UJeremiya 26
1 Ekuqaleni kokubusa kukaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda kwafika lelilizwi livela eNkosini lisithi:
Soon after Jehoiakim became the king of Judah, Yahweh gave [me] this message:
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 [I], Yahweh, am telling you: Stand in the courtyard [in front] of my temple, and speak to all [the people from] the various towns in Judah who come there to worship me. Tell them everything that I tell you; do not omit anything.
3 Mhlawumbe bazalalela, baphenduke ngulowo lalowo endleleni yakhe embi, ukuze ngizisole ngokubi ebengicabanga ukukwenza kubo ngenxa yobubi bezenzo zabo.
[If you do tell them everything], perhaps they will pay attention, and each one of them will turn away from his evil behavior. Then I will change my mind, and not cause them to experience the disaster that I was planning to cause them to experience because of the evil things that they have done.
4 Uzakuthi-ke kibo: Itsho njalo INkosi: Uba lingayikungilalela, ukuthi lihambe ngomlayo wami engiwubeka phambi kwenu,
Say to them, ‘This is what Yahweh says: I sent to you the prophets who serve me, to tell you what you should do. I sent them to you many times, but you have not paid attention to what they said. If you will not pay attention to what I say and do not obey the message that I have given to you, and if you do not pay attention to what the prophets say,
5 ukuthi lilalele amazwi enceku zami abaprofethi engibathume kini, yebo ngivuka ngovivi ngibathuma, kodwa kalilalelanga,
6 ngizakwenza-ke lindlu ibe njengeShilo, ngenze lumuzi ube yisiqalekiso kuzo zonke izizwe zomhlaba.
I will destroy this temple like I destroyed Shiloh, [the place where the Sacred Tent was put]. And I will cause Jerusalem to be a place whose name [people in] every nation on the earth will say when they curse someone.’”
7 Ngakho abapristi labaprofethi labo bonke abantu bamuzwa uJeremiya ekhuluma lamazwi endlini yeNkosi.
[When I did what Yahweh told me to do, ] the priests, the [false] prophets, and many [other] people listened to me as I told them that message outside the temple.
8 Kwathi uJeremiya eseqedile ukukhuluma konke iNkosi eyayimlaye ukuthi akukhulume ebantwini bonke, abapristi labaprofethi labo bonke abantu bambamba besithi: Uzakufa lokufa!
But as soon as I finished telling them everything that Yahweh had commanded me to say, they all seized me and said, “You must be executed!
9 Kungani uprofetha ngebizo leNkosi usithi: Lindlu izakuba njengeShilo, lomuzi lo uzakuba lunxiwa, ungabi lamhlali? Bonke abantu basebembuthanela uJeremiya endlini yeNkosi.
Why [RHQ] are you prophesying that this temple will be [destroyed] like Shiloh [was destroyed]? Why are you saying that this city will be destroyed, and that no one will live here [any more]? (OR, You should not be prophesying) [RHQ]” All the people surrounded me [as I stood] in [front of] the temple.
10 Kwathi iziphathamandla zakoJuda sezizwile lezizinto, zenyuka zivela endlini yenkosi zafika endlini yeNkosi, zahlala emnyango wesango elitsha lendlu yeNkosi.
When the officials of Judah heard about all this [that was happening], they rushed from the palace and sat down at the gate of the temple named The New Gate, [to judge my 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 the [false] told the officials and the other people [who were there], “This man should be executed, because he has prophesied that this city [will be destroyed], and you yourselves [MTY] have heard him say that!”
12 Wasekhuluma uJeremiya kuzo zonke iziphathamandla lakubo bonke abantu esithi: INkosi yangithuma ukuprofetha ngimelene lalindlu ngimelene lalumuzi wonke amazwi eliwezwileyo.
Then I replied to the officials and the other people, saying, “Yahweh sent me to prophesy all the things that you heard me say about [what will happen to] this temple and this city.
13 Ngakho-ke lungisani indlela zenu lezenzo zenu, lilalele ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu; khona iNkosi izazisola ngobubi ebukhulume imelene lani.
But if you change your behavior and stop sinning, and [start to] obey Yahweh our God, he will change his mind, and not cause you to experience the disasters that he said that he would send.
14 Kodwa mina, khangela, ngisesandleni senu; yenzani kimi njengokulungileyo lanjengokuqondileyo emehlweni enu.
As for me, I am not able to free myself from your grasp. [So you can] do to me whatever you want to do.
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 you need to] know that if you kill me, you will be killing a man [SYN] who (is innocent/has not done anything wrong). And you and everyone else in this city will be guilty, because the truth is that it was Yahweh who sent me to speak every word that you have heard me say.”
16 Iziphathamandla labo bonke abantu basebesithi kubapristi lakubaprofethi: Lumuntu kafanele isigwebo sokufa, ngoba ukhulumile kithi ebizweni leNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu.
Then the officials and the other people said to the priests and the [false] prophets, “This man does not deserve to be executed, because he has spoken to us the message [MTY] that Yahweh gave him!”
17 Kwasekusukuma abanye babadala belizwe, bakhuluma kulo lonke ibandla labantu, besithi:
Then some of the elders stood up and spoke to all the people who were 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.
They said, “([Remember/Think about) what] Micah, [the prophet] from Moresheth [town], prophesied during the years that Hezekiah was the King of Judah. He told the people of Judah this: ‘This is what the Commander of the armies of angels says: [Some day] Zion [Hill] will be plowed like fields [are plowed]; Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins. There will be a large clump/group of trees on top of the hill where the temple is now.’
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.
But did [RHQ] King Hezekiah or anyone else in Judah kill Micah [for saying that]? No! Instead, Hezekiah revered Yahweh, and pleaded that he would (act mercifully toward/not destroy) them. So, Yahweh changed his mind about causing them to experience the terrible disaster that he said he would send. And now [if we kill Jeremiah], we are going to cause ourselves to experience a terrible disaster!”
20 Kwakukhona njalo umuntu owaprofetha ebizweni leNkosi, uUriya indodana kaShemaya oweKiriyathi-Jeyarimi, owaprofetha ngalumuzi langalelilizwe njengokwamazwi wonke kaJeremiya.
[At that time, ] the son of Shemaiah from Kiriath-Jearim [city] was also prophesying/proclaiming messages [MTY] from Yahweh. He was predicting that the city and the rest of the land would experience the same disasters that I was predicting.
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.
When King Jehoiakim and his army officers and officials heard what Uriah was saying, the king sent someone to kill Uriah. But Uriah heard about it, and became [very] afraid, and he (escaped/ran away) to Egypt.
22 Inkosi uJehoyakhimi yasithuma amadoda eGibhithe, uElinathani indodana kaAkhibhori, lamanye amadoda kanye laye eGibhithe,
Then King Jehoiakim sent Elnathan the son of Acbor along with several other men to Egypt.
23 basebemkhipha uUriya eGibhithe, bamletha enkosini uJehoyakhimi, owambulala ngenkemba, waphosela isidumbu sakhe emangcwabeni abantwana babantu.
They captured Uriah and took him [back to Jerusalem] to King Jehoiakim. The king then [had a soldier] kill Uriah with a sword. Then they buried his corpse in a place where poor people are buried.
24 Kodwa isandla sikaAhikhamu indodana kaShafani sasiloJeremiya, ukuze bangamnikeli esandleni sabantu ukuthi bambulale.
However, Ahikam the son of Shaphan defended me, and persuaded the officials not to allow [MTY] the mob to murder me.
