UJeremiya 31

1 Ngalesosikhathi, itsho iNkosi, ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wensapho zonke zakoIsrayeli; bona-ke bazakuba ngabantu bami.

2 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Abantu babaseleyo benkemba bathola umusa enkangala; ngitsho uIsrayeli, lapho ngisiyamphumuza.

3 INkosi yabonakala kimi ikhatshana isithi: Yebo, ngikuthandile ngothando olulaphakade, ngakho-ke ngikudonsile ngothandolomusa.

4 Ngizabuya ngikwakhe, wakheke, wena ntombi emsulwa yakoIsrayeli; uzabuya uvunuliswe ngezigujana zakho, uphume phakathi kokugida kwabathokozayo.

5 Uzabuya uhlanyele izivini phezu kwezintaba zeSamariya; abahlanyeli bazahlanyela, badle izithelo.

6 Ngoba kuzakuba khona usuku abazamemeza ngalo abalindi entabeni yakoEfrayimi besithi: Sukumani, senyuke siye eZiyoni, eNkosini uNkulunkulu wethu.

7 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi: Mhlabeleleni uJakobe ngentokozo, limemezele phakathi kwenhloko yezizwe; zwakalisani, dumisani, lithi: Nkosi, sindisa abantu bakho, insali yakoIsrayeli.

8 Khangelani, ngizabaletha bevela elizweni lenyakatho, ngibabuthe emaceleni omhlaba; phakathi kwabo kukhona iziphofu labaqhulayo, abesifazana abakhulelweyo lababelethayo ndawonye; bazabuya lapha belibandla elikhulu.

9 Bazabuya belokukhala, ngizabakhokhela belokuncenga; ngizabahambisa emifuleni yamanzi ngendlela eqondileyo, abangayikukhubeka kuyo; ngoba nginguyise kaIsrayeli, loEfrayimi ulizibulo lami.

10 Zwanini ilizwi leNkosi, lina zizwe, lilimemeze ezihlengeni ezikhatshana, lithi: Yena owachitha uIsrayeli uzambutha, amgcine, njengomelusi umhlambi wakhe.

11 Ngoba iNkosi imhlengile uJakobe, yamhlawulela emsusa esandleni solamandla kulaye.

12 Ngakho bazakuza bahlabelele ekuphakameni kweZiyoni, bagelezele kokuhle kweNkosi, ngamabele, langewayini elitsha, langamafutha, langamazinyane ezimvu, lenkomo; lomphefumulo wabo ube njengesivande esithelelweyo, kabasayikubuya babe losizi.

13 Khona intombi izathokoza ekugideni, lamajaha labadala kanyekanye; ngoba ngizaphendula ukulila kwabo kube yintokozo, ngibaduduze, ngibathokozise, bangabi losizi.

14 Njalo ngizasuthisa umphefumulo wabapristi ngamanono, labantu bami bazasuthiswa ngokuhle kwami, itsho iNkosi.

15 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ilizwi lezwakala eRama, ukulila, ukukhala inyembezi okubuhlungu kakhulu; uRasheli ekhalela abantwana bakhe, esala ukududuzwa ngabantwana bakhe, ngoba bengasekho.

16 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Bamba ilizwi lakho ekukhaleni, lamehlo akho ezinyembezini; ngoba kulomvuzo womsebenzi wakho, itsho iNkosi, ngoba bazabuya bevela elizweni lesitha.

17 Kukhona-ke ithemba enzalweni yakho, itsho iNkosi; ngoba abantwana bakho bazabuyela emngceleni wakibo.

18 Ngizwile lokuzwa uEfrayimi ezililelaesithi: Ungilayile, njalo ngalaywa njengethole elingathambanga; ngiphenduka, njalo ngizaphendula; ngoba uyiNkosi uNkulunkulu wami.

19 Isibili emva kokuphenduka kwami, ngazisola, lemva kokufundiswa kwami ngatshaya phezu kwethangazi lami; ngaba lenhloni, njalo ngayangeka, ngoba ngathwala ihlazo lobutsha bami.

20 UEfrayimi uyindodana yami eligugu yini, ungumntwana wami othokozisayo yini? Ngoba selokhu ngakhuluma ngimelene laye, ngisamkhumbula ngoqotho; ngenxa yalokho imibilini yami iyakhala ngaye; isibili ngizakuba lesihawu kuye, kutsho iNkosi.

