UJeremiya 31
1 Ngalesosikhathi, itsho iNkosi, ngizakuba nguNkulunkulu wensapho zonke zakoIsrayeli; bona-ke bazakuba ngabantu bami.
“At that time,” says the LORD, “I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.”
2 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Abantu babaseleyo benkemba bathola umusa enkangala; ngitsho uIsrayeli, lapho ngisiyamphumuza.
The LORD says, “The people who survive the sword found favour in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.”
3 INkosi yabonakala kimi ikhatshana isithi: Yebo, ngikuthandile ngothando olulaphakade, ngakho-ke ngikudonsile ngothandolomusa.
The LORD appeared of old to me, saying, “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore I have drawn you with loving kindness.
4 Ngizabuya ngikwakhe, wakheke, wena ntombi emsulwa yakoIsrayeli; uzabuya uvunuliswe ngezigujana zakho, uphume phakathi kokugida kwabathokozayo.
I will build you again, and you will be built, O virgin of Israel. You will again be adorned with your tambourines, and will go out in the dances of those who make merry.
5 Uzabuya uhlanyele izivini phezu kwezintaba zeSamariya; abahlanyeli bazahlanyela, badle izithelo.
Again you will plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria. The planters will plant, and will enjoy its fruit.
6 Ngoba kuzakuba khona usuku abazamemeza ngalo abalindi entabeni yakoEfrayimi besithi: Sukumani, senyuke siye eZiyoni, eNkosini uNkulunkulu wethu.
For there will be a day that the watchmen on the hills of Ephraim cry, ‘Arise! Let’s go up to Zion to the LORD our God.’”
7 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi: Mhlabeleleni uJakobe ngentokozo, limemezele phakathi kwenhloko yezizwe; zwakalisani, dumisani, lithi: Nkosi, sindisa abantu bakho, insali yakoIsrayeli.
For the LORD says, “Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout for the chief of the nations. Publish, praise, and say, ‘LORD, save your people, the remnant of Israel!’
8 Khangelani, ngizabaletha bevela elizweni lenyakatho, ngibabuthe emaceleni omhlaba; phakathi kwabo kukhona iziphofu labaqhulayo, abesifazana abakhulelweyo lababelethayo ndawonye; bazabuya lapha belibandla elikhulu.
Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the uttermost parts of the earth, along with the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her who travails with child together. They will return as a great company.
9 Bazabuya belokukhala, ngizabakhokhela belokuncenga; ngizabahambisa emifuleni yamanzi ngendlela eqondileyo, abangayikukhubeka kuyo; ngoba nginguyise kaIsrayeli, loEfrayimi ulizibulo lami.
They will come with weeping. I will lead them with petitions. I will cause them to walk by rivers of waters, in a straight way in which they won’t stumble; for I am a father to Israel. Ephraim is my firstborn.
10 Zwanini ilizwi leNkosi, lina zizwe, lilimemeze ezihlengeni ezikhatshana, lithi: Yena owachitha uIsrayeli uzambutha, amgcine, njengomelusi umhlambi wakhe.
“Hear the LORD’s word, you nations, and declare it in the distant islands. Say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd does his flock.’
11 Ngoba iNkosi imhlengile uJakobe, yamhlawulela emsusa esandleni solamandla kulaye.
For the LORD has ransomed Jacob, and redeemed him from the hand of him who was stronger than he.
12 Ngakho bazakuza bahlabelele ekuphakameni kweZiyoni, bagelezele kokuhle kweNkosi, ngamabele, langewayini elitsha, langamafutha, langamazinyane ezimvu, lenkomo; lomphefumulo wabo ube njengesivande esithelelweyo, kabasayikubuya babe losizi.
They will come and sing in the height of Zion, and will flow to the goodness of the LORD, to the grain, to the new wine, to the oil, and to the young of the flock and of the herd. Their soul will be as a watered garden. They will not sorrow any more at all.
13 Khona intombi izathokoza ekugideni, lamajaha labadala kanyekanye; ngoba ngizaphendula ukulila kwabo kube yintokozo, ngibaduduze, ngibathokozise, bangabi losizi.
