UJeremiya 26
1 Ekuqaleni kokubusa kukaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda kwafika lelilizwi livela eNkosini lisithi:
In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, this word came from Yahweh, saying,
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.
“Yahweh says this: Stand in the courtyard of my house and speak about all the cities of Judah who come to worship at my house. Proclaim all the words that I have commanded you to say to them. Do not cut short any word!
3 Mhlawumbe bazalalela, baphenduke ngulowo lalowo endleleni yakhe embi, ukuze ngizisole ngokubi ebengicabanga ukukwenza kubo ngenxa yobubi bezenzo zabo.
It may be that they will listen, that each man will turn from his wicked ways, so I will relent concerning the disaster that I am planning to bring on them because of the wickedness of their practices.
4 Uzakuthi-ke kibo: Itsho njalo INkosi: Uba lingayikungilalela, ukuthi lihambe ngomlayo wami engiwubeka phambi kwenu,
So you must say to them, 'Yahweh says this: If you do not listen to me so as to walk in my law that I have placed before you—
5 ukuthi lilalele amazwi enceku zami abaprofethi engibathume kini, yebo ngivuka ngovivi ngibathuma, kodwa kalilalelanga,
if you do not listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I am persistently sending to you—but you have not listened!—
6 ngizakwenza-ke lindlu ibe njengeShilo, ngenze lumuzi ube yisiqalekiso kuzo zonke izizwe zomhlaba.
then I will make this house like Shiloh; I will turn this city into a curse in the sight of all the nations on earth.'”
7 Ngakho abapristi labaprofethi labo bonke abantu bamuzwa uJeremiya ekhuluma lamazwi endlini yeNkosi.
The priests, the prophets, and all the people heard Jeremiah announcing these words in Yahweh's house.
8 Kwathi uJeremiya eseqedile ukukhuluma konke iNkosi eyayimlaye ukuthi akukhulume ebantwini bonke, abapristi labaprofethi labo bonke abantu bambamba besithi: Uzakufa lokufa!
So it happened that when Jeremiah had finished announcing all that Yahweh commanded him to say to all the people, the priests, prophets, and all the people seized him and said, “You will certainly die!
9 Kungani uprofetha ngebizo leNkosi usithi: Lindlu izakuba njengeShilo, lomuzi lo uzakuba lunxiwa, ungabi lamhlali? Bonke abantu basebembuthanela uJeremiya endlini yeNkosi.
Why have you prophesied in Yahweh's name and said that this house will become like Shiloh and this city will become desolate, with no inhabitant?” For all the people had formed a mob against Jeremiah in Yahweh's house.
10 Kwathi iziphathamandla zakoJuda sezizwile lezizinto, zenyuka zivela endlini yenkosi zafika endlini yeNkosi, zahlala emnyango wesango elitsha lendlu yeNkosi.
Then the officials of Judah heard these words and went up from the king's house to Yahweh's house. They sat in the gateway at the New Gate of Yahweh's house.
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 prophets spoke to the officials and to all the people. They said, “It is right for this man to die, for he prophesied against this city, just as you heard with your own ears!”
12 Wasekhuluma uJeremiya kuzo zonke iziphathamandla lakubo bonke abantu esithi: INkosi yangithuma ukuprofetha ngimelene lalindlu ngimelene lalumuzi wonke amazwi eliwezwileyo.
So Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people and said, “Yahweh has sent me out to prophesy against this house and this city, to say all the words that you have heard.
13 Ngakho-ke lungisani indlela zenu lezenzo zenu, lilalele ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu; khona iNkosi izazisola ngobubi ebukhulume imelene lani.
So now, improve your ways and your practices, and listen to the voice of Yahweh your God so that he will relent concerning the disaster that he has proclaimed against you.
14 Kodwa mina, khangela, ngisesandleni senu; yenzani kimi njengokulungileyo lanjengokuqondileyo emehlweni enu.
I myself—look at me!—am in your hand. Do to me what is good and right in your eyes.
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 must surely know that if you kill me, then you are bringing innocent blood on yourselves and on this city and its inhabitants, for Yahweh has truly sent me to you to proclaim all these words for your ears.”
16 Iziphathamandla labo bonke abantu basebesithi kubapristi lakubaprofethi: Lumuntu kafanele isigwebo sokufa, ngoba ukhulumile kithi ebizweni leNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu.
Then the officials and all the people said to the priests and prophets, “It is not right for this man to die, for he has proclaimed things to us in the name of Yahweh our God.”
17 Kwasekusukuma abanye babadala belizwe, bakhuluma kulo lonke ibandla labantu, besithi:
Then men from the elders of the land rose up and spoke to the entire assembly of the people.
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, “Micah the Morashite was prophesying in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He spoke to all the people of Judah and said, 'Yahweh of hosts says this: Zion will become a plowed field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, and the hill of the temple will become a thicket.'
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 and all of Judah put him to death? Did he not fear Yahweh and appease the face of Yahweh so that Yahweh would relent concerning the disaster that he proclaimed to them? So will we do greater evil against our own lives?”
20 Kwakukhona njalo umuntu owaprofetha ebizweni leNkosi, uUriya indodana kaShemaya oweKiriyathi-Jeyarimi, owaprofetha ngalumuzi langalelilizwe njengokwamazwi wonke kaJeremiya.
Meanwhile there was another man who prophesied in the name of Yahweh—Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim—he also prophesied against this city and this land, agreeing with all of Jeremiah's words.
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.
But when King Jehoiakim and all his soldiers and officials heard his word, then the king tried to put him to death, but Uriah heard and was afraid, so he ran away and went to Egypt.
22 Inkosi uJehoyakhimi yasithuma amadoda eGibhithe, uElinathani indodana kaAkhibhori, lamanye amadoda kanye laye eGibhithe,
Then King Jehoiakim sent out men to go to Egypt—Elnathan son of Akbor and men to go into Egypt after Uriah.
23 basebemkhipha uUriya eGibhithe, bamletha enkosini uJehoyakhimi, owambulala ngenkemba, waphosela isidumbu sakhe emangcwabeni abantwana babantu.
They took Uriah out from Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim. Then Jehoiakim killed him with a sword and sent his corpse out to the graves of the ordinary people.
24 Kodwa isandla sikaAhikhamu indodana kaShafani sasiloJeremiya, ukuze bangamnikeli esandleni sabantu ukuthi bambulale.
But the hand of Ahikam son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so he was not given into the hand of the people to be put to death.
