UJeremiya 9
1 Awu, sengathi ngabe ikhanda lami lingumthombo wamanzi, lamehlo ami angumthombo wezinyembezi! Kade ngizakhala emini lebusuku ngikhalela abantu bami ababuleweyo.
Oh that one would make my head water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughters of my people!
2 Awu, sengathi ngabe enkangala ngilendawo engahlala izihambi, ukuba ngisuke ebantwini bami ngisuke kubo, ngoba bonke bayizifebe, ixuku labantu abangathembekanga.
Oh that one would place me in the wilderness in a lodging-place of wayfaring men. that I might leave my people, and go from them! for all of them are adulterers, a band of traitors.
3 “Benza izindimi zabo zilunge njengesavutha ukuba batshoke amanga, ukuthi bayanqoba elizweni akusikho ngeqiniso. Basuka kokunye ukona baye kokunye; kabangamukeli,” kutsho uThixo.
And they bend their tongues, their bow of falsehood, and not for the truth are they valiant in the land; for from evil to evil do they proceed, and me they know not, saith the Lord.
4 “Qaphela abangane bakho, ungabathembi abafowenu. Ngoba wonke umfowenu ungumkhohlisi, njalo wonke umngane ungumhlebi.
Take ye heed every one of his neighbor, and on any brother place ye no reliance; for every brother will surely supplant, and every neighbor will go about as a talebearer.
5 Umngane ukhohlisa umngane, njalo kakho okhuluma iqiniso. Sebafundisa izindimi zabo ukuqamba amanga, bayazidinisa ngokona.
And they will deceive every one his neighbor, and the truth will they not speak: they have taught their tongue to speak falsehood, they weary themselves to commit iniquity.
6 Lihlala phakathi kwenkohliso, ngenkohliso yabo bayala ukungamukela,” kutsho uThixo.
Thy habitation is in the midst of deceit: through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the Lord.
7 Ngakho uThixo uSomandla uthi: “Khangelani, ngizabacolisa ngibahlole, ngoba kuyini okunye engingakwenza ngenxa yesono sabantu bami?
Therefore thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and probe them; for how [else] shall I do because of the daughter of my people?
8 Ulimi lwabo lungumtshoko olobuthi, lukhuluma inkohliso. Lowo lalowo ukhuluma kuhle kubomakhelwane bakhe, kodwa enhliziyweni zabo bebathiya ngemijibila.
A murderous arrow is their tongue; [every one] speaketh deceit: with his mouth speaketh he peaceably to his neighbor, but in his heart he layeth wait for him.
9 Kakufanele ngibajezisele lokhu na?” kubuza uThixo. “Kakufanele ngiphindisele esizweni esinjengalesi na?”
Shall I not for these things inflict punishment on them? saith the Lord: or shall not on a nation such as this my soul be avenged?
10 Ngizakhala ngililele izintaba ngibuye ngililele lamadlelo asenkangala. Atshabalele njalo kakho ohambela kuwo, lokubhonsa kwezinkomo akuzwakali. Izinyoni zasemoyeni sezibalekile, lezinyamazana kazisekho.
For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation; because they are burnt up, so that no man can pass through them; and they hear not the voice of the cattle: both the fowls of the heavens and the beasts are fled; they are gone away.
11 “IJerusalema ngizalenza libe yinqumbi yonxiwa, isikhundla samakhanka, njalo ngizawadiliza amadolobho akoJuda ukuze kungabikhona ohlala kuwo.”
And I will change Jerusalem into heaps of ruins, a dwelling for monsters: and the cities of Judah will I make desolate, without an inhabitant.
12 Nguphi umuntu ohlakaniphileyo ukuba akuzwisise lokhu? Ngubani ofundiswe nguThixo ongakuchaza? Kungani ilizwe litshabalalisiwe lachithwa njengenkangala ukuze kungadluli muntu kulo?
Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken, that he may declare it: for what is the land destroyed, burnt up like the wilderness, without one that passeth through?
13 UThixo wathi, “Kungenxa yokuthi sebelahle umthetho wami engababekela wona; kabangilalelanga, lomthetho wami kabawulandelanga.
