UJeremiya 17
1 Isono sakoJuda sibhaliwe ngepheni yensimbi, ngomcijo wendayimana; sibhalwe ngokugujwa esibhebheni senhliziyo yabo, lezimpondweni zamalathi enu;
“The sin of Judah is written with an iron stylus, engraved with a diamond point on the tablets of their hearts and on the horns of their altars.
2 abantwana babo besakhumbula amalathi abo lezixuku zabo ngasezihlahleni eziluhlaza phezu kwamaqaqa aphakemeyo.
Even their children remember their altars and Asherah poles by the green trees and on the high hills.
3 Wena ntaba yami esegangeni, ngizanikela imfuyo yakho lakho konke okuligugu kwakho empangweni, lezindawo zakho eziphakemeyo, ngenxa yesono kuyo yonke imingcele yakho.
O My mountain in the countryside, I will give over your wealth and all your treasures as plunder, because of the sin of your high places, within all your borders.
4 Lawe, ngitsho ngokwakho, uzayekela ilifa lakho engakunika lona; njalo ngizakwenza usebenzele izitha zakho elizweni ongalaziyo; ngoba usuphembe umlilo ekuthukutheleni kwami; uzavutha kuze kube nininini.
And you yourself will relinquish the inheritance that I gave you. I will enslave you to your enemies in a land that you do not know, for you have kindled My anger; it will burn forever.”
5 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Uqalekisiwe umuntu othembela emuntwini, esenza inyama ibe yingalo yakhe, lonhliziyo yakhe iphambuka eNkosini.
This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who makes the flesh his strength and turns his heart from the LORD.
6 Ngoba uzakuba njengesihlahlanyana enkangala, esingayikubona nxa okuhle kusiza; kodwa uzahlala ezindaweni ezomileyo enkangala, elizweni letshwayi, elingahlalwayo.
He will be like a shrub in the desert; he will not see when prosperity comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.
7 Ubusisiwe umuntu othembela eNkosini, lothemba lakhe liyiNkosi.
But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.
8 Ngoba uzakuba njengesihlahla esihlanyelwe ngasemanzini, esinabisela impande zaso ngasemfuleni, esingesabi lapho kufika ukutshisa, kodwa ihlamvu laso lizakuba luhlaza; kasikhathazeki emnyakeni wokubalela, kasiyekeli ukuthela isithelo.
He is like a tree planted by the waters that sends out its roots toward the stream. It does not fear when the heat comes, and its leaves are always green. It does not worry in a year of drought, nor does it cease to produce fruit.
9 Inhliziyo ilenkohliso okwedlula konke, futhi imbi kakhulu; ngubani ongayazi?
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
10 Mina Nkosi ngihlola inhliziyo, ngilinge izinso, ngitsho ukupha wonke umuntu njengokwezindlela zakhe, njengokwesithelo sezenzo zakhe.
I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.
11 Njengethendele elifukamela amaqanda lingawachamuseli, unjalo lowo owenza inotho kodwa hatshi ngokulunga; uzakutshiya phakathi kwensuku zakhe, lekucineni kwakhe abe yisithutha.
Like a partridge hatching eggs it did not lay is the man who makes a fortune unjustly. In the middle of his days his riches will desert him, and in the end he will be the fool.”
12 Isihlalo sobukhosi esilenkazimulo, esiphakanyisiweyo kwasekuqaleni, siyindawo yendlu yethu engcwele.
A glorious throne, exalted from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary.
13 Nkosi, themba likaIsrayeli, bonke abakudelayo bazayangeka; labasuka kimi bazabhalwa emhlabathini, ngoba bayidelile iNkosi, umthombo wamanzi aphilayo.
O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who abandon You will be put to shame. All who turn away will be written in the dust, for they have abandoned the LORD, the fountain of living water.
14 Ngisilisa, Nkosi, njalo ngizasila; ngisindisa, njalo ngizasindiswa; ngoba uyindumiso yami.
Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved, for You are my praise.
15 Khangela, bathi kimi: Lingaphi ilizwi leNkosi? Kalize khathesi!
Behold, they keep saying to me, “Where is the word of the LORD? Let it come now!”
