UJeremiya 22
1 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Yehlela endlini yenkosi yakoJuda, ukhulume khona lelilizwi,
Thus said the LORD: Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,
2 uthi: Zwana ilizwi leNkosi, wena nkosi yakoJuda, ohlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida, wena, lezinceku zakho, labantu bakho abangena ngalamasango.
and say: Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates.
3 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Yenzani isahlulelo lokulunga, lophule ophangiweyo esandleni somcindezeli; lingacindezeli, lingenzi udlakela kowezizwe, izintandane, lomfelokazi, njalo lingachithi igazi elingelacala kulindawo.
Thus saith the LORD: Execute ye justice and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor; and do no wrong, do no violence, to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither 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 ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.
5 Kodwa uba lingawalaleli lamazwi, ngiyafunga ngami, kutsho iNkosi, ukuthi lindlu izakuba lunxiwa.
But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by Myself, saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.
6 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi mayelana lendlu yenkosi yakoJuda: UyiGileyadi kimi, inhloko yeLebhanoni; isibili ngizakwenza inkangala, imizi engahlalwayo.
For thus saith the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: Thou art Gilead unto Me, the head of Lebanon; yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, cities which are not inhabited.
7 Ngizakulungisela abachithi, ngulowo elezikhali zakhe; njalo bazagamula ikhethelo lemisedari yakho, bayiphosele emlilweni.
And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons; and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire.
8 Lezizwe ezinengi zizadlula kulumuzi, zithi, ngulowo kumakhelwane wakhe: INkosi yenzeleni kanje kulumuzi omkhulu?
And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour: 'Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city?'
9 Khona bazakuthi: Ngenxa yokuthi basidelile isivumelwano seNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo, bakhonza abanye onkulunkulu, babasebenzela.
Then they shall answer: 'Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.'
10 Lingamkhaleli ofileyo, lingamlileli; khalelani kakhulu ohambileyo, ngoba kasayikubuya kumbe abone ilizwe lokuzalwa kwakhe.
Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him; but weep sore for him that goeth away, for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.
11 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi mayelana loShaluma indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda, owabusa esikhundleni sikaJosiya uyise, owaphuma kulindawo: Kasayikubuya lapha;
For thus saith the LORD touching Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, and who went forth out of this place: He shall not return thither any more;
12 kodwa uzafela endaweni abamthumbele kuyo, kasayikulibona lelilizwe.
but in the place whither they have led him captive, there shall he die, and he shall see this land no more.
13 Maye kowakha indlu yakhe ngokungalungi, lamakamelo akhe aphezulu ngokungaqondanga, osebenzisa umakhelwane wakhe ngeze, angamniki umvuzo wakhe;
Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by injustice; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not his hire;
14 othi: Ngizazakhela indlu enkulu lamakamelo aphezulu abanzi; azisikele amawindi, yembeswe ngemisedari, iconjwe ngokubomvu.
That saith: 'I will build me a wide house and spacious chambers', and cutteth him out windows, and it is ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.
15 Uzabusa yini, ngoba utshisekela ulaka ugqoke imisedari? Uyihlo kadlanga yini wanatha, wenza isahlulelo lokulunga, kwasekusiba kuhle kuye?
Shalt thou reign, because thou strivest to excel in cedar? Did not thy father eat and drink, and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.
16 Wehlulela udaba lomyanga loswelayo; khona kwaba kuhle. Lokhu kakusikungazi yini? itsho iNkosi.
He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this to know Me? saith the LORD.
17 Kodwa amehlo akho lenhliziyo yakho kakukho kokunye ngaphandle kwemhawini wakho, lekuchitheni igazi elingelacala, lencindezelweni, lekwenzeni udlakela.
But thine eyes and thy heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for shedding innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.
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 thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: They shall not lament for him: 'Ah my brother!' or: 'Ah sister!' They shall not lament for him: 'Ah lord!' or: 'Ah his glory!'
19 Uzangcwatshwa ngokungcwatshwa kukababhemi, ehudulwa alahlwe ngaphandle kwamasango eJerusalema.
He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond 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, and lift up thy voice in Bashan; and cry from Abarim, for all thy lovers are destroyed.
21 Ngakhuluma lawe ekonwabeni kwakho, kodwa wathi: Kangiyikulalela. Lokhu bekuyindlela yakho kusukela ebutsheni bakho, ukuthi ungalilaleli ilizwi lami.
I spoke unto thee in thy prosperity, but thou saidst: 'I will not hear.' This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou hearkenedst not to My voice.
22 Umoya uzakudla bonke abelusi bakho, lezithandwa zakho zizakuya ekuthunjweni; isibili khona uzakuba lenhloni, uyangeke, ngenxa yobubi bakho bonke.
The wind shall feed upon all thy shepherds, and thy lovers shall go into captivity; surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness.
23 Wena ohlala eLebhanoni, owakhe isidleke phakathi kwemisedari, uzahawukelwa kangakanani ekuzeni kwenhlungu kuwe, ubuhlungu obunjengobowesifazana ohelelwayo.
O inhabitant of Lebanon, that art nestled in the cedars, how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail!
24 Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi, loba uKoniya indodana kaJehoyakhimi, inkosi yakoJuda, ebeyindandatho elophawu esandleni sami sokunene, kanti bengizakuhluthula kuso,
As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon My right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;
25 ngikunikele esandleni sabadinga impilo yakho, lesandleni salabo owesaba ubuso babo, ngitsho esandleni sikaNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, lesandleni samaKhaladiya,
and I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them of whom thou art afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.
26 ngikuphosele phandle kanye lonyoko owakubelethayo, liye kwelinye ilizwe, elingazalelwanga kulo; njalo lizafela khona.
And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bore thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die.
27 Kodwa elizweni abaphakamisa umphefumulo wabo ukubuyela kulo, kabayikubuyela kulo.
But to the land whereunto they long to return, thither shall they not return.
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, broken image? Is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? Wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into the land which they know not?
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.
Thus saith the LORD: Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days; for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.
