Jeremiah (23/52)  

1. Maye kubo abelusi abachitha behlakaza izimvu zomhlambi wami! kutsho i Nkosi.
2. Ngalokho i Nkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ithi mayelana labelusi abelusa abantu bayo: Liwuhlakazile umhlambi wami, lawuxotsha, kaliwunanzelelanga. Khangelani, ngizakwehlisela phezu kwenu umvuzo wezenzo zenu ezimbi, kutsho i Nkosi.
3. Ngizabutha eziseleyo emhlanjini wami kuwo wonke amazwe lapho engizixotshele khona, ngizibuyise futhi esibayeni sazo, zizazala, zande.
4. Ngizazimisela abelusi abazazilondoloza; kazisayikwesaba, zitshaywe luvalo; futhi kakusayikulahleka leyodwa yazo, kutsho i Nkosi.
5. Khangela, insuku ziyeza, kutsho i Nkosi, lapho ngizamhlumisela uDavida uGatsha olulungileyo; luzabusa njengeNkosi, lube lokuhlakanipha, lwenze ukulunga lobuqotho elizweni.
6. Ensukwini zalo uJuda uzasindiswa, loIsrayeli ahlale evikelekile. Njalo leli libizo oluzabizwa ngalo: I Nkosi Ukulunga Kwethu.
7. Ngakho khangela, insuku ziyeza, kutsho i Nkosi, lapho abantu bengasayikutsho ukuthi: Kuphila kukaJehova owabakhupha abantwana bakoIsrayeli elizweni leGibhithe.
8. Kodwa bazakuthi: Kuphila kukaJehova owakhupha wakhokhela inzalo yendlu kaIsrayeli elizweni lenyakatho lakuwo wonke amazwe eyayiyixotshele kuwo. Khona izahlala elizweni lakibo.
9. Ngabaprofethi. Inhliziyo yami yephukile phakathi kwami, lamathambo ami wonke ayathuthumela; nginjengomuntu odakiweyo, lanjengomuntu owehlulwe liwayini, ngenxa ye Nkosi, langenxa yamazwi ayo angcwele.
10. Ngoba ilizwe ligcwele izifebe; ngenxa yesiqalekiso ilizwe liyakhala, lamadlelo enkangala omile. Indlela yabo yimbi, lamandla abo kawalunganga.
11. Umprofethi lompristi kabamesabi uNkulunkulu, ngitsho lendlini yami ngithole ububi babo, kutsho i Nkosi.
12. Ngalokho-ke indlela yabo izakuba njengezindlela ezitshelelayo emnyameni, abazasunduzelwa kizo, bawe; ngoba ngizabalethela okubi ngomnyaka wempindiselo yabo, kutsho i Nkosi.
13. Kubaprofethi beSamariya ngibone into eyenyanyekayo; baprofetha ngoBhali, baduhisa abantu bami uIsrayeli.
14. Kubaprofethi beJerusalema ngibone okwesabekayo; bayafeba, baqambe amanga, baqinisa izandla zalabo abenza okubi kungasuki muntu ebubini bakhe; bonke sebefanana leSodoma kimi, labakhileyo khona bafanana leGomora.
15. Ngakho i Nkosi yamabandla ithi mayelana labaprofethi: Khangela, ngizabanika ukuze badle umhlonyane, ngibanathise amanzi abulalayo; ngoba kusukela kubaprofethi beJerusalema ububi buphumele elizweni lonke.
16. I Nkosi yamabandla ithi: Lingawalaleli amazwi abaprofethi abawaprofetha kini belithembisa okuyize, bekhuluma imibono yengqondo zabo, kungeyisikho okuvela emlonyeni we Nkosi.
17. Bahlala besithi kulabo abadelela ilizwi le Nkosi: Kuzalilungela lonke; lakubo bonke abalandela inhliziyo zabo ezilenkani bathi: Kaliyikwehlelwa ngokubi.
18. Ngubani phakathi kwabo owayekhona emhlanganweni we Nkosi ukuze alalele alizwe ilizwi layo? Ngubani owake waliqaphela walizwa?
