UJeremiya 10
1 Zwanini ilizwi iNkosi elikhuluma kini, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli.
Listen to the word that the Lord has spoken concerning you, O house of Israel.
2 Itsho njalo INkosi: Lingafundi indlela yabahedeni, lingatshaywa luvalo ngezibonakaliso zamazulu, ngenxa yokuthi abahedeni bayazesaba.
Thus says the Lord: “Do not choose to learn according to the ways of the Gentiles. And do not be willing to dread the signs of heaven, which the Gentiles fear.
3 Ngoba imikhuba yabantu iyize; ngoba kuganyulwa isihlahla ehlathini, umsebenzi wezandla zengcitshi, ngehloka.
For the laws of the people are empty. For the work of the hand of the craftsman has cut a tree from the forest with an axe.
4 Basicecisa ngesiliva langegolide, basiqinisa ngezipikili langezando, ukuze singazamazami.
He has adorned it with silver and gold. He has put it together with nail and hammer, so that it will not fall apart.
5 Zinjengesihlahla selala somsebenzi obaziweyo, kodwa kazikhulumi; kusweleka zithwalwe, ngoba zingehambe; lingazesabi, ngoba zingelakwenza okubi, futhi kakukho ukwenza okuhle kuzo.
They have been fabricated in the likeness of a palm tree, and they will not speak. They must be carried to be moved, because they do not have the ability to walk. Therefore, do not be willing to fear them, for they can do neither evil nor good.”
6 Njengoba kungekho onjengawe, Nkosi; umkhulu, lebizo lakho likhulu ngobuqhawe.
O Lord, there is nothing similar to you. You are great, and your name is great in strength.
7 Ngubani ongekwesabe, wena Nkosi yezizwe? ngoba kukufanele. Ngoba phakathi kwabo bonke abahlakaniphileyo bezizwe, lakuyo yonke imibuso yabo, kakho onjengawe.
Who will not fear you, O King of the nations? For honor is yours. Among all the wise of the nations, and within all their kingdoms, there is nothing similar to you.
8 Kodwa kanyekanye banjengezinyamazana bayiziphukuphuku; isigodo siyimfundiso sokuyize.
Together, they will all be proven to be unwise and foolish. The doctrine of their vanity is made of wood.
9 Isiliva esikhandiweyo silethwa sivela eTarshishi, legolide livela eUfazi, umsebenzi wengcitshi, lowezandla zomkhandi wegolide; ziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka lokuyibubende izigqoko zabo; konke kungumsebenzi wabahlakaniphileyo.
Rolled silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz. It is the work of a craftsman, and of the hand of a coppersmith. Hyacinth and purple is their clothing. All these things are the work of artists.
10 Kodwa iNkosi inguNkulunkulu weqiniso, inguNkulunkulu ophilayo lenkosi yaphakade. Ekuthukutheleni kwayo umhlaba uyazamazama, lezizwe kazilakulumela ulaka lwayo.
But the Lord is the true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King. Before his indignation, the earth will shake. And the Gentiles will not be able to withstand his threats.
11 Lizakutsho njalo kubo: Onkulunkulu abangenzanga amazulu lomhlaba bazabhubha basuke emhlabeni langaphansi kwala amazulu.
“And so, you shall speak to them in this way: The gods that have not made heaven and earth, let them perish from the earth and from among those places which are under heaven.
12 Owenza umhlaba ngamandla akhe, wamisa ilizwe ngenhlakanipho yakhe, langokuqedisisa kwakhe wendlala amazulu.
He made the earth by his power, he prepared the world in his wisdom, and he stretched out the heavens with his understanding.
13 Lapho ekhupha ilizwi, kulenhlokomo yamanzi emazulwini; wenza inkungu yenyuke emkhawulweni womhlaba, wenza imibane lezulu, akhuphe umoya eziphaleni zakhe.
At his voice, he grants a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he lifts up the clouds from the ends of the earth. He causes the lightning with the rain, and he leads forth the wind from his storehouses.
14 Wonke umuntu unjengenyamazana elwazini; wonke umkhandi wegolide uyangiswa yisithombe esibaziweyo; ngoba isithombe sakhe esibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa siyinkohliso, njalo kakulamphefumulo kuzo.
Every man has become a fool concerning knowledge; every artist has been confounded by his graven image. For what he has formed is false, and there is no spirit in these things.
15 Ziyize, umsebenzi wezinkohliso; ngesikhathi sempindiselo yazo zizabhubha.
These things are empty, and they are a work deserving of ridicule. In the time of their visitation, they will perish.
16 Isabelo sikaJakobe kasinjengazo, ngoba ungumbumbi wakho konke, loIsrayeli uyintonga yelifa lakhe; iNkosi yamabandla libizo layo.
Jacob’s portion is not like their portion. For his portion is from the One who formed all things. And Israel is the staff of his inheritance. The Lord of hosts is his name.
17 Qoqa impahla yakho uyikhuphe elizweni, wena mhlalikazi wenqaba.
Gather your shame from the earth, you who are living under siege.”
18 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela, ngizabajikijela ngaphandle abahlali belizwe ngalesisikhathi, ngibacindezele ukuze bakuthole.
For thus says the Lord: “Behold, in this turn, I will cast the inhabitants of the land far away. And I will afflict them no matter where they may be found.”
19 Maye kimi ngenxa yokwephuka kwami! Inxeba lami linzima; kodwa mina ngathi: Isibili lokhu yinhlupheko yami engizayithwala.
Woe to me, concerning my destruction! My wound is very grievous. And yet I said: Clearly, this infirmity is mine, and I will carry it.
20 Ithente lami lidiliziwe, lentambo zami zonke ziqamukile; abantwana bami basukile kimi, njalo kabakho; kakho ongelula ithente lami futhi, amise amakhetheni ami.
My tent has been destroyed. All my cords have been broken. My sons have gone away from me; they did not remain. There is no one to stretch out my tent any more, nor to set up my curtains.
21 Ngoba abelusi sebenjengenyamazana, kabadinganga iNkosi; ngakho-ke kabaphumelelanga, lomhlambi wabo wonke uhlakazekile.
For the pastors have acted foolishly, and they have not sought the Lord. Because of this, they have not understood, and all their flock has been dispersed.
22 Khangela, umsindo wombiko ufikile, lokuzamazama okukhulu okuvela elizweni lenyakatho, okuzakwenza imizi yakoJuda ibe lunxiwa, indawo yokuhlala yemigobho.
Behold, the sound of a voice approaches, a great commotion from the land of the north: so that he may make the cities of Judah into a wilderness and into a dwelling place for serpents.
23 Nkosi, ngiyazi ukuthi indlela yomuntu kayikho kuye; kakukho emuntwini ohambayo ukuthi aqondise ukunyathela kwakhe.
I know, O Lord, that the way of man is not his own. Neither is it given to man to walk and to direct his own steps.
24 Nkosi, ngilaya, kodwa ngesahlulelo, hatshi olakeni lwakho, hlezi unginciphise.
Correct me, O Lord, yet truly, do so with judgment, and not in your fury. Otherwise, you will reduce me to nothing.
25 Thululela ulaka lwakho phezu kwabahedeni abangakwaziyo, laphezu kwensendo ezingabizi ibizo lakho; ngoba bamdlile uJakobe, bamginya, bamqeda, bachitha indawo yakhe yokuhlala.
Pour out your indignation upon the nations that have not known you, and upon the provinces that have not invoked your name. For they have fed upon Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and they have utterly destroyed his honor.
