UJeremiya 6
1 “Balekani ukuze liphephe, bantu bakoBhenjamini! Balekani eJerusalema! Tshayani icilongo eThekhowa! Phakamisani uphawu phezu kweBhethi-Hakheremi. Ngoba umonakalo uyabonakala ngasenyakatho, kanye lencithakalo eyesabekayo.
Run and hide, descendants of Benjamin, get out of Jerusalem! Blow the trumpet in Tekoa; light a signal fire in Beth-haccherem, for disaster and terrible destruction is arriving from the north.
2 Indodakazi yaseZiyoni enhle kangaka lebucayi ngizayibhubhisa.
Even though she is pretty and delightful, I will destroy the Daughter of Zion.
3 Abelusi lemihlambi yabo bazakuza bamelane layo; bazamisa amathente abo eyihanqile, lowo lalowo elinde indawo yakhe.”
“Shepherds” and their “flocks” will come to attack her; they will set up their tents all around her, each one looking after his own.
4 “Lungelani ukulwa layo! Vukani, kasihlaseleni emini! Kodwa, habe, ukukhanya sekufiphala, lamathunzi okuhlwa asesiba made.
They get ready for battle against her, saying, “Come on, we'll attack at noon! Oh no, the day is almost over, the evening shadows are growing long.
5 Ngakho vukani, kasihlaseleni ebusuku sidilize izinqaba zayo!”
Come on, we'll attack at night instead and destroy her fortresses!”
6 UThixo uSomandla uthi: “Gamulani izihlahla liziwise lakhe imiduli yokuvimbezela iJerusalema. Idolobho leli kumele lijeziswe, ligcwele ukuncindezela.
This is what the Lord Almighty says: Cut down the trees and make a siege ramp to use against Jerusalem. This city needs to be punished because it's full of people mistreating one another.
7 Njengomthombo ugobhoza amanzi awo, ngokunjalo lalo ligobhoza ububi balo. Udlakela lokubhubhisa kuyezwakala phakathi kwalo, umkhuhlane walo lamanxeba ngihlezi ngikukhangele.
Like a spring gushing out water, so she pours out her evil. The sounds of violence and abuse echo inside her. I see people sick and wounded everywhere.
8 Xwayiseka, we Jerusalema, hlezi ngikutshiye, lelizwe lakho ngilichithe, kungabi lomuntu ohlala kulo.”
I'm warning you, people of Jerusalem, I'm going to give up on you in disgust. I will destroy you and leave your country uninhabited.
9 UThixo uSomandla uthi: “Kababuthe izinsalela zako-Israyeli ngokupheleleyo njengevini, dlulisa futhi isandla sakho phezu kwezingatsha, njengomuntu ovuna amavini.”
This is what the Lord Almighty says: Even those left in Israel will be taken, just as grapes left on a vine are taken by the one harvesting the grapes who checks the branches again.
10 Ngubani engingakhuluma laye ngimxwayise na? Ngubani ozangilalela na? Indlebe zabo zivalekile ngakho abangeke bezwe. Ilizwi likaThixo liyisinengiso kubo. Kabafumani ntokozo kulo.
Who can I give this warning to? Who's going to listen to me? Can't you see that they refuse to listen? They can't hear what I'm saying. See how offensive the Lord's message is to them. They don't like it at all.
11 Kodwa mina ngiyafuthelana ngolaka lukaThixo, ngingeke ngibe ngisalugodla ngaphakathi. “Lwehlisele phezu kwabantwana emgwaqweni laphezu kwamajaha abuthene ndawonye, bobabili indoda lomkayo luzabehlela, kanye labadala, labo abakhulelwa yiminyaka.
But as for me, I'm full of the Lord's anger; I have a hard time keeping it in. The Lord replies, Pour it out on children in the street, and on groups of young people, because both husband and wife are going to be captured—it's everyone, and it doesn't matter how old they are.
12 Izindlu zabo zizanikwa abanye, konke lamasimu abo kanye labafazi babo, lapho ngiselula isandla sami ngimelana lalabo abahlala elizweni,” kutsho uThixo.
Their houses will be given to others, their fields and wives too, because I'm going to punish everyone living in this country, declares the Lord.
13 “Kusukela kwabancane kusiya kwabakhulu, bonke bayizihwaba ezifuna inzuzo, banjalo abaphrofethi kanye labaphristi, bonke benza inkohliso.
Everyone cheats because they're greedy, poor and rich alike. Even prophets and priests—they are all dishonest liars!
14 Babopha inxeba labantu bami kungathi kalilibi kakhulu. Bathi, ‘Ukuthula, ukuthula,’ khona ukuthula kungekho.
They give my wounded people first aid, but they don't really care about them. They tell them, “Don't worry! We have peace!” even as war approaches.
15 Bayayangeka na ngokuziphatha kwabo okwenyanyekayo? Hatshi, bavele kabalazo inhloni lokuyangeka kabakwazi. Ngakho bazawela phakathi kwabawileyo, bazakwehliselwa phansi lapho sengibajezisa,” kutsho uThixo.