Then the virgin will rejoice in the dance, the young men and the old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
14 Njalo ngizasuthisa umphefumulo wabapristi ngamanono, labantu bami bazasuthiswa ngokuhle kwami, itsho iNkosi.
I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and my people will be satisfied with my goodness,” says the LORD.
15 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Ilizwi lezwakala eRama, ukulila, ukukhala inyembezi okubuhlungu kakhulu; uRasheli ekhalela abantwana bakhe, esala ukududuzwa ngabantwana bakhe, ngoba bengasekho.
The LORD says: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children. She refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.”
16 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Bamba ilizwi lakho ekukhaleni, lamehlo akho ezinyembezini; ngoba kulomvuzo womsebenzi wakho, itsho iNkosi, ngoba bazabuya bevela elizweni lesitha.
The LORD says: “Refrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded,” says the LORD. “They will come again from the land of the enemy.
17 Kukhona-ke ithemba enzalweni yakho, itsho iNkosi; ngoba abantwana bakho bazabuyela emngceleni wakibo.
There is hope for your latter end,” says the LORD. “Your children will come again to their own territory.
18 Ngizwile lokuzwa uEfrayimi ezililelaesithi: Ungilayile, njalo ngalaywa njengethole elingathambanga; ngiphenduka, njalo ngizaphendula; ngoba uyiNkosi uNkulunkulu wami.
“I have surely heard Ephraim grieving thus, ‘You have chastised me, and I was chastised, as an untrained calf. Turn me, and I will be turned, for you are the LORD my God.
19 Isibili emva kokuphenduka kwami, ngazisola, lemva kokufundiswa kwami ngatshaya phezu kwethangazi lami; ngaba lenhloni, njalo ngayangeka, ngoba ngathwala ihlazo lobutsha bami.
Surely after that I was turned. I repented. After that I was instructed. I struck my thigh. I was ashamed, yes, even confounded, because I bore the reproach of my youth.’
20 UEfrayimi uyindodana yami eligugu yini, ungumntwana wami othokozisayo yini? Ngoba selokhu ngakhuluma ngimelene laye, ngisamkhumbula ngoqotho; ngenxa yalokho imibilini yami iyakhala ngaye; isibili ngizakuba lesihawu kuye, kutsho iNkosi.
Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a darling child? For as often as I speak against him, I still earnestly remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him. I will surely have mercy on him,” says the LORD.
21 Zibekele izitshengiso zendlela, uzimisele izinsika zeziqondiso, ubeke inhliziyo yakho kumgwaqo omkhulu, indlela owahamba ngayo; phenduka, ntombi emsulwa yakoIsrayeli, uphendukele kule imizi yakini.
“Set up road signs. Make guideposts. Set your heart towards the highway, even the way by which you went. Turn again, virgin of Israel. Turn again to these your cities.
22 Koze kube nini uzulazula, ndodakazi ehlehlela nyovane? Ngoba iNkosi idale into entsha emhlabeni: Owesifazana uzahanqa indoda.
How long will you go here and there, you backsliding daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing in the earth: a woman will encompass a man.”
23 Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Bazabuya batsho lelilizwi elizweni lakoJuda lemizini yakho, lapho ngibuyisela ukuthunjwa kwabo: Kwangathi iNkosi ingakubusisa, khaya lokulunga, ntaba yobungcwele.
The LORD of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “Yet again they will use this speech in the land of Judah and in its cities, when I reverse their captivity: ‘The LORD bless you, habitation of righteousness, mountain of holiness.’
24 Njalo kuzahlala kulo uJuda layo yonke imizi yakhe ndawonye, abalimi labahamba lemihlambi.
Judah and all its cities will dwell therein together, the farmers, and those who go about with flocks.
25 Ngoba ngisuthise umphefumulo okhatheleyo, ngigcwalise wonke umphefumulo ophela amandla.
For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.”
26 Ngasengiphaphama, ngabona; lobuthongo bami babumnandi kimi.
On this I awakened, and saw; and my sleep was sweet to me.
27 Khangela, insuku ziyeza, itsho iNkosi, lapho ngizahlanyela indlu kaIsrayeli lendlu kaJuda ngenhlanyelo yabantu lenhlanyelo yenyamazana.
“Behold, the days come,” says the LORD, “that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of animal.
