UJeremiya 5
1 Hambani liye le lale ezitaladeni zeJerusalema, libone khathesi, lazi, lidinge ezindaweni zayo ezingamagceke, uba lingathola umuntu, uba ekhona owenza isahlulelo, odinga iqiniso; khona ngizayithethelela.
"Run back and forth through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places of it, if you can find a man, if there are any who does justly, who seeks truth; and I will pardon her.
2 Loba-ke besithi: Kuphila kukaJehova; kanti bafunga amanga.
Though they say, 'As Jehovah lives;' surely they swear falsely."
3 Nkosi, amehlo akho kawakho eqinisweni yini? Ubatshayile, kodwa kabezwanga buhlungu; ubaqothule, kodwa bala ukwemukela ukulaywa. Benzile ubuso babo bube lukhuni kuledwala, bala ukuphenduka.
Jehovah, do your eyes not look on truth? You have stricken them, but they were not grieved. You have consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than a rock. They have refused to return.
4 Mina ngasengisithi: Qiniso, laba ngabayanga, bayizithutha; ngoba kabayazi indlela yeNkosi, isahlulelo sikaNkulunkulu wabo.
Then I said, "Surely these are poor. They are foolish; for they do not know the way of Jehovah, nor the law of their God.
5 Mina ngizakuya kwabakhulu, ngikhulume labo, ngoba bona bayayazi indlela yeNkosi, isahlulelo sikaNkulunkulu wabo; kodwa labo kanyekanye balephulile ijogwe, baqamula izibopho.
I will go to the great men, and will speak to them; for they know the way of Jehovah, and the law of their God." But these with one accord have broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.
6 Ngakho-ke isilwane esiphuma ehlathini sizababulala, impisi yezinkangala ibachithe, ingwe ilinde imelene lemizi yabo; wonke ophuma kiyo uzadatshudatshulwa; ngoba iziphambeko zabo zinengi, ukuhlehlela nyovane kwabo kwandile.
Therefore a lion out of the forest shall kill them, a wolf of the evenings shall destroy them, a leopard shall watch against their cities; everyone who goes out there shall be torn in pieces; because their transgressions are many, and their backsliding is increased.
7 Ngingakuthethelela njani ngalokhu? Abantwana bakho bangidelile, bafunga ngabangeyisibo onkulunkulu. Sengibasuthisile, basebefeba, babuthana ngamaxuku endlini yezifebe.
"How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me, and sworn by what are no gods. When I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the prostitutes' houses.
8 Babenjengamabhiza asuthayo ekuseni, bakhonya, omunye lomunye kumfazi kamakhelwane wakhe.
They were as fed horses roaming at large: everyone neighed after his neighbor's wife.
9 Kangiyikujezisa yini ngenxa yalezizinto? itsho iNkosi; kumbe umphefumulo wami kawuyikuphindisela yini esizweni esinjengalesi?
Shouldn't I punish them for these things?" says Jehovah; "and shouldn't my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
10 Yenyukelani emidulwini yayo, lichithe, kodwa lingenzi isiphetho esipheleleyo; susani ingatsha zayo, ngoba kazisizo zeNkosi.
"Go up on her walls, and destroy; but do not make a full end. Take away her branches; for they are not Jehovah's.
11 Ngoba indlu kaIsrayeli lendlu kaJuda zenze ngenkohliso enkulu zimelene lami, itsho iNkosi.
For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against me," says Jehovah.
12 Bayiphikile iNkosi, bathi: Kayisiyo; njalo ububi kabuyikusehlela, futhi kasiyikubona inkemba loba indlala.
They have denied Jehovah, and said, "It is not he; neither shall evil come on us; neither shall we see sword nor famine.
13 Labaprofethi bazakuba ngumoya, lelizwi kalikho kubo; kuzakwenziwa njalo kibo!
The prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them."
14 Ngalokho itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wamabandla: Ngoba likhuluma lelilizwi, khangela, ngizakwenza amazwi ami emlonyeni wakho abe ngumlilo, lalababantu babe zinkuni, njalo uzabaqothula.
Therefore thus says Jehovah, the God of hosts, "Because you speak this word, look, I will make my words in your mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.
15 Khangelani, ngizaletha phezu kwenu isizwe esivela khatshana, ndlu kaIsrayeli, itsho iNkosi; yisizwe esilamandla, yisizwe esidala, isizwe ongalwaziyo ulimi lwaso, longayikuzwa esikukhulumayo.
Look, I will bring a nation on you from far, house of Israel," says Jehovah. "It is a mighty nation. It is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know, neither understand what they say.