19. Khangelani, ulaka lwe Nkosi lunjengesivunguzane, luphumile, lunjengesiphepho esivunguzayo. Luzakwehlela phezu kwababi.
20. Ulaka lwe Nkosi kaluyikudeda, ize iphelelise izifiso zenhliziyo yayo. Ensukwini zokucina lizakuqedisisa lokhu.
21. Kangibathumanga mina abaprofethi, kanti bagijima; kangikhulumanga kibo, kodwa baprofetha.
22. Kodwa uba babekhona emhlanganweni wami, ngabe batshumayela amazwi ami ebantwini bami, babanqande ezindleleni zabo ezimbi lezenzweni ezimbi.
23. NginguNkulunkulu oseduze yini, itsho i Nkosi, njalo hatshi uNkulunkulu okhatshana?
24. Umuntu angacatsha yini endaweni ezisithekileyo ukuze mina ngingamboni? kutsho i Nkosi. Kangigcwalisi yini amazulu lomhlaba? kutsho i Nkosi.
25. Ngizwile ukuthi batheni abaprofethi abaprofetha amanga ebizweni lami besithi: Ngiphuphile, ngiphuphile!
26. Koze kube nini amanga ekhona enhliziyweni zabaprofethi abaprofetha amanga, betshumayela inkohliso zenhliziyo zabo,
27. abacabanga ukwenza abantu bami ukuze bakhohlwe ibizo lami ngamaphupho abo abawaxoxayo, njengaboyise abalikhohlwayo ilizwi lami ngenxa kaBhali.
28. Umprofethi olephupho kalixoxe iphupho lakhe, kodwa olelizwi lami kalikhulume ilizwi lami ngeqiniso. Amahlanga ayini kulamabele? kutsho i Nkosi.
29. Ilizwi lami kalinjengomlilo yini lanjengesando esiqhekeza ilitshe? kutsho i Nkosi.
30. Ngakho khangela, ngimelana labaprofethi abeba amazwi ami kwabanye, kutsho i Nkosi.
31. Khangela, ngimelana labaprofethi abasebenzisa inlimi zabo besithi i Nkosi itsho lokhu lalokhu.
32. Khangela, ngimelana lalabo abaprofetha amaphupho amanga, baduhise abantu bami ngamanga abo langokuwalazela kwabo, ngingabathumanga, ngabalaya; ngakho kababasizi ngalutho lababantu, kutsho i Nkosi.
33. Lapho omunye walababantu loba umprofethi kumbe umpristi ekubuza esithi: Uyini umthwalo we Nkosi? Wena uzakuthi kibo: Yini elingumthwalo, lokuthi ngizalilahla, kutsho i Nkosi.
34. Umprofethi lompristi loba omunye wabantu othi: Umthwalo we Nkosi; ngizamtshaya lowomuntu kanye lendlu yakhe.
35. Lizakhulumisana ngalindlela, umakhelwane lomakhelwane, lomfowabo kumfowabo, lithi: I Nkosi iphendule yathini? lokuthi: Itheni i Nkosi?
36. Kodwa ukuthi: Umthwalo we Nkosi; kalisayikukutsho lokhu. Ngoba umuntu otsho njalo isibili kuzakuba ngumthwalo kuye, ngoba liwahlanekela amazwi kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, amazwi e Nkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu wethu.
37. Nansi indlela yokukhuluma lomprofethi, lithi: I Nkosi iphendule yathini? loba: I Nkosi itheni?
38. Kodwa uba lisithi: Umthwalo we Nkosi; i Nkosi ithi: Uba lokhu lisebenzisa amazwi okuthi umthwalo we Nkosi, loba sengilitshelile ukuyekela ukutsho njalo,
39. ngakho khangelani, mina uqobo ngizalihluthuna, ngiliphosele khatshana lami, lina kanye lomuzi engawunika lina laboyihlo,
40. ngilehlisele ihlazo elilaphakade lokuyangeka okungayikukhohlakala.

  Jeremiah (23/52)