Jeremiah (2/52)  

1. Laselifika kimi ilizwi le Nkosi lisithi:
2. Hamba uyememezela eJerusalema uthi: I Nkosi ithi: Ngiyakhumbula uthembeko lwakho usemutsha, lothando lwakho usengumakoti, lokungilandela kwakho enkangala, elizweni elingahlanyelwanga.
3. UIsrayeli wayengcwele e Nkosi ni, eyizithelo zokuqala zesivuno sayo. Bonke abazidlayo baba lecala, behlelwa ngokubi, kutsho i Nkosi.
4. Zwanini ilizwi le Nkosi, lina ndlu kaJakobe, lani lonke sendo lwendlu yakoIsrayeli.
5. I Nkosi ithi: Yibubi bani oyihlo ababuthola kimi ukuze basuke baye khatshana lami, balandele lokho okuyize, babe yize?
6. Kabatshongo ukuthi: Ingaphi i Nkosi eyasikhupha elizweni leGibhithe, yasikhokhela enkangala, elizweni eliligwadule lelilemigodi, elizweni elomileyo elimnyama kakhulu, elizweni elingahanjwa muntu, lalapho okungahlali muntu khona?
7. Ngalingenisa elizweni elivundileyo ukuze lidle izithelo zalo lokuhle kwalo. Kodwa lapho selingenile lalingcolisa ilizwe lami, lenza ilizwe engalinika lona laba ngamanyala.
8. Abapristi kabatshongo ukuthi: Ingaphi i Nkosi? Lalabo abaphatha umlayo kabangazanga. Ababusi baphambuka kimi, labaprofethi baprofetha ngoBhali, balandela izithombe ezingasizi lutho.
9. Ngakho-ke ngilibeka icala, kutsho i Nkosi, ngizabeka icala labantwana babantwana benu.
10. Hambani liye ezihlengeni zeKuprosi libone, lithume abantu eKedari lihlolisise, libone ukuthi yake yaba khona into enjengale yini?
11. Isizwe sake santshintsha onkulunkulu baso, loba bengesibo onkulunkulu balutho yini? Kodwa abantu bami bangintshintshile mina enginguNkulunkulu wabo obalethela udumo ngonkulunkulu ongasizi lutho.
12. Mangalani ngalokho, lina mazulu, lithuthumele, lidane kakhulu, kutsho i Nkosi.
13. Ngoba abantu bami benzile izinto ezimbi ezimbili; bangihlamukele, mina mthombo wamanzi aphilayo, bazigebhela imithombo etshayo, engabambi manzi.
14. UIsrayeli uyisigqili, wazalwa eyisigqili yini? Pho, waba yimpango njani?
15. Amabhongo ezilwane asembhongele, zakhonya kakhulu. Zenza ilizwe lakhe laba yinkangala, lemizi yakhe ingamanxiwa, kayiselamuntu.
16. Futhi labantu baseMemfisi leTahafanesi baphucile ikhanda lakho.
17. Wena Israyeli, kawuzehliseli lokhu ngokuhlamuka i Nkosi uNkulunkulu wakho lapho ikukhokhela endleleni yini?
18. Ngakho uzuzani ngokuya eGibhithe, ukuthi unathe amanzi eNile? Futhi uzuzani ngokuya eAsiriya, ukuthi unathe amanzi eYufrathi?
19. Ububi bakho buzakutshaya, lokuhlehlela kwakho emuva kuzakukhuza. Yazi, ubone ukuthi kuyinto embi lebabayo ukuyihlamukela i Nkosi uNkulunkulu wakho, lokuthi ukungesaba kakukho kuwe, kutsho iNkosi uJehova wamabandla.
20. Wephula ijogwe lakho endulo, waziqamula izibopho zakho, wathi wena: Kangiyikukukhonza. Kodwa phezu kwalo lonke uqaqa oluphakemeyo, langaphansi kwezihlahla zonke eziluhlaza, walala njengesifebe.
21. Kukanti mina ngakuhlanyela ulivini elihle, uyinhlanyelo elungileyo kuphela. Pho-ke, usuphenduke njani waba mubi, waba livini elibi?
22. Ngoba uba ugeza ngesoda, usebenzise isepa enengi, ububi bakho busekhona phambi kwami, kutsho iNkosi uJehova.
23. Ungatsho njani ukuthi: Kangingcolanga, kangilandelanga oBhali? Khangela ukuziphatha kwakho esigodini, wazi ukuthi wenzeni. Unjengekamela elisikazi elizulazulayo emzileni yalo,
24. lanjengobabhemi weganga owejwayele inkangala, ophembela umoya ekukhanukeni kwakhe. Ngubani ongavimbela inkanuko yakhe? Bonke abamdingayo kabangazikhathazi, bazamthola ngesikhathi sokukhwelwa.
25. Ungazidinisi ngokuhambahamba ulandela abanye onkulunkulu, loba uzibulale ngomhawu. Kodwa wena wathi: Hatshi, kangiyekeli, ngoba ngithandile abezizweni, ngizabalandela.
26. Njengoba isela lilenhloni lapho selibanjiwe, kunjalo indlu kaIsrayeli izakuba lenhloni, bona kanye lamakhosi abo, leziphathamandla zabo, labapristi babo, labaprofethi babo,
27. abathi esihlahleni: Wena ungubaba; abathi lelitsheni: Wena wasizala. Ngoba bangifulathela, kabangikhangelanga. Kodwa ngesikhathi sokuhlupheka kwabo bathi: Vuka, usikhulule!
28. Kanti bangaphi onkulunkulu bakho ozenzele bona? Kabavuke bona uba bengakukhulula ngesikhathi sokuhlupheka kwakho; ngoba onkulunkulu bakho banengi njengemizi yakho, wena Juda.
29. Lingisolelani? Lingihlamukele lonke, kutsho i Nkosi.
30. Kwaba yize ukubatshaya kwami abantwana benu, kabakwemukelanga ukulaywa. Inkemba yenu ibadlile abaprofethi bakho njengesilwane esichithayo.
31. Wena sizukulwana, lalela ilizwi le Nkosi. Benginjengenkangala kuIsrayeli, lelizwe elilomnyama omkhulu yini? Pho-ke, batsholoni abantu bami ukuthi: Sesikhululekile, kasisayikuza kuwe futhi?
32. Intombi emsulwa ingazikhohlwa yini iziceco zayo lomakoti izembatho zakhe? Kanti abantu bami bangikhohliwe insuku ezingelakubalwa.
33. Uyazi kuhle indlela yokudinga amakhwa, uze wafundisa abesifazana ababi indlela zakho.
34. Lezigqokweni zakho kutholakala igazi labayanga abangelacala; kawubatholanga befohlela. Kanti kukho konke lokho uthi:
35. Kangilacala; ngakho intukuthelo yakhe isukile kimi. Khangela, ngizakugweba ngoba uthi: Kangonanga.
36. Kulula kuwe kangaka ukuntshintsha indlela yakho. Uzayangiswa yiGibhithe, njengoba wayangiswa yiAsiriya.
37. Uzaphuma lalapho uthwele imikhono yakho ekhanda, ngoba i Nkosi ibalahlile labo obathembayo, kawuyikuphumelela ngabo.

  Jeremiah (2/52)