28 Kuzakuthi-ke njengalokho ngibalindile ukuthi ngisiphune lokuthi ngidilize lokuthi ngichithe lokuthi ngibhubhise lokuthi ngenze okubi, ngokunjalo ngizabalinda ukuze ngakhe ngihlanyele, itsho iNkosi.
It will happen that, like as I have watched over them to pluck up and to break down and to overthrow and to destroy and to afflict, so I will watch over them to build and to plant,” says the LORD.
29 Ngalezonsuku kabasayikuthi: Oyise badlile izithelo zevini ezimunyu, amazinyo abantwana asetshelela.
“In those days they will say no more, “‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’
30 Kodwa ngulowo lalowo uzafela ububi bakhe; wonke umuntu odla izithelo zevini ezimunyu, amazinyo akhe azatshelela.
But everyone will die for his own iniquity. Every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth will be set on edge.
31 Khangela, insuku ziyeza, itsho iNkosi, lapho ngizakwenza isivumelwano esitsha lendlu kaIsrayeli lendlu kaJuda;
“Behold, the days come,” says the LORD, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah,
32 kungeyisikho njengesivumelwano engasenza laboyise mhla ngibamba isandla sabo ukubakhupha elizweni leGibhithe, osivumelwano sami bona abasephulayo, lanxa mina ngangingumyeni wabo, itsho iNkosi.
not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which covenant of mine they broke, although I was a husband to them,” says the LORD.
33 Kodwa yilesi isivumelwano engizasenza lendlu kaIsrayeli emva kwalezonsuku, itsho iNkosi: Ngizafaka umlayo wami emibilini yabo, ngiwubhale enhliziyweni yabo, ngibe nguNkulunkulu wabo, labo babe ngabantu bami.
“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says the LORD: “I will put my law in their inward parts, and I will write it in their heart. I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 Kabasayikufundisa-ke, ngulowo lalowo umakhelwane wakhe, langulowo lalowo umfowabo, esithi: Yazi iNkosi; ngoba bonke bazangazi, kusukela komncinyane wabo kuze kufike komkhulu wabo, itsho iNkosi; ngoba ngizathethelela isiphambeko sabo, lesono sabo kangisayikusikhumbula.
They will no longer each teach his neighbour, and every man teach his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD;’ for they will all know me, from their least to their greatest,” says the LORD, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
35 Itsho njalo iNkosi, enika ilanga libe yikukhanya emini, izimiso zenyanga lezezinkanyezi zibe yikukhanya ebusuku, enyakazisa ulwandle ukuze amagagasi alo ahlokome; iNkosi yamabandla libizo layo.
The LORD, who gives the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who stirs up the sea, so that its waves roar— the LORD of Armies is his name, says:
36 Uba lezozimiso zingasuka phambi kwami, itsho iNkosi, inzalo yakoIsrayeli layo izaphela ekubeni yisizwe phambi kwami zonke insuku.
“If these ordinances depart from before me,” says the LORD, “then the offspring of Israel also will cease from being a nation before me forever.”
37 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Uba engalinganiswa amazulu phezulu, zihlolwe izisekelo zomhlaba phansi, lami ngizayala yonke inzalo yakoIsrayeli ngenxa yakho konke abakwenzileyo, itsho iNkosi.
The LORD says: “If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done,” says the LORD.
38 Khangela, insuku ziyeza, itsho iNkosi, lapho umuzi uzakwakhelwa iNkosi, kusukela emphotshongweni kaHananeli kuze kufike esangweni leNgonsi.
“Behold, the days come,” says the LORD, “that the city will be built to the LORD from the tower of Hananel to the gate of the corner.
39 Lentambo yokulinganisa isezaphuma maqondana layo kuze kube soqaqeni lweGarebi, iphendukele ngaseGowa.
The measuring line will go out further straight onward to the hill Gareb, and will turn towards Goah.
40 Lesihotsha sonke sezidumbu lesomlotha, lawo wonke amasimu kuze kufike esifuleni seKidroni, kuze kufike engonsini yeSango lamabhiza ngempumalanga, kuzakuba yibungcwele beNkosi. Kakuyikusitshunwa kakusayikudilizwa kuze kube nininini.
The whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields to the brook Kidron, to the corner of the horse gate towards the east, will be holy to the LORD. It will not be plucked up or thrown down any more forever.”
