UJeremiya 15
1 INkosi yasisithi kimi: Loba bekumi phambi kwami oMozisi loSamuweli, inhliziyo yami ibingebe kulababantu; baxotshe phambi kwami, bayekele baphume.
The Lord told me: Even if Moses and Samuel were standing before me pleading with me on behalf of these people, I wouldn't feel sorry for them. Send them away from me. Have them leave.
2 Kuzakuthi-ke uba besithi kuwe: Sizaphuma siye ngaphi? Uzabatshela-ke uthi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Abokufa baya ekufeni, labenkemba baya enkembeni, labendlala baya endlaleni, labokuthunjwa baya ekuthunjweni.
If they ask you, “Where shall we go?” tell them that this is what the Lord says: Those to be killed by the plague, to the plague; those to be killed by the sword, to the sword; those to be killed by famine, to famine; and those to be killed in captivity, to captivity.
3 Ngoba ngizabamisela izinhlobo ezine, itsho iNkosi: Inkemba yokubulala, lezinja zokudonsa, lenyoni zamazulu lezinyamazana zomhlaba zokudla lezokubhubhisa.
I will put four kinds of destroyers in charge of them, declares the Lord: swords to kill, dogs to drag their bodies away, and the birds of prey and wild animals to eat them and destroy them.
4 Ngizabanikela babe yinto eyesabekayo kuyo yonke imibuso yomhlaba, ngenxa kaManase indodana kaHezekhiya, inkosi yakoJuda, ngalokho akwenza eJerusalema.
I will make all the kingdoms of the world horrified by them, because of the evil things Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, king of Judah did in Jerusalem.
5 Ngoba ngubani ozakuhawukela, wena Jerusalema? Njalo ngubani ozakulilela? Njalo ngubani ozaphambukela eceleni ukubuza ngokuthula kwakho?
Who will be sorry for you, Jerusalem? Who will mourn for you? Who will stop to ask you how you are?
6 Wena ungidelile, itsho iNkosi, wabuyela emuva; ngakho ngizakwelula isandla sami ngimelene lawe, ngikuchithe; ngikhathele yikuhawukela.
You have deserted me, declares the Lord. You have turned your back on me. So I will take action against you and destroy you; I am tired of showing you mercy.
7 Njalo ngizabela ngoluthi lokwela emasangweni elizwe; ngizabemuka abantwana, ngibhubhise abantu bami; kabaphendukanga endleleni zabo.
I will scatter you with a winnowing fork from every town in the country. I will destroy my people and take away their children because they refuse to give up their evil ways.
8 Abafelokazi babo bandile kimi kuletshebetshebe lolwandle. Ngilethe phezu kwabo, phezu kukanina, ijaha, umchithi emini enkulu; ngiwisele phezu kwabo uvalo lezesabiso bengananzelele.
There will be more widows than the sand of the sea. I will bring a destroyer at noon and mothers will lose their young sons. They will suddenly experience agony and shock.
9 Owazala abayisikhombisa usekhathele; usephefumule okokucina; ilanga lakhe litshone kusesemini; waba lenhloni, wayangeka; lensali yabo ngizayinikela enkembeni phambi kwezitha zabo, itsho iNkosi.
A mother of seven children will collapse; she will gasp for breath. Her sun will set while it's still daytime; she will be ashamed and humiliated. I will let the enemies kill the rest of them, declares the Lord.
10 Maye mina, mama, ukuthi ungizele, umuntu wokuphikisana lomuntu wokuxabana emhlabeni wonke! Kangebolekisanga ngenzuzo, futhi kabangebolekisanga ngenzuzo, kanti bayangithuka, ngulowo lalowo wabo.
How sad I am, my mother, that you gave birth to me! I'm a victim of argument and conflict wherever I go in the country. I have never lent anyone anything, or borrowed anything, but still everyone curses me.
11 INkosi yathi: Isibili kuzakuba kuhle ngensali yakho; isibili ngizakuncengela esitheni ngesikhathi sokubi langesikhathi sosizi.
But the Lord told me: Don't worry, I'm going to take away your problems so you can do good. I will make your enemies plead with you whenever they're in trouble or suffering.
12 Insimbi ingayephula yini insimbi evela enyakatho lethusi?
Can anyone break iron, iron from the north, or bronze?
13 Inotho yakho lokuligugu kwakho ngizakunikela kube yimpango, kungelantengo, langenxa yezono zakho zonke, ngitsho emingceleni yakho yonke.
I will give away your wealth and valuable possessions for free. They will become plunder for your enemies because of all the sins you committed throughout your country.
14 Ngizakwenza ukuthi udlule kanye lezitha zakho uye elizweni ongalaziyo; ngoba umlilo ubasiwe olakeni lwami; uzabhebha phezu kwenu.
Then I will have your enemies make you their slaves in an unfamiliar country, because I will so angry it will be like lighting a fire that will burn you up.
15 Wena uyazi, Nkosi; ngikhumbula, ungihambele, ungiphindiselele kwabangizingelayo; ungangisusi ekubekezeleni kwakho; yazi ukuthi ngenxa yakho ngithwele ihlazo.
You know what's happening to me, Lord. Please remember me and look after me. Punish my persecutors! Please be patient—don't let me die! You know I put up with criticism because I want to honor you.
16 Amazwi akho atholakala njalo ngawadla; lelizwi lakho kimi laba yinjabulo njalo laba yintokozo yenhliziyo yami; ngoba ibizo lakho labizwa phezu kwami, wena Nkosi, Nkulunkulu wamabandla.
When I received your messages, I ate them up! What you said made me really happy—I was delighted. I belong to you, Lord God Almighty!
17 Kangihlalanga emhlanganweni wabahleka usulu, kumbe ngijabule; ngenxa yesandla sakho ngahlala ngedwa; ngoba ungigcwalise ngentukuthelo.
I didn't join in with a bunch of jokers as they had fun. I stayed by myself because you have called me, and you have filled me with outrage.
18 Kungani ubuhlungu bami bube khona njalonjalo, lenxeba lami lingelapheki, lisala ukuphola? Isibili uzakuba njengomqambimanga kimi yini, njengamanzi angathembekanga?
Why doesn't my pain ever stop? Why is my wound incurable? Why can't it be healed? You've really become like a seasonal stream to me, an unreliable source of water.
19 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi: Uba ubuya, ngizakubuyisa, ume phambi kwami; njalo uba ukhupha okuligugu kokungasizi lutho, uzakuba njengomlomo wami. Bona kababuyele kuwe, kodwa wena ungabuyeli kubo.
So this is what the Lord says: If you come back to me, I will take you back and you will serve me again. If what you talk about are worthwhile subjects and not nonsense, you will be my spokesman, Jeremiah. They must be the ones who follow you; you must not follow them.
20 Ngoba ngizakwenza ube ngumduli wethusi ovikelweyo kulababantu; njalo bazakulwa bemelene lawe, kodwa kabayikukwehlula, ngoba mina ngilawe ukukusindisa lokukophula, itsho iNkosi.
Then I will make you a wall to these people, a strong wall of bronze. They will fight against you but they won't defeat you. I am with you to save you and rescue you, declares the Lord.
21 Ngizakophula esandleni sababi, ngikuhlenge esandleni sabalesihluku.
I will liberate you from the power of the wicked, and free you from clutches of the cruel.
