Jeremiah (25/52)  

1. Ilizwi elafika kuJeremiya ngabantu bonke bakoJuda, emnyakeni wesine kaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda, ngomnyaka wokuqala kaNebukadinezari, inkosi yeBhabhiloni.
2. Ilizwi alikhulumayo uJeremiya umprofethi kubo bonke abantu bakoJuda labo bonke abakhileyo eJerusalema esithi:
3. Sekuyiminyaka engamatshumi amabili lantathu, kusukela emnyakeni wetshumi lantathu wokubusa kukaJosiya indodana kaAmoni, inkosi yakoJuda, kuze kube lamuhla, ilizwi le Nkosi lifikile kimi, ngalikhuluma kini ngivuke ngovivi ngikhuluma, kodwa kalilalelanga.
4. Kalilalelanga, kalizwanga lanxa i Nkosi iphikelela ukuthuma kini zonke inceku zayo abaprofethi, ivuka ngovivi, ithuma
5. lapho kuthiwa: Phendukani, lina lonke, endleleni zenu ezimbi lekwenzeni kwenu okubi, lihlale elizweni i Nkosi elinike lona lina laboyihlo kusukela endulo kuze kube nininini,
6. lingalandeli abanye onkulunkulu ukubasebenzela lokubakhonza, ukuze lingivuse ulaka ngezithombe elizenzileyo. Kangiyikulenzela okubi.
7. Kodwa kalingilalelanga, kutsho i Nkosi, ukuthi lingivuse ulaka ngezithombe zenu, ukuthi lehlelwe ngokubi.
8. Ngakho i Nkosi yamabandla ithi: Ngenxa yokuthi lingawalalelanga amazwi ami,
9. khangela, ngizabiza izizwe zenyakatho, kutsho i Nkosi, loNebukadinezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni inceku yami, ngizilethe kulelilizwe lakwabakhileyo kulo, lakuzo zonke izizwe eziseduze lalo, ngibatshabalalise, ngibenze babe yinto eyesabekayo, into yokuncifelwa, lehlazo elilaphakade.
10. Ngizaqeda phakathi kwabo umsindo wentokozo lowenjabulo, lelizwi lomyeni lelomakoti, lomsindo wokuchola kwelitshe, lokukhanya kwesibane.
11. Ilizwe lonke leli lizakuba ngamanxiwa lenkangala; lezizizwe zizasebenzela i Nkosi yeBhabhiloni iminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa.
12. Emva kweminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa ngizatshaya inkosi yeBhabhiloni lesizwe sayo, ngenxa yobubi babo, kutsho i Nkosi, ngilenze ilizwe lamaKhaladiya libe yinkangala kokuphela,
13. ngehlisele phezu kwalelolizwe amazwi wonke engawakhuluma ngalo, lakho konke okubhaliweyo kulolugwalo okwaprofethwa nguJeremiya ngazo zonke izizwe.
14. Ngoba izizwe ezinengi lamakhosi amakhulu zizabenza babe yizigqili; ngizaphindisela kibo njengokufanele izenzo zabo lemisebenzi yabo.
15. I Nkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, yathi kimi: Yemukela esandleni sami linkezo yewayini egcwele ulaka lwami, unathise ngayo zonke izizwe engikuthuma kuzo.
16. Zizanatha zidakwe, zihlanye ngenxa yenkemba engiyithuma phakathi kwazo.
17. Ngasengiyemukela inkezo esandleni se Nkosi, nganathisa ngayo zonke izizwe i Nkosi engithume kizo,
18. ngitsho iJerusalema lemizi yakoJuda, amakhosi ayo leziphathamandla zayo, ukuze kuchitheke, kube yinkangala, lento yokuncifelwa leyokuthukwa, njengoba kunjalo lalamuhla;
19. loFaro inkosi yeGibhithe, lenceku zakhe, leziphathamandla zakhe, labantu bakhe bonke,
20. kanye labo bonke abezizwe abaphakathi kwabo, lamakhosi wonke elizweni leUzi, lawelizwe leFilisti leAshikeloni leGaza leEkhironi lensali eAshidodi,
21. iEdoma loMowabi, lamaAmoni,
22. wonke amakhosi eTire laweSidoni, lamakhosi ezihlenge, ezingaphetsheya kolwandle,
23. eDedani leTema leBuzi, labo bonke abagela inwele zabo emaceleni,
24. lamakhosi wonke eArabhiya, lamakhosi ezizwe ezixubeneyo ezihlala enkangala,
25. lamakhosi wonke eZimri, laweElamu laweMede,
26. lawo wonke amakhosi enyakatho akhatshana leduze ngokulandelana, lemibuso yonke yomhlaba ekhona emhlabeni. Emva kwabo inkosi yeBhabhiloni izanatha.
27. Ubususithi kibo: I Nkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ithi: Nathani lidakwe, lihlanze, liwe, lingaphindi livuke futhi, ngenxa yenkemba engiyithuma phakathi kwenu.
28. Kuzakuthi lapho besala ukuyemukela inkezo esandleni sakho, ukuze banathe, uthi kibo: I Nkosi yamabandla ithi: Limele ukunatha isibili.
29. Ngoba khangela, sengiqalile ukwenza okubi emzini lapho ibizo lami elidunyiselwa khona; lizayekelwa ukutshaywa yini? Hatshi, kaliyikuyekelwa, ngoba ngibiza inkemba ezabehlela bonke abakhileyo emhlabeni, kutsho i Nkosi.
30. Ngakho-ke wena uzaprofetha kibo wonke lamazwi engikutshela wona, uthi: I Nkosi izaduma iphezulu, iliphumise ilizwi layo endlini yayo engcwele; izaduma kakhulu phezu kwesibaya sayo, imemeze njengalabo abakhama izithelo zevini kubo bonke abakhileyo emhlabeni.
31. Umsindo uzafinyelela emikhawulweni yomhlaba, ngoba i Nkosi iyamelana lezizwe, iyahlulela yonke inyama, ababi izabanikela ekubulaweni, kutsho i Nkosi.
32. I Nkosi yamabandla ithi: Khangelani, ububi buphuma kwesinye isizwe busiya kwesinye, isiphepho esikhulu siyavunguza, sisuka endaweni ezikhatshana zomhlaba.
33. Ngalolosuku ababulewe yi Nkosi bazasukela komunye umkhawulo womhlaba baze bafike komunye; kabayikukhalelwa, kabayikubuthwa bangcwatshwe, bazakuba ngamalongwe emhlabathini.
34. Lilani, lina belusi, likhale, zibhuqeni emlotheni, lina ziphathamandla zomhlambi, ngoba insuku zokuhlatshwa kwenu lezokuhlakazeka sezifikile, lizakuwa njengenqama ezinhle.
35. Abelusi kabayikuba lesiphephelo, leziphathamandla zomhlambi kaziyikuphunyuka.
36. Zwanini ukukhala kwabelusi lokulila kweziphathamandla zomhlambi: ngoba i Nkosi izachitha idlelo labo,
37. lezibaya ezilokuthula zidilikile, ngenxa yokuvutha kolaka lwe Nkosi.
38. Iphumile esikhundleni sayo njengebhongo esilwane, ngoba ilizwe labo seliyinkangala ngenxa yabachithi, langenxa yolaka lwayo oluvuthayo.

  Jeremiah (25/52)