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.
...saying: If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, may he return unto her again? Will not that land be greatly polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; and wouldest thou yet return to Me? saith the LORD.
2 Phakamisela amehlo akho emadundulwini, ubone; kungaphi lapho ongalalwanga khona? Ezindleleni wabahlalela, njengomArabhiya enkangala; njalo ulingcolisile ilizwe ngobufebe bakho langenkohlakalo yakho.
Lift up thine eyes unto the high hills, and see: Where hast thou not been lain with? By the ways hast thou sat for them, as an Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy harlotries and with thy wickedness.
3 Ngakho izihlambo zigodliwe; njalo lalingekho izulu langemuva; njalo waba lebunzi lewule, wala ukuba lenhloni.
Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there hath been no latter rain; yet thou hadst a harlot's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.
4 Kawuyikuthi kusukela khathesi ukhale yini kimi uthi: Baba, ungumeluleki wobutsha bami?
Didst thou not just now cry unto Me: 'My father, Thou art the friend of my youth.
5 Yena uzalugcina yini ulaka lwakhe phakade? Uzalulondoloza kuze kube sekucineni yini? Khangela, ukhulumile, wenza izinto ezimbi, uphumelele.
Will He bear grudge for ever? Will He keep it to the end?' Behold, thou hast spoken, but hast done evil things, and hast had thy way.
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.
And the LORD said unto me in the days of Josiah the king: 'Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel did? she went up upon every high mountain and under every leafy tree, and there played the harlot.
7 Ngasengisithi esezenzile zonke lezizinto: Buyela kimi; kodwa kabuyelanga. Lodadewabo ongathembekanga uJuda wakubona lokho.
And I said: After she hath done all these things, she will return unto me; but she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
8 Ngasengibona, lapho ngenxa yazo zonke imbangela uIsrayeli ohlehlela nyovane aphinga ngazo, ngamxotsha ngamnika incwadi yesehlukaniso, ukuthi udadewabo ongathembekanga, uJuda, kesabanga, kodwa laye wayafeba.
And I saw, when, forasmuch as backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorcement, that yet treacherous Judah her sister feared not; but she also went and played the harlot;
9 Kwasekusithi ngenxa yendumela yokufeba kwakhe wangcolisa ilizwe, waphinga lamatshe lezihlahla.
and it came to pass through the lightness of her harlotry, that the land was polluted, and she committed adultery with stones and with stocks;
10 Kube kanti kukho konke lokhu udadewabo ongathembekanga, uJuda, kabuyelanga kimi ngenhliziyo yakhe yonke, kodwa ngenkohliso, itsho iNkosi.
and yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not returned unto Me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the LORD —
11 INkosi yasisithi kimi: UIsrayeli ohlehlela nyovane uzilungisise kuloJuda okhohlisayo.
even the LORD said unto me — backsliding Israel hath proved herself more righteous than treacherous Judah.
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.
Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; I will not frown upon you; for I am merciful, saith the LORD, I will not bear grudge for ever.
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.
Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every leafy tree, and ye have not hearkened to My voice, saith the LORD.
14 Phendukani, bantwana abahlehlela nyovane, itsho iNkosi, ngoba mina ngiliganile; njalo ngizalithatha, abe munye emzini, lababili kulo usendo, ngililethe eZiyoni.
Return, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am a lord unto you, and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion;
15 Njalo ngizalinika abelusi njengokwenhliziyo yami, abazalelusa ngolwazi lokuqedisisa.
and I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
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.
And it shall come to pass, when ye are multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more: The ark of the covenant of the LORD; neither shall it come to mind; neither shall they make mention of it; neither shall they miss it; neither shall it be made any more.
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 call Jerusalem The throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem; neither shall they walk any more after the stubbornness of their evil heart.
18 Ngalezonsuku indlu yakoJuda izakuya kuyo indlu yakoIsrayeli, ziphume kanyekanye elizweni lenyakatho, zize elizweni engalinika oyihlo libe yilifa labo.
In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto 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 said: 'How would I put thee among the sons, and give thee a pleasant land, the goodliest heritage of the nations!' And I said: 'Thou shalt call Me, My father; and shalt not turn away from following Me.'
20 Isibili, njengomfazi ungathembekanga kumkakhe, ngokunjalo kalithembekanga kimi, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli, itsho iNkosi.
Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.
21 Ilizwi lezwakala emadundulwini, ukukhala lokuncenga kwabantwana bakoIsrayeli, ngoba bephambule indlela yabo, bayikhohlwa iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo.
Hark! upon the high hills is heard the suppliant weeping of the children of Israel; for that they have perverted their way, they have forgotten the LORD their God.
22 Phendukani, lina bantwana abahlehlela nyovane; ngizakwelapha ukuhlehlela nyovane kwenu. Khangela, thina siyeza kuwe, ngoba uyiNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu.
Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings. — 'Here we are, we are come unto Thee; for Thou art the LORD our God.
23 Isibili kuyize ukuthembela kusindiso oluvela emaqaqeni, lebunengini bezintaba. Isibili luseNkosini uNkulunkulu wethu usindiso lukaIsrayeli.
Truly vain have proved the hills, the uproar on the mountains; truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.
24 Ngoba ihlazo liwuqedile umtshikatshika wabobaba kusukela ebutsheni bethu, izimvu zabo lenkomo zabo, amadodana abo lamadodakazi abo.
But the shameful thing hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our youth; their flocks and their herds, their sons 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.
Let us lie down in our shame, and let our confusion cover us; for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day; and we have not hearkened to the voice of the LORD our God.'
