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 a pen of iron, With the point of a diamond, Graven on the tablet of their heart, And on the horns of your altars,
2 abantwana babo besakhumbula amalathi abo lezixuku zabo ngasezihlahleni eziluhlaza phezu kwamaqaqa aphakemeyo.
As their sons remember their altars and their shrines, By the green tree, by 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 field — thy strength, All thy treasures — for a prey I give, Thy high places for sin in all thy 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 thou hast let go — even through thyself, Of thine inheritance that I gave to thee, And I have caused thee to serve thine enemies, In a land that thou hast not known, For a fire ye have kindled in Mine anger, Unto the age it doth burn.
5 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Uqalekisiwe umuntu othembela emuntwini, esenza inyama ibe yingalo yakhe, lonhliziyo yakhe iphambuka eNkosini.
Thus said Jehovah: Cursed [is] the man who doth trust in man, And hath made flesh his arm, And from Jehovah whose heart turneth.
6 Ngoba uzakuba njengesihlahlanyana enkangala, esingayikubona nxa okuhle kusiza; kodwa uzahlala ezindaweni ezomileyo enkangala, elizweni letshwayi, elingahlalwayo.
And he hath been as a naked thing in a desert, And doth not see when good cometh, And hath inhabited parched places in a wilderness, A salt land, and not inhabited.
7 Ubusisiwe umuntu othembela eNkosini, lothemba lakhe liyiNkosi.
Blessed [is] the man who trusteth in Jehovah, And whose confidence hath been Jehovah.
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.
And hath been as a tree planted by waters, And by a rivulet he sendeth forth his roots, And he doth not see when heat cometh, And his leaf hath been green, And in a year of dearth he is not sorrowful, Nor doth he cease from making fruit.
9 Inhliziyo ilenkohliso okwedlula konke, futhi imbi kakhulu; ngubani ongayazi?
Crooked [is] the heart above all things, And it [is] incurable — who doth know it?
10 Mina Nkosi ngihlola inhliziyo, ngilinge izinso, ngitsho ukupha wonke umuntu njengokwezindlela zakhe, njengokwesithelo sezenzo zakhe.
I Jehovah do search the heart, try the reins, Even to give to each according to his way, According to the fruit of his doings.
11 Njengethendele elifukamela amaqanda lingawachamuseli, unjalo lowo owenza inotho kodwa hatshi ngokulunga; uzakutshiya phakathi kwensuku zakhe, lekucineni kwakhe abe yisithutha.
A partridge hatching, and not bringing forth, [Is] one making wealth, and not by right, In the midst of his days he doth forsake it, And in his latter end — he is a fool.
12 Isihlalo sobukhosi esilenkazimulo, esiphakanyisiweyo kwasekuqaleni, siyindawo yendlu yethu engcwele.
A throne of honour on high from the beginning, The place of our sanctuary,
13 Nkosi, themba likaIsrayeli, bonke abakudelayo bazayangeka; labasuka kimi bazabhalwa emhlabathini, ngoba bayidelile iNkosi, umthombo wamanzi aphilayo.
The hope of Israel [is] Jehovah, All forsaking Thee are ashamed, And 'My apostates' in the earth are written, For they have forsaken Jehovah, A fountain of living waters.
14 Ngisilisa, Nkosi, njalo ngizasila; ngisindisa, njalo ngizasindiswa; ngoba uyindumiso yami.
Heal me, O Jehovah, and I am healed, Save me, and I am saved, for my praise [art] Thou.
15 Khangela, bathi kimi: Lingaphi ilizwi leNkosi? Kalize khathesi!
Lo, they are saying unto me: 'Where [is] the word of Jehovah? pray, let it come.'
16 Kodwa mina kangiphangisanga ukuthi ngingabi ngumelusi emva kwakho; futhi kangilufisanga usuku olwesabekayo; wena uyakwazi; okwaphuma emlonyeni wami kwakuphambi kobuso bakho.
And I hastened not from feeding after Thee, And the desperate day I have not desired, Thou — Thou hast known, The produce of my lips, before Thy face it hath been,
17 Ungabi luvalo kimi; wena uyisiphephelo sami osukwini lobubi.
Be not Thou to me for a terror, My hope [art] Thou in a day of evil.
18 Kabayangeke labo abangizingelayo, kodwa mina kangingayangeki, kabesabe bona, kodwa mina kangingesabi; behlisele usuku lobubi, ubephule ngokwephula okuphindiweyo.
Let my pursuers be ashamed, and let not me be ashamed — me! Let them be affrighted, and let not me be affrighted — me! Bring in on them a day of evil, And a second time [with] destruction destroy them.
19 Itsho njalo iNkosi kimi: Hamba uyekuma esangweni labantwana babantu, angena ngalo amakhosi akoJuda, aphuma ngalo, lakuwo wonke amasango eJerusalema,
Thus said Jehovah unto me: 'Go, and thou hast stood in the gate of the sons of the people, by which kings of Judah come in, and by which they go out, and in all gates of Jerusalem,
20 ubususithi kubo: Zwanini ilizwi leNkosi, lina makhosi akoJuda, loJuda wonke, labo bonke abahlali beJerusalema, abangena ngala amasango!
and thou hast said unto them: Hear a word of Jehovah, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all inhabitants of Jerusalem, who are coming in by these gates,
21 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ziqapheleni, lingathwali mthwalo ngosuku lwesabatha, kumbe liwungenise ngamasango eJerusalema.
Thus said Jehovah, Take ye heed to yourselves, And ye bear not a burden on the day of rest, Nor have ye brought [it] in by the gates of Jerusalem.
22 Futhi lingakhuphi umthwalo ezindlini zenu ngosuku lwesabatha, lingenzi loba yiwuphi umsebenzi; kodwa lungcweliseni usuku lwesabatha, njengalokhu ngalaya oyihlo.
Nor do ye take out a burden from your houses on the day of rest, Yea, any work ye do not do, And ye have sanctified the day of rest, As I have commanded your fathers.
23 Kodwa kabalalelanga, kababekanga indlebe yabo, kodwa benza intamo yabo yaba lukhuni ukuze bangezwa, lokuze bangemukeli ukulaywa.
And they have not hearkened nor inclined their ear, And they stiffen their neck not to hear, And not to receive 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;
And it hath been, if ye certainly hearken unto Me, An affirmation of Jehovah, So as not to bring in a burden By the gates of this city on the day of rest, And to sanctify the day of rest, So as not to do in it any work —
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 entered by the gates of this city have kings and princes, Sitting on the throne of David, Riding in a chariot, and on horses, They, and their princes, the man of Judah, And inhabitants of Jerusalem, And this city hath remained to the age.
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 they have come in from cities of Judah, And from suburbs of Jerusalem, And from the land of Benjamin, And from the low country, And from the hill-country, and from the south, Bringing in burnt-offering, and sacrifice, And present, and frankincense, And bringing praise [to] the house of Jehovah.
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.
And if ye do not hearken unto me to sanctify the day of rest, And so as not to bear a burden, And to come in at the gates of Jerusalem on the day of rest, Then I have kindled a fire in its gates, And it hath consumed the high places of Jerusalem, And it is not quenched!'