And the Lord said, Because they forsook my law which I had set before them, and hearkened not to my voice, and walked not therein;
14 Esikhundleni salokho, bona balandele ubulukhuni bezinhliziyo zabo; balandele oBhali, njengokufundiswa kwabo ngoyise.”
But have walked after the stubbornness of their own heart, and after the Be'alim, which their fathers had taught them.
15 Ngakho-ke, uThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: “Khangelani, abantu laba ngizabadlisa ukudla okubabayo ngibanathise lamanzi alobuthi.
Therefore thus hath said the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will feed them—this people, with wormwood, and give them poison-water to drink.
16 Ngizabahlakazela ezizweni bona kanye laboyise abangazange bazazi, njalo ngizabalandela ngenkemba ngize ngibaqede du.”
And I will scatter them among the nations, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send out after them the sword, till I have consumed them.
17 UThixo uSomandla uthi: “Cabangani khathesi! Bizani abesifazane abalilayo beze, libize labo abalobuciko obumangalisayo.
Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, Consider it well, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for the women skilled in lament, that they may come;
18 Kabeze ngokuphangisa, bazesililela amehlo ethu aze ehlise inyembezi lempophoma zamanzi zigeleze, ziphuma enkopheni zethu.”
And let them make haste, and take up for us a lamentation, that our eyes may run down with tears, and our eyelids drop down water.
19 Ilizwi lokukhala liyezwakala livela eZiyoni: “Yeka kunganani ukuchithakala kwethu! Yeka ubukhulu behlazo lethu! Kumele sisuke elizweni lethu ngoba izindlu zethu zidiliziwe.”
For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion, How are we wasted! we are greatly ashamed; because we have forsaken the land, because they have cast down our dwellings.
20 Khathesi, lina abesifazane, zwanini ilizwi likaThixo, vulani indlebe zenu lizwe amazwi omlomo wakhe. Fundisani amadodakazi enu ukulila, lifundisane amazwi okukhala.
For hear, O ye women, the word of the Lord, and let your ear perceive the word of his mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbor lamentation.
21 Ukufa kukhwele kwangena ngamafastela ethu, njalo kungenile lasezinqabeni zethu, sekususe abantwana emigwaqweni kanye lamajaha ezindaweni zikazulu.
For death is come up through our windows, is entered into our palaces; to cut off the children from the street, the young men from the open places.
22 Tshono uthi, uThixo uthi, “‘izidumbu zabafileyo zizalala njengezibi egangeni, njengamabele aqunywe ngemva kovunayo, okungekho ozawabutha.’”
Speak, Thus saith the Lord, Yea, the carcasses of men shall lie as dung upon the open field, and as the sheaves [left] after the harvestman, with none to gather them.
23 UThixo uthi: “Ohlakaniphileyo kangazincomi ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe, loba indoda elamandla izincome ngamandla ayo, loba indoda enothileyo izincome ngenotho yayo,
Thus hath said the Lord, Let not the wise glorify himself in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glorify himself in his might, let not the rich glorify himself in his riches;
24 kodwa lowo ozincomayo, kazincome ngokuthi uyaqedisisa njalo uyangazi, ukuthi mina nginguThixo, osebenzisa umusa, imfanelo lokulunga emhlabeni, ngoba lezizinto ziyangithokozisa,” kutsho uThixo.
But let him that glorifieth himself glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord who exercise kindness, justice, and righteousness, on the earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.
25 UThixo uthi, “Insuku ziyeza, lapho engizabajezisa khona bonke abasoke enyameni kuphela,
Behold, days are coming, saith the Lord, that I will send punishment on all the circumcised who are [yet] uncircumcised;
26 iGibhithe, loJuda, lo-Edomi, lo-Amoni loMowabi labo bonke abahlala enkangala ezindaweni ezikhatshana. Ngoba izizwe zonke lezi kazisokanga, njalo lendlu yonke ka-Israyeli kayisokanga enhliziyweni.”
On Egypt, and on Judah, and on Edom, and on the children of 'Ammon, and on Moab, and all who have the locks of their hair cut off round that dwell in the wilderness; for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart.
