Jeremiah 29
1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the residue of the elders of the captivity, and to the priests, to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon,
La ngamazwi encwadi umphrofethi uJeremiya ayithumela eseJerusalema ebadaleni abasindayo phakathi kwabathunjwayo lakubaphristi, abaphrofethi, lakubo bonke abantu uNebhukhadineza abathatha eJerusalema wabasa ekuthunjweni eBhabhiloni.
2 (after Jeconiah the king, the queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem),
(Lokhu kwakungemva kokuba inkosi uJekhoniya lendlovukazi engunina, izikhulu zasemthethwandaba kanye labadala bakoJuda labaseJerusalema, izingcitshi lezingcwethi basebeye ekuthunjweni besuka eJerusalema.)
3 by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon). It said:
Incwadi leyo wayiphathisa u-Eleyasa indodana kaShafani loGemariya indodana kaHilikhiya, abathunywa nguZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda kuNebhukhadineza eBhabhiloni. Yathi:
4 Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives whom I have caused to be carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon:
UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi kubo bonke labo engabasa ekuthunjweni eBhabhiloni besuka eJerusalema:
5 “Build houses and dwell in them. Plant gardens and eat their fruit.
“Yakhani izindlu lihlale phansi; limani izivande lidle izithelo zazo.
6 Take wives and father sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there, and don’t be diminished.
Thathani abafazi lizale amadodana lamadodakazi; dingelani amadodana enu abafazi lendise lamadodakazi enu, ukuze lawo abe lamadodana kanye lamadodakazi; inani lenu lande ngapho; lingehli.
7 Seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to Yahweh for it; for in its peace you will have peace.”
Funani ukuthula lokuphumelela kwedolobho engilise ekuthunjweni kulo. Likhulekeleni kuThixo, ngoba nxa liphumelela lani lizaphumelela.”
8 For Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel says: “Don’t let your prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you. Don’t listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed.
Ye, uThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi, “Lingavumeli ukuthi abaphrofethi labahlahluli abaphakathi kwenu balikhohlise. Lingawalaleli amaphupho elibakhuthaza ukuthi bawaphuphe.
9 For they prophesy falsely to you in my name. I have not sent them,” says Yahweh.
Baphrofetha amanga kini ngebizo lami. Kangibathumanga,” kutsho uThixo.
10 For Yahweh says, “After seventy years are accomplished for Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
UThixo uthi: “Lapho iminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa isiphelile eBhabhiloni, ngizakuza kini ngigcwalise isithembiso sami somusa sokulibuyisela kule indawo.
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says Yahweh, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.
Ngoba ngiyawazi amacebo engilawo ngani,” kutsho uThixo, “amacebo okuliphumelelisa hatshi ukulilimaza, amacebo okulinika ithemba kanye lesikhathi esizayo.
12 You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
Ngalesosikhathi lizangibiza lizekhuleka kimi, njalo ngizalizwa.
13 You shall seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart.
Lizangidinga lingifumane nxa lingidinga ngenhliziyo yenu yonke.
14 I will be found by you,” says Yahweh, “and I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you,” says Yahweh. “I will bring you again to the place from where I caused you to be carried away captive.”
Lizangifumana,” kutsho uThixo, “njalo ngizalibuyisa livela ekuthunjweni. Ngizaliqoqa ezizweni zonke lasezindaweni zonke engalixotshela kuzo,” kutsho uThixo, “njalo ngilibuyise endaweni engalithatha kuyo ngilisa ekuthunjweni.”
15 Because you have said, “Yahweh has raised us up prophets in Babylon,”
Lingatsho lithi, “UThixo usesiphe abaphrofethi eBhabhiloni,”
16 Yahweh says concerning the king who sits on David’s throne, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brothers who haven’t gone with you into captivity,
kodwa uThixo uthi mayelana lenkosi ehlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida labantu bonke abasala kulelidolobho, abantu bakini abangahambanga lani ekuthunjweni,
17 Yahweh of Armies says: “Behold, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like rotten figs that can’t be eaten, they are so bad.
yebo, uThixo uSomandla uthi, “Ngizabathumela inkemba, lendlala lesifo njalo ngizabenza babe njengomkhiwa obolileyo ongeke udliwe.
