UJeremiya 22
1 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Yehlela endlini yenkosi yakoJuda, ukhulume khona lelilizwi,
This is what Yahweh says, “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and proclaim this word there.
2 uthi: Zwana ilizwi leNkosi, wena nkosi yakoJuda, ohlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida, wena, lezinceku zakho, labantu bakho abangena ngalamasango.
Say, 'King of Judah, listen to the word of Yahweh—you who sit on David's throne—you, and your servants, and your people who come through these gates.
3 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Yenzani isahlulelo lokulunga, lophule ophangiweyo esandleni somcindezeli; lingacindezeli, lingenzi udlakela kowezizwe, izintandane, lomfelokazi, njalo lingachithi igazi elingelacala kulindawo.
Yahweh says this, “Perform justice and righteousness, and anyone who has been robbed—rescue him from the hand of the oppressor. Do not mistreat any foreigner in your land, or any orphan or widow. Do not commit violence or pour out innocent blood in this place.
4 Ngoba uba lisenza linto isibili, khona kuzangena ngamasango alindlu amakhosi ahlalela uDavida esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, egade izinqola lamabhiza, yona lenceku zayo labantu bayo.
For if you truly do these things, then kings sitting on David's throne will enter the gates of this house riding in a chariot and on horses, he, his servants, and his people!
5 Kodwa uba lingawalaleli lamazwi, ngiyafunga ngami, kutsho iNkosi, ukuthi lindlu izakuba lunxiwa.
But if you do not listen to these words from me that I have announced—this is Yahweh's declaration—then this royal house will become a ruin.”'
6 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi mayelana lendlu yenkosi yakoJuda: UyiGileyadi kimi, inhloko yeLebhanoni; isibili ngizakwenza inkangala, imizi engahlalwayo.
For Yahweh says this concerning the house of the king of Judah, 'You are like Gilead, or like the summit of Lebanon to me. Yet I will turn you into a wilderness, into cities with no inhabitants.
7 Ngizakulungisela abachithi, ngulowo elezikhali zakhe; njalo bazagamula ikhethelo lemisedari yakho, bayiphosele emlilweni.
For I have designated destroyers to come against you! Men with their weapons will cut off the best of your cedars and let them fall into the fire.
8 Lezizwe ezinengi zizadlula kulumuzi, zithi, ngulowo kumakhelwane wakhe: INkosi yenzeleni kanje kulumuzi omkhulu?
Then many nations will pass by this city. Each person will say to the next, “Why has Yahweh acted in this way toward this great city?”
9 Khona bazakuthi: Ngenxa yokuthi basidelile isivumelwano seNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo, bakhonza abanye onkulunkulu, babasebenzela.
Then the other will answer, “Because they abandoned the covenant of Yahweh their God and bowed down to other gods and worshiped them.”
10 Lingamkhaleli ofileyo, lingamlileli; khalelani kakhulu ohambileyo, ngoba kasayikubuya kumbe abone ilizwe lokuzalwa kwakhe.
Do not weep for the one who is dead or mourn for him; but weep bitterly for him who is about to go away, because he will never return and see his native land again.'
11 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi mayelana loShaluma indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda, owabusa esikhundleni sikaJosiya uyise, owaphuma kulindawo: Kasayikubuya lapha;
For Yahweh says this about Jehoahaz son of Josiah king of Judah, who served as king instead of Josiah his father, 'He has gone from this place and will not come back.
12 kodwa uzafela endaweni abamthumbele kuyo, kasayikulibona lelilizwe.
He will die there in the place to where they have exiled him, and he will never again see this land.'
13 Maye kowakha indlu yakhe ngokungalungi, lamakamelo akhe aphezulu ngokungaqondanga, osebenzisa umakhelwane wakhe ngeze, angamniki umvuzo wakhe;
Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, who makes his neighbor work for him for nothing, and he does not give him his wages;
14 othi: Ngizazakhela indlu enkulu lamakamelo aphezulu abanzi; azisikele amawindi, yembeswe ngemisedari, iconjwe ngokubomvu.
he says, 'I will build for myself a large house with spacious upper rooms.' So he cuts out large windows for it, and he panels it with cedar, and he paints it red.
15 Uzabusa yini, ngoba utshisekela ulaka ugqoke imisedari? Uyihlo kadlanga yini wanatha, wenza isahlulelo lokulunga, kwasekusiba kuhle kuye?
Is this what makes you a good king, that you wanted to have boards of cedar? Did not your father also eat and drink, yet do justice and righteousness? Then things went well for him.
