Jeremiah 42
1 Then all the army commanders, together with Johanan son of Kareah, Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and everyone from the least to the most important came to
Zonke izikhulu zebutho, kanye loJohanani indodana kaKhareya loJezaniya indodana kaHoshayiya, labantu bonke kusukela komncane kusiya komkhulu baya
2 Jeremiah the prophet and said, “Please listen to our request.
kuJeremiya umphrofethi bathi kuye, “Ake uzwe isicelo sethu ubakhulekele bonke laba abaseleyo kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakho. Ngoba njengoba lawe uzibonela khathesi, lanxa sake saba banengi khathesi kusele abalutshwana kuphela.
3 Pray to the Lord your God for all of us. As you can see there's only a few of us left compared to how many there were before. In your prayer please ask the Lord your God to tell where to go and what to do.”
Khuleka ukuba uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho asitshele lapho okumele siye khona lalokho okumele sikwenze.”
4 “I'll do as you ask,” Jeremiah replied. “I will definitely pray to the Lord your God as you've requested, and I'll tell you everything he says. I won't keep anything back from you.”
UJeremiya umphrofethi waphendula wathi, “Ngizwile. Ngizakhuleka impela kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu njengoba licelile; ngizalitshela konke uThixo akutshoyo ngingalifihleli lutho.”
5 Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true and faithful witness against us if we don't do everything that the Lord your God tells you we should.
Basebesithi kuJeremiya, “UThixo kabe ngufakazi wethu oqotho lothembekileyo nxa singenzi okuvumelana lakho konke uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho akuthuma ukuba usitshele khona.
6 Good or bad, we will obey what the Lord our God says, the one we're asking you to speak to. That way everything will go well with us, because we will be obeying what the Lord our God says.”
Lanxa kukuhle kumbe kukubi sizamlalela uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu esikuthuma kuye, ukuze kusilungele, ngoba sizamlalela uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.”
7 Ten days later a message from the Lord came to Jeremiah.
Emva kwensuku ezilitshumi ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuJeremiya.
8 He summoned Johanan, all the army commanders, and everyone from the least to the most important.
Ngakho wabiza uJohanani indodana kaKhareya lezikhulu zonke zebutho ezazilaye kanye labantu bonke kusukela komncane kusiya komkhulu.
9 Jeremiah told them, This what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to those of who you sent to me to present your request:
Wathi kubo, “UThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, elingithume ukuba ngiyekwethula isicelo senu kuye, uthi:
10 If you will stay right here in this country, then I will build you up and I won't tear you down; I will plant you and I won't uproot you; because I'm very sad about the disaster I have brought down on you.
‘Lingahlala kulelilizwe ngizalakha, ngingalibhidlizi, ngizalihlanyela ngingalisiphuni, ngoba ngilusizi ngomonakalo engawenza kini.
11 I know you fear the king of Babylon, but you don't need to be afraid of him, declares the Lord. I am with you to save you and rescue you from him.
Lingayesabi inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, eliyesabayo khathesi. Lingayesabi, kutsho uThixo, ngoba ngilani njalo ngizalihlenga ngilikhulule ezandleni zayo.
12 I will be merciful to you, so that he will be merciful to you and will let you stay in your own country.
Ngizakuba lesihawu kini ukuze layo ibe lesihawu kini ilibuyisele elizweni lakini.’
13 But if you say, “We won't stay here in this country,” and by doing so disobey what the Lord your God says;
Kodwa lina lingathi, ‘Kasiyikuhlala kulelizwe,’ ngalokho lingalaleli uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu,
14 or if you say instead, “No, we're going to Egypt to live there, where we won't experience war or hear trumpets sounding or go hungry;”
njalo nxa lisithi, ‘Hatshi, thina sizakuyahlala eGibhithe lapho esingayikubona khona impi loba sizwe icilongo kumbe silambele ukudla,
15 then listen to what the Lord says, you survivors from Judah! This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: If you're absolutely determined to go to Egypt and live there,
zwanini-ke ilizwi likaThixo, lina abasele koJuda.’ UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: ‘Nxa liphitshekela ukuya eGibhithe njalo lihambe ukuyahlala khona,
16 then the war you're so frightened of will catch up with you there, and the famine you're so terrified of will chase after you into Egypt, and you will die there.
lapho-ke inkemba eliyesabayo izalifica khona, lendlala eliyesabayo izalilandela eGibhithe, njalo lizafela khonale.
17 Everyone who decides to go to Egypt and live there will die by war and famine and disease. Not a single one will survive or escape the disaster I will bring down on them.
Ngempela bonke abaphitshekela ukuya eGibhithe ukuba bahlale khona bazakufa ngenkemba, indlala lesifo; kakho lamunye wabo ozasinda loba aphephe kumonakalo engizabehlisela wona.’
18 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: In the same way that my furious anger was poured out on the people living in Jerusalem, so will my anger be poured out on you if you go to Egypt. People will be horrified at what happens to you, and you will become a curse word, an insult, an expression of condemnation. You won't ever see your homeland again.
UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi, ‘Njengalokhu ukuthukuthela kwami lolaka lwami kwehliselwa phezu kwabantu abahlala eJerusalema, ngokunjalo ulaka lwami luzakwehliselwa phezu kwenu lapho lisiya eGibhithe. Lizakuba yinto yokuthukwa lokwesatshwa, ukulahlwa lokuhlekwa; indawo le kaliyikuyibona futhi.’
19 “The Lord has told you, survivors from Judah, ‘Don't go to Egypt,’” Jeremiah concluded. “Be absolutely clear about this warning I'm giving you today!
Lina abasele koJuda, uThixo ulitshelile wathi, ‘Lingayi eGibhithe.’ Wobani leqiniso lalokhu ukuthi: Ngiyalixwayisa lamuhla
20 You've made a big mistake that will cost you your lives by sending me to the Lord your God, asking, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us, and let us know everything the Lord our God says and we'll do it.’
ukuthi lenza iphutha elikhulu kakhulu ngokungithuma kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu lisithi, ‘Sikhulekele kuThixo uNkulunkulu wethu; usitshele konke akutshoyo sizakwenza.’
21 I have told you today what he said, but you have not obeyed everything the Lord your God sent me to tell you.
Sengilitshelile lamuhla, kodwa lilokhu lingalaleli lokho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu angithume ukuthi ngilitshele khona.
22 So you should know that without question you're going to die by war and famine and disease in Egypt where you want to go and live.”
Ngakho khathesi wobani leqiniso ukuthi lizakufa ngenkemba, indlala lesifo endaweni elifuna ukuyahlala kuyo.”