18 I will pursue after them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth, to be an object of horror, an astonishment, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them,
Ngizaxotshana labo ngenkemba, ngendlala langesifo njalo ngizabenza benyanyeke kuyo yonke imibuso yasemhlabeni njalo babe yinto yokuqalekiswa lokwesatshwa, ukuklolodelwa lokuthukwa, phakathi kwezizwe zonke engibaxotshela kuzo.
19 because they have not listened to my words,” says Yahweh, “with which I sent to them my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but you would not hear,” says Yahweh.
Ngoba kabawalalelanga amazwi ami,” kutsho uThixo, “amazwi engawathumela kubo njalonjalo ngezinceku zami abaphrofethi. Lani abasekuthunjweni kalilalelanga,” kutsho uThixo.
20 Hear therefore Yahweh’s word, all you captives whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.
Ngakho, zwanini ilizwi likaThixo, lonke lina elisekuthunjweni engalisusa eJerusalema ngalisa eBhabhiloni.
21 Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in my name: “Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he will kill them before your eyes.
Mayelana lo-Ahabi indodana kaKholaya loZedekhiya indodana kaMaseya, abaphrofetha amanga kini ngebizo lami, uThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: “Ngizabanikela kuNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni ozababulala phambi kobuso benu.
22 A curse will be taken up about them by all the captives of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, ‘Yahweh make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;’
Ngenxa yabo, bonke abathunjiweyo abavela koJuda abaseBhabhiloni bazasebenzisa isiqalekiso lesi sokuthi: ‘UThixo makenze kini njengalokhu akwenze kuZedekhiya lo-Ahabi, abatshiswa yinkosi yaseBhabhiloni ngomlilo.’
23 because they have done foolish things in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken words in my name falsely, which I didn’t command them. I am he who knows, and am witness,” says Yahweh.
Ngoba benze izinto ezimbi kakhulu ko-Israyeli; bafeba labafazi babomakhelwane babo, baqamba amanga ngebizo lami, engingazange ngithi bakwenze. Ngiyakwazi njalo ngingufakazi kukho,” kutsho uThixo.
24 Concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite you shall speak, saying,
Tshela uShemaya umNehelami uthi,
25 “Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying,
“UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: ‘Wathumela izincwadi ngebizo lakho kubo bonke abantu baseJerusalema, lakuZefaniya indodana kaMaseya umphristi, lakwabanye abaphristi bonke.’ KuZefaniya wathi,
26 “Yahweh has made you priest in the place of Jehoiada the priest, that there may be officers in Yahweh’s house, for every man who is crazy and makes himself a prophet, that you should put him in the stocks and in shackles.
‘UThixo usekubeke ukuba ngumphristi esikhundleni sikaJehoyada ukuba ube ngumphathi wendlu kaThixo; umuntu ohlanyayo ozenza umphrofethi ubomfaka esitokisini umfake lezankosi zentanyeni.
27 Now therefore, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who makes himself a prophet to you,
Pho kungani ungamkhuzanga uJeremiya wase-Anathothi, ozenza umphrofethi phakathi kwenu?
28 because he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, The captivity is long. Build houses, and dwell in them. Plant gardens, and eat their fruit?”’”
Uthumele ilizwi leli kithi eBhabhiloni elithi: Kuzakuba yisikhathi eside. Ngakho yakhani izindlu lihlale phansi; limani izivande lidle izithelo zazo.’”
29 Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet.
Kodwa, uZefaniya umphristi incwadi le wayibalela uJeremiya umphrofethi.
30 Then Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah, saying,
Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kuJeremiya lisithi,
31 “Send to all of the captives, saying, ‘Yahweh says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: “Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, and I didn’t send him, and he has caused you to trust in a lie,”
“Thumela ilizwi leli kubo bonke abathunjiweyo uthi, Mayelana loShemaya umNehelami uThixo uthi: ‘Njengoba uShemaya esephrofitha kini, lanxa mina ngingamthumanga, walenza lakholwa amanga,
32 therefore Yahweh says, “Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his offspring. He will not have a man to dwell among this people. He won’t see the good that I will do to my people,” says Yahweh, “because he has spoken rebellion against Yahweh.”’”
ngeqiniso ngizamjezisa uShemaya umNehelami kanye lenzalo yakhe. Kakuyikuba lowakibo ozasala ekhona phakathi kwalababantu, njalo lezinto ezinhle engizazenzela abantu bami kasoze azibone, kutsho uThixo, ngoba uphrofetha ukungihlamukela.’”
