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.
Run ye through the streets of Jerusalem, [[saith Jehovah, ]] And see now, and know, and seek in her broad places If ye can find a single man, If there be one that doeth justice, That seeketh uprightness, And I will forgive her.
2 Lanxa nje besithi, ‘Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona,’ bajinge befunga amanga.”
Yea, though they say, “As Jehovah liveth!” Yet do 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.
Are not thine eyes upon the truth, O Jehovah! Thou hast smitten them, but they have not grieved; Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction; They have made their faces harder than a rock; They have refused to return.
4 Ngacabanga ngathi, “Laba ngabayanga nje, bayizithutha, ngoba indlela kaThixo kabayazi, lemilayo kaNkulunkulu wabo.
Then I said, These are only the poor; They are foolish, because they know not the way of Jehovah, The law of their God.
5 Ngakho-ke ngizakuya kubakhokheli ngikhulume labo, ngeqiniso indlela kaThixo bayayazi, lemilayo kaNkulunkulu wabo.” Kodwa nganhliziyonye labo balephula ijogwe baqamula lezibopho.
I will get me to the great ones, And I will speak to them; For they know the way of Jehovah, The law of their God. But these also have together broken the yoke; They have burst the bands.
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.
Therefore the lion out of the forest shall slay them, And the evening wolf shall destroy them. The leopard shall keep watch upon their cities; Every one that goeth out from them shall be torn in pieces; Because their transgressions are multiplied, Their rebellions are increased.
7 “Ngingalithethelela ngenxa yani na? Abantwana benu bangidelile, bafunga ngabonkulunkulu abangasibonkulunkulu, ngabanika konke abakuswelayo, kodwa bona bafeba baminyana ezindlini zezifebe.
How can I pardon thee for this? [[saith Jehovah; ]] Thy children have forsaken me, And sworn by them that are no gods. I have fed them to the full, yet do they commit adultery, And assemble themselves in crowds in the house of the harlot.
8 Bangamabhiza amaduna asuthayo, agcwele inkanuko, omunye lomunye ekhalela umfazi wenye indoda.
They are as well-fed horses in the morning; Every one neigheth after his neighbor's wife.
9 Ngingabajezisi kulokhu na?” kutsho uThixo. “Ngingaphindiseli esizweni esinjengalesi na?
Shall I not punish for these things, saith Jehovah? Shall I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?
10 Ngenani lidabule phakathi kwezivini zaso lizidlwengule, kodwa lingazitshabalalisi ngokupheleleyo. Phundlani ingatsha zalo, ngoba abantu laba kabasibo bakaThixo.
Go ye up upon her walls and destroy! Yet make ye not a full end! Take ye away her branches, For they belong not to Jehovah!
11 Indlu ka-Israyeli lendlu kaJuda kazithembekanga impela kimi,” kutsho uThixo.
For they have proved false to me, The house of Israel and the house of Judah, saith Jehovah.
12 Baqambe amanga ngoThixo bathi, “Kasoze enze lutho! Akulabubi obuzasehlela, kasiyikubona impi loba indlala.
They have denied Jehovah, And have said, “It is not He; Evil shall not come upon us, Nor shall we see sword or famine.
13 Abaphrofethi bangumoya nje, lelizwi kalikho kubo, ngakho abakutshoyo kakwenziwe kubo.”
The prophets are but wind, And the word is not in them; Thus may it 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.”
Therefore thus saith Jehovah, God of hosts: Because ye say such things, Behold, I will make thy words in thy mouth fire, And this people wood, And it shall 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, I will bring against you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, saith Jehovah; It is a mighty nation; It is an ancient nation; A nation whose language thou dost not know, And whose words thou canst not understand.
16 Imixhaka yaso ifana lengcwaba elivulekileyo, bonke bangamabutho alamandla.
Their quiver is like an open sepulchre; They are all mighty men.
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.
They shall consume thy harvest and thy bread; They shall consume thy sons and thy daughters; They shalt consume thy sheep and thy oxen; They shall consume thy vine and thy fig-tree; They shall destroy with the sword thy fortified cities, In which thou placest thy trust.
18 Ikanti langalezozinsuku,” kutsho uThixo, “angiyikuliqeda du.
Yet even in those days, saith Jehovah, I will not make a full end with 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 when they shall say, Wherefore hath Jehovah our God brought all these things upon us? Then shalt thou say to them, “As ye have forsaken me, And served strange gods in your land, So shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.”
20 Memezela lokhu endlini kaJakhobe njalo ukubike lakoJuda uthi:
Declare ye this in the house of Jacob, And publish it in Judah, saying:
21 Zwanini lokhu, lina zithutha zabantu abangelangqondo, abalamehlo kodwa kababoni, abalezindlebe kodwa kabezwa:
Hear ye now this, O foolish people and without understanding, Who have eyes and see not, Who have ears and hear not!
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.
Will ye not fear me, saith Jehovah? Will ye not tremble before me, Who appointed the sand a bound to the sea, A perpetual barrier, which it cannot pass? Though the waves thereof toss themselves, Yet do they not prevail, Though they roar, yet can they not pass over it.
23 Kodwa abantu laba balezinhliziyo ezilukhuni ezihlamukayo, baphambukile, balahleka.
But this people hath a revolting and rebellious heart; They revolt continually.
24 Kabatsho ezinhliziyweni zabo ukuthi, ‘Kasimesabeni uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu, onisa izulu ngesikhathi salo ekwindla lentwasa, osithembisa amaviki amiselwe ukuvuna.’
Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear Jehovah our God, Who giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in its season, And secureth to us the appointed weeks of the harvest.
25 Ukona kwenu kukuvimbele lokhu, izono zenu zilemuka okuhle.
Your iniquities have turned away these things, And your sins have withholden that which is good from you.
26 Phakathi kwabantu bami kulabantu ababi abacathama njengabantu abathiya izinyoni, lanjengalabo abathiya imijibila yokubamba abantu.
For among my people are found wicked men, Who lie on the watch like fowlers; They set a trap that they may catch men.
27 Njengezitsha ezigcwele izinyoni, izindlu zabo zigcwele inkohliso; sebenothile njalo sebelamandla
As a cage is full of birds, So are their houses full of fraud. Therefore are they grown great and rich;
28 sebezimukile njalo babancwaba. Izenzo zabo ezimbi kazilamkhawulo, kabakudingi ukulunga. Izintandane kabazikhulumeli ukuba zinqobe, amalungelo abayanga kabawavikeli.
They have become fat and shine; Yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked; They maintain no cause, No cause of the fatherless, and they prosper; And the right of the needy do they not defend.
29 Akumelanga ngibajezisele lokhu na?” kutsho uThixo. “Akumelanga ngiphindisele esizweni esinjengalesi na?
Shall I not punish for these things, saith Jehovah? Shall I not be avenged on such a nation as this?
30 Into eyesabekayo leyethusayo isiyenzakele kulelilizwe:
Astonishing and horrible is that which is done in this land;
31 Abaphrofethi baphrofitha amanga, abaphristi babusa ngamandla abo, labantu bami bakuthanda kunjalo. Kodwa lizakwenzani ekucineni?”
The prophets prophesy falsely, And the priests rule under their guidance, And my people love to have it so. But what will ye do in the end of it?
