UJeremiya 46
1 Ilizwi leNkosi elafika kuJeremiya umprofethi limelene labezizwe;
The word of the Lord that came to Jeremias the prophet against the Gentiles,
2 limelene leGibhithe, limelene lebutho likaFaro Neko inkosi yeGibhithe, elalingasemfuleni iYufrathi, eKarikemishi, alitshayayo uNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, ngomnyaka wesine kaJehoyakhimi, indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda:
Against Egypt, against the army of Pharao Nechao king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Charcamis, whom Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon defeated, in the fourth year of Joakim the son of Josias king of Juda.
3 Hlelani ihawu lesihlangu, lisondele empini.
Prepare ye the shield and buckler, and go forth to battle.
4 Bophelani amabhiza, ligade, bagadi bamabhiza, lizimise lilezingowane, lilole imikhonto, ligqoke amabhatshi ensimbi.
Harness the horses, and get up, ye horsemen: stand forth with helmets, furbish the spears, put on coats of mail.
5 Ngibaboneleni betshaywa luvalo, bebuyela emuva? Lamaqhawe abo ephulaphuliwe, ayabaleka ngesiqubu, kawanyemukuli emuva; kulokwesaba inhlangothi zonke, itsho iNkosi.
What then? I have seen them dismayed, and turning their backs, their valiant ones slain: they fled apace, and they looked not back: terror was round about, saith the Lord.
6 Olejubane kangabaleki, leqhawe kalingaphunyuki; bazakhubeka bawele ngenyakatho eceleni komfula iYufrathi.
Let not the swift flee away, nor the strong think to escape: they are overthrown, and fallen down, towards the north by the river Euphrates.
7 Ngubani lo okhukhumala njengesifula, omanzi aso aqubuka njengomfula?
Who is this that cometh up as a flood: and his streams swell like those of rivers?
8 IGibhithe ikhukhumala njengesifula, lamanzi aqubuka njengemifula; ithi: Ngizakhukhumala, ngiwusibekele umhlaba, ngichithe umuzi labahlala kiwo.
Egypt riseth up like a flood, and the waves thereof shall be moved as rivers, and he shall say: I will go up and will cover the earth: I will destroy the city, and its inhabitants.
9 Yenyukani mabhiza, lihlanye zinqola; kawaphume amaqhawe; amaEthiyophiya, lamaPuti aphatha isihlangu, lamaLudi aphatha anyathela idandili.
Get ye up on horses, and glory in chariots, and let the valiant men come forth, the Ethiopians, and the Libyans that hold the shield, and the Lydians that take, and shoot arrows.
10 Ngoba lolu lusuku lweNkosi uJehova wamabandla, usuku lwempindiselo, ukuthi iziphindisele ezitheni zayo; lenkemba izakudla, isuthe, idakwe ligazi labo; ngoba iNkosi uJehova wamabandla ilomhlatshelo elizweni lenyakatho ngasemfuleni iYufrathi.
For this is the day of the Lord the God of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may revenge himself of his enemies: the sword shall devour, and shall be filled, and shall be drunk with their blood: for there is a sacrifice of the Lord God of hosts in the north country, by the river Euphrates.
11 Yenyukela eGileyadi, uyethatha ibhalisamu, ntombi emsulwa, ndodakazi yeGibhithe; imithi uyandisela ize, kakulakwelatshwa kuwe.
Go up into Galaad, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt: in vain dost thou multiply medicines, there shall be no cure for thee.
12 Izizwe zizwile ihlazo lakho, lomhlaba ugcwele ukukhala kwakho; ngoba akhubekile, iqhawe limelene leqhawe, womabili awele phansi ndawonye.
The nations have heard of thy disgrace, and thy howling hath filled the land: for the strong hath stumbled against the strong, and both are fallen together.
13 Ilizwi iNkosi eyalikhuluma kuJeremiya umprofethi ngokuza kukaNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni ukutshaya ilizwe leGibhithe:
The word that the Lord spoke to Jeremias the prophet, how Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon should come and strike the land of Egypt:
14 Memezelani eGibhithe, lizwakalise eMigidoli, lizwakalise eNofi leThahaphanesi, lithi: Zimise, uzilungiselele, ngoba inkemba izakudla inhlangothi zonke zakho.
Declare ye to Egypt, and publish it in Magdal, and let it be known in Memphis, and in Taphnis: say ye: Stand up, and prepare thyself: for the sword shall devour all round about thee.
