UJeremiya 15
1 INkosi yasisithi kimi: Loba bekumi phambi kwami oMozisi loSamuweli, inhliziyo yami ibingebe kulababantu; baxotshe phambi kwami, bayekele baphume.
And the Lord said unto me, If Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my favor would [still] not be toward this people: send them away out of my sight, that they may go forth.
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.
And it shall come to pass, if they should say unto thee, Whither shall we go forth, that thou shalt say unto them, Thus hath said the Lord, Such as are destined to death, to death; and such as are destined to the sword, to the sword; and such as are destined to famine, to famine; and such as are destined to captivity, to captivity.
3 Ngoba ngizabamisela izinhlobo ezine, itsho iNkosi: Inkemba yokubulala, lezinja zokudonsa, lenyoni zamazulu lezinyamazana zomhlaba zokudla lezokubhubhisa.
And I will appoint over them four species, saith the Lord: The sword to slay, and the dogs to drag away, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the earth, to devour and to destroy.
4 Ngizabanikela babe yinto eyesabekayo kuyo yonke imibuso yomhlaba, ngenxa kaManase indodana kaHezekhiya, inkosi yakoJuda, ngalokho akwenza eJerusalema.
And I will cause them to become a horror unto all the kingdoms of the earth, on account of Menasseh the son of Hezekiah the king of Judah, because of what he did in Jerusalem.
5 Ngoba ngubani ozakuhawukela, wena Jerusalema? Njalo ngubani ozakulilela? Njalo ngubani ozaphambukela eceleni ukubuza ngokuthula kwakho?
For who will have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? or who will condole with thee? or who will go aside to ask after thy welfare?
6 Wena ungidelile, itsho iNkosi, wabuyela emuva; ngakho ngizakwelula isandla sami ngimelene lawe, ngikuchithe; ngikhathele yikuhawukela.
Thou hast indeed forsaken me, saith the Lord, thou art gone backward; therefore do I stretch out my hand against thee, and destroy thee: I am weary with repenting.
7 Njalo ngizabela ngoluthi lokwela emasangweni elizwe; ngizabemuka abantwana, ngibhubhise abantu bami; kabaphendukanga endleleni zabo.
And I winnow them with a fan in the gates of the land: I make childless, I annihilate my people, [since] from their ways they have not turned away.
8 Abafelokazi babo bandile kimi kuletshebetshebe lolwandle. Ngilethe phezu kwabo, phezu kukanina, ijaha, umchithi emini enkulu; ngiwisele phezu kwabo uvalo lezesabiso bengananzelele.
Their widows are more numerous before me than the sand of the seas: I bring unto them, over the mothers of the young men, a waster at noonday; I cause to fall upon her suddenly the enemy with [his] terrors.
9 Owazala abayisikhombisa usekhathele; usephefumule okokucina; ilanga lakhe litshone kusesemini; waba lenhloni, wayangeka; lensali yabo ngizayinikela enkembeni phambi kwezitha zabo, itsho iNkosi.
She that had born seven children fadeth away; she breatheth out her soul, her sun is set while it is yet day; she is made ashamed and put to the blush: —and their residue will I give up to the sword before their enemies, saith the Lord.
10 Maye mina, mama, ukuthi ungizele, umuntu wokuphikisana lomuntu wokuxabana emhlabeni wonke! Kangebolekisanga ngenzuzo, futhi kabangebolekisanga ngenzuzo, kanti bayangithuka, ngulowo lalowo wabo.
Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast born me, a man of contention and a man of strife to the whole land! I have not lent, nor have men lent to me: [yet] every one of them curseth me.
11 INkosi yathi: Isibili kuzakuba kuhle ngensali yakho; isibili ngizakuncengela esitheni ngesikhathi sokubi langesikhathi sosizi.
The Lord said, Truly I will release thee for [thy] good; truly I will cause the enemy to meet thee in the time of distress and in the time of affliction.
12 Insimbi ingayephula yini insimbi evela enyakatho lethusi?
Can iron break in pieces the northern iron and copper?
13 Inotho yakho lokuligugu kwakho ngizakunikela kube yimpango, kungelantengo, langenxa yezono zakho zonke, ngitsho emingceleni yakho yonke.
Thy wealth and thy treasures will I give up as spoil without price, and this for all thy sins, even in all thy borders.
14 Ngizakwenza ukuthi udlule kanye lezitha zakho uye elizweni ongalaziyo; ngoba umlilo ubasiwe olakeni lwami; uzabhebha phezu kwenu.
And I will cause them to pass over with thy enemies into a land which thou knowest not; for a fire is kindled in my anger, over you shall it burn.
15 Wena uyazi, Nkosi; ngikhumbula, ungihambele, ungiphindiselele kwabangizingelayo; ungangisusi ekubekezeleni kwakho; yazi ukuthi ngenxa yakho ngithwele ihlazo.
Thou well knowest it, O Lord! remember me and think of me, and avenge me on my persecutors; not according to thy long-suffering act thou for me: know, that for thy sake I have borne shame.
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 thy words were made manifest to me, then I greedily received them; and thy word became unto me the gladness and joy of my heart; for thy name is called upon me, O Lord of hosts.
17 Kangihlalanga emhlanganweni wabahleka usulu, kumbe ngijabule; ngenxa yesandla sakho ngahlala ngedwa; ngoba ungigcwalise ngentukuthelo.
I sat not in the assembly of the mirthful, and was rejoiced; because of thy inspiration I sat solitary; for thou hadst filled me with indignation.
18 Kungani ubuhlungu bami bube khona njalonjalo, lenxeba lami lingelapheki, lisala ukuphola? Isibili uzakuba njengomqambimanga kimi yini, njengamanzi angathembekanga?
Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable? it refuseth to be healed; it is truly become unto me as a deceptive spring, as waters that are not reliable.
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.
Therefore thus hath said the Lord, If thou return, and I bring thee back again, then shalt thou stand before me; and if thou bring forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: these shall return unto thee; but thou shalt not return unto them.
20 Ngoba ngizakwenza ube ngumduli wethusi ovikelweyo kulababantu; njalo bazakulwa bemelene lawe, kodwa kabayikukwehlula, ngoba mina ngilawe ukukusindisa lokukophula, itsho iNkosi.
And I will make thee unto this people as a fortified brazen wall; and they will fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee; for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee, saith the Lord.
21 Ngizakophula esandleni sababi, ngikuhlenge esandleni sabalesihluku.
And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the grasp of the tyrants.
