UJeremiya 19

1 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Hamba uyethenga isiphiso sombumbi esebumba; uthathe ebadaleni babantu lebadaleni babapristi.

This is what the LORD says: “Go and buy a clay jar from a potter. Take some of the elders of the people and leaders of the priests,

2 Ubusuphuma uye esihotsheni sendodana kaHinomu esisekungeneni kwesango lodengezi, umemezele khona amazwi engizakutshela wona.

and go out to the Valley of Ben-hinnom near the entrance of the Potsherd Gate. Proclaim there the words I speak to you,

3 Uthi: Zwanini ilizwi leNkosi, lina makhosi akoJuda lani bakhileyo beJerusalema: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Khangelani, ngizaletha okubi phezu kwalindawo, okuzakuthi loba ngubani okuzwayo, indlebe zakhe zizakhenceza.

saying, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and residents of Jerusalem. This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster on this place that the ears of all who hear of it will ring,

4 Ngenxa yokuthi bangidelile, bayenza lindawo yaba ngeyabezizwe, batshisela kiyo impepha kwabanye onkulunkulu, abangabazanga bona laboyise lamakhosi akoJuda; futhi bayigcwalisa lindawo ngegazi labangelacala.

because they have abandoned Me and made this a foreign place. They have burned incense in this place to other gods that neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have ever known. They have filled this place with the blood of the innocent.

5 Futhi bakha izindawo eziphakemeyo zikaBhali, ukutshisa amadodana abo ngomlilo abe ngumnikelo wokutshiswa kuBhali, engingakulayanga, engingakukhulumanga, okungavelanga enhliziyweni yami.

They have built high places to Baal on which to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I never commanded or mentioned, nor did it even enter My mind.

6 Ngakho khangela, insuku ziyeza, itsho iNkosi, lapho lindawo ingasayikubizwa ngokuthi yiTofethi, loba isiHotsha sendodana kaHinomu, kodwa isiHotsha sokuBulawa.

So behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when this place will no longer be called Topheth or the Valley of Ben-hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter.

7 Njalo ngizachitha icebo lakoJuda leJerusalema kulindawo, ngenze ukuthi bawe ngenkemba phambi kwezitha zabo, langesandla sabazingela impilo zabo; nginike izidumbu zabo zibe yikudla kwenyoni zezulu lokwenyamazana zomhlaba.

And in this place I will ruin the plans of Judah and Jerusalem. I will make them fall by the sword before their enemies, by the hands of those who seek their lives, and I will give their carcasses as food to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.

8 Ngenze lumuzi ube lunxiwa, lokokuncifelwa; wonke owedlula kuwo uzamangala kakhulu ancife ngenxa yazo zonke inhlupheko zawo.

I will make this city a desolation and an object of scorn. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff at all her wounds.

9 Njalo ngizabenza badle inyama yamadodana abo lenyama yamadodakazi abo; njalo bazakudla ngulowo inyama kamakhelwane wakhe ekuvinjezelweni lekucindezelweni, ezizabacindezela ngakho izitha zabo labadinga impilo yabo.

I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh in the siege and distress inflicted on them by their enemies who seek their lives.’

10 Khona uzaphahlaza isiphiso emehlweni amadoda ahamba lawe;

Then you are to shatter the jar in the presence of the men who accompany you,

11 ubususithi kiwo: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Ngokunjalo ngizabaphahlaza lababantu lalumuzi, njengomuntu ephahlaza imbiza yombumbi, engebuye ilungiswe futhi; njalo bazabangcwaba eThofethi, ngoba kungasoze kube lendawo yokungcwaba.

and you are to proclaim to them that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: I will shatter this nation and this city, like one shatters a potter’s jar that can never again be repaired. They will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room to bury them.

12 Ngizakwenza njalo kulindawo, itsho iNkosi, lakwabakhileyo bayo, ukuthi ngenze lumuzi ube njengeThofethi.

This is what I will do to this place and to its residents, declares the LORD. I will make this city like Topheth.

13 Njalo izindlu zeJerusalema lezindlu zamakhosi akoJuda zizangcoliswa njengendawo yeThofethi, ngenxa yazo zonke izindlu abatshisela phezu kwempahla zazo impepha kulo lonke ibutho lamazulu, bathululela abanye onkulunkulu iminikelo yokunathwayo.

The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah will be defiled like that place, Topheth—all the houses on whose rooftops they burned incense to all the host of heaven and poured out drink offerings to other gods.”

14 Khona wabuya uJeremiya evela eTofethi, lapho iNkosi eyayimthume khona ukuprofetha, wasesima egumeni lendlu yeNkosi, wathi ebantwini bonke:

Then Jeremiah returned from Topheth, where the LORD had sent him to prophesy, and he stood in the courtyard of the house of the LORD and proclaimed to all the people,

15 Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Khangelani, ngizakwehlisela kulumuzi lakuyo yonke imizana yawo konke okubi engikutshiloyo ngawo, ngoba benze lukhuni intamo yabo, ukuze bangezwa amazwi ami.

“This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I am about to bring on this city and on all the villages around it every disaster I have pronounced against them, because they have stiffened their necks so as not to heed My words.’”