21 Zibekele izitshengiso zendlela, uzimisele izinsika zeziqondiso, ubeke inhliziyo yakho kumgwaqo omkhulu, indlela owahamba ngayo; phenduka, ntombi emsulwa yakoIsrayeli, uphendukele kule imizi yakini.

22 Koze kube nini uzulazula, ndodakazi ehlehlela nyovane? Ngoba iNkosi idale into entsha emhlabeni: Owesifazana uzahanqa indoda.

23 Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Bazabuya batsho lelilizwi elizweni lakoJuda lemizini yakho, lapho ngibuyisela ukuthunjwa kwabo: Kwangathi iNkosi ingakubusisa, khaya lokulunga, ntaba yobungcwele.

24 Njalo kuzahlala kulo uJuda layo yonke imizi yakhe ndawonye, abalimi labahamba lemihlambi.

25 Ngoba ngisuthise umphefumulo okhatheleyo, ngigcwalise wonke umphefumulo ophela amandla.

26 Ngasengiphaphama, ngabona; lobuthongo bami babumnandi kimi.

27 Khangela, insuku ziyeza, itsho iNkosi, lapho ngizahlanyela indlu kaIsrayeli lendlu kaJuda ngenhlanyelo yabantu lenhlanyelo yenyamazana.

28 Kuzakuthi-ke njengalokho ngibalindile ukuthi ngisiphune lokuthi ngidilize lokuthi ngichithe lokuthi ngibhubhise lokuthi ngenze okubi, ngokunjalo ngizabalinda ukuze ngakhe ngihlanyele, itsho iNkosi.

29 Ngalezonsuku kabasayikuthi: Oyise badlile izithelo zevini ezimunyu, amazinyo abantwana asetshelela.

30 Kodwa ngulowo lalowo uzafela ububi bakhe; wonke umuntu odla izithelo zevini ezimunyu, amazinyo akhe azatshelela.

31 Khangela, insuku ziyeza, itsho iNkosi, lapho ngizakwenza isivumelwano esitsha lendlu kaIsrayeli lendlu kaJuda;

32 kungeyisikho njengesivumelwano engasenza laboyise mhla ngibamba isandla sabo ukubakhupha elizweni leGibhithe, osivumelwano sami bona abasephulayo, lanxa mina ngangingumyeni wabo, itsho iNkosi.

33 Kodwa yilesi isivumelwano engizasenza lendlu kaIsrayeli emva kwalezonsuku, itsho iNkosi: Ngizafaka umlayo wami emibilini yabo, ngiwubhale enhliziyweni yabo, ngibe nguNkulunkulu wabo, labo babe ngabantu bami.

34 Kabasayikufundisa-ke, ngulowo lalowo umakhelwane wakhe, langulowo lalowo umfowabo, esithi: Yazi iNkosi; ngoba bonke bazangazi, kusukela komncinyane wabo kuze kufike komkhulu wabo, itsho iNkosi; ngoba ngizathethelela isiphambeko sabo, lesono sabo kangisayikusikhumbula.

35 Itsho njalo iNkosi, enika ilanga libe yikukhanya emini, izimiso zenyanga lezezinkanyezi zibe yikukhanya ebusuku, enyakazisa ulwandle ukuze amagagasi alo ahlokome; iNkosi yamabandla libizo layo.

36 Uba lezozimiso zingasuka phambi kwami, itsho iNkosi, inzalo yakoIsrayeli layo izaphela ekubeni yisizwe phambi kwami zonke insuku.

37 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Uba engalinganiswa amazulu phezulu, zihlolwe izisekelo zomhlaba phansi, lami ngizayala yonke inzalo yakoIsrayeli ngenxa yakho konke abakwenzileyo, itsho iNkosi.

38 Khangela, insuku ziyeza, itsho iNkosi, lapho umuzi uzakwakhelwa iNkosi, kusukela emphotshongweni kaHananeli kuze kufike esangweni leNgonsi.

39 Lentambo yokulinganisa isezaphuma maqondana layo kuze kube soqaqeni lweGarebi, iphendukele ngaseGowa.

40 Lesihotsha sonke sezidumbu lesomlotha, lawo wonke amasimu kuze kufike esifuleni seKidroni, kuze kufike engonsini yeSango lamabhiza ngempumalanga, kuzakuba yibungcwele beNkosi. Kakuyikusitshunwa kakusayikudilizwa kuze kube nininini.