< Jeremiah 46 >

1 Yahweh’s word which came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations.
Ilizwi leNkosi elafika kuJeremiya umprofethi limelene labezizwe;
2 Of Egypt: concerning the army of Pharaoh Necoh king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon struck in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah.
limelene leGibhithe, limelene lebutho likaFaro Neko inkosi yeGibhithe, elalingasemfuleni iYufrathi, eKarikemishi, alitshayayo uNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, ngomnyaka wesine kaJehoyakhimi, indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda:
3 “Prepare the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle!
Hlelani ihawu lesihlangu, lisondele empini.
4 Harness the horses, and get up, you horsemen, and stand up with your helmets. Polish the spears, put on the coats of mail.
Bophelani amabhiza, ligade, bagadi bamabhiza, lizimise lilezingowane, lilole imikhonto, ligqoke amabhatshi ensimbi.
5 Why have I seen it? They are dismayed and are turned backward. Their mighty ones are beaten down, have fled in haste, and don’t look back. Terror is on every side,” says Yahweh.
Ngibaboneleni betshaywa luvalo, bebuyela emuva? Lamaqhawe abo ephulaphuliwe, ayabaleka ngesiqubu, kawanyemukuli emuva; kulokwesaba inhlangothi zonke, itsho iNkosi.
6 “Don’t let the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape. In the north by the river Euphrates they have stumbled and fallen.
Olejubane kangabaleki, leqhawe kalingaphunyuki; bazakhubeka bawele ngenyakatho eceleni komfula iYufrathi.
7 “Who is this who rises up like the Nile, like rivers whose waters surge?
Ngubani lo okhukhumala njengesifula, omanzi aso aqubuka njengomfula?
8 Egypt rises up like the Nile, like rivers whose waters surge. He says, ‘I will rise up. I will cover the earth. I will destroy cities and its inhabitants.’
IGibhithe ikhukhumala njengesifula, lamanzi aqubuka njengemifula; ithi: Ngizakhukhumala, ngiwusibekele umhlaba, ngichithe umuzi labahlala kiwo.
9 Go up, you horses! Rage, you chariots! Let the mighty men go out: Cush and Put, who handle the shield; and the Ludim, who handle and bend the bow.
Yenyukani mabhiza, lihlanye zinqola; kawaphume amaqhawe; amaEthiyophiya, lamaPuti aphatha isihlangu, lamaLudi aphatha anyathela idandili.
10 For that day is of the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge himself of his adversaries. The sword will devour and be satiated, and will drink its fill of their blood; for the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, has a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.
Ngoba lolu lusuku lweNkosi uJehova wamabandla, usuku lwempindiselo, ukuthi iziphindisele ezitheni zayo; lenkemba izakudla, isuthe, idakwe ligazi labo; ngoba iNkosi uJehova wamabandla ilomhlatshelo elizweni lenyakatho ngasemfuleni iYufrathi.
11 Go up into Gilead, and take balm, virgin daughter of Egypt. You use many medicines in vain. There is no healing for you.
Yenyukela eGileyadi, uyethatha ibhalisamu, ntombi emsulwa, ndodakazi yeGibhithe; imithi uyandisela ize, kakulakwelatshwa kuwe.
12 The nations have heard of your shame, and the earth is full of your cry; for the mighty man has stumbled against the mighty, they both fall together.”
Izizwe zizwile ihlazo lakho, lomhlaba ugcwele ukukhala kwakho; ngoba akhubekile, iqhawe limelene leqhawe, womabili awele phansi ndawonye.
13 The word that Yahweh spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, how that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon should come and strike the land of Egypt:
Ilizwi iNkosi eyalikhuluma kuJeremiya umprofethi ngokuza kukaNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni ukutshaya ilizwe leGibhithe:
14 “Declare in Egypt, publish in Migdol, and publish in Memphis and in Tahpanhes; say, ‘Stand up, and prepare, for the sword has devoured around you.’
Memezelani eGibhithe, lizwakalise eMigidoli, lizwakalise eNofi leThahaphanesi, lithi: Zimise, uzilungiselele, ngoba inkemba izakudla inhlangothi zonke zakho.
15 Why are your strong ones swept away? They didn’t stand, because Yahweh pushed them.
Kungani amadoda akho alamandla ekhukhuliwe? Kawemanga ngoba iNkosi iwafuqile.
