UJeremiya 34
1 Ilizwi elafika kuJeremiya livela eNkosini, lapho uNebhukadinezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, lebutho lakhe lonke, lemibuso yonke yomhlaba yokubusa kwesandla sakhe, lazo zonke izizwe, babesilwa bemelene leJerusalema bemelene layo yonke imizi yayo, lisithi:
The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his dominion, and all the peoples, were fighting against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of it, saying:
2 Itsho njalo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Hamba ukhulume kuZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda uthi kuye: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela, nginikela lumuzi esandleni senkosi yeBhabhiloni, ukuthi iwutshise ngomlilo.
"Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel, 'Go, and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, "Thus says Jehovah, 'Look, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire:
3 Lawe kawuyikuphunyuka esandleni sayo, kodwa uzabanjwa isibili, unikelwe esandleni sayo; lamehlo akho azabona amehlo enkosi yeBhabhiloni, lomlomo wayo uzakhuluma lomlomo wakho; njalo uzakuya eBhabhiloni.
and you shall not escape out of his hand, but shall surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; and your eyes shall see the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with you mouth to mouth, and you shall go to Babylon.'
4 Kodwa zwana ilizwi leNkosi, Zedekhiya, nkosi yakoJuda: Itsho njalo iNkosi ngawe: Kawuyikufa ngenkemba.
Yet hear the word of Jehovah, O Zedekiah king of Judah: thus says Jehovah concerning you, 'You shall not die by the sword;
5 Uzakufa ngokuthula, lanjengokubaselwa kwaboyihlo, amakhosi endulo, ayephambi kwakho, ngokunjalo bazakubasela, bakulilele, besithi: Maye inkosi! Ngoba mina ngilikhulumile lelolizwi, itsho iNkosi.
you shall die in peace; and with the burnings of your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so shall they make a burning for you; and they shall lament you, saying, "Ah Lord." for I have spoken the word,' says Jehovah."'"
6 UJeremiya umprofethi wasewakhuluma wonke lamazwi kuZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda eJerusalema,
Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,
7 lapho ibutho lenkosi yeBhabhiloni lisilwa limelene leJerusalema limelene layo yonke imizi yakoJuda eyayisele, limelene leLakishi limelene leAzeka; ngoba yiyo imizi ebiyelweyo eyayisisele phakathi kwemizi yakoJuda.
when the king of Babylon's army was fighting against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish and against Azekah; for these alone remained of the cities of Judah as fortified cities.
8 Ilizwi elafika kuJeremiya livela eNkosini, emva kokuthi inkosi uZedekhiya esenzile isivumelwano labo bonke abantu ababeseJerusalema ukumemezela inkululeko kubo,
The word that came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them;
9 ukuthi ngulowo lalowo ayekele isigqili sakhe sihambe sikhululekile, langulowo lalowo isigqilikazi sakhe, umHebheru kumbe umHebherukazi, ukuze kungabi khona umuntu owenza umJuda engumfowabo abe yisigqili.
that every man should let his male servant, and every man his female servant, who is a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, go free; that none should keep a fellow Judean in bondage.
10 Kwasekulalela zonke iziphathamandla labo bonke abantu ababengene lesosivumelwano sokuthi ngulowo lalowo ayekele isigqili sakhe langulowo lalowo isigqilikazi sakhe sihambe sikhululekile, bangaphindi bazenze zibe yizigqili; basebelalela, baziyekela zahamba.
And all the officials and all the people obeyed, who had entered into the covenant, that everyone should let his male servant, and everyone his female servant, go free, that none should make bondservants of them any more; they obeyed, and let them go:
11 Kodwa emva kwalokho baphenduka, bazibuyisa izigqili lezigqilikazi ababeziyekele zihambe zikhululekile, bazehlisela phansi zaba yizigqili lezigqilikazi.
but afterwards they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.
12 Ngakho ilizwi leNkosi lafika kuJeremiya livela eNkosini, lisithi:
Therefore the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,
13 Itsho njalo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Mina ngenza isivumelwano laboyihlo mhla ngibakhupha elizweni leGibhithe, endlini yobugqili, ngisithi:
"Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel: 'I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying,
14 Ekupheleni kweminyaka eyisikhombisa lizayekela ahambe, ngulowo lalowo umfowabo umHebheru owayethengiswe kuwe, esekusebenzele iminyaka eyisithupha, umyekele ahambe ekhululekile esuka kuwe. Kodwa oyihlo kabangilalelanga, kababekanga indlebe yabo.
"At the end of seven years you shall let go every man his brother who is a Hebrew, who has been sold to you, and has served you six years, you shall let him go free from you": but your fathers did not listen to me, neither inclined their ear.
15 Lina seliphendukile lamuhla, lenza okulungileyo emehlweni ami, limemezela inkululeko, ngulowo lalowo kumakhelwane wakhe, lenza isivumelwano phambi kwami endlini ebizwa ngebizo lami.
You had now turned, and had done that which is right in my eyes, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbor; and you had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name:
16 Kodwa liphendukile, langcolisa ibizo lami, libuyisa, ngulowo lalowo isigqili sakhe langulowo lalowo isigqilikazi sakhe, ebeliziyekele zahamba zikhululekile njengokufisa kwazo, lazehlisela phansi, zaba yizigqili lezigqilikazi zenu.
but you turned and profaned my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom you had let go free at their pleasure, to return; and you brought them into subjection, to be to you for servants and for handmaids.
17 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi: Lina kalingilalelanga, ukumemezela inkululeko, kube ngulowo lalowo kumfowabo langulowo lalowo kumakhelwane wakhe; khangelani, ngizamemezela kini, itsho iNkosi, inkululeko enkembeni, kumatshayabhuqe wesifo, lendlaleni; ngilinikele libe yisesabiso kuyo yonke imibuso yomhlaba.
Therefore thus says Jehovah: "You have not listened to me, to proclaim liberty, every man to his brother, and every man to his neighbor: look, I proclaim to you a liberty, says Jehovah, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth.
18 Nginikele amadoda aseqileyo isivumelwano sami, angaqinisanga amazwi esivumelwano asenza phambi kwami, lapho adabula ithole kabili, adlula phakathi kweziqa zalo;
I will give the men who have transgressed my covenant, who have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts;
19 iziphathamandla zakoJuda, leziphathamandla zeJerusalema, abathenwa, labapristi, labo bonke abantu belizwe, abadabula phakathi kweziqa zethole.
the officials of Judah, and the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, who passed between the parts of the calf;
20 Yebo, ngizabanikela esandleni sezitha zabo lesandleni salabo abadinga impilo yabo; lezidumbu zabo zizakuba yikudla kwenyoni zamazulu lenyamazana zomhlaba.
I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life; and their dead bodies shall be for food to the birds of the sky, and to the animals of the earth.
21 LoZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda leziphathamandla zakhe ngizabanikela esandleni sezitha zabo, lesandleni salabo abadinga impilo yabo, lesandleni sebutho lenkosi yeBhabhiloni, abenyuke basuka kini.
And Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials will I give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, who have gone away from you.
22 Khangelani, ngizalaya, itsho iNkosi, ngibabuyise kulumuzi; njalo bazakulwa bemelene lawo, bawuthumbe, bawutshise ngomlilo; lemizi yakoJuda ngizayenza ibe lunxiwa olungelamhlali.
Look, I will command, says Jehovah, and cause them to return to this city; and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burn it with fire: and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant."'"
