UJeremiya 46
1 Ilizwi leNkosi elafika kuJeremiya umprofethi limelene labezizwe;
That which has been the word of YHWH to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations,
2 limelene leGibhithe, limelene lebutho likaFaro Neko inkosi yeGibhithe, elalingasemfuleni iYufrathi, eKarikemishi, alitshayayo uNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, ngomnyaka wesine kaJehoyakhimi, indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda:
for Egypt, concerning the force of Pharaoh-Necho king of Egypt, that has been by the Euphrates River, in Carchemish, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon has struck, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:
3 Hlelani ihawu lesihlangu, lisondele empini.
“Set shield and buckler in array, And draw near to battle.
4 Bophelani amabhiza, ligade, bagadi bamabhiza, lizimise lilezingowane, lilole imikhonto, ligqoke amabhatshi ensimbi.
Gird the horses, and go up, you horsemen, And station yourselves with helmets, Polish the javelins, put on the coats of mail.
5 Ngibaboneleni betshaywa luvalo, bebuyela emuva? Lamaqhawe abo ephulaphuliwe, ayabaleka ngesiqubu, kawanyemukuli emuva; kulokwesaba inhlangothi zonke, itsho iNkosi.
Why have I seen them dismayed [and] turned backward? And their mighty ones are beaten down, And they have fled [to] a refuge, And did not turn their face, Fear [is] all around—a declaration of YHWH.
6 Olejubane kangabaleki, leqhawe kalingaphunyuki; bazakhubeka bawele ngenyakatho eceleni komfula iYufrathi.
The swift do not flee, nor do the mighty escape, Northward, by the side of the Euphrates River, They have stumbled and fallen.
7 Ngubani lo okhukhumala njengesifula, omanzi aso aqubuka njengomfula?
Who is this? He comes up as a flood, His waters shake themselves as rivers!
8 IGibhithe ikhukhumala njengesifula, lamanzi aqubuka njengemifula; ithi: Ngizakhukhumala, ngiwusibekele umhlaba, ngichithe umuzi labahlala kiwo.
Egypt comes up as a flood, And the waters shake themselves as rivers. And he says, I go up; I cover the land, I destroy the city and the inhabitants in it.
9 Yenyukani mabhiza, lihlanye zinqola; kawaphume amaqhawe; amaEthiyophiya, lamaPuti aphatha isihlangu, lamaLudi aphatha anyathela idandili.
Go up, you horses; and boast yourselves, you chariots, And go forth, you mighty, Cush and Phut handling the shield, And Lud handling—treading the bow.
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.
And that day [is] to Lord YHWH of Hosts A day of vengeance, To be avenged of His adversaries, And the sword has devoured, and been satisfied, And it has been watered from their blood, For a sacrifice [is] to Lord YHWH of Hosts, In the land of the north, by the Euphrates River.
11 Yenyukela eGileyadi, uyethatha ibhalisamu, ntombi emsulwa, ndodakazi yeGibhithe; imithi uyandisela ize, kakulakwelatshwa kuwe.
Go up to Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt, You have multiplied medicines in vain, There is no healing for you.
12 Izizwe zizwile ihlazo lakho, lomhlaba ugcwele ukukhala kwakho; ngoba akhubekile, iqhawe limelene leqhawe, womabili awele phansi ndawonye.
Nations have heard of your shame, And your cry has filled the land, For the mighty stumbled on the mighty, Together they have fallen—both of them!”
13 Ilizwi iNkosi eyalikhuluma kuJeremiya umprofethi ngokuza kukaNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni ukutshaya ilizwe leGibhithe:
The word that YHWH has spoken to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the coming in of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, to strike the land of Egypt:
14 Memezelani eGibhithe, lizwakalise eMigidoli, lizwakalise eNofi leThahaphanesi, lithi: Zimise, uzilungiselele, ngoba inkemba izakudla inhlangothi zonke zakho.
“Declare in Egypt, and sound in Migdol, And sound in Noph, and in Tahpanhes, say, Stand firm and prepare yourself, For a sword has devoured around you,
15 Kungani amadoda akho alamandla ekhukhuliwe? Kawemanga ngoba iNkosi iwafuqile.
Why has your bull been swept away? He has not stood, because YHWH thrust him away.
16 Yandisa abakhubekayo, yebo, omunye wawela phezu komunye; basebesithi: Sukumani, sibuyele ebantwini bakithi, lelizweni lokuzalwa kwethu, sisuke enkembeni ecindezelayo.
He has multiplied the stumbling, Indeed, one has fallen on his neighbor, And they say: Rise, and we return to our people, And to the land of our birth, Because of the oppressing sword.
17 Bamemeza khona, bathi: UFaro inkosi yeGibhithe ungumsindo; udlulise isikhathi esimisiweyo.
They have cried there: Pharaoh king of Egypt [is] a desolation, The appointed time has passed by.
18 Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi, obizo layo yiNkosi yamabandla: Isibili njengeThabhori phakathi kwezintaba lanjengeKharmeli ngaselwandle uzafika.
[As] I live—an affirmation of the King, YHWH of Hosts [is] His Name, Surely as Tabor [is] among mountains, And as Carmel by the sea—he comes in,
19 Zenzele izikhali zokuthunjwa, ndodakazi ehlala eGibhithe; ngoba iNofi izakuba yincithakalo, itshiswe, kungabi lomhlali.
Make goods for yourself for removal, O inhabitant, daughter of Egypt, For Noph becomes a desolation, And has been burned up, without inhabitant.
20 IGibhithe ilithokazi elihle kakhulu; isibawu siyeza, sivela enyakatho.
Egypt [is] a very beautiful heifer, Destruction comes into her from the north.
21 Labaqhatshiweyo bayo phakathi kwayo banjengethole lesibaya; ngoba labo baphendukile, babaleka kanyekanye; kabemanga, ngoba usuku lokuhlupheka kwabo lubehlele, isikhathi sempindiselo yabo.
Even her hired ones in her midst [are] as calves of the stall, For even they have turned, They have fled together, they have not stood, For the day of their calamity has come on them, The time of their inspection.
22 Ilizwi layo lizahamba njengenyoka; ngoba bazahamba lebutho, beze kuyo belamahloka, njengabagamuli bezihlahla.
Its voice goes on as a serpent, For they go with a force, And they have come in to her with axes, As hewers of trees.
23 Bagamule ihlathi layo, itsho iNkosi, lanxa lingephenywe, ngoba banengi okwedlula isikhonyane, kabalakubalwa.
They have cut down her forest, A declaration of YHWH, For it is not searched, For they have been more than the grasshopper, And they have no numbering.
24 Indodakazi yamaGibhithe izayangeka, izanikelwa esandleni sabantu benyakatho.
The daughter of Egypt has been ashamed, She has been given 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.
YHWH of Hosts, God of Israel, has said: Behold, I am seeing after Amon of No, And after Pharaoh, and after Egypt, And after her gods, and after her kings, And after Pharaoh, and after those trusting 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 have given them into the hand of those seeking their life, And into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, And into the hand of his servants, And afterward it is inhabited, As [in] days of old—a declaration of YHWH.
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 you, you do not fear, My servant Jacob, Nor [are] you dismayed, O Israel, For behold, I am saving you from afar—And your seed from the land of their captivity, And Jacob has turned back, And has been at rest, and been at ease, And there is none disturbing.
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.
You do not fear, My servant Jacob, A declaration of YHWH, For I [am] with you, For I make an end of all the nations To where I have driven you, And I do not make an end of you, And I have reproved you in judgment, And do not entirely acquit you!”
