< Jeremiah 18 >

1 The worde which came to Ieremiah from the Lord, saying,
Ilizwi elafika kuJeremiya livela eNkosini lisithi:
2 Arise, and go downe into the potters house, and there shall I shewe thee my words.
Sukuma, wehlele endlini yombumbi, lapho-ke ngizakuzwisa amazwi ami.
3 Then I went downe to the potters house, and behold, he wrought a worke on the wheeles.
Ngasengisehlela endlini yombumbi, khangela-ke wayesenza umsebenzi emavilini.
4 And the vessell that he made of clay, was broken in the hand of the potter. so he returned, and made it another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Njalo imbiza ayeyenza ngebumba yonakala esandleni sombumbi; wasebuya wenza ngayo enye imbiza njengoba kwakuqondile emehlweni ombumbi ukwenza.
5 Then the worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying,
Ilizwi leNkosi laselifika kimi lisithi:
6 O house of Israel, cannot I doe with you as this potter, sayth the Lord? beholde, as the clay is in the potters hande, so are you in mine hande, O house of Israel.
Ndlu kaIsrayeli, ngingeze ngenza kini njengalo umbumbi yini? itsho iNkosi. Khangela, njengebumba esandleni sombumbi, linjalo lina esandleni sami, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli.
7 I will speake suddenly against a nation or against a kingdome to plucke it vp, and to roote it out and to destroy it.
Ngesikhatshana ngizakhuluma ngesizwe langombuso ukuthi ngizakusiphuna, ngikudilize, ngikuchithe;
8 But if this nation, against whom I haue pronounced, turne from their wickednesse, I will repent of the plague that I thought to bring vpon them.
uba lesosizwe engikhulume ngimelene laso siphenduka ebubini baso, ngizazisola ngokubi ebengicabanga ukuthi ngizakwenza kiso.
9 And I wil speake suddenly concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdome to builde it and to plant it.
Langesikhatshana ngizakhuluma ngesizwe langombuso, ukwakha lokukuhlanyela;
10 But if it do euill in my sight and heare not my voyce, I will repent of ye good that I thought to do for them.
uba kusenza okubi emehlweni ami, kungalaleli ilizwi lami, khona ngizazisola ngokuhle ebengisithi ngizakwenzela okuhle ngakho.
11 Speake thou nowe therefore vnto the men of Iudah, and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem, saying, Thus saith ye Lord, Behold, I prepare a plague for you, and purpose a thing against you: returne you therefore euery one from his euill way, and make your wayes and your workes good.
Ngakho khathesi ake ukhulume ebantwini bakoJuda lakubahlali beJerusalema, usithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangelani, ngilibumbela okubi, ngilicebela icebo. Phendukani khathesi, ngulowo lalowo endleleni yakhe embi, lenze indlela zenu lezenzo zenu zibe zinhle.
12 But they sayde desperately, Surely wee will walke after our owne imaginations, and doe euery man after the stubburnnesse of his wicked heart.
Kodwa bathi: Kakulathemba; kodwa sizalandela awethu amacebo, senze, ngulowo lalowo inkani yenhliziyo yakhe embi.
13 Therefore thus saith the Lord, Aske now among the heathen, who hath heard such thinges? the virgin of Israel hath done very filthily.
Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi: Buzani khathesi phakathi kwabahedeni, ngubani owake wezwa izinto ezinje? Intombi emsulwa yakoIsrayeli yenzile into eyesabekayo kakhulu.
14 Will a man forsake the snowe of Lebanon, which commeth from the rocke of the fielde? or shall the colde flowing waters, that come from another place, be forsaken?
Umuntu angatshiya yini iliqhwa elikhithikileyo leLebhanoni elivela edwaleni leganga? Angatshiywa yini amanzi aqandayo ageleza evela kwezinye indawo?
15 Because my people hath forgotten me, and haue burnt incense to vanitie, and their prophets haue caused them to stumble in their wayes from the auncient wayes, to walke in the pathes and way that is not troden,
Kodwa abantu bami bangikhohliwe, batshisela okuyize impepha, babenza bakhubeka ezindleleni zabo, emikhondweni yasendulo, ukuthi bahambe ezindledlaneni, endleleni engabuthelelwanga;
16 To make their land desolate and a perpetual derision, so that euery one that passeth thereby, shalbe astonished and wagge his head,
besenza ilizwe labo libe lunxiwa, ukuncifelwa njalonjalo; wonke owedlula khona uzamangala kakhulu, anikine ikhanda lakhe.
17 I will scatter them with an East winde before the enemie: I will shewe them the backe, and not the face in the day of their destruction.
Ngizabahlakaza njengomoya wempumalanga phambi kwesitha; ngizabatshengisa umhlana, hatshi ubuso, ngosuku lwengozi yabo.
18 Then sayde they, Come, and let vs imagine some deuice against Ieremiah: for the Lawe shall not perish from the Priest, nor counsell from the wise, nor the worde from the Prophet: come, and let vs smite him with the tongue, and let vs not giue heede to any of his words.
Basebesithi: Wozani simcebele amacebo uJeremiya; ngoba umthetho kawuyikuphela kumpristi, lokweluleka kohlakaniphileyo, lelizwi kumprofethi. Wozani simtshaye ngolimi, singananzi lawaphi amazwi akhe.
19 Hearken vnto mee, O Lord, and heare the voyce of them that contend with me.
Nginakekela, Nkosi, ulalele ilizwi labaphikisana lami.
20 Shall euill be recompensed for good? for they haue digged a pit for my soule: remember that I stood before thee, to speake good for the, and to turne away thy wrath from them.
Kuyavuzwa okubi esikhundleni sokuhle yini? Ngoba bagebhele umphefumulo wami umgodi. Khumbula ukuthi ngema phambi kwakho ukubakhulumela okuhle, ukuphambula ulaka lwakho kibo.
21 Therefore, deliuer vp their children to famine, and let them drop away by the force of the sworde, and let their wiues be robbed of their children, and be widowes: and let their husbands be put to death, and let their yong men be slayne by the sword in the battell.
Ngakho nikela abantwana babo endlaleni, ubanikele emandleni enkemba; labafazi babo balahlekelwe ngabantwana, babe ngabafelokazi, lamadoda abo abulawe yikufa, amajaha abo atshaywe ngenkemba empini.
22 Let the crye bee heard from their houses, when thou shalt bring an hoste suddenly vpon them: for they haue digged a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feete.
Kakuzwakale ukukhala endlini zabo, lapho uzahle ulethe iviyo phezu kwabo; ngoba begebhe umgodi ukungibamba, bafihlela inyawo zami imijibila.
23 Yet Lord thou knowest al their counsel against me tendeth to death: forgiue not their iniquitie, neither put out their sinne from thy sight, but let them be ouerthrowen before thee: deale thus with them in the time of thine anger.
Kanti wena, Nkosi, uyawazi wonke amacebo abo bemelene lami ukungibulala. Ungathetheleli isiphambeko sabo, lesono sabo ungasicitshi sisuke phambi kwakho; kodwa kabawiswe phambi kwakho, bana lokwenza labo ngesikhathi sokuthukuthela kwakho.

< Jeremiah 18 >