UJeremiya 8
1 Ngalesosikhathi, itsho iNkosi, bazakhupha amathambo amakhosi akoJuda, lamathambo eziphathamandla zayo, lamathambo abapristi, lamathambo abaprofethi, lamathambo abahlali beJerusalema, emangcwabeni abo;
Yahweh says, “At the time [that your corpses are scattered on the ground], [your enemies will] break open the graves of your kings and [other] officials who lived in Judah, and the graves of your priests and prophets and other people who lived there.
2 baweneke elangeni lenyangeni, lakulo lonke ibutho lamazulu, abakuthandayo, labakusebenzelayo, labakulandelayo, labakudingayo, labakukhonzayo; kawayikubuthwa, kawayikungcwatshwa; azakuba ngawomquba phezu kobuso bomhlaba.
They will take out their bones [from their graves] and [dishonor them by] scattering them on the ground under the sun and the moon and the stars— those are the gods which my people loved and served and worshiped. No one will gather up their bones and bury them [again]; they will remain scattered on the ground like dung.
3 Njalo ukufa kuzakhethwa kulempilo yiyo yonke insali yabaseleyo balolusapho olubi, kuzo zonke indawo zabaseleyo lapho engibaxotshele khona, itsho iNkosi yamabandla.
And all the people of this wicked nation [who are still alive and] whom I have exiled to other countries will say, ‘We would prefer to die than to continue to stay alive [here in these countries].’ [That will be true because I], Yahweh, have said it.”
4 Uzakuthi kibo futhi: Itsho njalo INkosi: Bazakuwa bangavuki yini? Uzaphambuka angaphenduki yini?
[Yahweh said to me, “Jeremiah], tell the people that this is what [I], Yahweh, am saying to them: ‘When people fall down, they get up again, do they not [RHQ]? When people are going along a road and find out that they are walking on the wrong road, they go back [and find the correct road], do they not [RHQ]?
5 Pho, baphambukelani lababantu eJerusalema ngokuphambuka okulaphakade? Babambelela enkohlisweni, bayala ukuphenduka.
[Yes, they do], so why do these people [of Judah] continue [trusting in those idols that have deceived them]? They continue turning away from me, [even though I have warned them].
6 Ngilalele ngezwa, kabakhulumanga kuhle; kakulamuntu ozisolayo ngobubi bakhe esithi: Ngenzeni? Wonke uphendukela emjahweni wakhe njengebhiza ligijimela empini.
I have listened carefully [DOU] [to what they say], but they do not say what they should say. Not one of them is sorry for having sinned. No one says, “I have done [RHQ] wicked things.” They are [sinning and] doing what they want to as fast as [SIM] a horse that is running into a battle.
7 Yebo ingabuzane emazulwini liyazazi izikhathi zalo ezimisiweyo; lejuba lehemu lenkonjane kuyagcina isikhathi sokubuya kwakho; kodwa abantu bami kabazazi izimiso zeNkosi.
All the birds [that fly south for the (winter/cold season)] know the time that they need to fly south, and they all return at the right time the following year. But my people [are not like those birds]! They do not know what [I], Yahweh, require them to do.
8 Litsho njani ukuthi: Sihlakaniphile, lomlayo weNkosi ulathi? Khangelani, isibili usiba lwamanga lwababhali lusebenzela ize.
Your men who teach you [the laws that Moses wrote] have been saying false things [about those laws]. [So], why [RHQ] do they [continue] saying, “We are [very] wise [because] we have the laws of Yahweh”?
9 Abahlakaniphileyo bayangekile, besabe kakhulu bathethwe; khangela, balalile ilizwi leNkosi; pho balenhlakanipho bani?
Those teachers, who think that [IRO] they are wise, will be ashamed/disgraced and dismayed when they are taken [to other countries by their enemies] because they sinned by rejecting what I told them. Truly, they were not [RHQ] very wise to do that!
10 Ngakho omkabo ngizabanika abanye, amasimu abo kwabazakudla ilifa labo; ngoba kusukela komncinyane kuze kufike komkhulu bonke bayizihwaba zenzuzo embi, kusukela kumprofethi kuze kube kumpristi wonke wenza ngenkohliso.
So, I will give their wives to other men; I will give their fields to [the enemy soldiers] who conquer them. All the people, including those who are important and those who are not important, deceive [others] in order to obtain their possessions. Even [my] prophets and my priests do that.
