UJeremiya 23
1 Maye kubelusi abachitha behlakaza izimvu zedlelo lami! itsho iNkosi.
Woe to the shepherds that destroy and scatter the sheep of their pasture!
2 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, imelene labelusi abelusa abantu bami: Lizihlakazile izimvu zami, lazixotsha, kalizethekelelanga. Khangelani, ngizaphindisela phezu kwenu ububi bezenzo zenu, itsho iNkosi.
Therefore thus saith the Lord against them that tend my people; Ye have scattered my sheep, and driven them out, and ye have not visited them: behold, I [will] take vengeance upon you according to your evil practices.
3 Mina-ke ngizabutha insali yezimvu zami iphume kuwo wonke amazwe lapho engizixotshele khona, ngizibuyise futhi esibayeni sazo; njalo zizazala, zande.
And I will gather in the remnant of my people in every land, whither I have driven them out, and will set them in their pasture; and they shall increase and be multiplied.
4 Ngizamisa phezu kwazo abelusi abazazelusa; njalo kazisayikwesaba, kaziyikutshaywa luvalo, kaziyikulahleka, itsho iNkosi.
And I will raise up shepherds to them, who shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be alarmed, saith the Lord.
5 Khangela, insuku ziyeza, itsho iNkosi, lapho engizavusela uDavida iHlumela elilungileyo; njalo iNkosi izabusa iphumelele, izakwenza isahlulelo lokulunga emhlabeni.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will raise up to David a righteous branch, and a king shall reign and understand, and shall execute judgment and righteousness on the earth.
6 Ensukwini zalo uJuda uzasindiswa, loIsrayeli ahlale evikelekile. Njalo leli libizo layo ezabizwa ngalo: INkosi Ukulunga Kwethu.
In his days both Juda shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell securely: and this is his name, which the Lord shall call him, Josedec among the prophets.
7 Ngakho khangela, insuku ziyeza, itsho iNkosi, lapho abangasayikuthi: Kuphila kweNkosi, eyabakhuphula abantwana bakoIsrayeli elizweni leGibhithe.
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when they shall no more say, The Lord lives, who brought up the house of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
8 Kodwa: Kuphila kweNkosi eyakhuphula eyaletha inzalo yendlu kaIsrayeli isuka elizweni lenyakatho lakuwo wonke amazwe engangiyixotshele khona. Njalo bazahlala elizweni lakibo.
but The Lord lives, who has gathered the whole seed of Israel from the north land, and from all the countries whither he [had] driven them out, and has restored them into their own land.
9 Mayelana labaprofethi: Inhliziyo yami yephukile ngaphakathi kwami; amathambo ami wonke ayathuthumela; nginjengesidakwa, lanjengomuntu owehlulwe liwayini, ngenxa yeNkosi, langenxa yamazwi obungcwele bayo.
My heart is broken within me; all my bones are shaken: I am become as a broken-down man, and as a man overcome with wine, because of the Lord, and because of the excellence of his glory.
10 Ngoba ilizwe ligcwele izifebe; ngoba ngenxa yesiqalekiso ilizwe liyalila; amadlelo enkangala omile, lokuhamba kwabo kubi, lamandla abo kawaqondanga.
For because of these things the land mourns; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up; and their course is become evil, and so [also] their strength.
11 Ngoba lomprofethi lompristi kabamesabi uNkulunkulu; ngitsho endlini yami ngitholile ububi babo, itsho iNkosi.
For priest and prophet are defiled; and I have seen their iniquities in my house.
12 Ngakho indlela yabo izakuba kibo njengezindlela ezitshelelayo emnyameni; bafuqelwa phansi, bawele kuyo; ngoba ngizabehlisela okubi ngomnyaka wokuhanjelwa kwabo, itsho iNkosi.
Therefore let their way be to them slippery and dark: and they shall be tripped up and fall in it: for I will bring evils upon them, in the year of their visitation.
13 Ngibonile-ke ubuwula kubaprofethi beSamariya; baprofetha ngoBhali, baduhisa abantu bami uIsrayeli.
And in the prophets of Samaria I have seen lawless deeds; they prophesied by Baal, and led my people Israel astray.
