UJeremiya 35

1 Ilizwi elafika kuJeremiya livela eNkosini ensukwini zikaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda, lisithi:

This is the message that came to Jeremiah from the Lord during the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:

2 Yana endlini yamaRekabi, ukhulume lawo, uwalethe endlini yeNkosi kwelinye lamakamelo, uwanathise iwayini.

Go to where the Rechabites live. Invite them to come with you to one of the rooms in the Lord's Temple and offer them wine to drink.

3 Ngasengithatha uJahazaniya, indodana kaJeremiya, indodana kaHabaziniya, labafowabo, lawo wonke amadodana akhe, lendlu yonke yamaRekabi.

So I went to visit Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons—the whole Rechabite family.

4 Ngabaletha endlini yeNkosi, ekamelweni lamadodana kaHanani, indodana kaIgidaliya, umuntu kaNkulunkulu, elaliseduze lekamelo leziphathamandla, elalingaphezu kwekamelo likaMahaseya, indodana kaShaluma, umlindimbundu.

Then I took them into the Lord's Temple, to a room used by the sons of Hanan, son of Igdaliah, a man of God. It was next to the one used by the officials, which was above the room of Maaseiah son of Shallum, who was the Temple doorkeeper.

5 Ngasengibeka phambi kwamadodana endlu yamaRekabi izimbiza ezigcwele iwayini, lezinkezo, ngathi kibo: Nathani iwayini.

I placed some jugs full of wine and some cups before the Rechabites and told them, “Have some wine to drink.”

6 Kodwa bathi: Kasilinathi iwayini, ngoba uJonadabi, indodana kaRekabi, ubaba, wasilaya esithi: Linganathi iwayini, lina labantwana benu, kuze kube nininini.

“We don't drink wine,” they said, “because our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab gave us these orders: ‘You and your descendants must never drink wine.

7 Njalo lingakhi izindlu, lingahlanyeli inhlanyelo, lingahlanyeli izivini, lingabi lazo; kodwa lihlale emathenteni zonke insuku zenu, ukuze liphile insuku ezinengi ebusweni bomhlaba lapho elihlala khona njengabezizwe.

Don't ever build houses or sow crops or plant vineyards. You're not to do this. Instead, you are to always live in tents so that you may have long lives as you move from place to place in the country.’

8 Ngakho salilalela ilizwi likaJonadabi, indodana kaRekabi, ubaba, kukho konke asilaya ngakho, ukuthi singanathi iwayini zonke insuku zethu, thina, omkethu, amadodana ethu, lamadodakazi ethu;

We have done exactly what our forefather Jonadab son of Rechab told us. None of us have ever drunk wine, and that includes our wives and our sons and daughters as well as us.

9 lokuthi singakhi izindlu zokuhlala kwethu; njalo singabi lesivini kumbe insimu kumbe inhlanyelo;

We haven't built houses to live in, and we haven't had any vineyards or fields or grown any crops.

10 kodwa sihlala emathenteni, silalele senze njengakho konke uJonadabi ubaba asilaya khona.

We've lived in tents and have obeyed our forefather Jonadab, following everything he ordered us to do.

11 Kodwa kwathi lapho uNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni esenyukela elizweni, sathi: Wozani siye eJerusalema ngenxa yebutho lamaKhaladiya langenxa yebutho lamaSiriya. Sasesihlala eJerusalema.

So when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the country we decided, ‘Come on, let's go into Jerusalem to be safe from the armies of the Chaldeans, Babylonians, and Arameans.’ That's why we've stayed in Jerusalem.”

12 Laselifika ilizwi leNkosi kuJeremiya lisithi:

Then a message from the Lord came to Jeremiah:

13 Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Hamba uthi ebantwini bakoJuda lakwabahlali beJerusalema: Kaliyikwemukela yini ukulaywa ukuthi lilalele amazwi ami? itsho iNkosi.

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Go and tell the men of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem: Why don't you accept my instructions and obey what I tell you? the Lord asks.

14 Aqiniswa amazwi kaJonadabi, indodana kaRekabi, awalaya abantwana bakhe ukuthi banganathi iwayini; ngoba kabalinathanga kuze kube lamuhla, ngoba bawulalele umlayo kayise. Lami ngikhulumile kini ngivuke ngovivi ngikhuluma, kodwa kalingilalelanga.

The instructions of Jonadab son of Rechab have been followed. He ordered his descendants not to drink wine, and they have not drunk it to this day because they have obeyed their forefather's command. But I have told you what to do time and again, and yet you refuse to obey me!

15 Futhi ngithume kini zonke inceku zami abaprofethi, ngivuka ngovivi ngibathuma, ngisithi: Ake liphenduke, ngulowo lalowo endleleni yakhe embi, lenze izenzo zenu zibe zinhle, lingalandeli abanye onkulunkulu ukuthi libakhonze, ukuze lihlale elizweni engalinika lina laboyihlo. Kodwa kalibekanga indlebe yenu, kalilalelanga kimi.

Time and again I've sent you so many of my servants the prophets to tell you: Everyone, stop your evil ways and do what's right! Don't go following other gods and worshiping them. Live in the land that I gave you and your fathers. But you haven't paid attention or obeyed me.

16 Ngoba amadodana kaJonadabi, indodana kaRekabi, awuqinisile umlayo kayise awalaya wona, kodwa lababantu kabangilaleli,

These descendants of Jonadab son of Rechab have followed the command given to them by their forefather, but these people haven't obeyed me.

17 ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Khangelani, ngizakwehlisela phezu kukaJuda laphezu kwabakhileyo bonke beJerusalema bonke ububi engibukhulume ngabo; ngoba ngikhulumile kibo, kodwa kabalalelanga, ngibabizile, kodwa kabaphendulanga.

So this is what the Lord God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Watch as I bring down on Judah and on all the people living in Jerusalem all the disasters I have threatened to do to them, because I have told them what to do but they haven't obeyed; I have appealed to them but they haven't responded.

18 Lakuyo indlu yamaRekabi uJeremiya wathi: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Ngenxa yokuthi lilalele umlayo kaJonadabi uyihlo, lagcina yonke imilayo yakhe, lenza njengakho konke alilaya khona,

Then Jeremiah told the Rechabites: This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Because you have obeyed your forefather Jonadab's instructions and have followed his orders and have done everything he told you to do,

19 ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Kakuyikuqunywa muntu kuJonadabi indodana kaRekabi oma phambi kwami insuku zonke.

this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Jonadab son of Rechab will always have someone who will be in my presence serving me.