UJeremiya 4
1 Uba uphenduka, Israyeli, itsho iNkosi, phendukela kimi; njalo uba ususa phambi kwami izinengiso zakho, kawuyikuphambuka.
If you will return, O Israel, says the LORD, return unto me: and if you will put away your abominations out of my sight, then shall you not remove.
2 Futhi uzafunga: Kuphila kukaJehova, ngeqiniso, ngokwahlulela, langokulunga; lezizwe zizazibusisa kuyo, lakuyo zizincome.
And you shall swear, The LORD lives, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.
3 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi kumadoda akoJuda leJerusalema: Qhathani ingqatho yenu, lingahlanyeli phakathi kwameva.
For thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.
4 Zisokeleni eNkosini, lisuse amajwabu aphambili enhliziyo yenu, madoda akoJuda labahlali beJerusalema; hlezi ulaka lwami luphume njengomlilo, lutshise, kungabi khona ongalucitsha, ngenxa yobubi bezenzo zenu.
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, all of you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.
5 Bikani koJuda, lizwakalise eJerusalema, lithi: Vuthelani uphondo elizweni; klabalalani ngokugcweleyo lithi: Buthanani, singene emizini ebiyelweyo.
Declare all of you in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow all of you the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities.
6 Misani uphawu ngaseZiyoni, balekani, lingemi; ngoba ngizaletha ububi buvela enyakatho, lokwephuka okukhulu.
Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.
7 Isilwane sesenyukile siphuma ehlathini laso, lomchithi wezizwe usukile, uphumile endaweni yakhe ukuze ulenze ilizwe lakho incithakalo; imizi yakho izakuba ngamanxiwa, ingabi lomhlali.
The lion has come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make your land desolate; and your cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.
8 Ngenxa yalokhu bhincani amasaka, lilani liqhinqe isililo; ngoba ulaka lweNkosi oluvuthayo kaluphendukanga lusuka kithi.
For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and wail: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.
9 Njalo kuzakuthi ngalolosuku, itsho iNkosi, inhliziyo yenkosi izaphela, lenhliziyo yeziphathamandla; labapristi bazamangala kakhulu, labaprofethi bazathithibala.
And it shall come to pass at that day, says the LORD, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.
10 Ngasengisithi: Hawu, Nkosi Jehova! Isibili ubakhohlisile lokubakhohlisa lababantu leJerusalema usithi: Lizakuba lokuthula; kanti inkemba ifinyelela emphefumulweni.
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely you have greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, All of you shall have peace; whereas the sword reachs unto the soul.
11 Ngalesosikhathi kuzakuthiwa kulabobantu lakuyo iJerusalema: Umoya otshisayo wamadundulu enkangala, indlela yendodakazi yabantu bami, ungeyisiwo wokwela njalo ungeyisiwo wokuhlambulula.
At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem, A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of my people, not to fan, nor to cleanse,
12 Umoya ogcweleyo ovela kuwo uzakuza kimi. Khathesi lami ngizakhuluma izahlulelo zimelene labo.
Even a full wind from those places shall come unto me: now also will I give sentence against them.
13 Khangela, uzakwenyuka njengamayezi, lenqola zakhe njengesivunguzane; amabhiza akhe alesiqubu kulezinkozi. Maye kithi, ngoba sichithiwe!
Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind: his horses are swifter than eagles. Woe unto us! for we are spoiled.
14 Jerusalema, hlambulula inhliziyo yakho kuphume inkohlakalo, ukuze usindiswe. Koze kube nini imicabango yakho emibi ihlala phakathi kwakho?
O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long shall your vain thoughts lodge within you?
15 Ngoba ilizwi liyamemeza lisuka koDani, lizwakalisa uhlupho oluvela entabeni yakoEfrayimi.
For a voice declares from Dan, and publishes affliction from mount Ephraim.
16 Khumbuzani izizwe, khangelani, lizwakalise limelene leJerusalema; kufika abalindi bevela elizweni elikhatshana, baphakamisa ilizwi labo bemelene lemizi yakoJuda.
