaso lizidlwengule, kodwa lingazitshabalalisi ngokupheleleyo. Phundlani ingatsha zalo, ngoba abantu laba kabasibo bakaThixo.
Scale its walls and tear them down. But do not be willing to bring about its very end. Take away its plantings, for they are not the Lord’s.
11 Indlu ka-Israyeli lendlu kaJuda kazithembekanga impela kimi,” kutsho uThixo.
For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have greatly transgressed against me, says the Lord.
12 Baqambe amanga ngoThixo bathi, “Kasoze enze lutho! Akulabubi obuzasehlela, kasiyikubona impi loba indlala.
They have denied the Lord, and they have said, ‘It is not him,’ and, ‘Evil will not overwhelm us. We will not see famine and the sword.’
13 Abaphrofethi bangumoya nje, lelizwi kalikho kubo, ngakho abakutshoyo kakwenziwe kubo.”
The prophets have spoken into the wind, and there was no answer with them. Therefore, these things will happen to them.”
14 Ngakho-ke uThixo uNkulunkulu uSomandla uthi: “Njengoba abantu sebekhulume amazwi la, ngizakwenza amazwi ami emlonyeni wakho abe ngumlilo labantu laba babe zinkuni oziqothulayo.”
Thus says the Lord, the God of hosts: “Since you have spoken this word, behold, I will make my words in your mouth like fire and this people like wood, and it will devour them.
15 UThixo uthi, “Wena ndlu ka-Israyeli, ngizaletha isizwe esivela khatshana ukuba sikuhlasele, isizwe esidala esiqinileyo, isizwe ulimi lwaso ongalwaziyo, lenkulumo yaso ongayizwayo.
Behold, O house of Israel, I will lead over you a far away nation, says the Lord, a robust nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you will not know, nor will you understand what they are saying.
16 Imixhaka yaso ifana lengcwaba elivulekileyo, bonke bangamabutho alamandla.
Their quiver is like an open sepulcher. They are all strong.
17 Bazatshwabadela amabele enu lokudla kwenu, batshwabadele amadodana enu kanye lamadodakazi enu, bazatshwabadela izimvu zenu kanye lenkomo zenu, bazatshwabadela amavini enu kanye lemikhiwa yenu. Amadolobho avikelweyo eliwathembileyo bazawachitha ngenkemba.
And they will consume your grain fields and your bread. They will devour your sons and your daughters. They will consume your flocks and your herds. They will consume your vineyards and your figs. And with the sword, they will crush your fortified cities, in which you have placed your trust.
18 Ikanti langalezozinsuku,” kutsho uThixo, “angiyikuliqeda du.
Yet truly, in those days, says the Lord, I will not bring the consummation over you.
19 Lapho abantu bebuza besithi, ‘Kungani uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu enze konke lokhu kithi?’ Batshele uthi, ‘Njengoba lingilahlile lakhonza onkulunkulu bezizweni elizweni lenu, ngokunjalo khathesi lizasebenzela abezizweni elizweni elingayisilo lenu.’
And if they say, ‘Why has the Lord our God done all these things to us?’ You shall say to them: ‘Just as you have abandoned me and have served a strange god in your own land, so will you serve strangers in a land not your own.’
20 Memezela lokhu endlini kaJakhobe njalo ukubike lakoJuda uthi:
Announce this to the house of Jacob, and make it known in Judah, saying:
21 Zwanini lokhu, lina zithutha zabantu abangelangqondo, abalamehlo kodwa kababoni, abalezindlebe kodwa kabezwa:
Listen, O foolish people who have no heart! You have eyes, but you do not see, and ears, but you do not hear.
22 Akumelanga lingesabe na?” kutsho uThixo. “Kaliyikuthuthumela phambi kwami na? Ngenza itshebetshebe laba ngumngcele wolwandle umkhawulo wanini lanini olungeke luweqe. Amagagasi angavinqoza, kodwa awangeke edlule, angahlokoma, kodwa awangeke aweqe.
So then, will you not fear me, says the Lord. And will you not have sorrow before my face? I have placed the shore as a limit for the sea, as an everlasting precept that it will not transgress. And its waves will crash, but they will not prevail; and its waves will swell, but they will not go across.
23 Kodwa abantu laba balezinhliziyo ezilukhuni ezihlamukayo, baphambukile, balahleka.
But the heart of this people has become incredulous and provocative; they have turned away and departed.
24 Kabatsho ezinhliziyweni zabo ukuthi, ‘Kasimesabeni uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu, onisa izulu ngesikhathi salo ekwindla lentwasa, osithembisa amaviki amiselwe ukuvuna.’
And they have not said in their heart: ‘Let us dread the Lord our God, who gives us the timely and the late rains, in their proper time, who guards the full measure of the yearly harvest for us.’
25 Ukona kwenu kukuvimbele lokhu, izono zenu zilemuka okuhle.
Your iniquities have turned these things away, and your sins have held back good things from you.
26 Phakathi kwabantu bami kulabantu ababi abacathama njengabantu abathiya izinyoni, lanjengalabo abathiya imijibila yokubamba abantu.
For the impious are found among my people; they lie in ambush like fowlers setting snares, for they set traps to catch men.
27 Njengezitsha ezigcwele izinyoni, izindlu zabo zigcwele inkohliso; sebenothile njalo sebelamandla
Just as a snare is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit. As a result, they have become exalted and enriched.
28 sebezimukile njalo babancwaba. Izenzo zabo ezimbi kazilamkhawulo, kabakudingi ukulunga. Izintandane kabazikhulumeli ukuba zinqobe, amalungelo abayanga kabawavikeli.
They have grown stout and fat. And they have transgressed my words most wickedly. They have not judged the case of the widow; they have not given guidance to the case of the orphan; and they have not judged a judgment for the poor.
29 Akumelanga ngibajezisele lokhu na?” kutsho uThixo. “Akumelanga ngiphindisele esizweni esinjengalesi na?
Shall I not visit against these things, says the Lord? Or shall my soul not take vengeance on a nation of this kind?
30 Into eyesabekayo leyethusayo isiyenzakele kulelilizwe:
Astonishing and wondrous things have been done upon the earth.
31 Abaphrofethi baphrofitha amanga, abaphristi babusa ngamandla abo, labantu bami bakuthanda kunjalo. Kodwa lizakwenzani ekucineni?”
The prophets have prophesied lies, and the priests have applauded with their hands, and my people have loved these things. So then, what shall be done at the very end?”