16 Wehlulela udaba lomyanga loswelayo; khona kwaba kuhle. Lokhu kakusikungazi yini? itsho iNkosi.
He judged in favor of the poor and needy. It was good then. Is this not what it means to know me?—this is Yahweh's declaration.
17 Kodwa amehlo akho lenhliziyo yakho kakukho kokunye ngaphandle kwemhawini wakho, lekuchitheni igazi elingelacala, lencindezelweni, lekwenzeni udlakela.
But there is nothing in your eyes and heart except worry for your unjust profit and for pouring out innocent blood, for producing oppression and crushing of others.
18 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi mayelana loJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda: Kabayikumkhalela besithi: Hawu mfowethu! kumbe: Hawu dadewethu! Kabayikumkhalela besithi: Hawu nkosi! loba: Hawu, bukhosi bakhe!
Therefore this is what Yahweh says about Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah: They will not lament for him, saying, 'Woe, my brother!' or 'Woe, my sister!' They will not lament for him, saying, 'Woe, master!' or 'Woe, majesty!'
19 Uzangcwatshwa ngokungcwatshwa kukababhemi, ehudulwa alahlwe ngaphandle kwamasango eJerusalema.
He will be buried with a donkey's burial, dragged away and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.
20 Yenyukela eLebhanoni, umemeze, uphakamise ilizwi lakho eBashani, umemeze useAbarimi, ngoba zonke izithandwa zakho zibhujisiwe.
Go up Lebanon's mountains and shout. Lift your voice in Bashan. Shout from the Abarim mountains, for all of your friends will be destroyed.
21 Ngakhuluma lawe ekonwabeni kwakho, kodwa wathi: Kangiyikulalela. Lokhu bekuyindlela yakho kusukela ebutsheni bakho, ukuthi ungalilaleli ilizwi lami.
I spoke to you when you were safe, but you said, 'I will not listen.' This was your custom since your youth, for you have not listened to my voice.
22 Umoya uzakudla bonke abelusi bakho, lezithandwa zakho zizakuya ekuthunjweni; isibili khona uzakuba lenhloni, uyangeke, ngenxa yobubi bakho bonke.
The wind will shepherd away all your shepherds, and your friends will go into captivity. Then you will certainly be ashamed and humiliated by all of your evil deeds.
23 Wena ohlala eLebhanoni, owakhe isidleke phakathi kwemisedari, uzahawukelwa kangakanani ekuzeni kwenhlungu kuwe, ubuhlungu obunjengobowesifazana ohelelwayo.
You who live in 'Lebanon,' who is nestled in cedar buildings, how you will be pitied when the labor pains come upon you, pain like that of a woman in labor!”
24 Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi, loba uKoniya indodana kaJehoyakhimi, inkosi yakoJuda, ebeyindandatho elophawu esandleni sami sokunene, kanti bengizakuhluthula kuso,
“As I live—this is Yahweh's declaration—even if you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet on my right hand, I would tear you off.
25 ngikunikele esandleni sabadinga impilo yakho, lesandleni salabo owesaba ubuso babo, ngitsho esandleni sikaNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, lesandleni samaKhaladiya,
For I have given you to the hand of the ones seeking your life and to the hand of those before whom you are afraid, even to the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Chaldeans.
26 ngikuphosele phandle kanye lonyoko owakubelethayo, liye kwelinye ilizwe, elingazalelwanga kulo; njalo lizafela khona.
I will throw you and your mother who bore you into another land, a country where you were not born, and there you will die.
27 Kodwa elizweni abaphakamisa umphefumulo wabo ukubuyela kulo, kabayikubuyela kulo.
About this land to which they will want to return, they will not come back here.
28 Lumuntu uKoniya uyisithombe esidelelekayo lesiphahlazekileyo yini? Uyisitsha okungelantokozo kuso yini? Baphoselwani phandle, yena lenzalo yakhe, yebo, bephoselwa elizweni abangalaziyo?
Is this a despised and shattered vessel? Is this man Jehoiachin a pot that pleases no one? Why have they thrown him and his descendants out, and have poured them out into a land that they did not know?
29 Lizwe, lizwe, lizwe, zwana ilizwi leNkosi.
Land, Land, Land! Hear the word of Yahweh!
30 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Bhalani lumuntu ukuthi kalabantwana, umuntu ongayikuphumelela ensukwini zakhe; ngoba kakulamuntu enzalweni yakhe ozaphumelela, ohlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida, esabusa koJuda.
Yahweh says this, 'Write about this man Jehoiachin: He will be childless. He will not prosper during his days, and no one among his descendants will achieve success or ever again sit on David's throne and rule over Judah.'”