14 Kodwa kubaprofethi beJerusalema ngibonile into eyesabekayo; bayafeba, bahambe emangeni, baqinisa izandla zabenzi bobubi ukuze bangaphenduki ngulowo ebubini bakhe; bonke sebenjengeSodoma kimi, labakhileyo bayo njengeGomora.
Also in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen horrible things: as they committed adultery, and walked in lies, and strengthened the hands of many, that they should not return each from his evil way: they are all become to me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrha.
15 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla mayelana labaprofethi: Khangela, ngizabadlisa umhlonyane, ngibanathise amanzi enyongo; ngoba kusukela kubaprofethi beJerusalema ukungamesabi uNkulunkulu kuphumele ilizwe lonke.
Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will feed them with pain, and give them bitter water to drink: for from the prophets of Jerusalem has defilement gone forth [into] all the land.
16 Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Lingalaleli amazwi abaprofethi abaprofetha kini; balenza libe yize; bakhuluma umbono wenhliziyo yabo, hatshi ovela emlonyeni weNkosi.
Thus saith the Lord Almighty, Hearken not to the words of the prophets: for they frame a vain vision for themselves; they speak from their own heart, and not from the mouth of the Lord.
17 Baqhubeka besithi kwabangidelelayo: INkosi ithe: Lizakuba lokuthula; njalo bathi kuye wonke ohamba ngenkani yenhliziyo yakhe: Ububi kabuyikukwehlela.
They say to them that reject the word of the Lord, There shall be peace to you; and to all that walk after their own lusts, and to everyone that walks in the error of his heart, they have said, No evil shall come upon thee.
18 Ngoba ngubani omi kucebo leNkosi, wabona wezwa ilizwi layo? Ngubani oqaphelise ilizwi lakhe, walizwa?
For who has stood in the counsel of the Lord, and seen his word? who has hearkened, and heard?
19 Khangela, isivunguzane seNkosi, ulaka luphumile, ngitsho isivunguzane esibuhlungu; sizakwehlela ngamandla phezu kwekhanda labakhohlakeleyo.
Behold, [there is] an earthquake from the Lord, and anger proceeds to a convulsion, it shall come violently upon the ungodly.
20 Ulaka lweNkosi kaluyikuphenduka, ize yenze, njalo ize iqinise iminakano yenhliziyo yayo. Ekucineni kwezinsuku lizakuqedisisa lokukuqedisisa.
And the Lord's wrath shall return no more, until he have accomplished it, and until he have established it, according to the purpose of his heart: at the end of the days they shall understand it.
21 Kangibathumanga lababaprofethi, kanti bona bagijima; kangikhulumanga labo, kanti bona baprofetha.
I sent not the prophets, yet they ran: neither spoke I to them, yet they prophesied.
22 Kodwa uba bebemi kucebo lami, ngabe benza abantu bami bezwa amazwi ami, ngabe babaphendula endleleni yabo embi lebubini bezenzo zabo.
But if they had stood in my counsel, and if they had hearkened to my words, then would they have turned my people from their evil practices.
23 NginguNkulunkulu oseduze yini, itsho iNkosi, njalo hatshi uNkulunkulu okhatshana?
I am a God nigh at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off.
24 Ukhona yini ongacatsha endaweni ezisithekileyo ukuze ngingamboni? itsho iNkosi. Kangigcwalisi yini amazulu lomhlaba? itsho iNkosi.
Shall any one hide himself in secret places, and I not see him? Do I not fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord.
25 Ngizwile ukuthi abaprofethi batheni, abaprofetha amanga ebizweni lami besithi: Ngiphuphile, ngiphuphile!
I have heard what the prophets say, what they prophesy in my name, saying falsely, I have seen a night vision.
26 Koze kube nini kusenhliziyweni yabaprofethi abaprofetha amanga? Yebo, bangabaprofethi benkohliso yenhliziyo yabo;
How long shall [these things] be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies, when they prophesy the purposes of their own heart?
