UJeremiya 22
1 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Yehlela endlini yenkosi yakoJuda, ukhulume khona lelilizwi,
This is what the LORD says: “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and proclaim this message there,
2 uthi: Zwana ilizwi leNkosi, wena nkosi yakoJuda, ohlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida, wena, lezinceku zakho, labantu bakho abangena ngalamasango.
saying, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, who sits on the throne of David—you and your officials and your people who enter these gates.
3 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Yenzani isahlulelo lokulunga, lophule ophangiweyo esandleni somcindezeli; lingacindezeli, lingenzi udlakela kowezizwe, izintandane, lomfelokazi, njalo lingachithi igazi elingelacala kulindawo.
This is what the LORD says: Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Do not shed innocent blood in this place.
4 Ngoba uba lisenza linto isibili, khona kuzangena ngamasango alindlu amakhosi ahlalela uDavida esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, egade izinqola lamabhiza, yona lenceku zayo labantu bayo.
For if you will indeed carry out these commands, then kings who sit on David’s throne will enter through the gates of this palace riding on chariots and horses—they and their officials and their people.
5 Kodwa uba lingawalaleli lamazwi, ngiyafunga ngami, kutsho iNkosi, ukuthi lindlu izakuba lunxiwa.
But if you do not obey these words, then I swear by Myself, declares the LORD, that this house will become a pile of rubble.’”
6 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi mayelana lendlu yenkosi yakoJuda: UyiGileyadi kimi, inhloko yeLebhanoni; isibili ngizakwenza inkangala, imizi engahlalwayo.
For this is what the LORD says concerning the house of the king of Judah: “You are like Gilead to Me, like the summit of Lebanon; but I will surely turn you into a desert, like cities that are uninhabited.
7 Ngizakulungisela abachithi, ngulowo elezikhali zakhe; njalo bazagamula ikhethelo lemisedari yakho, bayiphosele emlilweni.
I will appoint destroyers against you, each man with his weapons, and they will cut down the choicest of your cedars and throw them into the fire.
8 Lezizwe ezinengi zizadlula kulumuzi, zithi, ngulowo kumakhelwane wakhe: INkosi yenzeleni kanje kulumuzi omkhulu?
And many nations will pass by this city and ask one another, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this great city?’
9 Khona bazakuthi: Ngenxa yokuthi basidelile isivumelwano seNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo, bakhonza abanye onkulunkulu, babasebenzela.
Then people will reply, ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and have worshiped and served other gods.’”
10 Lingamkhaleli ofileyo, lingamlileli; khalelani kakhulu ohambileyo, ngoba kasayikubuya kumbe abone ilizwe lokuzalwa kwakhe.
Do not weep for the dead king; do not mourn his loss. Weep bitterly for the one who is exiled, for he will never return to see his native land.
11 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi mayelana loShaluma indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda, owabusa esikhundleni sikaJosiya uyise, owaphuma kulindawo: Kasayikubuya lapha;
For this is what the LORD says concerning Shallum son of Josiah, king of Judah, who succeeded his father Josiah but has gone forth from this place: “He will never return,
12 kodwa uzafela endaweni abamthumbele kuyo, kasayikulibona lelilizwe.
but he will die in the place to which he was exiled; he will never see this land again.”
13 Maye kowakha indlu yakhe ngokungalungi, lamakamelo akhe aphezulu ngokungaqondanga, osebenzisa umakhelwane wakhe ngeze, angamniki umvuzo wakhe;
“Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms without justice, who makes his countrymen serve without pay, and fails to pay their wages,
14 othi: Ngizazakhela indlu enkulu lamakamelo aphezulu abanzi; azisikele amawindi, yembeswe ngemisedari, iconjwe ngokubomvu.
who says, ‘I will build myself a great palace, with spacious upper rooms.’ So he cuts windows in it, panels it with cedar, and paints it with vermilion.
15 Uzabusa yini, ngoba utshisekela ulaka ugqoke imisedari? Uyihlo kadlanga yini wanatha, wenza isahlulelo lokulunga, kwasekusiba kuhle kuye?
Does it make you a king to excel in cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He administered justice and righteousness, and so it went well with him.
