UJeremiya 42

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

Then Johanan and Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the [other] leaders of the [Israeli] soldiers [who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia], and many [HYP] [other] people, including those who were important and those who were not important, came

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;

to me. They said, “Please listen to our request and pray to Yahweh our God for all of us. Although we were previously a huge number of people, you can see that now we are only a small number of people [who have survived].

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

[Pray] that Yahweh our God will show us what we should do and where we should go.”

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

I replied, “Okay, I will pray to Yahweh our God, like you have requested, and I will tell you what he says. I will (tell you everything/not hide anything 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.

They replied to me, “We hope/wish that Yahweh our God will be a faithful witness against us if we refuse to do everything that he tells us to do.

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

We are requesting you to ask Yahweh our God what we should do. [When he replies], we will obey him, whether we like what he says or not. We will do that because [we know that] things will go well for us if we obey him.”

7 Kwasekusithi ekupheleni kwensuku ezilitshumi, ilizwi leNkosi lafika kuJeremiya.

[So I prayed] to Yahweh, and ten days later he gave me his reply.

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

So I summoned Johanan and all his [other] soldiers and all the [other] people, including those who were important and those who were not important.

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

I said to them, “You told me to tell Yahweh, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], what you were requesting. This is what he replied:

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

‘You [should] stay here in this land. If you do that, I will cause your [nation] to be strong and not be weak. I will cause you to prosper and not be exiled [again]. I am sorry about the disasters that I [was forced to] cause you to experience.

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

But do not be afraid of the king of Babylon [any more], because I will (be with/help) you. I will rescue you [DOU] from his power [MTY].

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

I will be merciful to you by causing him to act kindly toward you. So as a result, he will allow you to stay here in your land.’

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

But if you refuse to obey Yahweh our God, and if you say ‘We will not stay here;

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

instead, we will go to Egypt. There we will not experience [any] wars, we will not hear trumpets [signaling our soldiers to prepare for battles], and we will not be hungry,’

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 listen to what the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt, and you go and live there,

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

you will experience those wars and famines that you are afraid of, and you will [all] 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.

That is what will happen to all you who are determined to go to Egypt and live there. [Some of you] will be killed by the swords [of your enemies, and others of you will die] from famines and from diseases. None of you will escape the disasters that I will bring on you.’

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.

And the Commander of the armies of angels, the God whom [we] Israelis [worship], also says this: ‘Because I was very angry, I severely punished [MTY] [all] the people of Jerusalem. I will do the same things to you when you go to Egypt. [The result will be that] people will curse you. They will be horrified about [what has happened to] you. They will make fun of you, and you will never see this land again.’

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

You little group of people of Judah who are still alive, [listen to me]: Yahweh has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’ [So] do not forget what 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.

I know that you were lying when you requested me to pray to Yahweh our God.

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

And today I have told you exactly what he said, but [I know that] you will not obey Yahweh our God now, just as you have not obeyed him previously.

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

You want to go to Egypt and live there. So now, you can be sure of this: [All of] you will die there. [Some of you will be killed] by the swords [of your enemies and others will die] from famines or from diseases.”