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 to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in its broad places, if ye can find a man, if there is [any] that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.
2 Lanxa nje besithi, ‘Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona,’ bajinge befunga amanga.”
And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely 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, [are] not thy eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken 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.
Therefore I said, Surely these [are] poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, [nor] 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.
I will go to the great men, and will speak to them; for they have known the way of the LORD, [and] the judgment of their God: but these have altogether broken the yoke, [and] burst 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.
Wherefore a lion from the forest shall slay them, [and] a wolf of the evenings shall spoil them, a leopard shall watch over their cities: every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces: because their transgressions are many, [and] their backslidings are increased.
7 “Ngingalithethelela ngenxa yani na? Abantwana benu bangidelile, bafunga ngabonkulunkulu abangasibonkulunkulu, ngabanika konke abakuswelayo, kodwa bona bafeba baminyana ezindlini zezifebe.
How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by [them that are] no gods: when I had fed them to the full, then they committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses.
8 Bangamabhiza amaduna asuthayo, agcwele inkanuko, omunye lomunye ekhalela umfazi wenye indoda.
They were [as] fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbor's wife.
9 Ngingabajezisi kulokhu na?” kutsho uThixo. “Ngingaphindiseli esizweni esinjengalesi na?
Shall I not visit for these [things]? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged 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; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; 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 dealt very treacherously against me, saith the LORD.
12 Baqambe amanga ngoThixo bathi, “Kasoze enze lutho! Akulabubi obuzasehlela, kasiyikubona impi loba indlala.
They have belied the LORD, and said, [It is] not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:
13 Abaphrofethi bangumoya nje, lelizwi kalikho kubo, ngakho abakutshoyo kakwenziwe kubo.”
And the prophets shall become wind, and the word [is] not in them: thus shall it be done 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.”
Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, Behold, I will make my 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.
Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far, O house of Israel, saith the LORD: it [is] a mighty nation, it [is] an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.
16 Imixhaka yaso ifana lengcwaba elivulekileyo, bonke bangamabutho alamandla.
Their quiver [is] as an open sepulcher, 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.
And they shall eat up thy harvest, and thy bread, [which] thy sons and thy daughters should eat: they shall eat up thy flocks and thy herds: they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig-trees: they shall impoverish with the sword thy fortified cities, in which thou hast trusted.
18 Ikanti langalezozinsuku,” kutsho uThixo, “angiyikuliqeda du.
Nevertheless in those days, saith the LORD, 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 it shall come to pass, when ye shall say, Why doeth the LORD our God all these [things] to us? then shalt thou answer 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 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 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.
Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand [for] the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though its waves toss themselves, yet can 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 have a revolting and a rebellious heart; they have revolted and gone.
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 the LORD our God, that giveth rain, both the former and the latter, in its season: he reserveth to us the appointed weeks of harvest.
25 Ukona kwenu kukuvimbele lokhu, izono zenu zilemuka okuhle.
Your iniquities have turned away these [things], and your sins have withheld good [things] 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]: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they 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 deceit: therefore they have become great, and have grown rich.
28 sebezimukile njalo babancwaba. Izenzo zabo ezimbi kazilamkhawulo, kabakudingi ukulunga. Izintandane kabazikhulumeli ukuba zinqobe, amalungelo abayanga kabawavikeli.
They have become fat, they shine: yes, they surpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.
29 Akumelanga ngibajezisele lokhu na?” kutsho uThixo. “Akumelanga ngiphindisele esizweni esinjengalesi na?
Shall I not visit for these [things]? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
30 Into eyesabekayo leyethusayo isiyenzakele kulelilizwe:
A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land;
31 Abaphrofethi baphrofitha amanga, abaphristi babusa ngamandla abo, labantu bami bakuthanda kunjalo. Kodwa lizakwenzani ekucineni?”
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love [to have it] so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
