UJeremiya 7
1 Leli yilizwi elafika kuJeremiya livela kuThixo lisithi:
The word that came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,
2 “Mana esangweni lendlu kaThixo umemezele ilizwi leli ukhonapho uthi: ‘Zwanini ilizwi likaThixo, lonke lina bantu bakoJuda abangena ngala amasango ukuzakhonza uThixo.
Stand in the gate of Jehovah's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear ye the word of Jehovah, all Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship Jehovah.
3 UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Lungisani izindlela zenu lezenzo zenu, ukuze ngilivumele ukuba lihlale kule indawo.
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.
4 Lingathembi amazwi akhohlisayo lithi, “Leli lithempeli likaThixo, ithempeli likaThixo, ithempeli likaThixo!”
Confide ye not in words of falsehood, saying, Jehovah's temple, Jehovah's temple, Jehovah's temple is this.
5 Lingalungisa izindlela zenu lezenzo zenu sibili liphathane ngokulunga,
But if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if ye really do justice between a man and his neighbour,
6 nxa lingancindezeli owezizweni, izintandane loba umfelokazi njalo lingachithi gazi elingelacala kule indawo, njalo nxa lingalandeli abanye onkulunkulu okuzalilimaza,
[if] ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed no innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt;
7 ngizalivumela ukuba lihlale kule indawo, elizweni engalinika okhokho benu ukuba libe ngelabo kuze kube nini lanini.
then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers from of old even for ever.
8 Kodwa khangelani, lina lithemba amazwi akhohlisayo angasizi lutho.
Behold, ye confide in words of falsehood that cannot profit.
9 Kambe lizantshontsha njalo libulale, lifebe, lifunge amanga, litshisele uBhali impepha njalo lilandele abanye onkulunkulu elingakaze libazi,
What? steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not...
10 beselisizakuma phambi kwami kuyonale indlu, eleBizo lami, lithi, “Sivikelekile,” livikeleka ukuba lenze zonke lezizinto ezenyanyekayo na?
then ye come and stand before me, in this house which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered, — in order to do all these abominations!
11 Indlu le, eleBizo lami, seyaba lubhalu lwabaphangi na? Kodwa kade ngikhangele! kutsho uThixo.
Is this house, which is called by my name, a den of robbers in your eyes? Even I, behold, I have seen it, saith Jehovah.
12 Hambani khathesi endaweni yami eShilo lapho engenza khona kuqala indawo yokuhlala iBizo lami, libone engakwenza kuyo ngenxa yobubi babantu bami bako-Israyeli.
For go now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I caused my name to dwell at the first, and see what I did to it, for the wickedness of my people Israel.
13 UThixo uthi, kwathi lapho lisenza lezizinto, mina ngakhuluma lani futhifuthi, kodwa kalingilalelanga, ngalibiza, kalaze lasabela.
And now, because ye have done all these works, saith Jehovah, and I spoke unto you, rising up early and speaking, and ye heard not, and I called you, and ye answered not;
14 Ngakho-ke, lokho engakwenza eShilo khathesi ngizakwenza kule indlu eleBizo lami, ithempeli elilithembileyo, indawo engalinika yona lina kanye labokhokho benu.
I will even do unto the house which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh;
15 Ngizalixotsha phambi kwami, njengalokho engakwenza abafowenu bonke, abantu bako-Efrayimi.’
and I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, all the seed of Ephraim.
16 Ngakho abantu laba ungabakhulekeli loba ubakhulumele kumbe ubenzele isicelo; ungangincengi ngoba angiyikukulalela.
And thou, pray not for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, and make not intercession to me; for I will not hear thee.
17 Abakwenzayo emadolobheni akoJuda lasemigwaqweni yaseJerusalema kawukuboni na?
Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem?
18 Abantwana batheza inkuni, oyise babasa imililo, labesifazane baxova inhlama benzele iNdlovukazi yaseZulwini isinkwa. Bathelela abanye onkulunkulu iminikelo yokunathwayo ukuba bangithukuthelise.
The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
19 Kodwa yimi abangithukuthelisayo na? kutsho uThixo. Kabazilimazi bona ngokwabo na, okulihlazo kubo?
Is it I whom they provoke to anger? saith Jehovah; is it not themselves, to the shame of their own face?
