Jeremiah (5/52)  

1. Gijimani, lizulazule ezindleleni zeJerusalema, lizibonele; licinge emagumeni ayo, libone ukuthi lingathola umuntu owenza ukulunga, odinga iqiniso, ukuze ngiyithethelele.
2. Loba besithi: Kuphila kukaJehova; kanti bafunga amanga nje.
3. Nkosi, amehlo akho kawathandi ukubona iqiniso yini? Wena ubatshayile, kodwa kabezwanga ubuhlungu; ubaqothule, kodwa bala ukulaywa. Benza inhliziyo zabo zaba lukhuni kulelitshe, bala ukuphenduka.
4. Ngasengisithi: Laba bangabayanga nje, ayiziphukuphuku; ngoba kabayazi indlela ye Nkosi lomlayo kaNkulunkulu wabo.
5. Sengizakuya kwabakhulu, ngikhulume labo, ngoba bona bayayazi indlela ye Nkosi lomlayo kaNkulunkulu wabo. Kodwa labo babelephulile ijogwe, baqamula izibopho.
6. Ngakho-ke isilwane sasehlathini sizabatshaya, babhujiswe yimpisi yasenkangala, lengwe iyicathamele imizi yabo, bonke abaphuma kiyo bazabanjwa; ngoba iziphambeko zabo zinengi, lokuhlehlela kwabo emuva kwandile.
7. Ngingakuthethelela njani ngalokhu na? Abantwana bakho bangitshiyile, bafunga ngabangeyisibo onkulunkulu. Sengibasuthisile kodwa bafeba, baminyana endlini yesifebe.
8. Babenjengamabhiza anonileyo akhwelayo, omunye lomunye ekhalela umfazi kamakhelwane wakhe.
9. Kangiyikubajezisa ngenxa yezinto lezi yini? kutsho i Nkosi; kangiyikuphindisela esizweni esinje yini?
10. Ngenani emavinini alo liwachithe, kodwa lingawaqedi ngokupheleleyo; susani ingatsha zalo, ngoba kazisizo ze Nkosi.
11. Indlu kaIsrayeli lendlu kaJuda zingikhohlisile ngokupheleleyo, kutsho i Nkosi.
12. Bayiphikile i Nkosi, bathi: Kayilamsebenzi. Kakuyikusehlela okubi, kasiyikubona inkemba lendlala.
13. Abaprofethi bazakuba ngumoya nje, kabalalo ilizwi. Kuzakwenziwa njalo kibo!
14. Ngakho-ke i Nkosi, uNkulunkulu wamabandla, ithi: Khangela, njengoba batsho njalo, ngizakwenza amazwi ami emlonyeni wakho abe ngumlilo, lalabobantu babe zinkuni, umlilo ubaqede.
15. Khangela, ngizakulethela isizwe esivela khatshana, wena ndlu kaIsrayeli, kutsho i Nkosi. Yisizwe esilamandla, yisizwe esidala, yisizwe ongalwaziyo ulimi lwaso, longayikuzwa lokho esikukhulumayo.
16. Abatshoki baso bayesabeka, bonke bangamaqhawe.
17. Bazakudla amabele akho lokudla kwakho, badle amadodana akho lamadodakazi akho, badle izimvu zakho lenkomo zakho, badle amavini akho lemikhiwa yakho; lemizi yakho ebiyelweyo othembela kiyo, bazayichitha.
18. Kodwa langalezonsuku kangiyikuliqeda ngokupheleleyo, kutsho i Nkosi.
19. Kuzakuthi lapho abakini besithi: I Nkosi, uNkulunkulu wethu, yenzeleni zonke lezizinto kithi? uzakuthi kibo: Njengoba lingihlamukele, lakhonza abanye onkulunkulu elizweni lakini, lizasebenzela abantu bezizwe elizweni elingeyisilo elenu.
20. Memezani lokhu endlini kaJakobe, likutshumayele lakoJuda ukuthi:
21. Zwanini lokhu, lina bantu abayizithutha labayiziphukuphuku, elilamehlo kodwa lingaboni, elilendlebe kodwa lingezwa.
22. Kalingesabi yini? kutsho i Nkosi. Kalithuthumeli phambi kwami yini? Ngabeka itshebetshebe laba ngumngcele wolwandle, umngcele oqinileyo olungelakuwudlula; lanxa amagagasi etshayana angaweqe, lanxa ehlokoma, kawalakudlula phezu kwalo.
23. Kodwa lababantu balenhliziyo elukhuni ehlamukayo, baphambukile, bangitshiya.
24. Kabatsho enhliziyweni zabo ukuthi: Asiyesabe i Nkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, esinika izulu ngesikhathi salo, ehlobo lentwasa, isimisele amaviki akhethelwe isivuno.
25. Ububi benu buvimbele konke lokhu, lezono zenu zilivalela okuhle.
26. Ngoba phakathi kwabantu bami kukhona abantu ababi, abacathamayo njengabathiyi becathamele inyoni, bathiya abantu ngemijibila yabo.
27. Njengesitsha sigcwele inyoni, indlu zabo zigcwele inkohliso; ngalokhu-ke sebebakhulu banothile,
28. bakhuluphele; kabalamkhawulo ekwenzeni kwabo okubi, kabameli ukulunga lezintandane ukuze ziphumelele, kabavikeli amalungelo abaswelayo.
29. Kangiyikubatshaya ngalezizinto yini? kutsho i Nkosi. Kangiyikuphindisela esizweni esinje yini?
30. Okumangalisayo lokwesabekayo kwenzakele elizweni;
31. abaprofethi baprofetha amanga, labapristi babusa ngokululeka kwabaprofethi; abantu bami bayakuthanda lokhu. Kodwa lizakwenza njani ekupheleni?

  Jeremiah (5/52)