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 even 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, “Please let our supplication be presented before you, and pray for us to the LORD your God, even for all this remnant, for we are left but a few of many, as your eyes see us,

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

that the LORD your God may show us the way in which we should walk, and the things that 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.

Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard you. Behold, I will pray to the LORD your God according to your words; and it will happen that whatever thing the LORD answers you, I will declare it to you. I will keep nothing back 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 among us, if we don’t do according to all the word with which 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 good, or whether it is bad, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send you; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.”

7 Kwasekusithi ekupheleni kwensuku ezilitshumi, ilizwi leNkosi lafika kuJeremiya.

After ten days, the LORD’s word came to Jeremiah.

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

Then he called Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,

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

and said to them, “The LORD, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your supplication before him, says:

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

‘If you will still live in this land, then I will build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I grieve over the distress that I have brought on you.

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

Don’t be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid. Don’t be afraid of him,’ says the LORD, ‘for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.

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

I will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy on you, and cause you to return to your own land.

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

“‘But if you say, “We will not dwell in this land,” so that you don’t obey the LORD your God’s voice,

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 see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there we will dwell;”’

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,

now therefore hear the LORD’s word, O remnant of Judah! The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘If you indeed set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to live there,

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

then it will happen that the sword, which you fear, will overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine, about which you are afraid, will follow close behind you there in 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 will it be with all the men who set their faces to go into Egypt to live there. They will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence. None of them will remain or escape from the evil that I will bring 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 the LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘As my anger and my wrath has been poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so my wrath will be poured out on you, when you enter into Egypt; and you will be an object of horror, an astonishment, a curse, and a reproach; and you will see this place no more.’

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

“The LORD has spoken concerning you, remnant of Judah, ‘Don’t go into Egypt!’ Know certainly that I have testified to 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 dealt deceitfully against your own souls; for you sent me to the LORD your God, saying, ‘Pray for us to the LORD our God; and according to all that the LORD our God says, so declare to us, and we will do it.’

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

I have declared it to you today; but you have not obeyed the LORD your God’s voice 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.

Now therefore know certainly that you will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence in the place where you desire to go to live.”