UJeremiya 22
1 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Yehlela endlini yenkosi yakoJuda, ukhulume khona lelilizwi,
Thus said Jehovah: "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.
Say, 'Hear the word of Jehovah, king of Judah, who sits on the throne of David, you, and your servants, and your people who 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 says Jehovah: "Execute justice and righteousness, and deliver him who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence, to the foreigner, 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 you do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting on 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 you will not hear these words, I swear by myself, says Jehovah, 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 says Jehovah concerning the house of the king of Judah: "You are Gilead to me, the head of Lebanon. Yet surely I will make you a wilderness, cities which are not inhabited.
7 Ngizakulungisela abachithi, ngulowo elezikhali zakhe; njalo bazagamula ikhethelo lemisedari yakho, bayiphosele emlilweni.
I will prepare destroyers against you, everyone with his weapons; and they shall cut down your choice cedars, and cast them into the fire.
8 Lezizwe ezinengi zizadlula kulumuzi, zithi, ngulowo kumakhelwane wakhe: INkosi yenzeleni kanje kulumuzi omkhulu?
Many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbor, 'Why has Jehovah done thus to 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 Jehovah their God, and worshiped other gods, and served them.'
10 Lingamkhaleli ofileyo, lingamlileli; khalelani kakhulu ohambileyo, ngoba kasayikubuya kumbe abone ilizwe lokuzalwa kwakhe.
Do not weep for the dead, neither bemoan him; but weep bitterly for him who goes 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 says Jehovah 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 there any more.
12 kodwa uzafela endaweni abamthumbele kuyo, kasayikulibona lelilizwe.
But in the place where 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 to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his rooms by injustice; who uses his neighbor's service without wages, and doesn't give him his hire;
14 othi: Ngizazakhela indlu enkulu lamakamelo aphezulu abanzi; azisikele amawindi, yembeswe ngemisedari, iconjwe ngokubomvu.
who says, "I will build me a wide house and spacious rooms," and cuts him out windows; and it is ceiling with cedar, and painted with vermilion.
15 Uzabusa yini, ngoba utshisekela ulaka ugqoke imisedari? Uyihlo kadlanga yini wanatha, wenza isahlulelo lokulunga, kwasekusiba kuhle kuye?
Shall you reign, because you strive to excel in cedar? Did not your 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. Wasn't this to know me?' says Jehovah.
17 Kodwa amehlo akho lenhliziyo yakho kakukho kokunye ngaphandle kwemhawini wakho, lekuchitheni igazi elingelacala, lencindezelweni, lekwenzeni udlakela.
"But your eyes and your heart are not but for your 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 says Jehovah concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: "they shall not lament for him, saying, 'Alas my brother. or, Alas sister.' They shall not lament for him, saying, 'Alas lord.' or, 'Alas his majesty.'
19 Uzangcwatshwa ngokungcwatshwa kukababhemi, ehudulwa alahlwe ngaphandle kwamasango eJerusalema.
He shall be buried with the burial of a donkey, 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 your voice in Bashan, and cry from Abarim; for all your lovers are destroyed.
21 Ngakhuluma lawe ekonwabeni kwakho, kodwa wathi: Kangiyikulalela. Lokhu bekuyindlela yakho kusukela ebutsheni bakho, ukuthi ungalilaleli ilizwi lami.
I spoke to you in your prosperity; but you said, 'I will not hear.' This has been your way from your youth, that you did not obey 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 all your shepherds, and your lovers shall go into captivity: surely then you will be ashamed and confounded for all your wickedness.
23 Wena ohlala eLebhanoni, owakhe isidleke phakathi kwemisedari, uzahawukelwa kangakanani ekuzeni kwenhlungu kuwe, ubuhlungu obunjengobowesifazana ohelelwayo.
Inhabitant of Lebanon, who makes your nest in the cedars, how greatly you will groan when pangs come on you, 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," says Jehovah, "though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet on my right hand, yet would I pluck you there;
25 ngikunikele esandleni sabadinga impilo yakho, lesandleni salabo owesaba ubuso babo, ngitsho esandleni sikaNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, lesandleni samaKhaladiya,
and I will give you into the hand of those who seek your life, and into the hand of them of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.
26 ngikuphosele phandle kanye lonyoko owakubelethayo, liye kwelinye ilizwe, elingazalelwanga kulo; njalo lizafela khona.
I will cast you out, and your mother who bore you, into another country, where you were not born; and there you will die.
27 Kodwa elizweni abaphakamisa umphefumulo wabo ukubuyela kulo, kabayikubuyela kulo.
But to the land whereunto their soul longs to return, there 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 vessel? Is he a vessel in which none delights? Why are they cast out, he and his descendants, and cast into a land that they do not know?
29 Lizwe, lizwe, lizwe, zwana ilizwi leNkosi.
O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of Jehovah.
30 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Bhalani lumuntu ukuthi kalabantwana, umuntu ongayikuphumelela ensukwini zakhe; ngoba kakulamuntu enzalweni yakhe ozaphumelela, ohlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida, esabusa koJuda.
Thus says Jehovah, "Write this man down childless, a man who will not succeed in his days; for none of his descendants will succeed in sitting on the throne of David, and ruling in Judah.