27 abacabanga ukwenza abantu bami bakhohlwe ibizo lami ngamaphupho abo abawalandisa ngulowo umakhelwane wakhe, njengaboyise bakhohlwa ibizo lami ngenxa kaBhali.
who devise that [men] may forget my law by their dreams, which they have told every one to his neighbour, as their fathers forgot my name in [the worship of] Baal.
28 Umprofethi olephupho, kalilandise iphupho; lolelizwi lami, kalikhulume ilizwi lami ngeqiniso. Amahlanga ayini lamabele? itsho iNkosi.
The prophet who has a dream, let him tell his dream; and [he] in whom is my word [spoken] to him, let him tell my word truly: what is the chaff to the corn? so are my words, saith the Lord.
29 Ilizwi lami kalinjalo njengomlilo yini, itsho iNkosi, lanjengesando esiqhekeza idwala libe yizicucu?
Behold, are not my words as fire? saith the Lord; and as an axe cutting the rock?
30 Ngakho khangela, ngimelene labaprofethi, itsho iNkosi, abeba amazwi ami, ngulowo kumakhelwane wakhe.
Behold, I am therefore against the prophets, saith the Lord God, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.
31 Khangela, ngimelene labaprofethi, itsho iNkosi, abasebenzisa ulimi lwabo, bathi: Ithi.
Behold, I am against the prophets that put forth prophecies of mere words, and slumber their sleep.
32 Khangela, ngimelene labaprofetha amaphupho amanga, itsho iNkosi, bawalandisa, baduhise abantu bami ngamanga abo, langokuwalazela kwabo, kanti mina ngingabathumanga, ngingabalayanga; ngakho kabayikubasiza ngitsho ngalutho lababantu, itsho iNkosi.
Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets that prophesy false dreams, and have not told them [truly], and have caused my people to err by their lies, and by their errors; yet I sent them not, and commanded them not; therefore, they shall not profit this people at all.
33 Lalapho lababantu, loba umprofethi, kumbe umpristi, bekubuza, besithi: Uyini umthwalo weNkosi? Khona uzakuthi kibo: Umthwalo bani? Ukuthi ngizalidela, itsho iNkosi.
And if this people, or the priest, or the prophet, should ask, What is the burden of the Lord? then thou shalt say to them, Ye are the burden, and I will dash you down, saith the Lord.
34 Mayelana lomprofethi, lompristi, labantu, abazakuthi: Umthwalo weNkosi; ngizamjezisa lalowomuntu lendlu yakhe.
[As for] the prophet, and the priests, and the people, who shall say, The burden of the Lord, I will even take vengeance on that man, and on his house.
35 Lizakhuluma ngalindlela, ngulowo kumakhelwane wakhe, langulowo kumfowabo: INkosi iphendule yathini? Lokuthi: INkosi ikhulumeni?
Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What has the Lord answered? and, what has the Lord said?
36 Kodwa umthwalo weNkosi kalisayikukhuluma ngawo. Ngoba ilizwi langulowo lalowomuntu lizakuba ngumthwalo wakhe, ngoba liwahlanekele amazwi kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu wethu.
And do ye name no more the burden of the Lord; for his own word shall be a man's burden.
37 Uzakutsho ngokunjalo kumprofethi: INkosi ikuphenduleni? njalo: INkosi ikhulumeni?
But wherefore, [say ye], has the Lord our God spoken?
38 Kodwa uba lisithi: Umthwalo weNkosi; ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngoba likhuluma lamazwi okuthi: Umthwalo weNkosi; njalo ngithumele kini ngisithi: Lingabokuthi: Umthwalo weNkosi;
Therefore thus saith the Lord our God; Because ye have spoken this word, The burden of the Lord, and I sent to you, saying, ye shall not say, The burden of the Lord;
39 ngakho khangelani, mina ngizalikhohlwa ngokupheleleyo, ngitshiye lina lomuzi engalinika wona laboyihlo, lisuke ebusweni bami.
therefore, behold, I [will] seize, and dash down you and the city which I gave to you and your fathers.
40 Njalo ngizabeka phezu kwenu ihlazo elilaphakade lokuyangeka okulaphakade, okungayikukhohlakala.
And I will bring upon you an everlasting reproach, and everlasting disgrace, which shall not be forgotten.