Make all of you mention to the nations; behold, publish against Jerusalem, that watchers come from a far country, and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.
17 Njengabalindi bensimu bamelene layo inhlangothi zonke, ngoba ingivukele, itsho iNkosi.
As keepers of a field, are they against her round about; because she has been rebellious against me, says the LORD.
18 Indlela yakho lezenzo zakho kukwenzele lezizinto; lokhu kuyinkohlakalo yakho, ngoba kubuhlungu, ngoba kufinyelela enhliziyweni yakho.
Your way and your doings have procured these things unto you; this is your wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reachs unto your heart.
19 Imibilini yami, imibilini yami! Ngilobuhlungu emidulini yenhliziyo yami. Inhliziyo yami yenza umsindo phakathi kwami; ngingeke ngithule; ngoba wena mphefumulo wami, uzwile ukukhala kophondo, umkhosi wempi.
My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.
20 Kuyamenyezelwa incithakalo phezu kwencithakalo, ngoba ilizwe lonke lichithekile. Amathente ami ahle achithwa, amakhetheni ami ngokucwayiza kwelihlo.
Destruction upon destruction is cried; for the whole land is spoiled: suddenly are my tents spoiled, and my curtains in a moment.
21 Koze kube nini ngibona isiboniso, ngizwe ukukhala kophondo?
How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?
22 Ngoba abantu bami bayizithutha, mina kabangazi; bangabantwana abayiziphukuphuku, kabalakuqedisisa; bahlakaniphele ukwenza okubi, kodwa ukwenza okuhle kabakwazi.
For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are foolish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
23 Ngabona umhlaba, khangela-ke, wawungelasimo, ungelalutho; lemazulwini, kodwa kakukho ukukhanya kwawo.
I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.
24 Ngabona izintaba, khangela-ke, zazinyikinyeka, lamaqaqa wonke ayenyakazela.
I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
25 Ngabona, khangela-ke, kwakungelamuntu, lenyoni zonke zamazulu zibalekile.
I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
26 Ngabona, khangela-ke, ilizwe elivundileyo laliyinkangala, lemizi yalo yonke yayidiliziwe phambi kweNkosi, phambi kokuvutha kolaka lwayo.
I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.
27 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi: Ilizwe lonke lizakuba lunxiwa, kodwa kangiyikuqeda ngokupheleleyo.
For thus has the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
28 Ngenxa yalokhu umhlaba uzalila, lamazulu aphezulu abe mnyama; ngenxa yokuthi ngikhulumile, ngikuhlosile, njalo kangiyikuzisola, njalo kangiyikubuyela emuva ngisuka kukho.
For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black; because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.
29 Umuzi wonke uzabaleka ngenxa yomsindo wabagadi bamabhiza labatshoki ngamadandili; bazangena ezixukwini, bakhwele emadwaleni; wonke umuzi uzatshiywa, njalo kungabi lamuntu ohlala kuwo.
The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets, and climb up upon the rocks: every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.
30 Wena-ke ozachitheka, uzakwenzani? Loba ugqoka okubomvu, loba uzicecisa ngezigqizo zegolide, loba ucomba amehlo akho ngomphendulo, uzenza ube muhle ngeze, izithandwa zakho zizakudelela, zidinga impilo yakho.
And when you are spoiled, what will you do? Though you cloth yourself with crimson, though you deck you with ornaments of gold, though you rent your face with painting, in vain shall you make yourself fair; your lovers will despise you, they will seek your life.
31 Ngoba ngizwile ilizwi kungathi ngelowesifazana ohelelwayo, ubuhlungu obunjengobeletha umntwana olizibulo, ilizwi lendodakazi yeZiyoni, ikhefuzela, iselula izandla zayo isithi: Maye-ke mina! Ngoba umphefumulo wami uphele amandla ngenxa yababulali.
For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that brings forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, that bewails herself, that spreads her hands, saying, Woe is me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.
