< UJeremiya 25 >
1 Ilizwi elafika kuJeremiya mayelana labantu bonke bakoJuda, ngomnyaka wesine kaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda (kwakungumnyaka wokuqala kaNebhukadirezari, inkosi yeBhabhiloni),
2 alikhulumayo uJeremiya umprofethi kubo bonke abantu bakoJuda, lakubo bonke abahlali beJerusalema, esithi:
3 Kusukela emnyakeni wetshumi lantathu kaJosiya, indodana kaAmoni, inkosi yakoJuda, kuze kube lamuhla, sekuyiminyaka engamatshumi amabili lantathu, ilizwi leNkosi lifikile kimi, njalo ngilikhulumile kini, ngivuka ngovivi ngikhuluma; kodwa kalilalelanga.
4 Futhi iNkosi ithumile kini zonke izinceku zayo, abaprofethi, ivuka ngovivi ibathuma; kodwa kalilalelanga, kalibekanga indlebe yenu ukuthi lizwe;
5 besithi: Phendukani khathesi ngulowo lalowo endleleni yakhe embi, lebubini bezenzo zenu, lihlale elizweni iNkosi elinike lina laboyihlo kusukela nininini kuze kube nininini;
6 njalo lingalandeli abanye onkulunkulu ukubasebenzela lokubakhonza, lingangithukuthelisi ngomsebenzi wezandla zenu; khona ngingayikulenzela okubi.
7 Kodwa kalingilalelanga, itsho iNkosi, ukuze lingithukuthelise ngomsebenzi wezandla zenu, kuze kube kubi kini.
8 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Ngenxa yokuthi lingawalalelanga amazwi ami,
9 khangela, ngizathuma, ngilande zonke izinsapho zenyakatho, itsho iNkosi, lakuNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni inceku yami, ngibalethe bamelane lalelilizwe bamelane labakhileyo balo, bamelane lazo zonke lezizizwe inhlangothi zonke, ngibatshabalalise, ngibenze babe yisesabiso, babe ngokuncifelwayo, babe zincithakalo ezilaphakade.
10 Futhi ngizaphelisa ngisuse kubo ilizwi lentokozo lelizwi lenjabulo, ilizwi lomyeni lelizwi likamakoti, umsindo wamatshe okuchola, lokukhanya kwesibane.
11 Lelizwe lonke leli lizakuba lunxiwa libe yisesabiso; lalezizizwe zizasebenzela inkosi yeBhabhiloni iminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa.
12 Kuzakuthi-ke iminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa isiphelele ngijezise inkosi yeBhabhiloni lalesosizwe, itsho iNkosi, ngobubi babo, lelizwe lamaKhaladiya, ngilenze libe ngamanxiwa laphakade.
13 Ngehlisele phezu kwalelolizwe wonke amazwi ami engawakhuluma ngimelene lalo, konke okubhaliweyo kulolugwalo, uJeremiya akuprofethayo ngazo zonke izizwe.
14 Ngoba izizwe ezinengi lamakhosi amakhulu zizabasebenzisa bona uqobo; njalo ngizabaphindisela njengokwenza kwabo lanjengokomsebenzi wezandla zabo.
15 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli kimi: Thatha inkezo yewayini yalolulaka esandleni sami, wenze zonke izizwe engikuthuma kuzo ziyinathe.
16 Njalo zizanatha, zidiyazele, zihlanye, ngenxa yenkemba engizayithuma phakathi kwazo.
17 Ngasengithatha inkezo esandleni seNkosi, nganathisa zonke izizwe iNkosi eyayingithume kizo,
18 iJerusalema, lemizi yakoJuda, lamakhosi ayo, leziphathamandla zayo, ukubenza babe yincithakalo, babe yisesabiso, babe yinto yokuncifelwa, babe yisiqalekiso, njengalamuhla;
19 uFaro inkosi yeGibhithe, lezinceku zakhe, leziphathamandla zakhe, labantu bakhe bonke;
20 labo bonke abaxubeneyo, lawo wonke amakhosi elizwe leUzi, lawo wonke amakhosi elizwe lamaFilisti, leAshikeloni, leGaza, leEkhironi, lensali yeAshidodi;
21 iEdoma, loMowabi, labantwana bakoAmoni;
22 lawo wonke amakhosi eTire, lawo wonke amakhosi eSidoni, lamakhosi ezihlenge ezingaphetsheya kolwandle;
23 iDedani, leTema, leBuzi, labo bonke abaqunywe ezingonsini;
24 lamakhosi wonke eArabhiya, lamakhosi wonke abantu abaxubeneyo abahlala enkangala;
25 lamakhosi wonke eZimri, lamakhosi wonke eElamu, lamakhosi wonke eMede;
26 lawo wonke amakhosi enyakatho, aseduze lakhatshana, omunye lomunye, layo yonke imibuso yomhlaba, esebusweni bomhlaba; lenkosi yeSheshaki izanatha emva kwabo.
27 Ubususithi kibo: Itsho njalo INkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Nathani lidakwe, lihlanze, liwe, lingasukumi, ngenxa yenkemba engizayithuma phakathi kwenu.
28 Kuzakuthi-ke lapho besala ukuthatha inkezo esandleni sakho ukuthi banathe, uthi kibo: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Lizanatha isibili.
29 Ngoba khangela, ngiyaqala ukwenza okubi emzini obizwa ngebizo lami, lina-ke belizakuba ngabangelacala isibili yini? Kaliyikuba ngabangelacala; ngoba ngizabizela inkemba phezu kwabo bonke abakhileyo bomhlaba, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
30 Wena-ke profetha wonke lamazwi umelene labo, uthi kubo: INkosi izabhonga iphezulu, iphumise ilizwi layo isendaweni yayo engcwele; izabhonga kakhulu phezu kwendawo yayo yokuhlala, imemeze iphendule njengabanyathela izithelo zevini, imelene labo bonke abakhileyo bomhlaba.
31 Umsindo uzafika emkhawulweni womhlaba; ngoba iNkosi ilempikisano lezizwe, izakwehlulela yonke inyama; abakhohlakeleyo izabanikela enkembeni, itsho iNkosi.
32 Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Khangela, ububi buzaphuma esizweni busiya esizweni, lesivunguzane esikhulu sizavuswa sisuka ezinhlangothini zomhlaba.
33 Langalolosuku ababuleweyo beNkosi bazasukela komunye umkhawulo womhlaba baze bafike komunye umkhawulo; kabayikulilelwa, kabayikubuthwa, kabayikungcwatshwa; bazakuba ngumquba phezu kobuso bomhlaba.
34 Qhinqani isililo, belusi, likhale, lizibhuqe emlotheni, zikhulu zomhlambi; ngoba izinsuku zokuhlatshwa lezokuhlakazeka kwenu zigcwalisekile, njalo lizakuwa njengesitsha esiloyisekayo.
35 Lokubaleka kuzaphela kubelusi, lokuphunyuka kuzikhulu zomhlambi.
36 Kuzakuba lelizwi lokukhala kwabelusi lokuqhinqa isililo kwezikhulu zomhlambi; ngoba iNkosi izachitha idlelo labo.
37 Lezibaya ezilokuthula zizachithwa ngenxa yokuvutha kolaka lweNkosi.
38 Itshiyile ubhalu lwayo njengesilwane esitsha, ngoba ilizwe labo seliyincithakalo ngenxa yokuvutha komcindezeli, langenxa yokuvutha kolaka lwayo.