UJeremiya 35
1 Ilizwi elafika kuJeremiya livela eNkosini ensukwini zikaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda, lisithi:
[Several years earlier, ] when Jehoiakim was the King of Judah, Yahweh gave me this message:
2 Yana endlini yamaRekabi, ukhulume lawo, uwalethe endlini yeNkosi kwelinye lamakamelo, uwanathise iwayini.
“Go to the place where families of the Rechab clan live. Invite them to my temple. [When they arrive, ] take them into one of the inside rooms and offer them [some] wine.”
3 Ngasengithatha uJahazaniya, indodana kaJeremiya, indodana kaHabaziniya, labafowabo, lawo wonke amadodana akhe, lendlu yonke yamaRekabi.
So I went to see Jaazaniah and all his brothers and sons who represented the Rechab clan. Jaazaniah was the son of [another man named] Jeremiah and grandson of Habazziniah.
4 Ngabaletha endlini yeNkosi, ekamelweni lamadodana kaHanani, indodana kaIgidaliya, umuntu kaNkulunkulu, elaliseduze lekamelo leziphathamandla, elalingaphezu kwekamelo likaMahaseya, indodana kaShaluma, umlindimbundu.
I took them to the temple, [and we went] into the room where the sons of Igdaliah’s son Hanan, who was a prophet, stayed. That room was next to the room that was used by the men who were in charge of the entrances to the temple. It was above the room that belonged to Maaseiah, who was the temple gatekeeper and the son of Shallum.
5 Ngasengibeka phambi kwamadodana endlu yamaRekabi izimbiza ezigcwele iwayini, lezinkezo, ngathi kibo: Nathani iwayini.
I set jugs of wine in front of them and urged them to drink some,
6 Kodwa bathi: Kasilinathi iwayini, ngoba uJonadabi, indodana kaRekabi, ubaba, wasilaya esithi: Linganathi iwayini, lina labantwana benu, kuze kube nininini.
but they refused. They said, “We do not drink wine, because our ancestor Jehonadab, the son of Rechab, commanded us, saying ‘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.
And you must not build houses or plant vineyards or [other] crops. Instead, you must always live in tents. If you obey those commands, you all will live for many years in this land.’
8 Ngakho salilalela ilizwi likaJonadabi, indodana kaRekabi, ubaba, kukho konke asilaya ngakho, ukuthi singanathi iwayini zonke insuku zethu, thina, omkethu, amadodana ethu, lamadodakazi ethu;
[So] we have obeyed him in all those matters. We have never drunk wine. Our wives and our sons and our daughters [have also never drunk wine].
9 lokuthi singakhi izindlu zokuhlala kwethu; njalo singabi lesivini kumbe insimu kumbe inhlanyelo;
We have not built houses or planted vineyards or [other] crops or [worked in] fields.
10 kodwa sihlala emathenteni, silalele senze njengakho konke uJonadabi ubaba asilaya khona.
We have lived in tents. We have obeyed all the commands that Jehonadab, our ancestor, gave us.
11 Kodwa kwathi lapho uNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni esenyukela elizweni, sathi: Wozani siye eJerusalema ngenxa yebutho lamaKhaladiya langenxa yebutho lamaSiriya. Sasesihlala eJerusalema.
But when [the army of] King Nebuchadnezzar attacked this country, we said, ‘We must go to Jerusalem to escape from the armies of Babylonia and Syria.’ So, [we came] to Jerusalem and we are living [here].”
12 Laselifika ilizwi leNkosi kuJeremiya lisithi:
Then Yahweh gave this message to me: “This is what [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom the Israeli [people say that they belong to], say:
13 Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Hamba uthi ebantwini bakoJuda lakwabahlali beJerusalema: Kaliyikwemukela yini ukulaywa ukuthi lilalele amazwi ami? itsho iNkosi.
'Go and tell this to the people in Jerusalem and in [other places in] Judah: “Why do you not [RHQ] listen to me or learn something about how to obey me?
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 Rechab clan still do not drink wine, because their ancestor Jehonadab told them to not do that. [In contrast], I have spoken to you many times, but 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.
Many times I sent prophets to you. They told you, 'Turn away from your wicked behavior, and do things that you should do. Stop worshiping other gods, in order that you will be able to live [peacefully] in this land that I gave to you and your ancestors.' But you would not pay attention to what I said or obey me.
16 Ngoba amadodana kaJonadabi, indodana kaRekabi, awuqinisile umlayo kayise awalaya wona, kodwa lababantu kabangilaleli,
The descendants of Jehonadab have obeyed their ancestor, but you have refused to pay attention to what I told you.
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.
Therefore, this is what [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom you Israeli people [say you belong to], say: 'You have refused to listen to me and you did not answer when I called you. Therefore, I will cause the people in Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah to experience all the disasters that I said that I would cause to happen.'” '”
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 I turned to the Rechab clan and said, “This is what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [say we belong to], says: ‘You have obeyed what your ancestor Jehonadab told you. You have obeyed all his instructions.
19 ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Kakuyikuqunywa muntu kuJonadabi indodana kaRekabi oma phambi kwami insuku zonke.
Therefore, this is what I say: “There will always be descendants of Jehonadab who will do work for me.”’”