16 Isamba saso semitshoko sinjengengcwaba elivulekileyo; bonke bangamaqhawe.
Their quiver is an open tomb, they are all mighty men.
17 Njalo sizakudla isivuno sakho lokudla kwakho; sizakudla amadodana akho lamadodakazi akho; sizakudla izimvu zakho lenkomo zakho; sizakudla ivini lakho lomkhiwa wakho; lemizi yakho ebiyelweyo othembela kiyo, sizayithelela ubuyanga ngenkemba.
They shall eat up your harvest, and your bread, which your sons and your daughters should eat. They shall eat up your flocks and your herds. They shall eat up your vines and your fig trees. They shall beat down your fortified cities, in which you trust, with the sword.
18 Kodwa langalezonsuku, itsho iNkosi, kangiyikwenza isiphetho esipheleleyo kini.
"But even in those days," says Jehovah, "I will not make a full end with you.
19 Kuzakuthi-ke lapho lisithi: INkosi uNkulunkulu wethu yenzeleni zonke lezizinto kithi? Khona uzakutsho kubo uthi: Njengoba lingidelile, lakhonza onkulunkulu bemzini elizweni lakini, ngokunjalo lizakhonza abezizwe elizweni elingeyisilo lenu.
It will happen, when you say, 'Why has Jehovah our God done all these things to us?' Then you shall say to them, 'Thus says Jehovah, Just like you have forsaken me, and served foreign gods in your land, so you shall serve strangers in a land that is not yours.'
20 Memezelani lokhu endlini kaJakobe, likuzwakalise koJuda, lisithi:
"Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying,
21 Zwanini-ke lokhu, lina bantu abayizithutha labangelangqondo, elilamehlo, kodwa lingaboni, elilendlebe, kodwa lingezwa.
'Hear now this, foolish people, and without understanding; who have eyes, and do not see; who have ears, and do not hear:
22 Kalingesabi yini? itsho iNkosi; kaliyikuthuthumela phambi kwami yini, engabeka itshebetshebe laba ngumngcele wolwandle ngesimiso saphakade olungeledlule? Lanxa amagagasi alo etshayana kube kanti angenqobe; lanxa ehlokoma kube kanti kawayikudlula phezu kwawo.
Do you not fear me?' says Jehovah 'Won't you tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it can't pass it? And though its waves toss themselves, yet they can't prevail; though they roar, yet they can't pass over it.'
23 Kodwa lababantu balenhliziyo evukelayo lephikayo; baphambukile, bahamba.
"But this people has a revolting and a rebellious heart; they have revolted and gone.
24 Futhi kabatsho enhliziyweni zabo ukuthi: Ake sesabe iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, enika izulu lakuqala lelamuva ngesikhathi salo, esigcinela amaviki amisiweyo esivuno.
Neither do they say in their heart, 'Let us now fear Jehovah our God, who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season; who preserves to us the appointed weeks of the harvest.'
25 Iziphambeko zenu ziphambule lezizinto, lezono zenu zaligodlela okuhle.
"Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld good from you.
26 Ngoba phakathi kwabantu bami kutholakala abakhohlakeleyo; bacatheme njengabathiya inyoni; babeka umgibe ochithayo, babambe abantu.
For among my people are found wicked men. They watch, as fowlers lie in wait. They set a trap. They catch men.
27 Njengezongo ligcwele inyoni, zinjalo izindlu zabo zigcwele inkohliso; ngakho-ke sebebakhulu, banothile.
As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit. Therefore they have become great, and grew rich.
28 Bazimukile, bancwaba, yebo, bedlula imisebenzi yomubi; kabameli udaba, udaba lwezintandane, kube kanti bayaphumelela; lelungelo labaswelayo kabalahluleli.
They have grown fat. They shine; yes, they excel in deeds of wickedness. They do not plead the cause, the cause of the fatherless, that they may prosper; and they do not judge the right of the needy.
29 Kangiyikubajezisa ngalezizinto yini? kutsho iNkosi. Umphefumulo wami kawuyikuphindisela esizweni esinjengalesi yini?
"Shall I not punish for these things?" says Jehovah. "Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
30 Okwethusayo lokwesabekayo kwenzakele elizweni.
"An astonishing and horrible thing has happened in the land.
31 Abaprofethi baprofetha ngamanga, labapristi babusa ngezandla zabo; labantu bami bakuthanda kunjalo; kodwa lizakwenzani ekupheleni kwakho?
The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; and my people love to have it so. What will you do in the end of it?