16 Wehlulela udaba lomyanga loswelayo; khona kwaba kuhle. Lokhu kakusikungazi yini? itsho iNkosi.
He took up the cause of the poor and needy, and so it went well with him. Is this not what it means to know Me?” declares the LORD.
17 Kodwa amehlo akho lenhliziyo yakho kakukho kokunye ngaphandle kwemhawini wakho, lekuchitheni igazi elingelacala, lencindezelweni, lekwenzeni udlakela.
“But your eyes and heart are set on nothing except your own dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood, on practicing extortion and oppression.”
18 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi mayelana loJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda: Kabayikumkhalela besithi: Hawu mfowethu! kumbe: Hawu dadewethu! Kabayikumkhalela besithi: Hawu nkosi! loba: Hawu, bukhosi bakhe!
Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: “They will not mourn for him: ‘Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!’ They will not mourn for him: ‘Alas, my master! Alas, his splendor!’
19 Uzangcwatshwa ngokungcwatshwa kukababhemi, ehudulwa alahlwe ngaphandle kwamasango eJerusalema.
He will be buried like a donkey, dragged away and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem.
20 Yenyukela eLebhanoni, umemeze, uphakamise ilizwi lakho eBashani, umemeze useAbarimi, ngoba zonke izithandwa zakho zibhujisiwe.
Go up to Lebanon and cry out; raise your voice in Bashan; cry out from Abarim, for all your lovers have been crushed.
21 Ngakhuluma lawe ekonwabeni kwakho, kodwa wathi: Kangiyikulalela. Lokhu bekuyindlela yakho kusukela ebutsheni bakho, ukuthi ungalilaleli ilizwi lami.
I warned you when you were secure. You said, ‘I will not listen.’ This has been your way from youth, that you have not obeyed My voice.
22 Umoya uzakudla bonke abelusi bakho, lezithandwa zakho zizakuya ekuthunjweni; isibili khona uzakuba lenhloni, uyangeke, ngenxa yobubi bakho bonke.
The wind will drive away all your shepherds, and your lovers will go into captivity. Then you will be ashamed and humiliated because of all your wickedness.
23 Wena ohlala eLebhanoni, owakhe isidleke phakathi kwemisedari, uzahawukelwa kangakanani ekuzeni kwenhlungu kuwe, ubuhlungu obunjengobowesifazana ohelelwayo.
O inhabitant of Lebanon, nestled in the cedars, how you will groan when pangs of anguish come upon you, agony like a woman in labor.”
24 Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi, loba uKoniya indodana kaJehoyakhimi, inkosi yakoJuda, ebeyindandatho elophawu esandleni sami sokunene, kanti bengizakuhluthula kuso,
“As surely as I live,” declares the LORD, “even if you, Coniah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring on My right hand, I would pull you off.
25 ngikunikele esandleni sabadinga impilo yakho, lesandleni salabo owesaba ubuso babo, ngitsho esandleni sikaNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, lesandleni samaKhaladiya,
In fact, I will hand you over to those you dread, who want to take your life—to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to the Chaldeans.
26 ngikuphosele phandle kanye lonyoko owakubelethayo, liye kwelinye ilizwe, elingazalelwanga kulo; njalo lizafela khona.
I will hurl you and the mother who gave you birth into another land, where neither of you were born—and there you both will die.
27 Kodwa elizweni abaphakamisa umphefumulo wabo ukubuyela kulo, kabayikubuyela kulo.
You will never return to the land for which you long.”
28 Lumuntu uKoniya uyisithombe esidelelekayo lesiphahlazekileyo yini? Uyisitsha okungelantokozo kuso yini? Baphoselwani phandle, yena lenzalo yakhe, yebo, bephoselwa elizweni abangalaziyo?
Is this man Coniah a despised and shattered pot, a jar that no one wants? Why are he and his descendants hurled out and cast into a land they do not know?
29 Lizwe, lizwe, lizwe, zwana ilizwi leNkosi.
O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD!
30 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Bhalani lumuntu ukuthi kalabantwana, umuntu ongayikuphumelela ensukwini zakhe; ngoba kakulamuntu enzalweni yakhe ozaphumelela, ohlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida, esabusa koJuda.
This is what the LORD says: “Enroll this man as childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime. None of his descendants will prosper to sit on the throne of David or to rule again in Judah.”
