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 having a diamond point. It is engraved on the tablet of their hearts and on the horns of your altars.
2 abantwana babo besakhumbula amalathi abo lezixuku zabo ngasezihlahleni eziluhlaza phezu kwamaqaqa aphakemeyo.
Even their children remember their altars and their Asherah poles that were beside the spreading 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.
My mountain in the open country, and your wealth and all your treasures I will give away as plunder, together with your high places, because of the sin you committed in all your territories.
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 lose the inheritance that I gave to you. I will enslave you to your enemies in a land that you do not know, for you have ignited a fire in my wrath, which will burn forever.”
5 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Uqalekisiwe umuntu othembela emuntwini, esenza inyama ibe yingalo yakhe, lonhliziyo yakhe iphambuka eNkosini.
Yahweh says, “The person who trusts in mankind is accursed; he makes flesh his strength but turns his heart away from Yahweh.
6 Ngoba uzakuba njengesihlahlanyana enkangala, esingayikubona nxa okuhle kusiza; kodwa uzahlala ezindaweni ezomileyo enkangala, elizweni letshwayi, elingahlalwayo.
For he will be like a small bush in the Arabah and will not see anything good coming. He will stay in the stony places in the wilderness, barren land without inhabitants.
7 Ubusisiwe umuntu othembela eNkosini, lothemba lakhe liyiNkosi.
But the person who trusts in Yahweh is blessed, for Yahweh is his reason for confidence.
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.
For he will be like a tree planted by water, its roots will spread out by the stream. It will not fear the heat when it comes, for its leaves are always green. It is not anxious in a year of drought, and it will not stop producing fruit.
9 Inhliziyo ilenkohliso okwedlula konke, futhi imbi kakhulu; ngubani ongayazi?
The heart is more deceitful than anything else. It is sick; who can understand it?
10 Mina Nkosi ngihlola inhliziyo, ngilinge izinso, ngitsho ukupha wonke umuntu njengokwezindlela zakhe, njengokwesithelo sezenzo zakhe.
I am Yahweh, the one who searches through the mind, who tests the hearts. I give to each person according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.
11 Njengethendele elifukamela amaqanda lingawachamuseli, unjalo lowo owenza inotho kodwa hatshi ngokulunga; uzakutshiya phakathi kwensuku zakhe, lekucineni kwakhe abe yisithutha.
A partridge hatches an egg that she did not lay. Someone may become rich unjustly, but when half his days are over, those riches will abandon him, and in the end he will be a fool.”
12 Isihlalo sobukhosi esilenkazimulo, esiphakanyisiweyo kwasekuqaleni, siyindawo yendlu yethu engcwele.
“The place of our temple is a glorious throne, elevated from the beginning.
13 Nkosi, themba likaIsrayeli, bonke abakudelayo bazayangeka; labasuka kimi bazabhalwa emhlabathini, ngoba bayidelile iNkosi, umthombo wamanzi aphilayo.
Yahweh is the hope of Israel. All who abandon you will be put to shame; those in the land who turn away from you will be written in the earth, for they have forsaken Yahweh, the fountain of living waters.
14 Ngisilisa, Nkosi, njalo ngizasila; ngisindisa, njalo ngizasindiswa; ngoba uyindumiso yami.
Heal me, Yahweh, and I will be healed! Rescue me, and I will be rescued. For you are my song of praise.
15 Khangela, bathi kimi: Lingaphi ilizwi leNkosi? Kalize khathesi!
See, they are saying to me, 'Where is the word of Yahweh? Let it come!'
16 Kodwa mina kangiphangisanga ukuthi ngingabi ngumelusi emva kwakho; futhi kangilufisanga usuku olwesabekayo; wena uyakwazi; okwaphuma emlonyeni wami kwakuphambi kobuso bakho.
As for me, I did not run from being a shepherd following you. I did not long for the day of disaster. You know the proclamations that came from my lips. They were made in your presence.
17 Ungabi luvalo kimi; wena uyisiphephelo sami osukwini lobubi.
Do not be a terror to me. You are my refuge on the day of calamity.
18 Kabayangeke labo abangizingelayo, kodwa mina kangingayangeki, kabesabe bona, kodwa mina kangingesabi; behlisele usuku lobubi, ubephule ngokwephula okuphindiweyo.
May my pursuers be ashamed, but do not let me be ashamed. May they be dismayed, but do not let me be dismayed. Send the day of disaster against them and shatter them with a double share of destruction.”
19 Itsho njalo iNkosi kimi: Hamba uyekuma esangweni labantwana babantu, angena ngalo amakhosi akoJuda, aphuma ngalo, lakuwo wonke amasango eJerusalema,
Yahweh said this to me: “Go and stand in the gate of the people where the kings of Judah enter and where they exit, then in 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 Yahweh, kings of Judah and all you people of Judah, and every resident of Jerusalem who comes in through these gates.
21 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ziqapheleni, lingathwali mthwalo ngosuku lwesabatha, kumbe liwungenise ngamasango eJerusalema.
Yahweh says this: “Be careful for the sake of your lives and do not carry a burden on the Sabbath day to bring it to the gates of Jerusalem.
22 Futhi lingakhuphi umthwalo ezindlini zenu ngosuku lwesabatha, lingenzi loba yiwuphi umsebenzi; kodwa lungcweliseni usuku lwesabatha, njengalokhu ngalaya oyihlo.
Do not bring a load out from your house on the Sabbath day. Do not do any work, but set apart the Sabbath day, just as I commanded your ancestors to do.”'
23 Kodwa kabalalelanga, kababekanga indlebe yabo, kodwa benza intamo yabo yaba lukhuni ukuze bangezwa, lokuze bangemukeli ukulaywa.
They did not listen or pay attention, but stiffened their neck so they would not hear me nor accept 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;
It will happen that if you truly listen to me—this is Yahweh's declaration—and do not bring a load to the gates of this city on the Sabbath day but instead set apart the Sabbath day to Yahweh and not 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, princes, and those who sit on David's throne will come to the gates of this city in chariots and with horses, they and their leaders, men of Judah and inhabitants 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.
They will come from the cities of Judah and from all around Jerusalem, from the land of Benjamin and the lowlands, from the mountains, and from the Negev, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and frankincense, thank offerings to the house of Yahweh.
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 set apart the Sabbath day and to not carry heavy loads and to not enter the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day—then I will light a fire in its gates, and it will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem, and it cannot be put out.”
