UJeremiya 19

1 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Hamba uyethenga isiphiso sombumbi esebumba; uthathe ebadaleni babantu lebadaleni babapristi.

Thus said the LORD, “Go, and buy a potter’s earthen container, and take some of the elders of the people and of the elders of the priests;

2 Ubusuphuma uye esihotsheni sendodana kaHinomu esisekungeneni kwesango lodengezi, umemezele khona amazwi engizakutshela wona.

and go out to the valley of the son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the gate Harsith, and proclaim there the words that I will tell you.

3 Uthi: Zwanini ilizwi leNkosi, lina makhosi akoJuda lani bakhileyo beJerusalema: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Khangelani, ngizaletha okubi phezu kwalindawo, okuzakuthi loba ngubani okuzwayo, indlebe zakhe zizakhenceza.

Say, ‘Hear the LORD’s word, kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel says, “Behold, I will bring evil on this place, which whoever hears, his ears will tingle.

4 Ngenxa yokuthi bangidelile, bayenza lindawo yaba ngeyabezizwe, batshisela kiyo impepha kwabanye onkulunkulu, abangabazanga bona laboyise lamakhosi akoJuda; futhi bayigcwalisa lindawo ngegazi labangelacala.

Because they have forsaken me, and have defiled this place, and have burnt incense in it to other gods that they didn’t know—they, their fathers, and the kings of Judah—and have filled this place with the blood of innocents,

5 Futhi bakha izindawo eziphakemeyo zikaBhali, ukutshisa amadodana abo ngomlilo abe ngumnikelo wokutshiswa kuBhali, engingakulayanga, engingakukhulumanga, okungavelanga enhliziyweni yami.

and have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire for burnt offerings to Baal, which I didn’t command, nor speak, which didn’t even enter into my mind.

6 Ngakho khangela, insuku ziyeza, itsho iNkosi, lapho lindawo ingasayikubizwa ngokuthi yiTofethi, loba isiHotsha sendodana kaHinomu, kodwa isiHotsha sokuBulawa.

Therefore, behold, the days come,” says the LORD, “that this place will no more be called ‘Topheth’, nor ‘The Valley of the son of Hinnom’, but ‘The valley of Slaughter’.

7 Njalo ngizachitha icebo lakoJuda leJerusalema kulindawo, ngenze ukuthi bawe ngenkemba phambi kwezitha zabo, langesandla sabazingela impilo zabo; nginike izidumbu zabo zibe yikudla kwenyoni zezulu lokwenyamazana zomhlaba.

“‘“I will make the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem void in this place. I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies, and by the hand of those who seek their life. I will give their dead bodies to be food for the birds of the sky and for the animals of the earth.

8 Ngenze lumuzi ube lunxiwa, lokokuncifelwa; wonke owedlula kuwo uzamangala kakhulu ancife ngenxa yazo zonke inhlupheko zawo.

I will make this city an astonishment and a hissing. Everyone who passes by it will be astonished and hiss because of all its plagues.

9 Njalo ngizabenza badle inyama yamadodana abo lenyama yamadodakazi abo; njalo bazakudla ngulowo inyama kamakhelwane wakhe ekuvinjezelweni lekucindezelweni, ezizabacindezela ngakho izitha zabo labadinga impilo yabo.

I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters. They will each eat the flesh of his friend in the siege and in the distress with which their enemies, and those who seek their life, will distress them.”’

10 Khona uzaphahlaza isiphiso emehlweni amadoda ahamba lawe;

“Then you shall break the container in the sight of the men who go with you,

11 ubususithi kiwo: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Ngokunjalo ngizabaphahlaza lababantu lalumuzi, njengomuntu ephahlaza imbiza yombumbi, engebuye ilungiswe futhi; njalo bazabangcwaba eThofethi, ngoba kungasoze kube lendawo yokungcwaba.

and shall tell them, ‘The LORD of Armies says: “Even so I will break this people and this city as one breaks a potter’s vessel, that can’t be made whole again. They will bury in Topheth until there is no place to bury.

12 Ngizakwenza njalo kulindawo, itsho iNkosi, lakwabakhileyo bayo, ukuthi ngenze lumuzi ube njengeThofethi.

This is what I will do to this place,” says the LORD, “and to its inhabitants, even making this city as Topheth.

13 Njalo izindlu zeJerusalema lezindlu zamakhosi akoJuda zizangcoliswa njengendawo yeThofethi, ngenxa yazo zonke izindlu abatshisela phezu kwempahla zazo impepha kulo lonke ibutho lamazulu, bathululela abanye onkulunkulu iminikelo yokunathwayo.

The houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah, which are defiled, will be as the place of Topheth, even all the houses on whose roofs they have burnt incense to all the army of the sky and have poured out drink offerings to other gods.”’”

14 Khona wabuya uJeremiya evela eTofethi, lapho iNkosi eyayimthume khona ukuprofetha, wasesima egumeni lendlu yeNkosi, wathi ebantwini bonke:

Then Jeremiah came from Topheth, where the LORD had sent him to prophesy, and he stood in the court of the LORD’s house, and said to all the people:

15 Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Khangelani, ngizakwehlisela kulumuzi lakuyo yonke imizana yawo konke okubi engikutshiloyo ngawo, ngoba benze lukhuni intamo yabo, ukuze bangezwa amazwi ami.

“The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel says, ‘Behold, I will bring on this city and on all its towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have made their neck stiff, that they may not hear my words.’”