UJeremiya 37

1 Inkosi uZedekhiya indodana kaJosiya wabusa-ke esikhundleni sikaKoniya indodana kaJehoyakhimi, uNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni ambeka abe yinkosi elizweni lakoJuda.

Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned as king, instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.

2 Kodwa kawalalelanga, yena lenceku zakhe labantu belizwe, amazwi eNkosi eyayiwakhulume ngesandla sikaJeremiya umprofethi.

But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, listened to the words of Jehovah, which he spoke by the prophet Jeremiah.

3 Inkosi uZedekhiya yasithuma uJehukali indodana kaShelemiya loZefaniya indodana kaMahaseya umpristi kuJeremiya umprofethi, isithi: Ake usikhulekele eNkosini uNkulunkulu wethu.

Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, "Pray now to Jehovah our God for us."

4 UJeremiya wangena-ke waphuma phakathi kwabantu, ngoba babengakamfaki entolongweni.

Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people; for they had not put him into prison.

5 Ibutho likaFaro laliphumile-ke eGibhithe; kwathi amaKhaladiya ayevimbezela iJerusalema esizwa amahungahunga ngabo, enyuka asuka eJerusalema.

Pharaoh's army had come forth out of Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they broke up from Jerusalem.

6 Laselifika ilizwi leNkosi kuJeremiya umprofethi lisithi:

Then came the word of Jehovah to the prophet Jeremiah, saying,

7 Itsho njalo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Lizakutsho njalo enkosini yakoJuda elithume kimi ukungibuza: Khangela, ibutho likaFaro eliphumele ukulisiza lizabuyela elizweni lalo, iGibhithe.

"Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel, 'You shall tell the king of Judah, who sent you to me to inquire of me: "Look, Pharaoh's army, which has come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.

8 AmaKhaladiya azabuya futhi, alwe emelene lalumuzi, awuthumbe, awutshise ngomlilo.

The Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city; and they shall take it, and burn it with fire."

9 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Lingakhohlisi imiphefumulo yenu lisithi: AmaKhaladiya isibili azasuka kithi; ngoba kawayikusuka.

Thus says Jehovah, "Do not deceive yourselves, saying, 'The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us'; for they shall not depart.

10 Ngoba loba lilitshaya ibutho lonke lamaKhaladiya alwa emelene lani, kusale amadoda agwaziweyo phakathi kwabo, azasukuma, yileyo laleyo ethenteni layo, awutshise lumuzi ngomlilo.

For though you had struck the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yes would they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire."'"

11 Kwasekusithi ibutho lamaKhaladiya selenyukile lisuka eJerusalema ngenxa yebutho likaFaro,

It happened that, when the army of the Chaldeans was broken up from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army,

12 uJeremiya waphuma eJerusalema ukuya elizweni lakoBhenjamini ukuthi amonyuke phakathi kwabantu.

then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to receive his portion there, in the midst of the people.

13 Kwasekusithi esesesangweni lakoBhenjamini, kwakukhona lapho induna yabalindi obizo layo lalinguIrija, indodana kaShelemiya, indodana kaHananiya; yasimbamba uJeremiya umprofethi, isithi: Uhlubukela kumaKhaladiya.

When he was in the Benjamin Gate, a captain of the guard was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he laid hold on Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "You are falling away to the Chaldeans."

14 UJeremiya wasesithi: Ngamanga; kangihlubukeli kumaKhaladiya. Kodwa kamlalelanga; ngokunjalo uIriya wambamba uJeremiya, wamletha kuziphathamandla.

Then Jeremiah said, "It is false; I am not falling away to the Chaldeans." But he did not listen to him; so Irijah laid hold on Jeremiah, and brought him to the officials.

15 Iziphathamandla zasezithukuthela ngoJeremiya, zamtshaya, zamfaka entolongweni, endlini kaJonathani umbhali, ngoba zaziyenze yaba yintolongo.

And the officials were angry with Jeremiah, and struck him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the prison.

16 UJeremiya esengene endlini yomgodi lezitokisini, uJeremiya esehlale khona insuku ezinengi,

When Jeremiah had come into the dungeon house, and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days;

17 inkosi uZedekhiya yasithuma, yamthatha; inkosi yasimbuza endlini yayo ensitha yathi: Likhona yini ilizwi elivela eNkosini? UJeremiya wasesithi: Likhona. Wathi: Uzanikelwa esandleni senkosi yeBhabhiloni.

Then Zedekiah the king sent, and fetched him: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, "Is there any word from Jehovah?" Jeremiah said, "There is." He said also, "You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon."

18 UJeremiya wathi futhi enkosini uZedekhiya: Ngoneni kuwe lezincekwini zakho lakulababantu ukuthi lingifake entolongweni?

Moreover Jeremiah said to king Zedekiah, "Wherein have I sinned against you, or against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison?

19 Bangaphi khathesi abaprofethi benu abaprofetha kini besithi: Inkosi yeBhabhiloni kayiyikufika imelane lani kumbe imelane lalelilizwe?

Where now are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land?

20 Khathesi-ke, ake uzwe, nkosi yami, nkosi, kakuthi ukuncenga kwami kuwe phambi kwakho, ungangibuyiseli endlini kaJonathani umbhali, hlezi ngifele khona.

Now please hear, my lord the king: please let my petition be presented before you, that you not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there."

21 Ngakho inkosi uZedekhiya yalaya ukuthi bamfake uJeremiya egumeni lentolongo, lokuthi anikwe isinkwa sibe sinye ngosuku esivela esitaladini sabaphekizinkwa, size siphele sonke isinkwa emzini. Ngokunjalo uJeremiya wahlala egumeni lentolongo.

Then Zedekiah the king commanded, and they committed Jeremiah into the court of the guard; and they gave him daily a loaf of bread out of the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city was spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.