UJeremiya 26
1 Ekuqaleni kokubusa kukaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda kwafika lelilizwi livela eNkosini lisithi:
This message came from the Lord at the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah king of Judah,
2 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Mana egumeni lendlu yeNkosi, ukhulume kuyo yonke imizi yakoJuda, efikayo ukuzakhonza endlini yeNkosi, wonke amazwi engikulaya ukuthi uwakhulume kubo; unganciphisi lalizwi.
This is what the Lord says: Go and stand in the Temple courtyard and deliver the whole message I have ordered you to give to everyone who comes from all the towns of Judah to worship there. Don't leave out a single word.
3 Mhlawumbe bazalalela, baphenduke ngulowo lalowo endleleni yakhe embi, ukuze ngizisole ngokubi ebengicabanga ukukwenza kubo ngenxa yobubi bezenzo zabo.
Maybe they'll they will listen, and each of them will give up their evil ways so that I won't have to carry out the disaster I'm planning to bring down on them because of the evil things they do.
4 Uzakuthi-ke kibo: Itsho njalo INkosi: Uba lingayikungilalela, ukuthi lihambe ngomlayo wami engiwubeka phambi kwenu,
Tell them that this is what the Lord says: If you do not listen to me and follow my law, which I have given you,
5 ukuthi lilalele amazwi enceku zami abaprofethi engibathume kini, yebo ngivuka ngovivi ngibathuma, kodwa kalilalelanga,
and if you don't listen to the messages of my servants the prophets—I've sent them to you time and again, but you refused to listen—
6 ngizakwenza-ke lindlu ibe njengeShilo, ngenze lumuzi ube yisiqalekiso kuzo zonke izizwe zomhlaba.
then I will destroy this Temple like I did Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse word used by everyone on earth.
7 Ngakho abapristi labaprofethi labo bonke abantu bamuzwa uJeremiya ekhuluma lamazwi endlini yeNkosi.
The priests and prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah deliver this message in the Lord's Temple.
8 Kwathi uJeremiya eseqedile ukukhuluma konke iNkosi eyayimlaye ukuthi akukhulume ebantwini bonke, abapristi labaprofethi labo bonke abantu bambamba besithi: Uzakufa lokufa!
As soon as he had finished telling everyone all that the Lord had ordered him to say, the priests and prophets and all the people grabbed him, shouting, “You'll die for this!
9 Kungani uprofetha ngebizo leNkosi usithi: Lindlu izakuba njengeShilo, lomuzi lo uzakuba lunxiwa, ungabi lamhlali? Bonke abantu basebembuthanela uJeremiya endlini yeNkosi.
How dare you claim to speak in the Lord's name here in the Temple and declare that it will be destroyed like Shiloh, and that this city will be left empty and abandoned?” Everyone crowded around Jeremiah threatening him in the Lord's Temple.
10 Kwathi iziphathamandla zakoJuda sezizwile lezizinto, zenyuka zivela endlini yenkosi zafika endlini yeNkosi, zahlala emnyango wesango elitsha lendlu yeNkosi.
When the leaders of Judah heard what happened they came from the king's palace to the Lord's Temple and sat at the entrance of the New Gate of the Temple to judge the case.
11 Abapristi labaprofethi basebekhuluma kuzo iziphathamandla lakubo bonke abantu besithi: Umuntu lo ufanele isigwebo sokufa, ngoba uprofethe emelene lalumuzi, njengoba lizwile ngendlebe zenu.
The priests and prophets complained to the leaders and all the people, “This man is deserves the death penalty because he has committed treason by prophesying against this city. You heard it yourselves!”
12 Wasekhuluma uJeremiya kuzo zonke iziphathamandla lakubo bonke abantu esithi: INkosi yangithuma ukuprofetha ngimelene lalindlu ngimelene lalumuzi wonke amazwi eliwezwileyo.
Jeremiah addressed all the leaders and all the people, saying, “The Lord sent me to deliver every word of this prophecy against this Temple as you've heard.
13 Ngakho-ke lungisani indlela zenu lezenzo zenu, lilalele ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu; khona iNkosi izazisola ngobubi ebukhulume imelene lani.