16 He made many to stumble. Yes, they fell on one another. They said, ‘Arise! Let’s go again to our own people, and to the land of our birth, from the oppressing sword.’
Yandisa abakhubekayo, yebo, omunye wawela phezu komunye; basebesithi: Sukumani, sibuyele ebantwini bakithi, lelizweni lokuzalwa kwethu, sisuke enkembeni ecindezelayo.
17 They cried there, ‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise; he has let the appointed time pass by.’
Bamemeza khona, bathi: UFaro inkosi yeGibhithe ungumsindo; udlulise isikhathi esimisiweyo.
18 “As I live,” says the King, whose name is Yahweh of Armies, “surely like Tabor among the mountains, and like Carmel by the sea, so he will come.
Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi, obizo layo yiNkosi yamabandla: Isibili njengeThabhori phakathi kwezintaba lanjengeKharmeli ngaselwandle uzafika.
19 You daughter who dwells in Egypt, furnish yourself to go into captivity; for Memphis will become a desolation, and will be burned up, without inhabitant.
Zenzele izikhali zokuthunjwa, ndodakazi ehlala eGibhithe; ngoba iNofi izakuba yincithakalo, itshiswe, kungabi lomhlali.
20 “Egypt is a very beautiful heifer; but destruction out of the north has come. It has come.
IGibhithe ilithokazi elihle kakhulu; isibawu siyeza, sivela enyakatho.
21 Also her hired men in the middle of her are like calves of the stall, for they also are turned back. They have fled away together. They didn’t stand, for the day of their calamity has come on them, the time of their visitation.
Labaqhatshiweyo bayo phakathi kwayo banjengethole lesibaya; ngoba labo baphendukile, babaleka kanyekanye; kabemanga, ngoba usuku lokuhlupheka kwabo lubehlele, isikhathi sempindiselo yabo.
22 Its sound will go like the serpent, for they will march with an army, and come against her with axes, as wood cutters.
Ilizwi layo lizahamba njengenyoka; ngoba bazahamba lebutho, beze kuyo belamahloka, njengabagamuli bezihlahla.
23 They will cut down her forest,” says Yahweh, “though it can’t be searched; because they are more than the locusts, and are innumerable.
Bagamule ihlathi layo, itsho iNkosi, lanxa lingephenywe, ngoba banengi okwedlula isikhonyane, kabalakubalwa.
24 The daughter of Egypt will be disappointed; she will be delivered into the hand of the people of the north.”
Indodakazi yamaGibhithe izayangeka, izanikelwa esandleni sabantu benyakatho.
25 Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will punish Amon of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with her gods and her kings, even Pharaoh, and those who trust in him.
INkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ithi: Khangela, ngizajezisa uAmoni weNo, loFaro, leGibhithe, labonkulunkulu bayo, lamakhosi ayo, yebo uFaro labathembela kuye.
26 I will deliver them into the hand of those who seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of his servants. Afterwards it will be inhabited, as in the days of old,” says Yahweh.
Ngibanikele esandleni salabo abadinga impilo yabo, lesandleni sikaNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, lesandleni senceku zakhe; lemva kwalokho ihlalwe njengensukwini zendulo, itsho iNkosi.
27 “But don’t you be afraid, Jacob my servant. Don’t be dismayed, Israel; for, behold, I will save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob will return, and will be quiet and at ease. No one will make him afraid.
Kodwa wena, ungesabi, nceku yami Jakobe, ungatshaywa luvalo, Israyeli, ngoba khangela, ngizakusindisa usekhatshana, lenzalo yakho elizweni lokuthunjwa kwayo; uJakobe uzaphenduka-ke, athule, onwabe, njalo kakho ozamethusa.
28 Don’t be afraid, O Jacob my servant,” says Yahweh, “for I am with you; for I will make a full end of all the nations where I have driven you, but I will not make a full end of you, but I will correct you in measure, and will in no way leave you unpunished.”
Wena, ungesabi, nceku yami Jakobe, itsho iNkosi, ngoba ngilawe; ngoba ngizaqeda ngokupheleleyo zonke izizwe engikuxotshele kuzo, kodwa kangiyikukuqeda ngokupheleleyo, ngikukhuze ngokufaneleyo, kodwa kangiyikukuyekela lokukuyekela ungajeziswanga.

< Jeremiah 46 >