Were they ashamed of the disgusting things they did? No, they weren't ashamed at all, they couldn't even blush. So they will fall just like the others, when I punish them; they will drop down dead, says the Lord.
16 UThixo, uthi: “Manini emahlanganweni emigwaqo likhangele, libuze izindledlana ezindala, libuze lapho okulendlela enhle khona, lihambe ngayo, lizathola ukuphumula kwemiphefumulo yenu. Kodwa lina lithe, ‘Kasiyikuhamba ngayo.’
This is what the Lord says: Go and stand where the roads divide, and look. Find out which are the old paths. Ask, “What's the right way?” Then follow it and you'll be content. But you refused, saying, “We won't go that way!”
17 Ngalibekela abantu bokulilinda ngathi, ‘Lalelani ukukhala kwecilongo!’ Kodwa lina lathi, ‘Kasiyikulalela.’
I put watchmen in charge of you and told you, make sure you listen for the trumpet call warning you of danger. But you answered, “We won't listen!”
18 Ngakho zwanini, lina zizwe, khangelani, lina elingofakazi, libone okuzakwenzakala kubo.
So now you other nations can listen and find out what's going to happen to them.
19 Zwana, wena mhlaba, ngiletha umonakalo phezu kwabantu laba, izithelo zamaqhinga abo, ngoba kabawalalelanga amazwi ami njalo bawalile lomthetho wami.
Earth, you listen too! I am bringing disaster down on this people, the end result of what they themselves planned. It's because they paid no attention to what I said, and rejected my instructions.
20 Ngilani lempepha yaseShebha loba imfe evela elizweni elikude na? Iminikelo yenu yokutshiswa kayamukeleki, imihlatshelo yenu kayingithokozisi.”
What's the point of offering me frankincense from Sheba or sweet calamus from a far-away land? I don't accept your burnt offerings; I'm not pleased with your sacrifices.
21 Ngakho uThixo uthi: “Ngizabeka imigoqo phambi kwalababantu. Abazali labantwana bazakhubeka kuyo, omakhelwane labangane bazabhubha.”
So this is what the Lord says: I'm going to put blocks in front of these people to trip them up. Fathers and sons will fall down dead, friends and neighbors too.
22 UThixo uthi: “Khangelani, ibutho liyeza livela elizweni lasenyakatho, isizwe esikhulu siyadungwa kusukela emikhawulweni yomhlaba.
This is what the Lord says: Look! An army is invading from the north; a powerful nation is getting ready to attack all the way from the ends of the earth.
23 Bahlome ngamadandili langemikhonto, balesihluku kabalasihawu. Bezwakala njengolwandle oluhlokomayo lapho begade amabhiza abo, beza njengabantu abalungele impi ukuba bakuhlasele, wena Ndodakazi yaseZiyoni.”
They pick up their bows and spears. They are cruel and show no mercy. Their war-cries are like the sea roaring, and they ride horses lined up ready to attack you, Daughter of Zion.
24 Sesizwe imibiko ngabo, njalo izandla zethu zilenga zingelamandla. Usizi lusibambile, ubuhlungu obunjengowesifazane ohelelwayo.
The people reply, “We've heard the news, and our hands are limp with shock! We're overcome with agony, suffering pain like a woman in labor.
25 Lingayi phandle egangeni, loba lihambe emigwaqweni, ngoba isitha silenkemba, njalo silencithakalo emaceleni wonke.
Don't go to the field! Don't walk down the road! The enemy is armed with swords! Terror is everywhere!”
26 Awu bantu bami, gqokani amasaka, lizibhuqe emlotheni, khalani lilile kabuhlungu njengokwendodana eyiyo yodwa, ngoba masinyane nje umchithi uzafika kithi.
Oh my people, put on sackcloth and roll around in ashes. Mourn and cry bitterly like you would for an only son, because the destroyer will come down on you suddenly.
27 “Ngikwenze umhloli wezinsimbi labantu bami babayilitshe elixubene lensimbi ukuba ukhangele ubone ube usuhlola izindlela zabo.
Jeremiah, I have made you a tester of metals so you can test my people as if they were metal, so you can know what they're made of and how they act.
28 Bonke bangabahlamuki abalukhuni, abahamba behleba. Balithusi lensimbi, bonke benza ukuxhwala.
They're all stubborn rebels going around talking slander. They are hard as bronze and iron; they are all corrupt.
29 Imvutho ivutha okwesabekayo incibilikisa umnusu ngokutshisa komlilo kodwa ukucenga kuqhubeka kuyize, ababi kabakhutshwanga.
The bellows in the refiner's furnace blow powerfully, burning away the lead. But this refining is pointless, because the wicked are not purified.
30 Kuthiwa bayisiliva esilahliweyo, ngoba uThixo usebalahlile.”
They are identified as impure silver to be rejected, because the Lord has rejected them.
