< UJeremiya 20 >

1 Kwathi uPashuri umpristi, indodana kaImeri, umpristi, owayengumbonisi oyinduna endlini yeNkosi, wamuzwa uJeremiya eprofetha lezizinto,
Pashhur, son of Immer, was a priest and the official in charge of the Lord's Temple. When he heard Jeremiah prophesying these things,
2 uPashuri wasemtshaya uJeremiya umprofethi, wamfaka esitokisini esisesangweni lakoBhenjamini elingaphezulu, elalingasendlini yeNkosi.
he beat Jeremiah the prophet and had him put in the stocks at the Upper Benjamin Gate, near to the Lord's Temple.
3 Kwasekusithi ngosuku olulandelayo, uPashuri wamkhupha uJeremiya esitokisini. UJeremiya wasesithi kuye: INkosi kayibizanga ibizo lakho ngokuthi uPashuri, kodwa uMagori-Misabibi.
The following day, when Pashhur had Jeremiah released from the stocks, Jeremiah told him, “The Lord doesn't call you Pashhur (tear in pieces), but Magor-missabib (terror is everywhere).
4 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela, ngizakwenza ube yinto eyesabekayo kuwe uqobo, lakubo bonke abangane bakho; njalo bazakuwa ngenkemba yezitha zabo, lamehlo enu azakubona. Njalo ngizanikela wonke uJuda esandleni senkosi yeBhabhiloni, ezabathumba ibase eBhabhiloni, ibatshaye ngenkemba.
For this is what the Lord says: I'm going to make you terrified—you and all those you love. Enemies will kill them as you watch. I will hand Judah over to the king of Babylon. He will kill some, and the rest he will take away into exile in Babylon.
5 Futhi ngizanikela yonke inotho yalumuzi, lawo wonke umsebenzi wawo, lakho konke okuligugu kwawo, lazo zonke iziphala zamakhosi akoJuda, ngikunikele esandleni sezitha zabo, ezizakuphanga, zikuthathe, zikulethe eBhabhiloni.
I'm going to give it all away. All the wealth of this city, all the results of hard work, all the valuables, all the crown jewels of Judah's kings—I'm going to hand it over to their enemies, who will take it as plunder and carry it off to Babylon.
6 Lawe Pashuri, lani lonke bahlali bendlu yakho, lizakuya ekuthunjweni; njalo uzakuya eBhabhiloni, ufele khona, ungcwatshelwe khona, wena labangane bakho bonke, oprofethe kibo amanga.
You, Pashhur, and everyone who lives with you, will go into captivity. You will go to Babylon. You will die there and be buried—you and all those you love, those to whom you prophesied lies.”
7 Nkosi, wangiyenga, ngayengeka; ulamandla kulami, unqobile; ngaba yinhlekisa lonke usuku, bonke bayangiklolodela.
You fooled me, Lord, and I let myself be fooled! You're stronger than me—you've won! I've become a joke people laugh at all day long. Everyone is mocking me.
8 Ngoba loba nini ngikhuluma, ngiyakhala, ngimemeze udlakela lencithakalo; ngoba ilizwi leNkosi selibe lihlazo lenhlekisa kimi usuku lonke.
This is because every time I open my mouth I have to shout out warnings of violence and destruction. The Lord's message has become the reason people criticize and ridicule me the whole time.
9 Ngasengisithi: Kangiyikuyikhumbula, kangisayikukhuluma ngebizo layo; kodwa enhliziyweni yami kunjengomlilo ovuthayo ovalelwe emathanjeni ami; sengikhathele yikugodla, ngingeke ngenelise.
If I tell myself, “I won't talk about him anymore, I won't even mention his name,” then his message is like a fire trapped within me, burning me from the inside out. I'm getting tired of holding it in. I just can't win.
10 Ngoba ngizwile ukuhleba kwabanengi, ukwesaba inhlangothi zonke, besithi: Bikani, lathi sizakubika! Bonke abalokuthula lami balindele ukukhubeka kwami, besithi: Mhlawumbe angakhohliseka, khona sizamehlula, siphindisele impindiselo yethu kuye.
I've heard many people gossiping: “He's the one who says, ‘terror is everywhere!’ He has to be reported! Report what he's doing!” All my good friends are waiting for me to slip up. “Maybe he'll make a mistake so we can defeat him and get our revenge on him,” they say.
11 Kodwa iNkosi ilami njengeqhawe elesabekayo; ngakho-ke abangizingelayo bazakhubeka, kabayikunqoba; bazayangeka kakhulu, ngoba bengayikuphumelela; ihlazo labo elilaphakade kaliyikukhohlakala.
But the Lord stands beside me like a powerful warrior. So those who are attacking me will fall. They won't win! Because they're not successful they will be totally disgraced. Their shame won't ever be forgotten.
12 Kodwa, Nkosi yamabandla, ohlolayo olungileyo, obona izinso lenhliziyo, ngibone impindiselo yakho kibo, ngoba kuwe ngambulile udaba lwami.
Lord Almighty, you know without question who is living right. You examine people's thoughts and feelings. So let me see your punishment fall on them, because I've trusted you to judge my case.
13 Hlabelelani eNkosini, dumisani iNkosi; ngoba yophule umphefumulo woswelayo esandleni sabenzi bobubi.
Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord! For he saves the poor from the power of the wicked.
14 Kaluqalekiswe usuku engazalwa ngalo; usuku umama angizala ngalo kalungabusiswa.
May the day I was born be cursed! May the day my mother gave birth to me never be blessed!
15 Kaqalekiswe umuntu owaletha izindaba kubaba, esithi: Uzalelwe umntwana wesilisa; emenza athokoze kakhulu.
May the man be cursed who brought my father the news that made him really happy, saying, “You have a son.”
16 Njalo lowomuntu kabe njengemizi iNkosi eyayigenqulayo, ingazisoli; njalo kezwe ukukhala ekuseni, lokuhlaba umkhosi ngesikhathi semini enkulu.
May that man be like the towns that the Lord destroyed without mercy. May he hear shouts of alarm in the morning and war-cries at noon,
17 Ngoba ingangibulalanga kwasesiswini; kumbe umama waba lingcwaba lami, lesisu sakhe sakhulelwa kokuphela.
because he should have killed me in the womb so that my mother would have been my grave, remaining pregnant forever.
18 Ngaphumelani esiswini ukuthi ngibone uhlupho losizi, ukuthi insuku zami ziphele ehlazweni?
Why was I born only to see trouble and sadness, and to end my life in shame?

< UJeremiya 20 >