11 Ngoba balipholise kancane inxeba lendodakazi yabantu bami, besithi: Ukuthula, ukuthula; khona kungelakuthula.
[They act as though the sins of my people] are not serious, [like] [MET] wounds that do not need to be cleaned and bandaged. They tell the people that everything will go well with them, [but that is not true]; things will not go well with them.
12 Baba lenhloni yini lapho sebenze amanyala? Hatshi, kababanga lanhloni lakanye, futhi kabakwazi ukuyangeka; ngakho bazakuwa phakathi kwabawayo; ngesikhathi sokuhanjelwa kwabo bazawiselwa phansi, itsho iNkosi.
They should be [RHQ] ashamed when they do disgusting things [RHQ], but they do not even know how to show on their faces that they are ashamed [about their sins]. So, [they will be killed, and] their corpses [also] will lie among the corpses of others who have been slaughtered [by their enemies]. They will be killed when I punish them.
13 Isibili ngizabaqeda, itsho iNkosi; kakuyikuba khona izithelo zevini evinini; njalo kakuyikuba khona imikhiwa emkhiweni, lehlamvu lizabuna; lengibanike khona kuzakwedlula kibo.
I will [allow their enemies to] take away the figs and grapes that the people would have harvested from their fields. Their fruit trees will all wither. They will not receive [all] the blessings that I prepared for them. [This will certainly happen because I], Yahweh, have said it.’”
14 Sihlaleleni? Buthanani, singene emizini evikelweyo, sithule khona; ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu isithulisile, yasinathisa amanzi enyongo, ngoba sonile eNkosini.
[Then the people will say], “(Why should we wait here [in these small towns]?/We should not wait here [in these small towns].) [RHQ]! We should go to the cities that have high walls around them, [but even if we do that] we will be killed there, because Yahweh our God has decided that we must be destroyed; [it is as though] [MET] he has given us a cup of poison to drink, because we sinned against him.
15 Salindela ukuthula, kodwa kakubanga lokuhle; isikhathi sokwelatshwa, kodwa khangela, luhlupho.
We hoped/desired that things would go well for us, but things have not gone well. We hoped that bad things would not happen to us any more, but only things that terrify us [are happening to us].
16 Ukuthimula kwamabhiza akhe kwezwakala kusukela koDani; ilizwe lonke lathuthumela emsindweni wokukhonya kwalamandla akhe; ngoba afikile, adla ilizwe lokugcwala kwalo, umuzi labahlala kiwo.
People [far north in Israel] in [the city of] Dan can already hear the snorting of the horses of their enemies [who are preparing to attack us]. [It is as though] the entire land [of Judah] is shaking as their army approaches; they are coming to destroy our land and everything in it, the people and the cities.”
17 Ngoba khangelani, ngithumela phakathi kwenu izinyoka, amabululu, angelakulunjwa, njalo azaliluma, itsho iNkosi.
[Yahweh says], “I will send [those enemy soldiers to Judah], and they will be like [MET] poisonous snakes among you. No one will be able to stop them from attacking you [MET]; they will attack you like snakes do, [and kill you].”
18 Ukududuzwa kwami kusosizini, inhliziyo yami iphelelwa ngamandla kimi.
I grieve very much [for the people of Judah], and my grieving does not end. I am very sad [IDM].
19 Khangelani, ilizwi lokukhala kwendodakazi yabantu bami livela elizweni elikhatshana. INkosi kayikho eZiyoni yini? Inkosi yayo kayikho phakathi kwayo yini? Bangicunuleleni ngezithombe zabo ezibaziweyo, ngokuyize kwabezizwe?
Throughout our land, the people ask, “Has Yahweh abandoned Jerusalem? Is [he], our city’s king, no longer there?” [Yahweh replies], “Why do the people cause me to become very angry by [worshiping] idols and foreign gods?” [RHQ]
20 Isivuno sidlulile, ihlobo liphelile, kanti thina kasisindiswanga.
[The people say], “The harvest [season] is finished, the (summer/hot season) has ended, [and we hoped that we would receive blessings from Yahweh], but he has not rescued us [from our enemies].”
21 Ngokwephuka kwendodakazi yabantu bami ngephukile; ngimnyama; ukumangala okukhulu kungibambile.
I cry because my people have been crushed. I mourn, and I am completely dismayed.
22 Kakulabhalisamu yini eGileyadi? Kakho yini umelaphi khona? Ngoba kungani kungaveli ukwelatshwa kwendodakazi yabantu bami?
[I ask], “Surely there is [RHQ] medicinal balm in the Gilead [region]! Surely there are [RHQ] doctors there!” But my people have been badly wounded [in their spirits], and nothing can heal them.
