UJeremiya 33
1 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kuJeremiya ngokwesibili, esavalelwe egumeni lentolongo, lisithi:
While I was still being guarded in the courtyard of the palace, Yahweh gave me this second message:
2 Itsho njalo iNkosi, ekwenzayo, iNkosi, ekubumbayo, ukukumisa; uJehova libizo lakhe:
“This is what I, the one who made the earth, who formed/shaped it and put it in its place, say [to the people of Jerusalem]: ‘My name is Yahweh.
3 Ngibiza, ngikuphendule, ngikwazise izinto ezinkulu lezifihlakeleyo elingazaziyo.
Call out to me, and [then] I will tell you great and wonderful things that you have not known [before].’
4 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wakoIsrayeli, ngezindlu zalumuzi langezindlu zamakhosi akoJuda, ezidilizelwe phansi ukuba ngamadundulu langenxa yenkemba:
This is what [I, ] Yahweh, the God whom [you] Israeli people [say you belong to], say: ‘[The men in this city] have torn down [some of] their houses, and [even parts of] the king’s palace, to get materials to strengthen the walls around the city, in order that [the soldiers of Babylonia will not be able to break through the walls after they climb up] the ramps that they have built against the walls, and [kill the inhabitants with] their swords.
5 Beza ukulwa lamaKhaladiya, kodwa bayazigcwalisa ngezidumbu zabantu engibatshayileyo ekuthukutheleni kwami lekufuthekeni kwami, njalo engifihle ubuso bami kulumuzi ngenxa yobubi babo bonke.
You are expecting to fight against the army from Babylonia, but [what will happen is that] the houses of this city will be filled with the corpses of the men of this city whom I will [allow to be killed] because I am extremely angry [DOU] with them. I have abandoned them because of all the wicked things that they have done.
6 Khangela, ngizawandisela impilo enhle lokusiliswa; ngibelaphe, ngibembulele ukwanda kokuthula leqiniso.
However, [there will be a time when] I will cause the people in this city to be healthy and strong again. I will enable them to be prosperous and have peace.
7 Ngizabuyisa ukuthunjwa kukaJuda lokuthunjwa kukaIsrayeli, ngibakhe njengakuqala.
I will bring the people of Judah and Israel back from the lands to which they were exiled. I will enable them to rebuild their towns.
8 Ngibahlambulule kubo bonke ububi babo abona ngabo kimi, ngithethelele zonke iziphambeko zabo abona ngazo kimi labaphambeka ngazo kimi.
I will get rid of their guilt for all the sins that they have committed against me, and I will forgive them for their sin of rebelling against me.
9 Njalo kuzakuba kimi libizo lenjabulo, kube ludumo, njalo kube yibuhle, kuzo zonke izizwe zomhlaba ezizakuzwa konke okuhle engibenzela khona; zesabe zithuthumele ngakho konke okuhle langakho konke ukuthula engibenzela khona.
[When that happens], all the nations of the world will rejoice, and they will praise me and honor me. They will hear about all the good things that I have done for this city and, because of that, they will revere me, and they will tremble because I have caused [the people in this city] to have peace and to prosper.’
10 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Kuzabuya kuzwakale kulindawo, elithi ngayo, ilunxiwa, engelamuntu lengelanyamazana, emizini yakoJuda lezitaladeni zeJerusalema, ezilunxiwa okungelamuntu lokungelamhlali lokungelanyamazana,
And this is also what [I], Yahweh, say: ‘You people have said that this is a land where there are no [longer] any people or animals. But in the streets of Jerusalem that are now completely empty [DOU], and in the [other] towns in Judah,
11 ilizwi lokuthaba, lelizwi lentokozo, ilizwi lomyeni, lelizwi likamakoti, ilizwi labathi: Dumisani iNkosi yamabandla, ngoba iNkosi ilungile, ngoba isihawu sayo simi kuze kube nininini; ilizwi lalabo abaletha indumiso endlini yeNkosi. Ngoba ngizabuyisa ukuthunjwa kwelizwe njengakuqala, itsho iNkosi.
[some day] people will again be happy and laugh. Brides and bridegrooms will [again] sing [joyfully]. And many other people will also sing joyfully as they bring their offerings to me to thank me [for what I have done for them]. [They will sing this song]: “[We] thank you, the Commander of the armies of angels, because you are good [to us]. You faithfully love [us] forever.” [They will sing that] because I will cause [the people of] land to be as prosperous as they were before.’
12 Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Kule indawo elunxiwa engelamuntu kuze kube senyamazaneni, lemizini yonke yayo, kuzabuya kube khona imizi yabelusi abazakwenza imihlambi ilale kuyo.
