UJeremiya 35

1 Ilizwi elafika kuJeremiya livela eNkosini ensukwini zikaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda, lisithi:

The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying,

2 Yana endlini yamaRekabi, ukhulume lawo, uwalethe endlini yeNkosi kwelinye lamakamelo, uwanathise iwayini.

“Go to the house of the Rechabites, and speak to them, and bring them into the LORD’s house, into one of the rooms, and give them wine to drink.”

3 Ngasengithatha uJahazaniya, indodana kaJeremiya, indodana kaHabaziniya, labafowabo, lawo wonke amadodana akhe, lendlu yonke yamaRekabi.

Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, with his brothers, all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites;

4 Ngabaletha endlini yeNkosi, ekamelweni lamadodana kaHanani, indodana kaIgidaliya, umuntu kaNkulunkulu, elaliseduze lekamelo leziphathamandla, elalingaphezu kwekamelo likaMahaseya, indodana kaShaluma, umlindimbundu.

and I brought them into the LORD’s house, into the room of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was by the room of the princes, which was above the room of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the threshold.

5 Ngasengibeka phambi kwamadodana endlu yamaRekabi izimbiza ezigcwele iwayini, lezinkezo, ngathi kibo: Nathani iwayini.

I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine, and cups; and I said to them, “Drink wine!”

6 Kodwa bathi: Kasilinathi iwayini, ngoba uJonadabi, indodana kaRekabi, ubaba, wasilaya esithi: Linganathi iwayini, lina labantwana benu, kuze kube nininini.

But they said, “We will drink no wine; for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, ‘You shall drink no wine, neither you nor your children, forever.

7 Njalo lingakhi izindlu, lingahlanyeli inhlanyelo, lingahlanyeli izivini, lingabi lazo; kodwa lihlale emathenteni zonke insuku zenu, ukuze liphile insuku ezinengi ebusweni bomhlaba lapho elihlala khona njengabezizwe.

You shall not build a house, sow seed, plant a vineyard, or have any; but all your days you shall dwell in tents, that you may live many days in the land in which you live as nomads.’

8 Ngakho salilalela ilizwi likaJonadabi, indodana kaRekabi, ubaba, kukho konke asilaya ngakho, ukuthi singanathi iwayini zonke insuku zethu, thina, omkethu, amadodana ethu, lamadodakazi ethu;

We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters;

9 lokuthi singakhi izindlu zokuhlala kwethu; njalo singabi lesivini kumbe insimu kumbe inhlanyelo;

and not to build houses for ourselves to dwell in. We have no vineyard, field, or seed;

10 kodwa sihlala emathenteni, silalele senze njengakho konke uJonadabi ubaba asilaya khona.

but we have lived in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.

11 Kodwa kwathi lapho uNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni esenyukela elizweni, sathi: Wozani siye eJerusalema ngenxa yebutho lamaKhaladiya langenxa yebutho lamaSiriya. Sasesihlala eJerusalema.

But when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, we said, ‘Come! Let’s go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Kasdim, and for fear of the army of the Syrians; so we will dwell at Jerusalem.’”

12 Laselifika ilizwi leNkosi kuJeremiya lisithi:

Then the LORD’s word came to Jeremiah, saying,

13 Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Hamba uthi ebantwini bakoJuda lakwabahlali beJerusalema: Kaliyikwemukela yini ukulaywa ukuthi lilalele amazwi ami? itsho iNkosi.

“The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Will you not receive instruction to listen to my words?” says the LORD.

14 Aqiniswa amazwi kaJonadabi, indodana kaRekabi, awalaya abantwana bakhe ukuthi banganathi iwayini; ngoba kabalinathanga kuze kube lamuhla, ngoba bawulalele umlayo kayise. Lami ngikhulumile kini ngivuke ngovivi ngikhuluma, kodwa kalingilalelanga.

“The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab that he commanded his sons, not to drink wine, are performed; and to this day they drink none, for they obey their father’s commandment; but I have spoken to you, rising up early and speaking, and you have not listened to me.

15 Futhi ngithume kini zonke inceku zami abaprofethi, ngivuka ngovivi ngibathuma, ngisithi: Ake liphenduke, ngulowo lalowo endleleni yakhe embi, lenze izenzo zenu zibe zinhle, lingalandeli abanye onkulunkulu ukuthi libakhonze, ukuze lihlale elizweni engalinika lina laboyihlo. Kodwa kalibekanga indlebe yenu, kalilalelanga kimi.

I have sent also to you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, ‘Every one of you must return now from his evil way, amend your doings, and don’t go after other gods to serve them. Then you will dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers;’ but you have not inclined your ear, nor listened to me.

16 Ngoba amadodana kaJonadabi, indodana kaRekabi, awuqinisile umlayo kayise awalaya wona, kodwa lababantu kabangilaleli,

The sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father which he commanded them, but this people has not listened to me.”’

17 ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Khangelani, ngizakwehlisela phezu kukaJuda laphezu kwabakhileyo bonke beJerusalema bonke ububi engibukhulume ngabo; ngoba ngikhulumile kibo, kodwa kabalalelanga, ngibabizile, kodwa kabaphendulanga.

“Therefore the LORD, the God of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I will bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken to them, but they have not heard; and I have called to them, but they have not answered.’”

18 Lakuyo indlu yamaRekabi uJeremiya wathi: Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Ngenxa yokuthi lilalele umlayo kaJonadabi uyihlo, lagcina yonke imilayo yakhe, lenza njengakho konke alilaya khona,

Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, “The LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according to all that he commanded you,’

19 ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Kakuyikuqunywa muntu kuJonadabi indodana kaRekabi oma phambi kwami insuku zonke.

therefore the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: ‘Jonadab the son of Rechab will not lack a man to stand before me forever.’”