So change your ways and do what's right, and do what Lord your God tells you, so that he won't have to carry out the disaster he has announced he will bring down on you.
14 Kodwa mina, khangela, ngisesandleni senu; yenzani kimi njengokulungileyo lanjengokuqondileyo emehlweni enu.
As far as I'm concerned, I'm in your hands; do with me whatever you think is good and right.
15 Kodwa yazini isibili ukuthi uba lingibulala, isibili lizakwehlisela igazi elingelacala phezu kwenu laphezu kwalumuzi laphezu kwabakhileyo bawo; ngoba ngeqiniso iNkosi ingithume kini ukuthi ngikhulume wonke la amazwi endlebeni zenu.
But be careful, because you need to be aware that if you kill me, you will make yourselves, this city, and everyone who lives here guilty of murder, because it's true that the Lord sent me to tell you everything he said.”
16 Iziphathamandla labo bonke abantu basebesithi kubapristi lakubaprofethi: Lumuntu kafanele isigwebo sokufa, ngoba ukhulumile kithi ebizweni leNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu.
Then the leaders and all the people told the priests and prophets, “This man doesn't deserve the death penalty because he was speaking on behalf of the Lord our God.”
17 Kwasekusukuma abanye babadala belizwe, bakhuluma kulo lonke ibandla labantu, besithi:
Some of the country's elders stood up and addressed everyone gathered there.
18 UMika umMorashethi waprofetha ensukwini zikaHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda, wakhuluma kibo bonke abantu bakoJuda esithi: Itsho njalo INkosi yamabandla: IZiyoni izalinywa njengensimu, leJerusalema ibe zinqumbi, lentaba yendlu ibe zindawo eziphakemeyo zegusu.
“Micah of Moresheth prophesied during the reign of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah that this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Zion will become like a plowed field; Jerusalem will end up a pile of rubble; and the Temple mount will be overgrown with trees.’
19 UHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda layo wonke uJuda bambulala isibili yini? Kayesabanga yini iNkosi, wancenga ubuso beNkosi, njalo iNkosi yazisola ngokubi eyayikukhulume imelene labo? Ngalokho senza ububi obukhulu simelene lemiphefumulo yethu.
Did Hezekiah king of Judah or anyone else in the country have him killed? Didn't Hezekiah respect the Lord and plead with him? Didn't the Lord change his mind about the disaster he had announced against them? But we are about to bring a great disaster on ourselves!”
20 Kwakukhona njalo umuntu owaprofetha ebizweni leNkosi, uUriya indodana kaShemaya oweKiriyathi-Jeyarimi, owaprofetha ngalumuzi langalelilizwe njengokwamazwi wonke kaJeremiya.
At around that time there was another man prophesying in the name of the Lord, Uriah, son of Shemaiah, from Kiriath-jearim. He prophesied against Jerusalem and against the country just as Jeremiah did.
21 Kwathi inkosi uJehoyakhimi lawo wonke amaqhawe akhe lazo zonke iziphathamandla zakhe besizwa amazwi akhe, inkosi yadinga ukumbulala; kwathi uUriya ekuzwa, wesaba, wabaleka, waya eGibhithe.
King Jehoiakim and all his military officers and officials heard what he was saying, and the king wanted to have him executed. But when Uriah found out about it, he was frightened and ran away to Egypt.
22 Inkosi uJehoyakhimi yasithuma amadoda eGibhithe, uElinathani indodana kaAkhibhori, lamanye amadoda kanye laye eGibhithe,
But King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan, son of Achbor, along with some others.
23 basebemkhipha uUriya eGibhithe, bamletha enkosini uJehoyakhimi, owambulala ngenkemba, waphosela isidumbu sakhe emangcwabeni abantwana babantu.
They brought Uriah back from Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim. The king killed him with a sword and had his body thrown into the public graveyard.
24 Kodwa isandla sikaAhikhamu indodana kaShafani sasiloJeremiya, ukuze bangamnikeli esandleni sabantu ukuthi bambulale.
However, Ahikam, son of Shaphan, took Jeremiah's side so he was not handed over to the people to be killed.