This land is [now] desolate. There are no people or animals living here. But [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, say this: ‘In this land there will again be pastures/fields where shepherds will lead their sheep.
13 Emizini yentabeni, emizini yesihotsha, lemizini yeningizimu, lelizweni lakoBhenjamini, lemaphandleni eJerusalema, lemizini yakoJuda, izimvu zizabuya zedlule ngaphansi kwezandla zalowo obalayo, itsho iNkosi.
Shepherds will again count their sheep as the sheep walk by, outside the towns in the hilly area, in the western foothills, in the southern desert area, in the land [where the descendants] of Benjamin live, around Jerusalem, and outside [all] the [other] towns in Judah.’ [That will surely happen because I], Yahweh, have said it.
14 Khangela, insuku ziyeza, itsho iNkosi, lapho ngizamisa ilizwi elihle engilikhulume endlini kaIsrayeli lendlini kaJuda.
Listen to this! [I], Yahweh, say that there will be a time when I will do for the people of Israel and Judah [all the good things that] I promised to do [for them].
15 Ngalezonsuku langalesosikhathi ngizahlumisela uDavida iHlumela elilungileyo; njalo uzakwenza isahlulelo lokulunga elizweni.
At that time [DOU] I will appoint a righteous man who will be a descendant [MET] of King David. Throughout the land, he will do what is just and right.
16 Ngalezonsuku uJuda uzasindiswa, leJerusalema ihlale ivikelekile. Njalo yileli ibizo elizabizwa ngalo: INkosi ukulunga kwethu.
At that time, [the people of] Judah will be rescued [from their enemies], and [the people of] Jerusalem will be safe. And people will say that the name of the city is ‘Yahweh [is the one who] vindicates/defends us’.
17 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi: Kakuyikuqunywa muntu kuDavida ohlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sendlu kaIsrayeli.
And this is [also] what [I], Yahweh, say: ‘There will be descendants of King David ruling [MTY] Israel forever.
18 Njalo kakuyikuqunywa muntu kubapristi, amaLevi, ebusweni bami, onikela umnikelo wokutshiswa, atshise umnikelo wokudla, enze umhlatshelo insuku zonke.
And there will always be priests who are descendants of Levi who [stand] in front of me and offer sacrifices that will be completely burned [on the altar] and who will burn grain offerings and [other] sacrifices.’”
19 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kuJeremiya lisithi:
[Then] Yahweh gave me this message:
20 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Uba lingasephula isivumelwano sami semini lesivumelwano sami sobusuku, ukuze kungabi khona imini lobusuku ngesikhathi sakho,
“This is what [I], Yahweh, say: ‘[You] certainly cannot annul my promise/agreement to cause nighttime to follow daytime each day.
21 khona sizakwephulwa isivumelwano sami loDavida inceku yami, ukuze angabi landodana yokubusa esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, lesivumelwano lamaLevi, abapristi, izikhonzi zami.
Similarly, you cannot annul the promise/agreement [that I made] with King David, who served me [well], that there will always be descendants of his who will rule [Judah]. The same is true for my agreement with the descendants of Levi who are priests who do work for me.
22 Njengoba ibutho lamazulu lingebalwe, letshebetshebe lolwandle lingelinganiswe, ngokunjalo ngizakwandisa inzalo kaDavida inceku yami lamaLevi angikhonzayo.
No one can count the stars in the sky, and no one can count the grains of sand at the seashore. Similarly, I will cause there to be a huge number of priests who are descendants of David and descendants of Levi who will work for me.’”
23 Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kuJeremiya lisithi:
Yahweh gave another message to me. He said,
24 Kawubonanga yini abakutshoyo lababantu besithi: Izinsapho ezimbili iNkosi ebizikhethile izilahlile? Yebo badelela abantu bami, ukuthi bangabe besaba yisizwe phambi kwabo.
“Have you noticed/heard that some people are saying, ‘Yahweh chose two groups, the people [of Judah] and the people [of Israel], and [later] abandoned them.’ They are despising my people and saying that Israel no longer deserves to be considered a nation.
25 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Uba isivumelwano sami singeyisiso esemini lesebusuku, uba ngingamisanga izimiso zamazulu lezomhlaba,
But this is what I say: ‘I will not change my laws that control the day and the night, the sky and the earth.
26 khona ngizayala inzalo kaJakobe lekaDavida inceku yami, ukuthi kangiyikuthatha enzalweni yakhe ukuze abuse phezu kwenzalo kaAbrahama, uIsaka, loJakobe; ngoba ngizabuyisa ukuthunjwa kwabo, ngibe lesihawu kibo.
Similarly, I will never abandon the descendants of David or the [other] descendants of Jacob, and I will always allow descendants of David to rule the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will bring my people back to their land, and I will act mercifully toward them.’”
