UJeremiya 4
1 Uba uphenduka, Israyeli, itsho iNkosi, phendukela kimi; njalo uba ususa phambi kwami izinengiso zakho, kawuyikuphambuka.
If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return to me: and if thou wilt put away thy abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.
2 Futhi uzafunga: Kuphila kukaJehova, ngeqiniso, ngokwahlulela, langokulunga; lezizwe zizazibusisa kuyo, lakuyo zizincome.
And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, 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 saith 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, ye 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 ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, Gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities.
6 Misani uphawu ngaseZiyoni, balekani, lingemi; ngoba ngizaletha ububi buvela enyakatho, lokwephuka okukhulu.
Set up the standard towards 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 is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; thy 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 howl 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, saith 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 thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth to 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 towards 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 to 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 to us! for we are laid waste.
14 Jerusalema, hlambulula inhliziyo yakho kuphume inkohlakalo, ukuze usindiswe. Koze kube nini imicabango yakho emibi ihlala phakathi kwakho?
O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?
15 Ngoba ilizwi liyamemeza lisuka koDani, lizwakalisa uhlupho oluvela entabeni yakoEfrayimi.
For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from mount Ephraim.
16 Khumbuzani izizwe, khangelani, lizwakalise limelene leJerusalema; kufika abalindi bevela elizweni elikhatshana, baphakamisa ilizwi labo bemelene lemizi yakoJuda.
Make ye 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 they are against her on all sides; because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the LORD.
18 Indlela yakho lezenzo zakho kukwenzele lezizinto; lokhu kuyinkohlakalo yakho, ngoba kubuhlungu, ngoba kufinyelela enhliziyweni yakho.
Thy way and thy doings have procured these [things] to thee; this [is] thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth to thy 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 maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast 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 laid waste; suddenly are my tents ruined, [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 [are] foolish, they have not known me; they [are] sottish children, and they have no 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 fowls of the heavens had 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 its cities 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 hath 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] thou [art] laid waste, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rendest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair: [thy] lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy 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 bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, [that] bewaileth herself, [that] spreadeth her hands, [saying], Woe [is] me now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.
