UJeremiya 17
1 Isono sakoJuda sibhaliwe ngepheni yensimbi, ngomcijo wendayimana; sibhalwe ngokugujwa esibhebheni senhliziyo yabo, lezimpondweni zamalathi enu;
The sin of Judah is inscribed with an iron stylus, engraved with an adamant point, on their minds and on corners of their altars where they worship.
2 abantwana babo besakhumbula amalathi abo lezixuku zabo ngasezihlahleni eziluhlaza phezu kwamaqaqa aphakemeyo.
Even their children remember to worship at their pagan altars and Asherah poles, set up 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.
on my mountain in the fields. I will hand over your wealth and all your valuable possessions as plunder, because of the sin committed on your pagan high places inside your country.
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.
You will have to give up the land I gave you. I will have your enemies make you their slaves in an unfamiliar country for you made my anger blaze, and 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 are those who put their confidence in human beings, who trust in human strength and give up relying on the Lord.
6 Ngoba uzakuba njengesihlahlanyana enkangala, esingayikubona nxa okuhle kusiza; kodwa uzahlala ezindaweni ezomileyo enkangala, elizweni letshwayi, elingahlalwayo.
They will be like a shrub alone in the desert that isn't even aware when good things happen. It just goes on living in the dry desert, in a salt flat that's uninhabited.
7 Ubusisiwe umuntu othembela eNkosini, lothemba lakhe liyiNkosi.
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, who put their confidence 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.
They are like trees planted by water, sending out roots toward the stream. They don't panic when it gets hot; their leaves are always green. They don't worry during a time of drought—they go on producing fruit.
9 Inhliziyo ilenkohliso okwedlula konke, futhi imbi kakhulu; ngubani ongayazi?
The mind is more deceptive than anything else—it's incurably sick! Who can possibly understand it?
10 Mina Nkosi ngihlola inhliziyo, ngilinge izinso, ngitsho ukupha wonke umuntu njengokwezindlela zakhe, njengokwesithelo sezenzo zakhe.
But I, the Lord, see what people are thinking. I examine their minds, so I can reward them depending on their attitudes and the way they behave.
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 didn't lay is someone who makes a fortune by cheating others. Their riches will fly away at midday, and in the end they'll look like a fool.
12 Isihlalo sobukhosi esilenkazimulo, esiphakanyisiweyo kwasekuqaleni, siyindawo yendlu yethu engcwele.
Our Temple is a throne of glory, raised up high from the beginning.
13 Nkosi, themba likaIsrayeli, bonke abakudelayo bazayangeka; labasuka kimi bazabhalwa emhlabathini, ngoba bayidelile iNkosi, umthombo wamanzi aphilayo.
Lord, you are Israel's hope, anyone who deserts you will be disgraced. Anyone who turns their back on you will vanish like names written in the dust, for they have abandoned the Lord, the source of living water.
14 Ngisilisa, Nkosi, njalo ngizasila; ngisindisa, njalo ngizasindiswa; ngoba uyindumiso yami.
Please heal me, Lord, and I'll be healed; save me, and I'll be saved, for you are the one I praise.
15 Khangela, bathi kimi: Lingaphi ilizwi leNkosi? Kalize khathesi!
See how they keep on saying to me, “Where is the disaster that the Lord's predicted? Is it ever going to happen?”
16 Kodwa mina kangiphangisanga ukuthi ngingabi ngumelusi emva kwakho; futhi kangilufisanga usuku olwesabekayo; wena uyakwazi; okwaphuma emlonyeni wami kwakuphambi kobuso bakho.
But I haven't been in a hurry to give up being your shepherd. I haven't wanted the time of trouble to come. You know that whatever I said was said in front of you.
17 Ungabi luvalo kimi; wena uyisiphephelo sami osukwini lobubi.
Please don't be the one who terrifies me! You are my protection in the time of trouble.
18 Kabayangeke labo abangizingelayo, kodwa mina kangingayangeki, kabesabe bona, kodwa mina kangingesabi; behlisele usuku lobubi, ubephule ngokwephula okuphindiweyo.
Bring shame on my persecutors, but not on me. Terrify them, but not me, Let them experience the time of trouble, and smash them to pieces.
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 told me: Go and stand at the main gate of the city, the one used by kings of Judah, and do the same 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!
Tell them, Listen to the Lord's message, kings of Judah, and all you people of Judah and Jerusalem who come in through these gates.
21 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ziqapheleni, lingathwali mthwalo ngosuku lwesabatha, kumbe liwungenise ngamasango eJerusalema.
This is what the Lord says: Pay attention, if you value your lives! Don't carry a load on the Sabbath day, and don't bring it through the gates of Jerusalem.
22 Futhi lingakhuphi umthwalo ezindlini zenu ngosuku lwesabatha, lingenzi loba yiwuphi umsebenzi; kodwa lungcweliseni usuku lwesabatha, njengalokhu ngalaya oyihlo.
Don't carry a load out of your houses, and don't do any work on the Sabbath day. Keep the Sabbath day holy, just as I ordered your forefathers.
23 Kodwa kabalalelanga, kababekanga indlebe yabo, kodwa benza intamo yabo yaba lukhuni ukuze bangezwa, lokuze bangemukeli ukulaywa.
However, they refused to listen or pay attention. Instead they were stubborn and refused to obey or accept instruction.
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;
Listen carefully to me, says the Lord, and don't bring any load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, and keep the Sabbath day holy, and don't do any 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. They will ride in chariots and on horses with their officials, accompanied by the people of Judah and those living in 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.
People will come from the towns of Judah and everywhere around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin, and from the lowlands the hill country, and the Negev. They will bring burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, and thank offerings to the Lord's Temple.
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 refuse to listen to me and keep the Sabbath day holy by not carrying a load while entering the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will set its gates alight with a fire that can't be put out, and it will burn down Jerusalem's fortresses.
