UJeremiya 37
1 Inkosi uZedekhiya indodana kaJosiya wabusa-ke esikhundleni sikaKoniya indodana kaJehoyakhimi, uNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni ambeka abe yinkosi elizweni lakoJuda.
Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned as king instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.
2 Kodwa kawalalelanga, yena lenceku zakhe labantu belizwe, amazwi eNkosi eyayiwakhulume ngesandla sikaJeremiya umprofethi.
But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, listened to the LORD’s words, which he spoke by the prophet Jeremiah.
3 Inkosi uZedekhiya yasithuma uJehukali indodana kaShelemiya loZefaniya indodana kaMahaseya umpristi kuJeremiya umprofethi, isithi: Ake usikhulekele eNkosini uNkulunkulu wethu.
Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “Pray now to the LORD our God for us.”
4 UJeremiya wangena-ke waphuma phakathi kwabantu, ngoba babengakamfaki entolongweni.
Now Jeremiah came in and went out amongst the people, for they had not put him into prison.
5 Ibutho likaFaro laliphumile-ke eGibhithe; kwathi amaKhaladiya ayevimbezela iJerusalema esizwa amahungahunga ngabo, enyuka asuka eJerusalema.
Pharaoh’s army had come out of Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who were besieging Jerusalem heard news of them, they withdrew from Jerusalem.
6 Laselifika ilizwi leNkosi kuJeremiya umprofethi lisithi:
Then the LORD’s word came to the prophet Jeremiah, saying,
7 Itsho njalo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Lizakutsho njalo enkosini yakoJuda elithume kimi ukungibuza: Khangela, ibutho likaFaro eliphumele ukulisiza lizabuyela elizweni lalo, iGibhithe.
“The LORD, the God of Israel, says, ‘You shall tell the king of Judah, who sent you to me to enquire of me: “Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which has come out to help you, will return to Egypt into their own land.
8 AmaKhaladiya azabuya futhi, alwe emelene lalumuzi, awuthumbe, awutshise ngomlilo.
The Chaldeans will come again, and fight against this city. They will take it and burn it with fire.”’
9 Itsho njalo iNkosi: Lingakhohlisi imiphefumulo yenu lisithi: AmaKhaladiya isibili azasuka kithi; ngoba kawayikusuka.
“The LORD says, ‘Don’t deceive yourselves, saying, “The Chaldeans will surely depart from us;” for they will not depart.
10 Ngoba loba lilitshaya ibutho lonke lamaKhaladiya alwa emelene lani, kusale amadoda agwaziweyo phakathi kwabo, azasukuma, yileyo laleyo ethenteni layo, awutshise lumuzi ngomlilo.
For though you had struck the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and only wounded men remained amongst them, they would each rise up in his tent and burn this city with fire.’”
11 Kwasekusithi ibutho lamaKhaladiya selenyukile lisuka eJerusalema ngenxa yebutho likaFaro,
When the army of the Chaldeans had withdrawn from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh’s army,
12 uJeremiya waphuma eJerusalema ukuya elizweni lakoBhenjamini ukuthi amonyuke phakathi kwabantu.
then Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to receive his portion there, in the middle of the people.
13 Kwasekusithi esesesangweni lakoBhenjamini, kwakukhona lapho induna yabalindi obizo layo lalinguIrija, indodana kaShelemiya, indodana kaHananiya; yasimbamba uJeremiya umprofethi, isithi: Uhlubukela kumaKhaladiya.
When he was in Benjamin’s gate, a captain of the guard was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he seized Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “You are defecting to the Chaldeans!”
14 UJeremiya wasesithi: Ngamanga; kangihlubukeli kumaKhaladiya. Kodwa kamlalelanga; ngokunjalo uIriya wambamba uJeremiya, wamletha kuziphathamandla.
Then Jeremiah said, “That is false! I am not defecting to the Chaldeans.” But he didn’t listen to him; so Irijah seized Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes.
15 Iziphathamandla zasezithukuthela ngoJeremiya, zamtshaya, zamfaka entolongweni, endlini kaJonathani umbhali, ngoba zaziyenze yaba yintolongo.
The princes were angry with Jeremiah, and struck him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the prison.
16 UJeremiya esengene endlini yomgodi lezitokisini, uJeremiya esehlale khona insuku ezinengi,
When Jeremiah had come into the dungeon house and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days,
17 inkosi uZedekhiya yasithuma, yamthatha; inkosi yasimbuza endlini yayo ensitha yathi: Likhona yini ilizwi elivela eNkosini? UJeremiya wasesithi: Likhona. Wathi: Uzanikelwa esandleni senkosi yeBhabhiloni.
then Zedekiah the king sent and had him brought out. The king asked him secretly in his house, “Is there any word from the LORD?” Jeremiah said, “There is.” He also said, “You will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.”
18 UJeremiya wathi futhi enkosini uZedekhiya: Ngoneni kuwe lezincekwini zakho lakulababantu ukuthi lingifake entolongweni?
Moreover Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “How have I sinned against you, against your servants, or against this people, that you have put me in prison?
19 Bangaphi khathesi abaprofethi benu abaprofetha kini besithi: Inkosi yeBhabhiloni kayiyikufika imelane lani kumbe imelane lalelilizwe?
Now where are your prophets who prophesied to you, saying, ‘The king of Babylon will not come against you, nor against this land’?
20 Khathesi-ke, ake uzwe, nkosi yami, nkosi, kakuthi ukuncenga kwami kuwe phambi kwakho, ungangibuyiseli endlini kaJonathani umbhali, hlezi ngifele khona.
Now please hear, my lord the king: please let my supplication be presented before you, that you not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.”
21 Ngakho inkosi uZedekhiya yalaya ukuthi bamfake uJeremiya egumeni lentolongo, lokuthi anikwe isinkwa sibe sinye ngosuku esivela esitaladini sabaphekizinkwa, size siphele sonke isinkwa emzini. Ngokunjalo uJeremiya wahlala egumeni lentolongo.
Then Zedekiah the king commanded, and they committed Jeremiah into the court of the guard. They gave him daily a loaf of bread out of the bakers’ street, until all the bread in the city was gone. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.
