UJeremiya 38

1 UShefathiya indodana kaMathani, loGedaliya indodana kaPashuri, loJukali indodana kaShelemiya, loPashuri indodana kaMalikiya, sebezwile amazwi uJeremiya ayewakhuluma kubo bonke abantu esithi:

Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying,

2 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Osala kulumuzi uzakufa ngenkemba, ngendlala, langomatshayabhuqe wesifo; kodwa ophuma aye kumaKhaladiya uzaphila, ngoba uzakuba lempilo yakhe ibe yimpango, aphile.

Thus says the LORD, He that remains in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goes forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.

3 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Lumuzi uzanikelwa isibili esandleni sebutho lenkosi yeBhabhiloni, elizawuthumba.

Thus says the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it.

4 Iziphathamandla zasezisithi enkosini: Ake abulawe lumuntu, ngoba ngalindlela uyekethisa izandla zamadoda empi asele kulumuzi, lezandla zabo bonke abantu, ngokukhuluma kibo amazwi anje; ngoba lumuntu kadingi ukuthula kwalababantu, kodwa okubi.

Therefore the princes said unto the king, We plead to you, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakens the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeks not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.

5 Inkosi uZedekhiya yasisithi: Khangela, usesandleni senu, ngoba inkosi kayilakho okuphambene lani ngalutho.

Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.

6 Basebemthatha uJeremiya, bamphosela emgodini kaMalikiya indodana yenkosi, owawusegumeni lentolongo, bamehlisa uJeremiya ngamagoda; kwakungelamanzi emgodini, kodwa udaka; uJeremiya wasetshona odakeni.

Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire.

7 Kwathi uEbedimeleki umEthiyophiya indoda umthenwa, owayesendlini yenkosi, esizwa ukuthi uJeremiya bamfake emgodini (lapho inkosi yayihlezi esangweni lakoBhenjamini),

Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin;

8 uEbedimeleki waphuma endlini yenkosi, wakhuluma lenkosi esithi:

Ebedmelech went forth out of the king's house, and spoke to the king saying,

9 Nkosi yami, nkosi, abantu laba benzile okubi ngakho konke abakwenze kuJeremiya umprofethi, abamphosele emgodini, ngoba uzakufa endaweni yakhe ngenxa yendlala, ngoba kakusekho isinkwa emzini.

My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city.

10 Inkosi yasimlaya uEbedimeleki umEthiyophiya, isithi: Thatha lapha amadoda angamatshumi amathathu ngaphansi kwesandla sakho, umenyule uJeremiya umprofethi emgodini engakafi.

Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from behind thirty men with you, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.

11 Ngakho uEbedimeleki wathatha amadoda ngaphansi kwesandla sakhe, wangena endlini yenkosi waze waba ngaphansi kwesiphala, wathatha khona izidwedwe ezidabukileyo lezidwedwe ezigugileyo, wazehlisela kuJeremiya emgodini ngamagoda.

So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.

12 UEbedimeleki umEthiyophiya wasesithi kuJeremiya: Ake ufake izidwedwe ezidabukileyo lezigugileyo ngaphansi kwamakhwapha akho ngaphansi kwamagoda. UJeremiya wasesenza njalo.

And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under your armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so.

13 Basebemdonsa uJeremiya ngamagoda, bamenyula emgodini. UJeremiya wasehlala egumeni lentolongo.

So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

14 Inkosi uZedekhiya yasithuma yathatha uJeremiya umprofethi yamusa kuye, ekungeneni kwesithathu okusendlini yeNkosi. Inkosi yasisithi kuJeremiya: Ngizakubuza udaba, ungangifihleli lutho.

Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the LORD: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask you a thing; hide nothing from me.

15 UJeremiya wasesithi kuZedekhiya: Uba ngikutshela, kawuyikungibulala lokungibulala yini? Loba ngikweluleka, kawuyikungilalela.

Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto you, will you not surely put me to death? and if I give you counsel, will you not hearken unto me?

16 Inkosi uZedekhiya yasifunga kuJeremiya ekusithekeni isithi: Kuphila kukaJehova owasenzela lumphefumulo: Isibili kangiyikukubulala, futhi isibili kangiyikukunikela esandleni salamadoda adinga umphefumulo wakho.

So Zedekiah the king swore secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As the LORD lives, that made us this soul, I will not put you to death, neither will I give you into the hand of these men that seek your life.

17 UJeremiya wasesithi kuZedekhiya: Itsho njalo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Uba uphuma isibili uye kuziphathamandla zenkosi yeBhabhiloni, umphefumulo wakho uzaphila, lalumuzi kawuyikutshiswa ngomlilo; uzaphila wena lendlu yakho.

Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If you will assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes, then your soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and you shall live, and your house:

18 Kodwa uba ungaphumi uye kuziphathamandla zenkosi yeBhabhiloni, lumuzi uzanikelwa esandleni samaKhaladiya, awutshise ngomlilo; lawe kawuyikuphunyuka esandleni sawo.

But if you will not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and you shall not escape out of their hand.

19 Inkosi uZedekhiya yasisithi kuJeremiya: Ngiyawesaba amaJuda ahlubukele kumaKhaladiya, hlezi anginikele esandleni sawo, angiklolodele.

And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.

20 UJeremiya wasesithi: Kawayikukunikela; ake ulalele ilizwi leNkosi njengalelo engilikhuluma kuwe, khona kukulungele, futhi umphefumulo wakho uzaphila.

But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver you. Obey, I plead to you, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto you: so it shall be well unto you, and your soul shall live.

21 Kodwa uba usala ukuphuma, yileli ilizwi iNkosi engibonise lona lokuthi:

But if you refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD has showed me:

22 Khangela-ke, bonke abesifazana abasele endlini yenkosi yakoJuda bazakhitshelwa kuziphathamandla zenkosi yeBhabhiloni, bathi: Abangane bakho bakukhuthazile, bakwehlula; inyawo zakho zitshone odakeni; babuyele emuva.

And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah's house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, and those women shall say, Your friends have set you on, and have prevailed against you: your feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back.

23 Njalo azakhuphela abafazi bonke bakho lamadodana akho kumaKhaladiya; lawe kawuyikuphunyuka esandleni sawo, kodwa uzabanjwa ngesandla senkosi yeBhabhiloni, lalumuzi uzawutshisa ngomlilo.

So they shall bring out all your wives and your children to the Chaldeans: and you shall not escape out of their hand, but shall be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and you shall cause this city to be burned with fire.

24 UZedekhiya wasesithi kuJeremiya: Kakungabi khona umuntu owaziyo lamazwi, khona ungayikufa.

Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and you shall not die.

25 Kodwa nxa iziphathamandla zisizwa ukuthi ngikhulume lawe, zize kuwe zithi kuwe: Ake usitshele, ubusithini enkosini, ungakufihli kithi, khona kasiyikukubulala; njalo inkosi ikhulumeni kuwe;

But if the princes hear that I have talked with you, and they come unto you, and say unto you, Declare unto us now what you have said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put you to death; also what the king said unto you:

26 uzakuthi-ke kuzo: Mina ngiwise ukuncenga kwami phambi kwenkosi ukuthi ingangibuyiseli endlini kaJonathani ukuze ngifele khona.

Then you shall say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house, to die there.

27 Zasezifika zonke iziphathamandla kuJeremiya, zambuza; yena waziphendula njengawo wonke lamazwi inkosi ewalayileyo. Zasezithula kuye, ngoba udaba lwalungezwakali.

Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.

28 UJeremiya wasehlala egumeni lentolongo kwaze kwaba lusuku iJerusalema eyathunjwa ngalo; wayekhona lapho iJerusalema ithunjwa.

So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was there when Jerusalem was taken.