< UJeremiya 3 >

1 Kuthiwa: Uba indoda ilahla umkayo, asuke kuyo, abe ngowenye indoda, izabuyela kuye futhi yini? Lelolizwe belingayikungcoliswa kakhulu yini? Kanti wena ufebile lezithandwa ezinengi; kodwa buyela kimi, itsho iNkosi.
They say, If a man put away his wife, and she goe from him, and become another mans, shall hee returne againe vnto her? shall not this land be polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many louers: yet turne againe to mee, sayeth the Lord.
2 Phakamisela amehlo akho emadundulwini, ubone; kungaphi lapho ongalalwanga khona? Ezindleleni wabahlalela, njengomArabhiya enkangala; njalo ulingcolisile ilizwe ngobufebe bakho langenkohlakalo yakho.
Lift vp thine eyes vnto the hie places, and beholde, where thou hast not plaied the harlot: thou hast sit waiting for them in the waies, as the Arabian in the wildernesse: and thou hast polluted the lande with thy whoredomes, and with thy malice.
3 Ngakho izihlambo zigodliwe; njalo lalingekho izulu langemuva; njalo waba lebunzi lewule, wala ukuba lenhloni.
Therefore the showres haue beene restrained, and the latter raine came not, and thou haddest a whores forehead: thou wouldest not bee ashamed.
4 Kawuyikuthi kusukela khathesi ukhale yini kimi uthi: Baba, ungumeluleki wobutsha bami?
Diddest thou not stil crie vnto me, Thou art my father, and the guide of my youth?
5 Yena uzalugcina yini ulaka lwakhe phakade? Uzalulondoloza kuze kube sekucineni yini? Khangela, ukhulumile, wenza izinto ezimbi, uphumelele.
Wil he keepe his anger for euer? will he reserue it to the ende? thus hast thou spoken, but thou doest euill, euen more and more.
6 INkosi yasisithi kimi ensukwini zikaJosiya inkosi: Ubonile yini lokho uIsrayeli ohlehlele nyovane akwenzileyo? Yena waya kuyo yonke intaba ephakemeyo, langaphansi kwaso sonke isihlahla esiluhlaza, waphingela khona.
The Lord saide also vnto me, in the daies of Iosiah the King, Hast thou seene what this rebell Israel hath done? for she hath gone vp vpon euery high mountaine, and vnder euery greene tree, and there plaied the harlot.
7 Ngasengisithi esezenzile zonke lezizinto: Buyela kimi; kodwa kabuyelanga. Lodadewabo ongathembekanga uJuda wakubona lokho.
And I sayde, when shee had done all this, Turne thou vnto me: but she returned not, as her rebellious sister Iudah sawe.
8 Ngasengibona, lapho ngenxa yazo zonke imbangela uIsrayeli ohlehlela nyovane aphinga ngazo, ngamxotsha ngamnika incwadi yesehlukaniso, ukuthi udadewabo ongathembekanga, uJuda, kesabanga, kodwa laye wayafeba.
When I sawe, howe that by all occasions rebellious Israel had plaied the harlot, I cast her away, and gaue her a bill of diuorcement: yet her rebellious sister Iudah was not afraied, but shee went also, and plaied the harlot.
9 Kwasekusithi ngenxa yendumela yokufeba kwakhe wangcolisa ilizwe, waphinga lamatshe lezihlahla.
So that for the lightnesse of her whoredome shee hath euen defiled the lande: for shee hath committed fornication with stones and stockes.
10 Kube kanti kukho konke lokhu udadewabo ongathembekanga, uJuda, kabuyelanga kimi ngenhliziyo yakhe yonke, kodwa ngenkohliso, itsho iNkosi.
Neuerthelesse for all this, her rebellious sister Iudah hath not returned vnto mee with her whole heart, but fainedly, sayth the Lord.
11 INkosi yasisithi kimi: UIsrayeli ohlehlela nyovane uzilungisise kuloJuda okhohlisayo.
And the Lord said vnto me, The rebellious Israel hath iustified her selfe more then the rebellious Iudah.
12 Hamba uyememezela lamazwi ngasenyakatho uthi: Phenduka, Israyeli ohlehlela nyovane, itsho iNkosi. Kangiyikwenza ulaka lwami lwehlele phezu kwakho, ngoba ngilesihawu, itsho iNkosi, njalo kangiyikugcina ulaka lwami kuze kube phakade.
Goe and crie these woordes towarde the North and say, Thou disobedient Israel, returne, sayeth the Lord, and I will not let my wrath fall vpon you: for I am mercifull, sayeth the Lord, and I will not alway keepe mine anger.