20 ‘Ngakho uThixo Wobukhosi uthi: Ukuthukuthela kwami lolaka lwami kuzakwehliselwa kule indawo, phezu kwabantu lasezinyamazaneni, phezu kwezihlahla zeganga laphezu kwezithelo zomhlabathi; njalo kuzakutsha kungacitsheki.
Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place; upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.
21 UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Qhubekani, fakani iminikelo yenu yokutshiswa kweminye imihlatshelo yenu lidle inyama lina ngokwenu!
Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Add your burnt-offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh.
22 Ngoba ekukhupheni kwami okhokho benu eGibhithe ngikhuluma labo, angizange ngibanike imilayo nje kuphela ngeminikelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo,
For I spoke not unto your fathers, nor commanded them concerning burnt-offerings and sacrifices, in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt;
23 kodwa ngabanika umlayo lo othi: Ngilalelani, njalo ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wenu lina libe ngabantu bami. Hambani ngezindlela zonke engililaye zona, ukuze kulilungele.
but I commanded them this thing, saying, Hearken unto my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people; and walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.
24 Kodwa kabazange balalele kumbe banake; esikhundleni salokho, bona balandela inkani yentando yezinhliziyo zabo ezimbi. Baya emuva hatshi phambili.
But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels, in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward.
25 Kusukela ngesikhathi okhokho benu besuka eGibhithe kuze kube khathesi, usuku ngosuku, njalonjalo ngalithumela izinceku zami abaphrofethi.
Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt, unto this day, have I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them;
26 Kodwa kabangilalelanga kumbe banake. Babelentamo ezilukhuni njalo benza ububi obudlula obabokhokho babo.’
but they have not hearkened unto me, nor inclined their ear; and they have hardened their neck: they have done worse than their fathers.
27 Lapho ubatshela konke lokhu, kabayikukulalela; lalapho ubabiza, kabayikusabela.
And thou shalt speak all these words unto them, but they will not hearken unto thee; and thou shalt call unto them, but they will not answer thee.
28 Ngakho batshele uthi, ‘Lesi yisizwe esingalalelanga uThixo uNkulunkulu waso kumbe sivume ukuqondiswa. Iqiniso selifile; kalisekho ezindebeni zabo.
And thou shalt say unto them, This is the nation which hath not hearkened unto the voice of Jehovah their God, nor received correction; fidelity is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.
29 Gelani inwele zenu lizilahlele khatshana; lenze isililo emiqolweni elugwadule, ngoba uThixo usesalile wasidela isizukulwane lesi esingaphanasi kolaka lwakhe.’”
Cut off thy hair, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on the heights; for Jehovah hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.
30 “‘Abantu bakoJuda benze ububi phambi kwami, kutsho uThixo. Bamise izithombe zabo ezenyanyekayo endlini eleBizo lami balingcolisa.
For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith Jehovah; they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to defile it.
31 Sebakhe izindawo eziphakemeyo zaseThofethi esigodini saseBheni-Hinomu ukuba batshisele khona amadodana lamadodakazi abo ngomlilo, into engingabalayanga yona, engazange ifike engqondweni yami.
And they have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded not, neither did it come up into my mind.
32 Ngakho qaphelani, insuku ziyeza, kutsho uThixo, lapho abantu bengayikuyithi yiThofethi kumbe iSigodi saseBheni-Hinomu, kodwa iSigodi sokuBulala, ngoba abafileyo bazabangcwaba eThofethi kuze kusweleke indawo.
Therefore, behold, days are coming, saith Jehovah, when it shall no more be said, Topheth, and Valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter; for they shall bury in Topheth, till there be no place.
33 Lapho-ke izidumbu zabantu laba zizakuba yikudla kwezinyoni zasemoyeni lezinyamazana zomhlaba, njalo akuyikuba lomuntu ozazethusa.
And the carcases of this people shall be food for the fowl of the heavens, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall scare [them] away.
34 Ngizaqeda imisindo yokuthokoza leyenjabulo emadolobheni akoJuda lasemigwaqweni yaseJerusalema, lokuthaba lelizwi lomlobokazi lelomyeni, ngoba ilizwe lizachitheka.’”
And I will cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth and the voice of joy, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride; for the land shall become a waste.