16 Kodwa mina kangiphangisanga ukuthi ngingabi ngumelusi emva kwakho; futhi kangilufisanga usuku olwesabekayo; wena uyakwazi; okwaphuma emlonyeni wami kwakuphambi kobuso bakho.
But I have not run away from being Your shepherd; I have not desired the day of despair. You know that the utterance of my lips was spoken in Your presence.
17 Ungabi luvalo kimi; wena uyisiphephelo sami osukwini lobubi.
Do not become a terror to me; You are my refuge in the day of disaster.
18 Kabayangeke labo abangizingelayo, kodwa mina kangingayangeki, kabesabe bona, kodwa mina kangingesabi; behlisele usuku lobubi, ubephule ngokwephula okuphindiweyo.
Let my persecutors be put to shame, but do not let me be put to shame. Let them be terrified, but do not let me be terrified. Bring upon them the day of disaster and shatter them with double destruction.
19 Itsho njalo iNkosi kimi: Hamba uyekuma esangweni labantwana babantu, angena ngalo amakhosi akoJuda, aphuma ngalo, lakuwo wonke amasango eJerusalema,
This is what the LORD said to me: “Go and stand at the gate of the people, through which the kings of Judah go in and out; and stand at all the other gates of Jerusalem.
20 ubususithi kubo: Zwanini ilizwi leNkosi, lina makhosi akoJuda, loJuda wonke, labo bonke abahlali beJerusalema, abangena ngala amasango!
Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah, all people of Judah and Jerusalem who enter through these gates.
21 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ziqapheleni, lingathwali mthwalo ngosuku lwesabatha, kumbe liwungenise ngamasango eJerusalema.
This is what the LORD says: Take heed for yourselves; do not carry a load or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day.
22 Futhi lingakhuphi umthwalo ezindlini zenu ngosuku lwesabatha, lingenzi loba yiwuphi umsebenzi; kodwa lungcweliseni usuku lwesabatha, njengalokhu ngalaya oyihlo.
You must not carry a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath day, but you must keep the Sabbath day holy, just as I commanded your forefathers.
23 Kodwa kabalalelanga, kababekanga indlebe yabo, kodwa benza intamo yabo yaba lukhuni ukuze bangezwa, lokuze bangemukeli ukulaywa.
Yet they would not listen or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and would not listen or receive My discipline.
24 Kuzakuthi-ke uba lina lingilalela lokungilalela, itsho iNkosi, ukuthi lingangenisi mthwalo ngamasango alumuzi ngosuku lwesabatha, kodwa lilungcwelise usuku lwesabatha, ukuthi lingenzi loba yiwuphi umsebenzi ngalo;
If, however, you listen carefully to Me, says the LORD, and bring no load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, and keep the Sabbath day holy, and do no work on it,
25 khona kuzangena ngamasango alumuzi amakhosi leziphathamandla abahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida, begade izinqola lamabhiza, wona leziphathamandla zawo, abantu bakoJuda, labahlali beJerusalema; lalumuzi uzahlalwa kuze kube nininini.
then kings and princes will enter through the gates of this city. They will sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses with their officials, along with the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever.
26 Bazakuza-ke bevela emizini yakoJuda, lezindaweni ezizingelezele iJerusalema, lelizweni lakoBhenjamini, legcekeni, lezintabeni, lasezansi, beletha umnikelo wokutshiswa, lomhlatshelo, lomnikelo wokudla, lenhlaka, beletha umhlatshelo wokubonga, endlini yeNkosi.
And people will come from the cities of Judah and the places around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, and from the foothills, the hill country, and the Negev, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, and thank offerings to the house of the LORD.
27 Kodwa uba lingangilaleli, ukwenza usuku lwesabatha lube ngcwele, ukuthi lingathwali mthwalo nxa lingena ngamasango eJerusalema ngosuku lwesabatha, khona ngizaphemba umlilo emasangweni ayo, ozaqothula izigodlo zeJerusalema, ongayikucitshwa.
But if you do not listen to Me to keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying a load while entering the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle an unquenchable fire in its gates to consume the citadels of Jerusalem.’”