13 Yazi kuphela isiphambeko sakho ukuthi uphambekile umelene leNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, wahlakaza izindlela zakho kwabezizweni ngaphansi kwaso sonke isihlahla esiluhlaza, njalo kawulalelanga ilizwi lami, itsho iNkosi.
But knowe thine iniquitie: for thou hast rebelled against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy waies to the straunge gods vnder euery greene tree, but yee woulde not obey my voyce, sayeth the Lord.
14 Phendukani, bantwana abahlehlela nyovane, itsho iNkosi, ngoba mina ngiliganile; njalo ngizalithatha, abe munye emzini, lababili kulo usendo, ngililethe eZiyoni.
O yee disobedient children, turne againe, sayeth the Lord, for I am your Lord, and I will take you one of a citie, and two of a tribe and wil bring you to Zion,
15 Njalo ngizalinika abelusi njengokwenhliziyo yami, abazalelusa ngolwazi lokuqedisisa.
And I will giue you pastours according to mine heart, which shall feede you with knowledge and vnderstanding.
16 Kuzakuthi-ke lapho selandile laba banengi elizweni, ngalezonsuku, itsho iNkosi, kabasayikuthi: Umtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi; njalo kawuyikufika enhliziyweni, njalo kabayikuwukhumbula, futhi kabayikuwuhambela, kungabuyi kwenziwe futhi.
Moreouer, when yee be increased and multiplied in the land, in those daies, saieth the Lord, they shall say no more, The Arke of the couenant of the Lord: for it shall come no more to minde, neither shall they remember it, neither shall they visite it, for that shalbe no more done.
17 Ngalesosikhathi bazabiza iJerusalema ngokuthi yisihlalo sobukhosi seNkosi; lezizwe zonke zizabuthaniswa kuyo, ngebizo leNkosi, eJerusalema; futhi kazisayikulandela inkani yenhliziyo yazo embi.
At that time they shall cal Ierusalem, The throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered vnto it, euen to the Name of the Lord in Ierusalem: and thence foorth they shall follow no more the hardnesse of their wicked heart.
18 Ngalezonsuku indlu yakoJuda izakuya kuyo indlu yakoIsrayeli, ziphume kanyekanye elizweni lenyakatho, zize elizweni engalinika oyihlo libe yilifa labo.
In those daies ye house of Iudah shall walke with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the lande of the North, into the lande, that I haue giuen for an inheritance vnto your fathers.
19 Kodwa mina ngathi: Ngizakubeka njani phakathi kwabantwana, ngikunike ilizwe eliloyisekayo, ilifa elihle kakhulu lezizwe. Ngasengisithi: Uzangibiza ngokuthi: Baba; njalo ungaphambuki ekungilandeleni.
But I sayde, Howe did I take thee for children and giue thee a pleasant lande, euen the glorious heritage of the armies of the heathen, and saide, Thou shalt call mee, saying, My father, and shalt not turne from me?
20 Isibili, njengomfazi ungathembekanga kumkakhe, ngokunjalo kalithembekanga kimi, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli, itsho iNkosi.
But as a woman rebelleth against her husband: so haue yee rebelled against me, O house of Israel, sayeth the Lord.
21 Ilizwi lezwakala emadundulwini, ukukhala lokuncenga kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, ngoba bephambule indlela yabo, bayikhohlwa iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo.
A voice was heard vpon the hie places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel: for they haue peruerted their way, and forgotten the Lord their God.
22 Phendukani, lina bantwana abahlehlela nyovane; ngizakwelapha ukuhlehlela nyovane kwenu. Khangela, thina siyeza kuwe, ngoba uyiNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu.
O yee disobedient children, returne and I wil heale your rebellions. Behold, we come vnto thee, for thou art the Lord our God.
23 Isibili kuyize ukuthembela kusindiso oluvela emaqaqeni, lebunengini bezintaba. Isibili luseNkosini uNkulunkulu wethu usindiso lukaIsrayeli.
Truely the hope of the hilles is but vaine, nor the multitude of mountaines: but in the Lord our God is the health of Israel.
24 Ngoba ihlazo liwuqedile umtshikatshika wabobaba kusukela ebutsheni bethu, izimvu zabo lenkomo zabo, amadodana abo lamadodakazi abo.
For confusion hath deuoured our fathers labour, from our youth their sheepe and their bullocks, their sonnes and their daughters.
25 Silala phansi ehlazweni lethu, lenhloni zethu zisimbozile; ngoba sonile eNkosini uNkulunkulu wethu, thina labobaba, kusukela ebutsheni bethu kuze kube lamuhla, njalo kasilalelanga ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu.
Wee lie downe in our confusion, and our shame couereth vs: for we haue sinned against the Lord our God, we and our fathers from our youth, euen vnto this day, and haue not obeyed the voyce of the Lord our God.

< UJeremiya 3 >