UJeremiya 27
1 Ekuqaleni kokubusa kukaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda, kwafika lelilizwi kuJeremiya livela eNkosini, lisithi:
In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying:
2 Itsho njalo iNkosi kimi: Zenzele imichilo lamajogwe, ukugaxe entanyeni yakho,
“Thus says the Lord to me: Make bands and chains for yourself. And you shall place them on your neck.
3 ukuthumele enkosini yeEdoma lenkosini yakoMowabi lenkosini yabantwana bakoAmoni lenkosini yeTire lenkosini yeSidoni, ngesandla sezithunywa ezifika eJerusalema kuZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda;
And you shall send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the sons of Ammon, and to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers who came to Jerusalem, to Zedekiah, the king of Judah.
4 uzilaye ukuthi zithi emakhosini azo: Itsho njalo Nkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Lizakutsho njalo emakhosini enu:
And you shall instruct them to say to their masters: Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: You shall say these things to your masters:
5 Mina ngenze umhlaba, umuntu, lenyamazana, okuphezu kobuso bomhlaba, ngamandla ami amakhulu langengalo yami eyeluliweyo, ngiwunike lowo okuqondileyo emehlweni ami.
I made the earth, and the men and beasts which are upon the face of the earth, by my great strength and by my outstretched arm. And I have given it to whomever it was pleasing in my eyes.
6 Khathesi mina sengiwanikele wonke lamazwe esandleni sikaNebhukadinezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni inceku yami; njalo ngimnikile lenyamazana zeganga ukuthi zimsebenzele.
And now, therefore, I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant. Moreover, I have given to him also the beasts of the field, so that they may serve him.
7 Lezizwe zonke zizasebenzela yena, lendodana yakhe, lendodana yendodana yakhe, kuze kufike isikhathi selakhe ilizwe uqobo; khona izizwe ezinengi lamakhosi amakhulu bezamkhonzisa.
And all the nations will serve him, and his son, and his son’s son. Many nations and great kings will serve him, until the time arrives for him and his land.
8 Kuzakuthi-ke isizwe lombuso okungayikumsebenzela yena, uNebhukadinezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, lokungayikubeka intamo yakho ngaphansi kwejogwe lenkosi yeBhabhiloni, lesosizwe ngizasijezisa, itsho iNkosi, ngenkemba langendlala langomatshayabhuqe wesifo, ngize ngikuqede ngesandla sakhe.
But the nation or kingdom that will not serve Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and whoever will not bend his neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will visit upon that nation with the sword, and with famine, and with pestilence, says the Lord, until I consume them by his hand.
9 Lina-ke lingabalaleli abaprofethi benu labavumisi benu labaphuphi benu labachasisi bemibono benu labalumbi benu abakhuluma kini besithi: Kaliyikuyisebenzela inkosi yeBhabhiloni.
Therefore, you should not choose to listen to your own prophets, and diviners, and dreamers, and soothsayers, and sorcerers, who say to you: ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon.’
10 Ngoba baprofetha amanga kini, ukuze balisuse liye khatshana lelizwe lakini, lokuze ngilixotshe liphume, libhubhe.
For they prophesy lies to you, so that they may cause you to be far from your own country, and may cast you out, and may cause you to perish.
11 Kodwa isizwe esizangenisa intamo yaso ngaphansi kwejogwe lenkosi yeBhabhiloni, siyisebenzele, ngizasiyekela elizweni laso, itsho iNkosi, ukuthi silisebenze, sihlale kulo.
Furthermore, the nation which will bend its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and which will serve him, I will permit them to remain in their own land, says the Lord. And they will cultivate it, and they will live in it.”
12 Ngakhuluma lakuZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda njengokwalawomazwi wonke ngathi: Ngenisani intamo zenu ngaphansi kwejogwe lenkosi yeBhabhiloni, lisebenzele yona labantu bayo, liphile.
And I spoke to Zedekiah, the king of Judah, according to all these words, saying: “Subject your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and you will live.
13 Lizafelani, wena labantu bakho, ngenkemba, ngendlala, langomatshayabhuqe wesifo, njengokutsho kweNkosi mayelana lesizwe esingayikuyisebenzela inkosi yeBhabhiloni?
Why should you suffer death, you and your people, by the sword, and famine, and pestilence, just as the Lord has spoken against any nation that refuses to serve the king of Babylon?
14 Ngakho lingawalaleli amazwi abaprofethi abakhuluma kini besithi: Kaliyikuyisebenzela inkosi yeBhabhiloni; ngoba baprofetha amanga kini.
Do not choose to listen to the words of the prophets, saying to you: ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’ For they are speaking a lie to you.
15 Ngoba kangibathumanga, itsho iNkosi, kodwa baprofetha amanga ngebizo lami, ukuze ngilixotshe, libhubhe, lina labaprofethi abaprofetha kini.
For I have not sent them, says the Lord. And they prophesy falsely in my name, so that they may cast you out, and so that you may perish, both you and the prophets who make predictions for you.”
16 Ngasengikhuluma kubapristi lakulababantu bonke, ngisithi: Itsho njalo INkosi: Lingawalaleli amazwi abaprofethi benu abaprofetha kini besithi: Khangelani, izitsha zendlu yeNkosi zizabuyiswa khathesi masinyane zivela eBhabhiloni; ngoba baprofetha amanga kini.
I spoke also to the priests and to this people, saying: “Thus says the Lord: Do not choose to listen to the words of your prophets, who prophesy to you, saying: ‘Behold, the vessels of the Lord will now quickly be returned from Babylon.’ For they are prophesying to you a lie.
17 Lingabalaleli; sebenzelani inkosi yeBhabhiloni, liphile. Kungani umuzi lo ube lunxiwa?
Therefore, do not choose to listen to them, but instead, serve the king of Babylon, so that you may live. Why should this city be given over into desolation?
18 Kodwa uba bengabaprofethi, njalo uba ilizwi leNkosi likubo, khathesi kabayincenge iNkosi yamabandla, ukuthi izitsha eziseleyo endlini yeNkosi lendlini yenkosi yakoJuda leJerusalema zingayi eBhabhiloni.
But if they are prophets, and if the word of the Lord is in them, then let them intercede before the Lord of hosts, so that the vessels that were left behind in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem, may not go to Babylon.
19 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla mayelana lezinsika, langolwandle, langezisekelo, langensali yezitsha ezisele kulumuzi,
For thus says the Lord of hosts to the pillars, and to the sea of brass, and to the bases, and to the remainder of the vessels that have been left behind in this city,
20 uNebhukadinezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni angazithathanga, ekuthumbeni kwakhe uJekoniya indodana kaJehoyakhimi inkosi yakoJuda eJerusalema emusa eBhabhiloni, lazo zonke izikhulu zakoJuda leJerusalema;
which Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, did not take when he carried away Jeconiah, the son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, from Jerusalem into Babylon, with all the nobility of Judah and Jerusalem:
21 yebo, itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli mayelana lezitsha eziseleyo endlini kaJehova lendlini yenkosi yakoJuda leJerusalema:
For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to the vessels that were left behind in the house of the Lord and in the house of the king of Judah and Jerusalem:
22 Zizasiwa eBhabhiloni, zibe khona kuze kube lusuku engizakuzihambela ngalo, itsho iNkosi; khona ngizazenyusa, ngizibuyisele kulindawo.
They shall be carried away to Babylon, and there they shall be, until the day of their visitation, says the Lord. And then I will cause them to be carried back, and to be restored to this place.
