UJeremiya 7
1 Leli yilizwi elafika kuJeremiya livela kuThixo lisithi:
The word that has been to Jeremiah from YHWH, 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 the house of YHWH, and you have proclaimed this word there, and have said, Hear a word of YHWH, all you of Judah, who are coming in at these gates, to bow before YHWH.”
3 UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Lungisani izindlela zenu lezenzo zenu, ukuze ngilivumele ukuba lihlale kule indawo.
Thus said YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel: “Amend your ways, and your doings, And I cause you to dwell in this place.
4 Lingathembi amazwi akhohlisayo lithi, “Leli lithempeli likaThixo, ithempeli likaThixo, ithempeli likaThixo!”
Do not trust for yourselves To the words of falsehood, saying, The temple of YHWH! The temple of YHWH! These [are] the temple of YHWH!
5 Lingalungisa izindlela zenu lezenzo zenu sibili liphathane ngokulunga,
For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, If you thoroughly do judgment Between a man and his neighbor,
6 nxa lingancindezeli owezizweni, izintandane loba umfelokazi njalo lingachithi gazi elingelacala kule indawo, njalo nxa lingalandeli abanye onkulunkulu okuzalilimaza,
You do not oppress sojourner, fatherless, and widow, And innocent blood is not shed in this place, And [you] do not walk after other gods, for evil to yourselves,
7 ngizalivumela ukuba lihlale kule indawo, elizweni engalinika okhokho benu ukuba libe ngelabo kuze kube nini lanini.
Then I have caused you to dwell in this place, In the land that I gave to your fathers, From age even to age.
8 Kodwa khangelani, lina lithemba amazwi akhohlisayo angasizi lutho.
Behold, you are trusting for yourselves On the words of falsehood, so as not to profit.
9 Kambe lizantshontsha njalo libulale, lifebe, lifunge amanga, litshisele uBhali impepha njalo lilandele abanye onkulunkulu elingakaze libazi,
Stealing, murdering, and committing adultery, And swearing to falsehood, and giving incense to Ba‘al, And going after other gods whom you did not know.
10 beselisizakuma phambi kwami kuyonale indlu, eleBizo lami, lithi, “Sivikelekile,” livikeleka ukuba lenze zonke lezizinto ezenyanyekayo na?
And you have come in and stood before Me, In this house on which My Name is called, And have said, We have been delivered, In order to do all these abominations.
11 Indlu le, eleBizo lami, seyaba lubhalu lwabaphangi na? Kodwa kade ngikhangele! kutsho uThixo.
Has this house, On which My Name is called, Been a den of burglars in your eyes? Even I, behold, have seen,” A declaration of YHWH.
12 Hambani khathesi endaweni yami eShilo lapho engenza khona kuqala indawo yokuhlala iBizo lami, libone engakwenza kuyo ngenxa yobubi babantu bami bako-Israyeli.
“But go now to My place that [is] in Shiloh, Where I caused My Name to dwell at first, And see that which I have done to it, For the wickedess of My people Israel.
13 UThixo uthi, kwathi lapho lisenza lezizinto, mina ngakhuluma lani futhifuthi, kodwa kalingilalelanga, ngalibiza, kalaze lasabela.
And now, because of your doing all these works,” A declaration of YHWH, “And I speak to you, rising early and speaking, And you have not listened, And I call you, and you have not answered,
14 Ngakho-ke, lokho engakwenza eShilo khathesi ngizakwenza kule indlu eleBizo lami, ithempeli elilithembileyo, indawo engalinika yona lina kanye labokhokho benu.
I also have done to the house on which My Name is called, In which you are trusting, And to the place that 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 have cast you from before My face, As I have cast out all your brothers, The whole seed of Ephraim.
16 Ngakho abantu laba ungabakhulekeli loba ubakhulumele kumbe ubenzele isicelo; ungangincengi ngoba angiyikukulalela.
And you do not pray for this people, Nor lift up crying and prayer for them, Nor intercede with Me, for I do not hear you.
17 Abakwenzayo emadolobheni akoJuda lasemigwaqweni yaseJerusalema kawukuboni na?
Are you not seeing what they are doing In cities of Judah, and in 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 sons are gathering wood, And the fathers are causing the fire to burn, And the women are kneading dough, To make cakes to the queen of the heavens, And to pour out drink-offerings to other gods, So as to provoke Me to anger.
