Jeremiah 22
1 This is what the Lord says: Go to the palace of the king of Judah and give this message.
Itsho njalo iNkosi: Yehlela endlini yenkosi yakoJuda, ukhulume khona lelilizwi,
2 Tell them: Listen to what the Lord has to say to you, king of Judah, sitting on the throne of David, you and your officials and the people here with you.
uthi: Zwana ilizwi leNkosi, wena nkosi yakoJuda, ohlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida, wena, lezinceku zakho, labantu bakho abangena ngalamasango.
3 This is what the Lord says: Do what is fair and right. Protect those who are being unjustly treated by corrupt people. Don't do anything wrong to foreigners, orphans, or the widows. Don't use violence against them. Don't kill innocent people.
Itsho njalo iNkosi: Yenzani isahlulelo lokulunga, lophule ophangiweyo esandleni somcindezeli; lingacindezeli, lingenzi udlakela kowezizwe, izintandane, lomfelokazi, njalo lingachithi igazi elingelacala kulindawo.
4 If you will honestly do what I tell you, then kings who sit on David's throne will ride on chariots and horses with their officials through the gates of this palace. They'll be accompanied by the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem.
Ngoba uba lisenza linto isibili, khona kuzangena ngamasango alindlu amakhosi ahlalela uDavida esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, egade izinqola lamabhiza, yona lenceku zayo labantu bayo.
5 But if you refuse to obey what I say, then I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that this palace will be turned into rubble.
Kodwa uba lingawalaleli lamazwi, ngiyafunga ngami, kutsho iNkosi, ukuthi lindlu izakuba lunxiwa.
6 This is what the Lord says about the royal family of the king of Judah: You are as dear to me as the forests on Gilead and on the mountains of Lebanon. But I will turn you into a desert, into towns where no one lives.
Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi mayelana lendlu yenkosi yakoJuda: UyiGileyadi kimi, inhloko yeLebhanoni; isibili ngizakwenza inkangala, imizi engahlalwayo.
7 I will choose men to come and destroy you, each with their own ax. They will chop down your fine cedars and throw them in the fire.
Ngizakulungisela abachithi, ngulowo elezikhali zakhe; njalo bazagamula ikhethelo lemisedari yakho, bayiphosele emlilweni.
8 Foreigners from many nations will pass by this city and ask each another, “Why has the Lord done such terrible things to this great city?”
Lezizwe ezinengi zizadlula kulumuzi, zithi, ngulowo kumakhelwane wakhe: INkosi yenzeleni kanje kulumuzi omkhulu?
9 People will answer, “Because they broke the agreement of the Lord their God. They went and worshiped other gods.”
Khona bazakuthi: Ngenxa yokuthi basidelile isivumelwano seNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo, bakhonza abanye onkulunkulu, babasebenzela.
10 Don't weep over the king that died. Don't mourn for him. Instead weep for the king who is exiled, who will never return, who will never see his homeland again.
Lingamkhaleli ofileyo, lingamlileli; khalelani kakhulu ohambileyo, ngoba kasayikubuya kumbe abone ilizwe lokuzalwa kwakhe.
11 This is what the Lord says about Jehoahaz of Josiah, king of Judah. He succeeded his father Josiah but was taken away. He will never return.
Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi mayelana loShaluma indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakoJuda, owabusa esikhundleni sikaJosiya uyise, owaphuma kulindawo: Kasayikubuya lapha;
12 He will die in exile; he will never see this country again.
kodwa uzafela endaweni abamthumbele kuyo, kasayikulibona lelilizwe.
13 Trouble is coming to Jehoiakim because he mistreats others in building his palace, by dealing unfairly with those constructing the upper floors. He makes his own people work for nothing—he doesn't pay them any wages.
Maye kowakha indlu yakhe ngokungalungi, lamakamelo akhe aphezulu ngokungaqondanga, osebenzisa umakhelwane wakhe ngeze, angamniki umvuzo wakhe;
14 He says to himself, “I'm going to build myself a great palace, with large upper rooms.” He has windows inserted, puts in cedar panels, and paints it bright red with vermilion.
othi: Ngizazakhela indlu enkulu lamakamelo aphezulu abanzi; azisikele amawindi, yembeswe ngemisedari, iconjwe ngokubomvu.
15 Does it make you a king just because you have more cedar than anyone else? Your father had food and drink, didn't he? He ruled fairly and honestly, and he had a good life because of this.
Uzabusa yini, ngoba utshisekela ulaka ugqoke imisedari? Uyihlo kadlanga yini wanatha, wenza isahlulelo lokulunga, kwasekusiba kuhle kuye?
