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, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

2 Itsho njalo iNkosi kimi: Zenzele imichilo lamajogwe, ukugaxe entanyeni yakho,

the LORD says to me: “Make bonds and bars, and put them on your neck.

3 ukuthumele enkosini yeEdoma lenkosini yakoMowabi lenkosini yabantwana bakoAmoni lenkosini yeTire lenkosini yeSidoni, ngesandla sezithunywa ezifika eJerusalema kuZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda;

Then send them to the king of Edom, to the king of Moab, to the king of the children of Ammon, to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon, by the hand of the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah king of Judah.

4 uzilaye ukuthi zithi emakhosini azo: Itsho njalo Nkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Lizakutsho njalo emakhosini enu:

Give them a command to their masters, saying, ‘The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel says, “You shall tell your masters:

5 Mina ngenze umhlaba, umuntu, lenyamazana, okuphezu kobuso bomhlaba, ngamandla ami amakhulu langengalo yami eyeluliweyo, ngiwunike lowo okuqondileyo emehlweni ami.

‘I have made the earth, the men, and the animals that are on the surface of the earth by my great power and by my outstretched arm. I give it to whom it seems right to me.

6 Khathesi mina sengiwanikele wonke lamazwe esandleni sikaNebhukadinezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni inceku yami; njalo ngimnikile lenyamazana zeganga ukuthi zimsebenzele.

Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant. I have also given the animals of the field to him to serve him.

7 Lezizwe zonke zizasebenzela yena, lendodana yakhe, lendodana yendodana yakhe, kuze kufike isikhathi selakhe ilizwe uqobo; khona izizwe ezinengi lamakhosi amakhulu bezamkhonzisa.

All the nations will serve him, his son, and his son’s son, until the time of his own land comes. Then many nations and great kings will make him their bondservant.

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.

“‘“‘It will happen that I will punish the nation and the kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon,’ says the LORD, ‘with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, until I have consumed 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.

But as for you, don’t listen to your prophets, to your diviners, to your dreams, to your soothsayers, or to your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, “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 a lie to you, to remove you far from your land, so that I would drive you out, and you would perish.

11 Kodwa isizwe esizangenisa intamo yaso ngaphansi kwejogwe lenkosi yeBhabhiloni, siyisebenzele, ngizasiyekela elizweni laso, itsho iNkosi, ukuthi silisebenze, sihlale kulo.

But the nation that brings their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serves him, that nation I will let remain in their own land,’ says the LORD; ‘and they will till it and dwell in it.’”’”

12 Ngakhuluma lakuZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda njengokwalawomazwi wonke ngathi: Ngenisani intamo zenu ngaphansi kwejogwe lenkosi yeBhabhiloni, lisebenzele yona labantu bayo, liphile.

I spoke to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, “Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

13 Lizafelani, wena labantu bakho, ngenkemba, ngendlala, langomatshayabhuqe wesifo, njengokutsho kweNkosi mayelana lesizwe esingayikuyisebenzela inkosi yeBhabhiloni?

Why will you die, you and your people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD has spoken concerning the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

14 Ngakho lingawalaleli amazwi abaprofethi abakhuluma kini besithi: Kaliyikuyisebenzela inkosi yeBhabhiloni; ngoba baprofetha amanga kini.

Don’t listen to the words of the prophets who speak to you, saying, ‘You shall not serve the king of Babylon;’ for they prophesy 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, “but they prophesy falsely in my name; that I may drive you out, and that you may perish, you, and the prophets who prophesy to 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.

Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, the LORD says, “Don’t listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, ‘Behold, the vessels of the LORD’s house will now shortly be brought again from Babylon;’ for they prophesy a lie to you.

17 Lingabalaleli; sebenzelani inkosi yeBhabhiloni, liphile. Kungani umuzi lo ube lunxiwa?

Don’t listen to them. Serve the king of Babylon, and live. Why should this city become a 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 LORD’s word is with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of Armies, that the vessels which are left in the LORD’s house, in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, don’t go to Babylon.

19 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla mayelana lezinsika, langolwandle, langezisekelo, langensali yezitsha ezisele kulumuzi,

For the LORD of Armies says concerning the pillars, concerning the sea, concerning the bases, and concerning the rest of the vessels that are left 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 king of Babylon didn’t take when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem—

21 yebo, itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli mayelana lezitsha eziseleyo endlini kaJehova lendlini yenkosi yakoJuda leJerusalema:

yes, the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says concerning the vessels that are left in the LORD’s house, and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem:

22 Zizasiwa eBhabhiloni, zibe khona kuze kube lusuku engizakuzihambela ngalo, itsho iNkosi; khona ngizazenyusa, ngizibuyisele kulindawo.

‘They will be carried to Babylon, and there they will be, until the day that I visit them,’ says the LORD; ‘then I will bring them up, and restore them to this place.’”