UJeremiya 6
1 Lina bantwana bakoBhenjamini, buthanelani ukubaleka liphume phakathi kweJerusalema, livuthele uphondo eThekhowa, liphakamise uphawu lomlilo eBeti-Hakeremi: ngoba ububi bubona phansi busenyakatho, lencithakalo enkulu.
Put yourselves under covert, ye children of Benjamin, away from the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the horn in Tekoa, and set up a signal on Beth-cherem; for evil looketh forth from the north, and a great destruction.
2 Indodakazi yeZiyoni ngiyifananise lowesifazana omuhle obuthakathaka.
The comely and delicate one, the daughter of Zion, will I cut off.
3 Abelusi bazafika kuye lemihlambi yabo; bazamisa amathente beqondene laye inhlangothi zonke, beluse ngulowo lalowo endaweni yakhe.
Shepherds with their flocks come unto her; they pitch their tents against her round about; they feed bare every one what is nigh at hand.
4 Zehlukaniseleni impi limelene layo; sukumani, kasenyuke emini enkulu. Maye kithi! ngoba ilanga selithambeme, ngoba amathunzi okuhlwa aselulekile.
'Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon!' 'Woe unto us! for the day declineth, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out!'
5 Sukumani, senyuke ngobusuku, sidilize izigodlo zayo.
'Arise, and let us go up by night, and let us destroy her palaces.'
6 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Gamulani izihlahla, libuthelele umduli wokuvimbezela limelene leJerusalema. Yiwo lo umuzi ozajeziswa; kulocindezelo kuphela phakathi kwawo.
For thus hath the LORD of hosts said: hew ye down her trees, and cast up a mound against Jerusalem; this is the city to be punished; everywhere there is oppression in the midst of her.
7 Njengomthombo umpompoza amanzi awo, ngokunjalo umpompoza inkohlakalo yawo; udlakela lencithakalo kuzwakala kuwo; phambi kwami kulenhlungu lamanxeba njalonjalo.
As a cistern welleth with her waters, so she welleth with her wickedness; violence and spoil is heard in her; before Me continually is sickness and wounds.
8 Layeka, Jerusalema, hlezi umphefumulo wami wehlukane lawe; hlezi ngikwenze unxiwa, ilizwe elingahlalwanga.
Be thou corrected, O Jerusalem, lest My soul be alienated from thee, lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.
9 Itsho njalo INkosi yamabandla: Bazayikhothoza lokuyikhothoza insali kaIsrayeli njengevini; buyisela isandla sakho ezitsheni njengomvuni wevini.
Thus saith the LORD of hosts: They shall thoroughly glean as a vine the remnant of Israel; turn again thy hand as a grape-gatherer upon the shoots.
10 Ngizakhuluma kubani, ngixwayise, ukuze bezwe? Khangela, indlebe yabo kayisokwanga, kabalakulalela; khangela, ilizwi leNkosi lilihlazo kibo, kabathokozi ngalo.
To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is dull, and they cannot attend; behold, the word of the LORD is become unto them a reproach, they have no delight in it.
11 Ngakho ngigcwele ulaka lweNkosi, ngikhathele yikuzithiba. Ngizakuthululela phezu kwabantwana esitaladeni lemhlanganweni wamajaha ndawonye, ngoba lendoda kanye lomfazi bazathathwa, omdala kanye logcwele izinsuku.
Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD, I am weary with holding in: pour it out upon the babes in the street, and upon the assembly of young men together; for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days.
12 Lezindlu zabo zizanikelwa kwabanye, amasimu labafazi kanyekanye; ngoba ngizakwelulela isandla sami phezu kwabahlali belizwe, itsho iNkosi.
And their houses shall be turned unto others, their fields and their wives together; for I will stretch out My hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD.
13 Ngoba kusukela komncinyane wabo kuze kufike komkhulu wabo bonke bayizihwaba zenzuzo embi; njalo kusukela komprofethi kuze kube kompristi bonke benza ngenkohliso.
For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is greedy for gain; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.
14 Bapholisa kancane inxeba labantu bami, besithi: Ukuthula, ukuthula; lapho kungekho ukuthula.
They have healed also the hurt of My people lightly, saying: 'Peace, peace', when there is no peace.
