Jeremiah (13/52)  

1. I Nkosi yathi kimi: Hamba uyezithengela ibhanti lelembu elicolekileyo, uzibophe ngalo ekhalweni, ungalifaki emanzini.
2. Ngasengithenga ibhanti njengokutsho kwelizwi le Nkosi, ngazibopha ngalo ekhalweni.
3. Ilizwi le Nkosi labuya lafika kimi ngokwesibili lathi:
4. Thatha ibhanti olithengileyo, ozibophe ngalo ekhalweni, usuke uye emfuleni iYufrathi, ulithukuze khona engoxweni yedwala.
5. Ngasengihamba, ngalithukuza emfuleni iYufrathi njengokutsho kwe Nkosi kimi.
6. Kwathi emva kwensuku ezinengi, i Nkosi yathi kimi: Suka uye emfuleni iYufrathi, uyethatha khona ibhanti engakutshela ukuthi ulifihle khona.
7. Ngasengisuka ngaya emfuleni iYufrathi, ngagebha, ngalikhupha ibhanti endaweni lapho engangilifihle khona. Khangela-ke, ibhanti laselonakele, lalingasasizi lutho.
8. Laselifika kimi ilizwi le Nkosi lisithi:
9. I Nkosi ithi: Ngalindlela ngizachitha ukuziqhenya kukaJuda lokuziqhenya okukhulu kweJerusalema.
10. Lababantu ababi, abala ukuzwa amazwi ami, belandela inhliziyo zabo ezilenkani, belandela onkulunkulu abanye ukuze babasebenzele babakhonze, bazakuba njengalelibhanti elingasizi lutho.
11. Ngoba njengoba ibhanti linamathela ekhalweni lomuntu, ngokunjalo-ke ngenzile ukuthi indlu yonke yakoIsrayeli lendlu yakoJuda zinamathele kimi, kutsho i Nkosi, ukuze babe ngabantu bami, lebizo, lodumo, lokudunyiswa; kodwa kabalalelanga.
12. Uzakutsho lamazwi kibo uthi: I Nkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ithi: Zonke imbiza zizagcwaliswa ngewayini. Kodwa bazakuthi kuwe: Uthi kasikwazi yini ukuthi zonke imbiza zizagcwaliswa ngewayini?
13. Ubususithi kibo: I Nkosi ithi: Khangelani, ngizabadakisa bonke abakhileyo kulelilizwe, ngitsho amakhosi ahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida, labapristi, labaprofethi, kanye labo bonke abakhileyo eJerusalema.
14. Ngizabatshayanisa, oyise lamadodana ndawonye, kutsho i Nkosi. Kangiyikubahawukela, kangiyikubaxolela, ngibe lesihawu sokuthi ngingababulali.
15. Zwanini libeke indlebe, lingaziqhenyi, ngoba i Nkosi isikhulumile.
16. Inikeni i Nkosi udumo, uNkulunkulu wenu, ingakalethi umnyama, lenyawo zenu zingakakhubeki ezintabeni ngoba sekuhlwile, kuthi lisadinga ukukhanya, ikuphendule kube ngumnyama, ikwenze kube ngumnyama onzima.
17. Kodwa lapho lingalaleli, umphefumulo wami uzakhala inyembezi ensitha ngenxa yokuziqhenya kwenu, uzakhala lokukhala, lamehlo ami ehlise inyembezi, ngoba umhlambi we Nkosi uthunjiwe.
18. Tshono enkosini lendlovukazini uthi: Hlalani phansi ngokuzithoba, ngoba umqhele wenu omuhle uwele phansi.
19. Imizi yeningizimu ivaliwe, kakho ongayivula, uJuda wonke uthunjiwe ngokupheleleyo.
20. Phakamisani amehlo enu libone labo abavela enyakatho. Ungaphi umhlambi elaliwunikiwe, umhlambi wenu omuhle?
21. Lizakuthini uba belibekela labo elabenza abangane benu ukuthi babe ngabaphathi benu? Kaliyikwehlelwa yibuhlungu obunjengowesifazana ohelelwayo yini?
22. Uba lisithi enhliziyweni zenu: Lezizinto zehleleleni phezu kwethu? Ngenxa yobukhulu bokona kwenu izidwaba zenu zembuliwe, lehlelwa yikuhlupheka.
23. UmEtiyopiya angasiphendula yini isigogo sakhe, kumbe ingwe ingaphendula amabala ayo? Khona-ke lani lingenza okuhle lina elejwayele ukwenza okubi.
24. Ngizalichithachitha njengamakhoba aphetshulwe ngumoya ovela enkangala.
25. Lokhu yikho ukuphela kwakho, lesabelo engikukhethele sona, kutsho i Nkosi; ngoba ungikhohliwe, wathemba onkulunkulu bamanga.
26. Mina uqobo ngizakwembula izidwaba zakho, kubonakale ubuze bakho.
27. Ngibonile amanyala akho, lobufebe bakho, lentokozo yakho ngakho, lendlela zokuphinga kwakho phezu kwamaqaqa egangeni. Maye kuwe, wena Jerusalema! Koze kube nini ungakahlambuluki?

  Jeremiah (13/52)