16 He defended the poor and those in need, and so things went well. Isn't this what knowing me really means? declares the Lord.
Wehlulela udaba lomyanga loswelayo; khona kwaba kuhle. Lokhu kakusikungazi yini? itsho iNkosi.
17 But all you're looking for, all you think about, is getting whatever you want, however dishonestly. You kill the innocent, you violently mistreat and exploit your people.
Kodwa amehlo akho lenhliziyo yakho kakukho kokunye ngaphandle kwemhawini wakho, lekuchitheni igazi elingelacala, lencindezelweni, lekwenzeni udlakela.
18 So this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah: They won't mourn for him, saying: “How sad, my brother! How sad my sister!” They won't mourn for him, saying: “How sad, my lord! How sad, his majesty!”
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!
19 His burial will be that of a donkey. He'll be dragged off and thrown away outside the gates of Jerusalem.
Uzangcwatshwa ngokungcwatshwa kukababhemi, ehudulwa alahlwe ngaphandle kwamasango eJerusalema.
20 Go to Lebanon and cry for help! Shout in Bashan! Scream from Abarim! For all your lovers have been destroyed.
Yenyukela eLebhanoni, umemeze, uphakamise ilizwi lakho eBashani, umemeze useAbarimi, ngoba zonke izithandwa zakho zibhujisiwe.
21 I warned you when you thought you were safe and sound. But you replied, “I'm not going to listen!” That's been your attitude since you were young—you never did what I told you.
Ngakhuluma lawe ekonwabeni kwakho, kodwa wathi: Kangiyikulalela. Lokhu bekuyindlela yakho kusukela ebutsheni bakho, ukuthi ungalilaleli ilizwi lami.
22 The wind will blow away all your “shepherds,” and your lovers will go into exile. Then you will be shamed and disgraced because of all the evil things you've done.
Umoya uzakudla bonke abelusi bakho, lezithandwa zakho zizakuya ekuthunjweni; isibili khona uzakuba lenhloni, uyangeke, ngenxa yobubi bakho bonke.
23 You who live in “Lebanon” in your cedar nest, how much you're going to groan when agonizing pains hit you like a woman in labor.
Wena ohlala eLebhanoni, owakhe isidleke phakathi kwemisedari, uzahawukelwa kangakanani ekuzeni kwenhlungu kuwe, ubuhlungu obunjengobowesifazana ohelelwayo.
24 The Lord said to Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah: As I live, declares the Lord, even if you were a signet ring on a finger of my right hand, I would pull you off.
Kuphila kwami, itsho iNkosi, loba uKoniya indodana kaJehoyakhimi, inkosi yakoJuda, ebeyindandatho elophawu esandleni sami sokunene, kanti bengizakuhluthula kuso,
25 I'm going to hand you over to those who terrify you and who want to kill you, to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and the Babylonians.
ngikunikele esandleni sabadinga impilo yakho, lesandleni salabo owesaba ubuso babo, ngitsho esandleni sikaNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, lesandleni samaKhaladiya,
26 I'm going to throw you out—you and the mother who gave birth to you—sending you to another country. Neither of you were born there, but both of you will die there.
ngikuphosele phandle kanye lonyoko owakubelethayo, liye kwelinye ilizwe, elingazalelwanga kulo; njalo lizafela khona.
27 You won't ever return to the country you love so much.
Kodwa elizweni abaphakamisa umphefumulo wabo ukubuyela kulo, kabayikubuyela kulo.
28 Who is this man Jehoiachin? A broken pot that's been thrown away, something nobody wants? Why has he and his children been thrown out, exiled in an unfamiliar country?
Lumuntu uKoniya uyisithombe esidelelekayo lesiphahlazekileyo yini? Uyisitsha okungelantokozo kuso yini? Baphoselwani phandle, yena lenzalo yakhe, yebo, bephoselwa elizweni abangalaziyo?
29 My country, my country, my country! Listen to what the Lord has to say!
Lizwe, lizwe, lizwe, zwana ilizwi leNkosi.
30 This is what the Lord says: Put this man down as having no children. He's a man who won't ever be successful in his whole life. None of his children will ever be successful either. None of them will sit on David's throne or be king in Judah.
Itsho njalo iNkosi: Bhalani lumuntu ukuthi kalabantwana, umuntu ongayikuphumelela ensukwini zakhe; ngoba kakulamuntu enzalweni yakhe ozaphumelela, ohlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida, esabusa koJuda.
