Jeremias 6
1 Strengthen yourselves, ye children of Benjamin, [to flee] out of the midst of Jerusalem, and sound an alarm with the trumpet in Thecue, and set up a signal over Baethacharma: for evil threatens from the north, and a great destruction is coming.
Lina bantwana bakoBhenjamini, buthanelani ukubaleka liphume phakathi kweJerusalema, livuthele uphondo eThekhowa, liphakamise uphawu lomlilo eBeti-Hakeremi: ngoba ububi bubona phansi busenyakatho, lencithakalo enkulu.
2 And [thy] pride, O daughter of Sion, shall be taken away.
Indodakazi yeZiyoni ngiyifananise lowesifazana omuhle obuthakathaka.
3 The shepherds and their flocks shall come to her; and they shall pitch [their] tents against her round about, and shall feed [their flocks] each with his hand.
Abelusi bazafika kuye lemihlambi yabo; bazamisa amathente beqondene laye inhlangothi zonke, beluse ngulowo lalowo endaweni yakhe.
4 Prepare yourselves for war against her; rise up, and let us go up against her at noon. Woe to us! for the day has gone down, for the shadows of the day fail.
Zehlukaniseleni impi limelene layo; sukumani, kasenyuke emini enkulu. Maye kithi! ngoba ilanga selithambeme, ngoba amathunzi okuhlwa aselulekile.
5 Rise, and let us go up against her by night, and destroy her foundations.
Sukumani, senyuke ngobusuku, sidilize izigodlo zayo.
6 For thus saith the Lord, Hew down her trees, array a numerous force against Jerusalem. O false city; [there is] all oppression in her.
Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Gamulani izihlahla, libuthelele umduli wokuvimbezela limelene leJerusalema. Yiwo lo umuzi ozajeziswa; kulocindezelo kuphela phakathi kwawo.
7 As a cistern cools water, so her wickedness cools her, ungodliness and misery shall be heard in her, [as] continually before her.
Njengomthombo umpompoza amanzi awo, ngokunjalo umpompoza inkohlakalo yawo; udlakela lencithakalo kuzwakala kuwo; phambi kwami kulenhlungu lamanxeba njalonjalo.
8 Thou shalt be chastened, O Jerusalem, with pain and the scourge, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee a desert land, which shall not be inhabited.
Layeka, Jerusalema, hlezi umphefumulo wami wehlukane lawe; hlezi ngikwenze unxiwa, ilizwe elingahlalwanga.
9 For thus saith the Lord, Glean, glean thoroughly as a vine the remnant of Israel: turn back [your hands] as a grape-gatherer to his basket.
Itsho njalo INkosi yamabandla: Bazayikhothoza lokuyikhothoza insali kaIsrayeli njengevini; buyisela isandla sakho ezitsheni njengomvuni wevini.
10 To whom shall I speak, and testify, that he may hearken? behold, thine ears are uncircumcised, and they shall not be able to hear: behold, the word of the Lord is become to them a reproach, they will not at all desire it.
Ngizakhuluma kubani, ngixwayise, ukuze bezwe? Khangela, indlebe yabo kayisokwanga, kabalakulalela; khangela, ilizwi leNkosi lilihlazo kibo, kabathokozi ngalo.
11 And I allowed my wrath to come to full, yet I kept [it] in, and did not utterly destroy them: I will pour it out on the children without, and on the assembly of young men together: for man and woman shall be taken together, the old man with him that is full of days.
Ngakho ngigcwele ulaka lweNkosi, ngikhathele yikuzithiba. Ngizakuthululela phezu kwabantwana esitaladeni lemhlanganweni wamajaha ndawonye, ngoba lendoda kanye lomfazi bazathathwa, omdala kanye logcwele izinsuku.
12 And their houses shall be turned to others, [with] their fields and their wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of this land, saith the Lord.
Lezindlu zabo zizanikelwa kwabanye, amasimu labafazi kanyekanye; ngoba ngizakwelulela isandla sami phezu kwabahlali belizwe, itsho iNkosi.
13 For from the least of them even to the greatest they have all committed iniquity; from the priest even to the false prophet they have all wrought falsely.
Ngoba kusukela komncinyane wabo kuze kufike komkhulu wabo bonke bayizihwaba zenzuzo embi; njalo kusukela komprofethi kuze kube kompristi bonke benza ngenkohliso.
14 And they healed the breach of my people [imperfectly], making light [of it], and saying, Peace, peace, and where is peace?
Bapholisa kancane inxeba labantu bami, besithi: Ukuthula, ukuthula; lapho kungekho ukuthula.
15 They were ashamed because they failed; yet they were not ashamed as those who are [truly] ashamed, and they knew not their own disgrace: therefore shall they [utterly] fall when they do fall, and in the time of visitation shall they perish, said the Lord.
