UJeremiya 10
1 Zwanini ilizwi iNkosi elikhuluma kini, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli.
Hear ye the word which the Lord hath spoken concerning you, O house of Israel:
2 Itsho njalo INkosi: Lingafundi indlela yabahedeni, lingatshaywa luvalo ngezibonakaliso zamazulu, ngenxa yokuthi abahedeni bayazesaba.
Thus hath said the Lord, Do not habituate yourselves on the way of the nations, and at the signs of the heavens be ye not dismayed; although the nations should be dismayed at them.
3 Ngoba imikhuba yabantu iyize; ngoba kuganyulwa isihlahla ehlathini, umsebenzi wezandla zengcitshi, ngehloka.
For the statutes of these people concern what is vanity; for it is but a tree which a man hath cut out of a forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4 Basicecisa ngesiliva langegolide, basiqinisa ngezipikili langezando, ukuze singazamazami.
With silver and with gold do they ornament it; with nails and with hammers do they fasten it, that it move not from its place.
5 Zinjengesihlahla selala somsebenzi obaziweyo, kodwa kazikhulumi; kusweleka zithwalwe, ngoba zingehambe; lingazesabi, ngoba zingelakwenza okubi, futhi kakukho ukwenza okuhle kuzo.
As a wrought-out palm-like column are they, and cannot speak; they must needs be borne, because they cannot step along. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do any harm, so also to do any good is not in them.
6 Njengoba kungekho onjengawe, Nkosi; umkhulu, lebizo lakho likhulu ngobuqhawe.
Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord: thou [alone] art great, and great is thy name in might.
7 Ngubani ongekwesabe, wena Nkosi yezizwe? ngoba kukufanele. Ngoba phakathi kwabo bonke abahlakaniphileyo bezizwe, lakuyo yonke imibuso yabo, kakho onjengawe.
Who would not fear thee, O King of the nations? for to thee doth it appertain; because among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, [they say] there is none like unto thee.
8 Kodwa kanyekanye banjengezinyamazana bayiziphukuphuku; isigodo siyimfundiso sokuyize.
But at once shall they be shown to be brutish and foolish: it is a doctrine of vanities, it concerneth but wood.
9 Isiliva esikhandiweyo silethwa sivela eTarshishi, legolide livela eUfazi, umsebenzi wengcitshi, lowezandla zomkhandi wegolide; ziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka lokuyibubende izigqoko zabo; konke kungumsebenzi wabahlakaniphileyo.
The beaten out silver is brought from Tharshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the goldsmith: blue and purple is their clothing; the work of skilful men are they all.
10 Kodwa iNkosi inguNkulunkulu weqiniso, inguNkulunkulu ophilayo lenkosi yaphakade. Ekuthukutheleni kwayo umhlaba uyazamazama, lezizwe kazilakulumela ulaka lwayo.
But the Lord God is the truth, he is the living God, and the everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall quake, and nations cannot endure his indignation.
11 Lizakutsho njalo kubo: Onkulunkulu abangenzanga amazulu lomhlaba bazabhubha basuke emhlabeni langaphansi kwala amazulu.
Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, shall perish away from the earth, and from under these heavens.
12 Owenza umhlaba ngamandla akhe, wamisa ilizwe ngenhlakanipho yakhe, langokuqedisisa kwakhe wendlala amazulu.
He made the earth by his power, he established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding he stretched out the heavens.
13 Lapho ekhupha ilizwi, kulenhlokomo yamanzi emazulwini; wenza inkungu yenyuke emkhawulweni womhlaba, wenza imibane lezulu, akhuphe umoya eziphaleni zakhe.
At the sound when he giveth a multitude of waters in the heavens, and causeth clouds to ascend from the ends of the earth; when he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures:
14 Wonke umuntu unjengenyamazana elwazini; wonke umkhandi wegolide uyangiswa yisithombe esibaziweyo; ngoba isithombe sakhe esibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa siyinkohliso, njalo kakulamphefumulo kuzo.
Then standeth every man as brutish without knowledge; ashamed is every goldsmith because of the graven image; for falsehood is his molten work, and there is no breath therein.
15 Ziyize, umsebenzi wezinkohliso; ngesikhathi sempindiselo yazo zizabhubha.
They are vanity, the work of deception; in the time of their punishment shall they vanish.
16 Isabelo sikaJakobe kasinjengazo, ngoba ungumbumbi wakho konke, loIsrayeli uyintonga yelifa lakhe; iNkosi yamabandla libizo layo.
Not like these is the portion of Jacob; for he is the former of all things; and Israel is the tribe of his inheritance: The Lord of hosts is his name.
17 Qoqa impahla yakho uyikhuphe elizweni, wena mhlalikazi wenqaba.
Gather up thy wares from the ground, O inhabitress of the beleaguered city.
18 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela, ngizabajikijela ngaphandle abahlali belizwe ngalesisikhathi, ngibacindezele ukuze bakuthole.
For thus hath said the Lord, Behold, I will cast forth as with a sling the inhabitants of the land at this time, and I will enclose them, in order that they may find them.
19 Maye kimi ngenxa yokwephuka kwami! Inxeba lami linzima; kodwa mina ngathi: Isibili lokhu yinhlupheko yami engizayithwala.
Woe is me for my breach! my wound is painful; but I thought, This is but pain, and I shall be able to bear it.
20 Ithente lami lidiliziwe, lentambo zami zonke ziqamukile; abantwana bami basukile kimi, njalo kabakho; kakho ongelula ithente lami futhi, amise amakhetheni ami.
[But now] my tent is laid waste, and all my cords are torn asunder; my children are gone away from me, and they are not [here]; there is no one to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.
21 Ngoba abelusi sebenjengenyamazana, kabadinganga iNkosi; ngakho-ke kabaphumelelanga, lomhlambi wabo wonke uhlakazekile.
For the shepherds were brutish, and the Lord had they not sought; therefore have they not prospered, and all their flocks are scattered.
22 Khangela, umsindo wombiko ufikile, lokuzamazama okukhulu okuvela elizweni lenyakatho, okuzakwenza imizi yakoJuda ibe lunxiwa, indawo yokuhlala yemigobho.
Behold, the noise of the report is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to render the cities of Judah desolate, a dwelling for monsters.
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 in his own power: it is not in man that passeth away to direct his own steps.
24 Nkosi, ngilaya, kodwa ngesahlulelo, hatshi olakeni lwakho, hlezi unginciphise.
Correct me, O Lord, but with justice; not in thy anger, lest thou bring 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 thy fury over the nations that know thee not, and over the families that have not called on thy name; for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his dwelling desolate.