15 Baba lenhloni yini lapho besenza isinengiso? Hatshi, kababanga lanhloni lakanye, futhi kabakwazi ukuyangeka. Ngakho bazakuwa phakathi kwabawayo; ngesikhathi sokubahambela kwami bazakhubeka, itsho iNkosi.
They shall be put to shame because they have committed abomination; yea, they are not at all ashamed, neither know they how to blush; therefore they shall fall among them that fall, at the time that I punish them they shall stumble, saith the LORD.
16 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Manini ezindleleni, libone, libuze ngemikhondo yasendulo, ukuthi ingaphi indlela enhle, lihambe kuyo, njalo lizazuzela imiphefumulo yenu ukuthula. Kodwa bathi: Kasiyikuhamba ngayo.
Thus saith the LORD: Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said: 'We will not walk therein.'
17 Futhi ngilibekele abalindi, ngisithi: Lalelani ukukhala kophondo. Kodwa bathi: Kasiyikulalela.
And I set watchmen over you: 'Attend to the sound of the horn', but they said: 'We will not attend.'
18 Ngakho zwanini, lina zizwe, wazi, wena bandla, okuphakathi kwabo.
Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is against them.
19 Zwana, wena mhlaba; khangela, ngizaletha ububi phezu kwalababantu, isithelo semicabango yabo, ngoba bengalalelanga amazwi ami, lomlayo wami, kodwa bawalile.
Hear, O earth: Behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not attended unto My words, and as for My teaching, they have rejected it.
20 Izelani kimi impepha ivela eShebha, lomhlanga olephunga elimnandi ovela elizweni elikhatshana? Iminikelo yenu yokutshiswa kayemukeleki, lemihlatshelo yenu kayimnandi kimi.
To what purpose is to Me the frankincense that cometh from Sheba, and the sweet cane, from a far country? Your burnt-offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing unto Me.
21 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela, ngizabeka izikhubekiso phambi kwalababantu, njalo oyise lamadodana bakhubeke kanyekanye kuzo, umakhelwane lomngane wakhe, bazabhubha.
Therefore thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall stumble against them, the neighbour and his friend, and they shall perish.
22 Itsho njalo INkosi: Khangela, abantu bayeza bevela elizweni lenyakatho, lesizwe esikhulu sizavuswa ezinhlangothini zomhlaba.
Thus saith the LORD: Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be roused from the uttermost parts of the earth.
23 Bazabamba idandili lomkhonto; balesihluku, kabalasihawu; ilizwi labo lihlokoma njengolwandle; bagade amabhiza, behleliwe njengabantu bempi bemelene lawe, ndodakazi yeZiyoni.
They lay hold on bow and spear, they are cruel, and have no compassion; their voice is like the roaring sea, and they ride upon horses; set in array, as a man for war, against thee, O daughter of Zion.
24 Siyizwile indumela yakho, izandla zethu ziyadangala; usizi lusibambile, ubuhlungu obunjengobowesifazana obelethayo.
'We have heard the fame thereof, our hands wax feeble, anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail.'
25 Lingaphumi liye egangeni, lingahambi endleleni, ngoba kukhona inkemba yesitha, ukwesaba inhlangothi zonke.
Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for there is the sword of the enemy, and terror on every side.
26 Wena ndodakazi yabantu bami, bhinca amasaka, ubhuquze emlotheni, uzenzele isililo, esinjengesendodana eyiyo yodwa, ukukhala okubuhlungu kakhulu; ngoba umchithi uzafika kithi masinyane.
O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes; make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation; for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us.
27 Ngikubekile ube ngumphotshongo lenqaba phakathi kwabantu bami, ukuze wazi uhlole indlela yabo.
I have made thee a tower and a fortress among My people; that thou mayest know and try their way.
28 Bonke bangabahlamuki abalenkani, behamba behleba; balithusi lensimbi, bonke bangabonakalisi.
They are all grievous revolters, going about with slanders; they are brass and iron; they all of them deal corruptly.
29 Imvutho itshile, umnuso usuqedwe ngumlilo; umncibilikisi uncibilikisela ize, ngoba ababi kabakhutshwa.
The bellows blow fiercely, the lead is consumed of the fire; in vain doth the founder refine, for the wicked are not separated.
30 Bazababiza ngokuthi bayisiliva esilahliweyo, ngoba iNkosi ibalahlile.
Refuse silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.