19 Kodwa yimi abangithukuthelisayo na? kutsho uThixo. Kabazilimazi bona ngokwabo na, okulihlazo kubo?
Are they provoking Me to anger?” A declaration of YHWH, “Is it not themselves, For the shame of their own faces?”
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 said Lord YHWH: “Behold, My anger and My fury is poured out on this place, On man, and beast, and on tree of the field, And on fruit of the ground, And it has burned, and it is not quenched.”
21 UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Qhubekani, fakani iminikelo yenu yokutshiswa kweminye imihlatshelo yenu lidle inyama lina ngokwenu!
Thus said YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel: “Add your burnt-offerings to your sacrifices and eat flesh.
22 Ngoba ekukhupheni kwami okhokho benu eGibhithe ngikhuluma labo, angizange ngibanike imilayo nje kuphela ngeminikelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo,
For I did not speak with your fathers, Nor did I command them in the day of My bringing them out of the land of Egypt, Concerning the matters of burnt-offering and sacrifice,
23 kodwa ngabanika umlayo lo othi: Ngilalelani, njalo ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wenu lina libe ngabantu bami. Hambani ngezindlela zonke engililaye zona, ukuze kulilungele.
But this thing I commanded them, saying, Listen to My voice, And I have been to you for God, And you are to Me for a people, And have walked in all the way that I command you, So that it is well for you.
24 Kodwa kabazange balalele kumbe banake; esikhundleni salokho, bona balandela inkani yentando yezinhliziyo zabo ezimbi. Baya emuva hatshi phambili.
And they have not listened, nor inclined their ear, And they walk in the counsels, [And] in the stubbornness, of their evil hearts, And are backward and not forward.
25 Kusukela ngesikhathi okhokho benu besuka eGibhithe kuze kube khathesi, usuku ngosuku, njalonjalo ngalithumela izinceku zami abaphrofethi.
Even from the day when your fathers Went out of the land of Egypt until this day, I send all My servants the prophets to you, Daily rising early and sending,
26 Kodwa kabangilalelanga kumbe banake. Babelentamo ezilukhuni njalo benza ububi obudlula obabokhokho babo.’
And they have not listened to Me, Nor inclined their ear—and they harden their neck, They have done evil above their fathers.
27 Lapho ubatshela konke lokhu, kabayikukulalela; lalapho ubabiza, kabayikusabela.
And you have spoken all these words to them, And they do not listen to you, And you have called to them, And they do not answer you.
28 Ngakho batshele uthi, ‘Lesi yisizwe esingalalelanga uThixo uNkulunkulu waso kumbe sivume ukuqondiswa. Iqiniso selifile; kalisekho ezindebeni zabo.
And you have said to them: This [is] the nation that has not listened, To the voice of its God YHWH, Nor have they accepted instruction, Steadfastness has perished, Indeed, it has been 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 your crown, and cast [it] away, And lift up lamentation on high places, For YHWH has rejected, And He leaves the generation of His wrath.
30 “‘Abantu bakoJuda benze ububi phambi kwami, kutsho uThixo. Bamise izithombe zabo ezenyanyekayo endlini eleBizo lami balingcolisa.
For the sons of Judah Have done evil in My eyes,” A declaration of YHWH, “They have set their abominations in the house On which My Name is called—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 have built the high places of Tophet, That [are] in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, To burn their sons and their daughters with fire, Which I did not command, Nor did it come up on My heart.
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,” A declaration of YHWH, “And it is no longer said, The Tophet, And, Valley of the Son of Hinnom, But, Valley of the Slaughter, And they have buried in Tophet—without place.
33 Lapho-ke izidumbu zabantu laba zizakuba yikudla kwezinyoni zasemoyeni lezinyamazana zomhlaba, njalo akuyikuba lomuntu ozazethusa.
And the carcass of this people has been for food To a bird of the heavens, and to a beast of the earth, And there is none troubling.
34 Ngizaqeda imisindo yokuthokoza leyenjabulo emadolobheni akoJuda lasemigwaqweni yaseJerusalema, lokuthaba lelizwi lomlobokazi lelomyeni, ngoba ilizwe lizachitheka.’”
And I have caused to cease from cities of Judah, And from streets of Jerusalem, The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, Voice of bridegroom, and voice of bride, For the land becomes a desolation!”
