UJeremiya 42

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

Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan, the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah, the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least to the greatest, came near,

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;

And said to Jeremiah the prophet, Let our request come before you, and make prayer for us to the Lord your God, even for this small band of us; for we are only a small band out of what was a great number, as your eyes may see:

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

That the Lord your God may make clear to us the way in which we are to go and what we are to do.

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

Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, I have given ear to you; see, I will make prayer to the Lord your God, as you have said; and it will be that, whatever the Lord may say in answer to you, I will give you word of it, keeping nothing back.

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 witness against us in good faith, if we do not do everything which the Lord your God sends you to say to us.

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

If it is good or if it is evil, we will be guided by the voice of the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you; so that it may be well for us when we give ear to the voice of the Lord our God.

7 Kwasekusithi ekupheleni kwensuku ezilitshumi, ilizwi leNkosi lafika kuJeremiya.

And it came about that 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 sent for Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were still 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:

And said to them, These are the words of the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to put your request before him:

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

If you still go on living in the land, then I will go on building you up and not pulling you down, planting you and not uprooting you: for my purpose of doing evil to you has been changed.

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

Have no fear of the king of Babylon, of whom you are now in fear; have no fear of him, says the Lord: for I am with you to keep you safe and to give you salvation from his hands.

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

And I will have mercy on you, so that he may have mercy on you and let you go back to your land.

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

But if you say, We have no desire to go on living in this land; and do not give ear to 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;

Saying, No, but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we will not see war, or be hearing the sound of the horn, or be in need of food; there we will make our living-place;

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 give ear now to the word of the Lord, O you last of Judah: the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, has said, If your minds are fixed on going into Egypt and stopping there;

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

Then it will come about that the sword, which is the cause of your fear, will overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and need of food, which you are fearing, will go after you there in Egypt; and there death will come to you.

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.

Such will be the fate of all the men whose minds are fixed on going into Egypt and stopping there; they will come to their end by the sword, by being short of food, and by disease: not one of them will keep his life or get away from the evil which I will send on 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 armies, the God of Israel, has said: As my wrath and passion have been let loose on the people of Jerusalem, so will my passion be let loose on you when you go into Egypt: and you will become an oath and a cause of wonder and a curse and a name of shame; 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 said about you, O last of Judah, Go not into Egypt: be certain that I have given witness to you this day.

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 been acting with deceit in your hearts; for you sent me to the Lord your God, saying, Make prayer for us to the Lord our God, and give us word of everything he may say, and we will do it.

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

And this day I have made it clear to you, and you have not given ear to the voice of the Lord your God in anything for which he has sent me to you.

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

And now be certain that you will come to your end by the sword and by being short of food and by disease, in the place to which you are pleased to go for a living-place.