UJeremiya 10
1 Zwanini ilizwi iNkosi elikhuluma kini, lina ndlu kaIsrayeli.
Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
2 Itsho njalo INkosi: Lingafundi indlela yabahedeni, lingatshaywa luvalo ngezibonakaliso zamazulu, ngenxa yokuthi abahedeni bayazesaba.
Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
3 Ngoba imikhuba yabantu iyize; ngoba kuganyulwa isihlahla ehlathini, umsebenzi wezandla zengcitshi, ngehloka.
For the customs of the people [are] vain: for [one] cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4 Basicecisa ngesiliva langegolide, basiqinisa ngezipikili langezando, ukuze singazamazami.
They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
5 Zinjengesihlahla selala somsebenzi obaziweyo, kodwa kazikhulumi; kusweleka zithwalwe, ngoba zingehambe; lingazesabi, ngoba zingelakwenza okubi, futhi kakukho ukwenza okuhle kuzo.
They [are] upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also [is it] in them to do good.
6 Njengoba kungekho onjengawe, Nkosi; umkhulu, lebizo lakho likhulu ngobuqhawe.
Forasmuch as [there is] none like unto thee, O LORD; thou [art] great, and thy name [is] great in might.
7 Ngubani ongekwesabe, wena Nkosi yezizwe? ngoba kukufanele. Ngoba phakathi kwabo bonke abahlakaniphileyo bezizwe, lakuyo yonke imibuso yabo, kakho onjengawe.
Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise [men] of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, [there is] none like unto thee.
8 Kodwa kanyekanye banjengezinyamazana bayiziphukuphuku; isigodo siyimfundiso sokuyize.
But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock [is] a doctrine of vanities.
9 Isiliva esikhandiweyo silethwa sivela eTarshishi, legolide livela eUfazi, umsebenzi wengcitshi, lowezandla zomkhandi wegolide; ziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka lokuyibubende izigqoko zabo; konke kungumsebenzi wabahlakaniphileyo.
Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple [is] their clothing: they [are] all the work of cunning [men].
10 Kodwa iNkosi inguNkulunkulu weqiniso, inguNkulunkulu ophilayo lenkosi yaphakade. Ekuthukutheleni kwayo umhlaba uyazamazama, lezizwe kazilakulumela ulaka lwayo.
But the LORD [is] the true God, he [is] the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.
11 Lizakutsho njalo kubo: Onkulunkulu abangenzanga amazulu lomhlaba bazabhubha basuke emhlabeni langaphansi kwala amazulu.
Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, [even] they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens.
12 Owenza umhlaba ngamandla akhe, wamisa ilizwe ngenhlakanipho yakhe, langokuqedisisa kwakhe wendlala amazulu.
He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.
13 Lapho ekhupha ilizwi, kulenhlokomo yamanzi emazulwini; wenza inkungu yenyuke emkhawulweni womhlaba, wenza imibane lezulu, akhuphe umoya eziphaleni zakhe.
When he uttereth his voice, [there is] a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures.
14 Wonke umuntu unjengenyamazana elwazini; wonke umkhandi wegolide uyangiswa yisithombe esibaziweyo; ngoba isithombe sakhe esibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa siyinkohliso, njalo kakulamphefumulo kuzo.
Every man is brutish in [his] knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image [is] falsehood, and [there is] no breath in them.
15 Ziyize, umsebenzi wezinkohliso; ngesikhathi sempindiselo yazo zizabhubha.
They [are] vanity, [and] the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish.
16 Isabelo sikaJakobe kasinjengazo, ngoba ungumbumbi wakho konke, loIsrayeli uyintonga yelifa lakhe; iNkosi yamabandla libizo layo.
The portion of Jacob [is] not like them: for he [is] the former of all [things; ] and Israel [is] the rod of his inheritance: The LORD of hosts [is] his name.
17 Qoqa impahla yakho uyikhuphe elizweni, wena mhlalikazi wenqaba.
Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress.
18 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela, ngizabajikijela ngaphandle abahlali belizwe ngalesisikhathi, ngibacindezele ukuze bakuthole.
For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this once, and will distress them, that they may find [it so].
19 Maye kimi ngenxa yokwephuka kwami! Inxeba lami linzima; kodwa mina ngathi: Isibili lokhu yinhlupheko yami engizayithwala.
Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this [is] a grief, and I must bear it.
20 Ithente lami lidiliziwe, lentambo zami zonke ziqamukile; abantwana bami basukile kimi, njalo kabakho; kakho ongelula ithente lami futhi, amise amakhetheni ami.
My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they [are] not: [there is] none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.
21 Ngoba abelusi sebenjengenyamazana, kabadinganga iNkosi; ngakho-ke kabaphumelelanga, lomhlambi wabo wonke uhlakazekile.
For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.
22 Khangela, umsindo wombiko ufikile, lokuzamazama okukhulu okuvela elizweni lenyakatho, okuzakwenza imizi yakoJuda ibe lunxiwa, indawo yokuhlala yemigobho.
Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, [and] a den of dragons.
23 Nkosi, ngiyazi ukuthi indlela yomuntu kayikho kuye; kakukho emuntwini ohambayo ukuthi aqondise ukunyathela kwakhe.
O LORD, I know that the way of man [is] not in himself: [it is] not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
24 Nkosi, ngilaya, kodwa ngesahlulelo, hatshi olakeni lwakho, hlezi unginciphise.
O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.
25 Thululela ulaka lwakho phezu kwabahedeni abangakwaziyo, laphezu kwensendo ezingabizi ibizo lakho; ngoba bamdlile uJakobe, bamginya, bamqeda, bachitha indawo yakhe yokuhlala.
Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name: for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him, and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.