Baba lenhloni yini lapho besenza isinengiso? Hatshi, kababanga lanhloni lakanye, futhi kabakwazi ukuyangeka. Ngakho bazakuwa phakathi kwabawayo; ngesikhathi sokubahambela kwami bazakhubeka, itsho iNkosi.
16 Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths of the Lord; and see what is the good way, and walk in it, and ye shall find purification for your souls. But they said, We will not walk [in them].
Itsho njalo iNkosi: Manini ezindleleni, libone, libuze ngemikhondo yasendulo, ukuthi ingaphi indlela enhle, lihambe kuyo, njalo lizazuzela imiphefumulo yenu ukuthula. Kodwa bathi: Kasiyikuhamba ngayo.
17 I have set watchmen over you, [saying], Hear ye the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hear [it].
Futhi ngilibekele abalindi, ngisithi: Lalelani ukukhala kophondo. Kodwa bathi: Kasiyikulalela.
18 Therefore have the nations heard, and they that feed their flocks.
Ngakho zwanini, lina zizwe, wazi, wena bandla, okuphakathi kwabo.
19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evils upon this people, [even] the fruit of their rebellions; for they have not heeded my words, and they have rejected my law.
Zwana, wena mhlaba; khangela, ngizaletha ububi phezu kwalababantu, isithelo semicabango yabo, ngoba bengalalelanga amazwi ami, lomlayo wami, kodwa bawalile.
20 Wherefore do ye bring me frankincense from Saba, and cinnamon from a land afar off? your whole-burnt-offerings are not acceptable, and your sacrifices have not been pleasant to me.
Izelani kimi impepha ivela eShebha, lomhlanga olephunga elimnandi ovela elizweni elikhatshana? Iminikelo yenu yokutshiswa kayemukeleki, lemihlatshelo yenu kayimnandi kimi.
21 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I [will] bring weakness upon this people, and the fathers and sons shall be weak together; the neighbour and his friend shall perish.
Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela, ngizabeka izikhubekiso phambi kwalababantu, njalo oyise lamadodana bakhubeke kanyekanye kuzo, umakhelwane lomngane wakhe, bazabhubha.
22 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, a people comes from the north, and nations shall be stirred up from the end of the earth.
Itsho njalo INkosi: Khangela, abantu bayeza bevela elizweni lenyakatho, lesizwe esikhulu sizavuswa ezinhlangothini zomhlaba.
23 They shall lay hold on bow and spear; [the people] is fierce, and will have no mercy; their voice is as the roaring sea; they shall array themselves for war against thee as fire on horses and chariots, O daughter of Sion.
Bazabamba idandili lomkhonto; balesihluku, kabalasihawu; ilizwi labo lihlokoma njengolwandle; bagade amabhiza, behleliwe njengabantu bempi bemelene lawe, ndodakazi yeZiyoni.
24 We have heard the report of them: our hands are weakened: anguish has seized us, the pangs as of a woman in travail.
Siyizwile indumela yakho, izandla zethu ziyadangala; usizi lusibambile, ubuhlungu obunjengobowesifazana obelethayo.
25 Go not forth into the field, and walk not in the ways; for the sword of the enemy lingers round about.
Lingaphumi liye egangeni, lingahambi endleleni, ngoba kukhona inkemba yesitha, ukwesaba inhlangothi zonke.
26 O daughter of my people, gird thyself with sackcloth: sprinkle [thyself] with ashes; make for thyself pitiable lamentation, [as] the mourning for a beloved [son]: for misery will come suddenly upon you.
Wena ndodakazi yabantu bami, bhinca amasaka, ubhuquze emlotheni, uzenzele isililo, esinjengesendodana eyiyo yodwa, ukukhala okubuhlungu kakhulu; ngoba umchithi uzafika kithi masinyane.
27 I have caused thee to be tried among tried nations, and thou shalt know me when I have tried their way.
Ngikubekile ube ngumphotshongo lenqaba phakathi kwabantu bami, ukuze wazi uhlole indlela yabo.
28 [They are] all disobedient, walking perversely: [they are] brass and iron; they are all corrupted.
Bonke bangabahlamuki abalenkani, behamba behleba; balithusi lensimbi, bonke bangabonakalisi.
29 The bellows have failed from the fire, the lead has failed: the silversmith works at his trade in vain; their wickedness is not consumed.
Imvutho itshile, umnuso usuqedwe ngumlilo; umncibilikisi uncibilikisela ize, ngoba ababi kabakhutshwa.
30 Call ye them reprobate silver, because the Lord has rejected them.
Bazababiza ngokuthi bayisiliva esilahliweyo, ngoba iNkosi ibalahlile.
