UJeremiya 38

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

And Shephatyah the son of Matthan, and Gedalyahu the son of Pashchur, and Juchal the son of Shelemyahu, and Pashchur the son of Malkiyah, heard the words that Jeremiah was speaking 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 hath said the Lord, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; and he shall have his life as a booty, and shall live.

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

Thus hath said the Lord, This city shall surely be given up into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he shall capture 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.

Thereupon said the princes unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death; for the cause that he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that are yet left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words unto them; for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but their hurt.

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

Then said king Zedekiah, Behold, he is in your hand; for the king is not able to 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 did they take Jeremiah, and cast him into the pit of Malkiyahu the son of the king, that was in the court of the prison: and they let Jeremiah down with cords; but in the pit there was no water, but mire; so that Jeremiah sunk into the mire.

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

Now when 'Ebed-melech the Cushi, a eunuch who was in the king's house, heard that they had placed Jeremiah into the pit; while the king was sitting in the gate of Benjamin:

8 uEbedimeleki waphuma endlini yenkosi, wakhuluma lenkosi esithi:

'Ebed-melech 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, O king, these men have done wrong in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the pit; and he would have had to die [as it is] in the place where he was for hunger; 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.

The king then commanded 'Ebed-melech the Cushi, saying, Take with thee from here thirty men, and bring up Jeremiah the prophet out of the pit, 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 'Ebed-melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence cast-off clothes and old rags, and let them down into the pit to Jeremiah by cords.

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

And Ebed-melech the Cushi said unto Jeremiah, Put, I pray, these cast-off clothes and old rags under thy arm-pits beneath the cords. And Jeremiah did so.

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

So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and brought him up out of the pit: 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 sent king Zedekiah, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that was in the house of the Lord; and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee something: conceal nothing from me.

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

Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, If I should tell it unto thee, behold, thou wilt surely put me to death; and if I should give thee counsel, thou wilt 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 king Zedekiah swore unto Jeremiah secretly, saying, As the Lord liveth, who hath made for us this soul, I will not put thee to death, nor will I give thee up into the hand of these men that seek thy 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 hath said the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, If thou wilt indeed go forth unto the princes of the king of Babylon, then shall thy soul live, and this city shall not be burnt with fire; and thou shalt live, thou with thy household;

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

But if thou wilt not go forth to the princes of the king of Babylon, then shall this city be given up into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou thyself shalt not escape out of their hand.

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

Then said king Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, I am in dread of the Jews that have run away to the Chaldeans, lest these deliver me into their hand, and they might ill-use me.

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

But Jeremiah said, They will not give [thee] up. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the Lord, in that which I speak unto thee; so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live.

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

But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the Lord hath shown 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 house of the king of Judah shall be led forth to the princes of the king of Babylon; and these women shall say, “They have enticed, and have overpersuaded thee—thy men that should have sought thy welfare; thy feet are [now] sunk in the mire, and they have withdrawn themselves backward.”

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

And all thy wives and thy children shall they bring out to the Chaldeans; and thou thyself shalt not escape out of their hand; for by the hand of the king of Babylon shalt thou be caught; and this city wilt thou cause to be burnt 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, that thou mayest 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;

And if the princes should hear that I have spoken with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, tell us, we pray thee, what thou hast spoken unto the king, conceal it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king hath spoken unto thee:

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

Then shalt thou say unto them, I presented my humble supplication before the king, that he would not send me back to the house of Jonathan, to die there.

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

And all the princes came unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them in accordance with all these words that the king had commanded. And they turned away silent from him; for the matter had not been made public.

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

And Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken. And it came to pass when Jerusalem was captured,