15 Kungani amadoda akho alamandla ekhukhuliwe? Kawemanga ngoba iNkosi iwafuqile.
Why are thy valiant men come to nothing? they stood not: because the Lord hath overthrown them.
16 Yandisa abakhubekayo, yebo, omunye wawela phezu komunye; basebesithi: Sukumani, sibuyele ebantwini bakithi, lelizweni lokuzalwa kwethu, sisuke enkembeni ecindezelayo.
He hath multiplied them that fall, and one hath fallen upon another, and they shall say: Arise, and let us return to our own people, and to the land our nativity, from the sword of the dove.
17 Bamemeza khona, bathi: UFaro inkosi yeGibhithe ungumsindo; udlulise isikhathi esimisiweyo.
Call ye the name of Pharao king Egypt, a tumult time hath brought.
18 Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi, obizo layo yiNkosi yamabandla: Isibili njengeThabhori phakathi kwezintaba lanjengeKharmeli ngaselwandle uzafika.
As I live, (saith the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts, ) as Thabor is among the mountains, and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.
19 Zenzele izikhali zokuthunjwa, ndodakazi ehlala eGibhithe; ngoba iNofi izakuba yincithakalo, itshiswe, kungabi lomhlali.
Furnish thyself to go into captivity, thou daughter inhabitant of Egypt: for Memphis shall be made desolate, and shall be forsaken and uninhabited.
20 IGibhithe ilithokazi elihle kakhulu; isibawu siyeza, sivela enyakatho.
Egypt is like a fair and beautiful heifer: there shall come from the north one that shall goad her.
21 Labaqhatshiweyo bayo phakathi kwayo banjengethole lesibaya; ngoba labo baphendukile, babaleka kanyekanye; kabemanga, ngoba usuku lokuhlupheka kwabo lubehlele, isikhathi sempindiselo yabo.
Her hirelings also that lived in the midst of her, like fatted calves are turned back, and are fled away together, and they could not stand, for the day of their slaughter is come upon them, the time of their visitation.
22 Ilizwi layo lizahamba njengenyoka; ngoba bazahamba lebutho, beze kuyo belamahloka, njengabagamuli bezihlahla.
Her voice shall sound like brass, for they shall hasten with an army, and with axes they shall come against her, as hewers of wood.
23 Bagamule ihlathi layo, itsho iNkosi, lanxa lingephenywe, ngoba banengi okwedlula isikhonyane, kabalakubalwa.
They have cut down her forest, saith the Lord, which cannot be counted: they are multiplied above locusts, and are without number.
24 Indodakazi yamaGibhithe izayangeka, izanikelwa esandleni sabantu benyakatho.
The daughter of Egypt is confounded, and delivered into the hand of the people of the north.
25 INkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ithi: Khangela, ngizajezisa uAmoni weNo, loFaro, leGibhithe, labonkulunkulu bayo, lamakhosi ayo, yebo uFaro labathembela kuye.
The Lord of hosts the God of Israel hath said: Behold I will visit upon the tumult of Alexandria, and upon Pharao, and upon Egypt, and upon her gods, and upon her kings, and upon Pharao, upon them that trust in him.
26 Ngibanikele esandleni salabo abadinga impilo yabo, lesandleni sikaNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, lesandleni senceku zakhe; lemva kwalokho ihlalwe njengensukwini zendulo, itsho iNkosi.
And I will deliver them into the hand of them that seek their lives, into the hand of Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants: and afterwards it shall be inhabited, as in the days of old, saith the Lord.
27 Kodwa wena, ungesabi, nceku yami Jakobe, ungatshaywa luvalo, Israyeli, ngoba khangela, ngizakusindisa usekhatshana, lenzalo yakho elizweni lokuthunjwa kwayo; uJakobe uzaphenduka-ke, athule, onwabe, njalo kakho ozamethusa.
And thou my servant Jacob, fear not and be not thou dismayed, O Israel: for behold I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed out of the land of thy captivity: and Jacob shall return and be at rest, and prosper: and there shall be none to terrify him.
28 Wena, ungesabi, nceku yami Jakobe, itsho iNkosi, ngoba ngilawe; ngoba ngizaqeda ngokupheleleyo zonke izizwe engikuxotshele kuzo, kodwa kangiyikukuqeda ngokupheleleyo, ngikukhuze ngokufaneleyo, kodwa kangiyikukuyekela lokukuyekela ungajeziswanga.
And thou, my servant Jacob, fear not, saith the Lord: because I am with thee, for I will consume all the nations to which I have cast thee out: but thee I will not consume, but I will correct thee in judgment, neither will I spare thee as if thou wert innocent.
