Jeremiah (17/52)  

1. Isono sakoJuda sibhaliwe ngepheni yensimbi; ngomcijo wendayimana sibhaliwe enhliziyweni yabo lezimpondweni zamalathi abo,
2. abantwana babo besakhumbula amalathi abo, lezixuku zabo eziphansi kwazo zonke izihlahla eziluhlaza, lemaqaqeni aphakemeyo,
3. laphezu kwezintaba eziselizweni. Imfuyo yenu layo yonke inotho yenu ngizayinikela ibe yimpango yokuhlawulela izono zenu elizweni lonke lakini.
4. Uzaliyekela ngokwakho ilizwe lakho engakunika lona, ngikwenze ukuthi usebenzele izitha zakho elizweni ongalaziyo, ngoba ekuthukutheleni kwami kuphembeke umlilo ozavutha kuze kube nininini.
5. I Nkosi ithi: Uqalekisiwe umuntu othemba abantu, owenza inyama ibe yingalo yakhe, olenhliziyo edela i Nkosi.
6. Unjengesihlahlana enkangala, kayikubona okuhle lokukodwa. Uzahlala endaweni ezomileyo enkangala, elizweni eligcwele itswayi, elingahlalwa muntu.
7. Ubusisiwe umuntu othemba i Nkosi, othemba lakhe lise Nkosi ni.
8. Unjengesihlahla esihlanyelwe emanzini, esinabisela impande zaso emfuleni, esingesabi lapho kufika ukutshisa, lemahlamvu aso ahlala eluhlaza; kasethuki lemnyakeni wokubalela kwelanga, ngoba kasiyekeli ukuthela izithelo.
9. Inhliziyo iyakhohlisa okwedlula izinto zonke, futhi imbi kakhulu. Ngubani ongayazi?
10. Mina Nkosi ngiyahlola ingqondo, ngiyilinge inhliziyo, ukuze nginike wonke umuntu okufanele indlela zakhe, lokufanele izenzo zakhe.
11. Njengenkwali efukamela amatsiyane engawazalanga, kunjalo-ke lowomuntu ozuze inotho ngokungalungi; phakathi kwensuku zakhe izamtshiya, abe yisithutha ekucineni.
12. Indlu yethu engcwele injengesihlalo sobukhosi esilenkazimulo, esabekwa phezulu kusukela ekuqaleni.
13. Wena Nkosi, olithemba likaIsrayeli, bonke abakudelayo bazayangeka, labakutshiyayo bazaqedwa emhlabeni, ngoba bayidelile i Nkosi engumthombo wamanzi aphilayo.
14. Ngisilisa, wena Nkosi, ngisile; ungikhulule ukuze ngikhululwe; ngoba nguwe engikudumisayo.
15. Khangela, bathi kimi: Lingaphi ilizwi le Nkosi? Kalize phela!
16. Kodwa mina kangikukhuthazanga ukuthi wenze okubi, futhi kangilufisanga usuku lokuhlupheka, lokhu uyakwazi; okwaphuma emlonyeni wami kwakuphambi kwakho.
17. Ungabi ngokwesabekayo kimi, ngoba wena uyisiphephelo sami esukwini olubi.
18. Kabayangeke labo abangizingelayo, kodwa mina kangingayangeki, kabadideke, kodwa mina kangingadideki; behlisele usuku olubi, ubabhubhise ngokupheleleyo.
19. I Nkosi yathi kimi: Hamba uyekuma eSangweni lakoBhenjamini, angena ngalo amakhosi akoJuda, aphuma ngalo futhi, lakuwo wonke amasango eJerusalema,
20. uthi: Zwanini ilizwi le Nkosi, lina makhosi akoJuda, lani lonke bakoJuda, labo bonke abakhileyo eJerusalema abangena ngawo lamasango.
21. I Nkosi ithi: Qaphelani ngenxa yokusila kwenu: Lingathwali umthwalo ngesabatha, lingawungenisi ngamasango eJerusalema.
22. Futhi lingakhuphi umthwalo ezindlini zenu ngesabatha, lingasebenzi lutho; kodwa lwenzeni usuku lwesabatha lube ngcwele, njengokubalaya kwami oyihlo.
23. Kanti kabezwanga, kabalalelanga; baba lenkani kabaze bezwa, belaywa.
24. Kodwa uba lina lingilalela, kutsho i Nkosi, lingangenisi umthwalo ngamasango alumuzi ngosuku lwesabatha, kodwa lilenze isabatha libe ngcwele, lingasebenzi ngalo,
25. kuzangena ngamasango alumuzi amakhosi ahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida, ekhwele izinqola, egade amabhiza, wona leziphathamandla zawo, labantu bakoJuda, labakhileyo eJerusalema; bahlale kulumuzi kuze kube nininini.
26. Abantu bazavela emizini yakoJuda lakuzo zonke indawo ezizingelezele iJerusalema, bavele elizweni lakoBhenjamini, leShefela, lelizweni lamaqaqa, leningizimu, beletha iminikelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo, leminikelo yempuphu lenhlaka, leminikelo yokubonga endlini ye Nkosi.
27. Kodwa uba lingangilaleli, lingenzi isabatha libe ngcwele, lingena ngamasango eJerusalema ngosuku lwesabatha, lithwele imithwalo, ngizaphemba umlilo emasangweni ayo, ozatshisa uqothule indlu zamakhosi zeJerusalema, ungacitsheki.

  Jeremiah (17/52)