UJeremiya 42

1 Zasezisondela zonke induna zamabutho, loJohanani indodana kaKareya, loJezaniya indodana kaHoshaya, labo bonke abantu, kusukela komncinyane kuze kube komkhulu,

Then all the commanders of the forces, along with Johanan son of Kareah, Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, approached

2 bathi kuJeremiya umprofethi: Ake kuthi ukuncenga kwethu kuwe phambi kwakho, usikhulekele eNkosini uNkulunkulu wakho, umele le insali yonke, ngoba sisele sibalutshwana kwabanengi, njengalokho amehlo akho esibona;

Jeremiah the prophet and said, “May our petition come before you; pray to the LORD your God on behalf of this entire remnant. For few of us remain of the many, as you can see with your own eyes.

3 ukuze iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wakho, isazise indlela esizahamba ngayo, lento esizayenza.

Pray that the LORD your God will tell us the way we should walk and the thing we should do.”

4 UJeremiya umprofethi wasesithi kibo: Sengizwile; khangelani, ngizakhuleka eNkosini uNkulunkulu wenu njengokwamazwi enu; kuzakuthi-ke, lonke ilizwi iNkosi ezaliphendula ngizalitshela lona, kangiyikuligodlela lizwi.

“I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will surely pray to the LORD your God as you request, and I will tell you everything that the LORD answers; I will not withhold a word from you.”

5 Bona basebesithi kuJeremiya: INkosi kayibe ngumfakazi oqinisileyo lothembekileyo phakathi kwethu, uba singenzi ngokunjalo njengalo lonke ilizwi iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ekuthuma kithi ngalo.

Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act upon every word that the LORD your God sends you to tell us.

6 Loba kukuhle loba kukubi, sizalalela ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, esikuthuma kuyo, ukuze kusilungele lapho sililalela ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu.

Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us, for we will obey the voice of the LORD our God!”

7 Kwasekusithi ekupheleni kwensuku ezilitshumi, ilizwi leNkosi lafika kuJeremiya.

After ten days the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah,

8 Wasebiza uJohanani indodana kaKareya, lazo zonke induna zamabutho ezazilaye, labantu bonke kusukela komncinyane kusiya komkhulu;

and he summoned Johanan son of Kareah, all the commanders of the forces who were with him, and all the people from the least to the greatest.

9 wathi kibo: Itsho njalo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, elingithume kiyo ukuthi ngenze ukuncenga kwenu kuwe phambi kwayo:

Jeremiah told them, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition:

10 Uba lihlala lokuhlala kulelilizwe, ngizalakha ngingalidilizi, ngilihlanyele, ngingalisiphuni; ngoba ngiyazisola ngokubi engikwenzileyo kini.

‘If you will indeed stay in this land, then I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I will relent of the disaster I have brought upon you.

11 Lingayesabi inkosi yeBhabhiloni eliyesabayo, lingayesabi, itsho iNkosi; ngoba mina ngilani ukuze ngilisindise ngilophule esandleni sayo.

Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear; do not be afraid of him, declares the LORD, for I am with you to save you and deliver you from him.

12 Ngilinike izihawu, ukuze ibe lomusa kini, ilibuyisele elizweni lakini.

And I will show you compassion, and he will have compassion on you and restore you to your own land.’

13 Kodwa uba lisithi: Kasiyikuhlala kulelilizwe; ukuthi lingalaleli ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu;

But if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’ and you thus disobey the voice of the LORD your God,

14 lisithi: Hatshi; kodwa sizangena elizweni leGibhithe, lapho esingayikubona impi khona, singayikuzwa ukukhala kophondo, singalambelanga isinkwa, sihlale khona;

and if you say, ‘No, but we will go to the land of Egypt and live there, where we will not see war or hear the sound of the ram’s horn or hunger for bread,’

15 khathesi-ke, ngakho zwanini ilizwi leNkosi, nsali yakoJuda: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Uba lina libeka ubuso benu ngokupheleleyo ukuya eGibhithe, lingene ukuyahlala njengabezizwe khona,

then hear the word of the LORD, O remnant of Judah! This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and reside there,

16 kuzakuthi-ke inkemba eliyesabayo izalifica khona elizweni leGibhithe, lendlala elinqineka ngayo izanamathela emva kwenu khona eGibhithe, lifele khona.

then the sword you fear will overtake you there, and the famine you dread will follow on your heels into Egypt, and you will die there.

17 Bazakuba njalo bonke abantu ababeka ubuso babo ukuya eGibhithe, ukuze bahlale njengabezizwe khona; bazakufa ngenkemba, ngendlala, langomatshayabhuqe wesifo; njalo kabayikuba lensali kumbe ophunyuke phambi kokubi engizabehlisela khona.

So all who resolve to go to Egypt to reside there will die by sword and famine and plague. Not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring upon them.’

18 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Njengokuthululwa kolaka lwami lentukuthelo yami phezu kwabahlali beJerusalema, ngokunjalo intukuthelo yami izathululelwa phezu kwenu, nxa lingena eGibhithe. Njalo lizakuba yisithuko lokwesabekayo lesiqalekiso lehlazo, lingaphindi liyibone lindawo.

For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Just as My anger and wrath were poured out on the residents of Jerusalem, so will My wrath be poured out on you if you go to Egypt. You will become an object of cursing and horror, of vilification and disgrace, and you will never see this place again.’

19 INkosi ithe ngani, nsali yakoJuda: Lingangeni eGibhithe. Yazini isibili ukuthi lamuhla ngifakazile ngimelene lani.

The LORD has told you, O remnant of Judah, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ Know for sure that I have warned you today!

20 Ngoba liyikhohlisile imiphefumulo yenu; ngoba lina lingithume eNkosini, uNkulunkulu wenu, lisithi: Sikhulekele eNkosini uNkulunkulu wethu; lanjengakho konke iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu ekutshoyo, ngokunjalo sitshele, sikwenze.

For you have deceived yourselves by sending me to the LORD your God, saying, ‘Pray to the LORD our God on our behalf, and as for all that the LORD our God says, tell it to us and we will do it.’

21 Sengilitshelile lamuhla, kodwa kalililalelanga ilizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu, laloba yiyiphi into engithume yona kini.

For I have told you today, but you have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God in all He has sent me to tell you.

22 Khathesi-ke yazini isibili ukuthi lizakufa ngenkemba, ngendlala, langomatshayabhuqe wesifo, endaweni eliloyisa ukuyahlala khona njengabezizwe.

Now therefore, know for sure that by sword and famine and plague you will die in the place where you desire to go to reside.”