Jeremiah 5
1 Go everywhere through the streets of Jerusalem. Look and pay attention! Search all through her city squares to see if you can find even just one person who does what's right, anyone who is faithful, and I'll forgive the city.
Hambani liye le lale ezitaladeni zeJerusalema, libone khathesi, lazi, lidinge ezindaweni zayo ezingamagceke, uba lingathola umuntu, uba ekhona owenza isahlulelo, odinga iqiniso; khona ngizayithethelela.
2 They may make promises in my name, but they're not sincere.
Loba-ke besithi: Kuphila kukaJehova; kanti bafunga amanga.
3 Lord, aren't you always looking for faithfulness? You beat them, but they didn't care. You just about destroyed them, but they refused to accept your discipline. They were stubborn, hard as rock, and they wouldn't repent.
Nkosi, amehlo akho kawakho eqinisweni yini? Ubatshayile, kodwa kabezwanga buhlungu; ubaqothule, kodwa bala ukwemukela ukulaywa. Benzile ubuso babo bube lukhuni kuledwala, bala ukuphenduka.
4 Then I said to myself, “These people are only the poor—they're just fools who don't know any better. They certainly don't know what the Lord wants, God's right way of living.
Mina ngasengisithi: Qiniso, laba ngabayanga, bayizithutha; ngoba kabayazi indlela yeNkosi, isahlulelo sikaNkulunkulu wabo.
5 Let me go to and talk to the ones in charge. They would surely know what the Lord wants, God's right way of living.” But they had all broken off the yoke as well, and ripped off the chains.
Mina ngizakuya kwabakhulu, ngikhulume labo, ngoba bona bayayazi indlela yeNkosi, isahlulelo sikaNkulunkulu wabo; kodwa labo kanyekanye balephulile ijogwe, baqamula izibopho.
6 As a result a lion from the forest will attack them; a wolf from the desert will rip them apart. A leopard will lie in wait for them near their towns, ready to tear to pieces anyone who goes outside. For they keep on rebelling, and turn away from me so often.
Ngakho-ke isilwane esiphuma ehlathini sizababulala, impisi yezinkangala ibachithe, ingwe ilinde imelene lemizi yabo; wonke ophuma kiyo uzadatshudatshulwa; ngoba iziphambeko zabo zinengi, ukuhlehlela nyovane kwabo kwandile.
7 Why should I forgive you? Your children have abandoned me and believe in gods that are not gods. I gave them everything they need, yet they went and committed adultery, gathering together at prostitutes' houses.
Ngingakuthethelela njani ngalokhu? Abantwana bakho bangidelile, bafunga ngabangeyisibo onkulunkulu. Sengibasuthisile, basebefeba, babuthana ngamaxuku endlini yezifebe.
8 They're like virile stallions wanting sex, each of them neighing with lust after his neighbor's wife.
Babenjengamabhiza asuthayo ekuseni, bakhonya, omunye lomunye kumfazi kamakhelwane wakhe.
9 Shouldn't I punish them for all this? declares the Lord. Shouldn't I retaliate for what this nation has done?
Kangiyikujezisa yini ngenxa yalezizinto? itsho iNkosi; kumbe umphefumulo wami kawuyikuphindisela yini esizweni esinjengalesi?
10 Go through her vineyards and damage them, but don't destroy them completely. Rip off her branches, because they don't belong to the Lord.
Yenyukelani emidulwini yayo, lichithe, kodwa lingenzi isiphetho esipheleleyo; susani ingatsha zayo, ngoba kazisizo zeNkosi.
11 The people of Israel and Judah have completely betrayed me, declares the Lord.
Ngoba indlu kaIsrayeli lendlu kaJuda zenze ngenkohliso enkulu zimelene lami, itsho iNkosi.
12 They have lied about the Lord, saying, “He won't do anything. Nothing bad will happen to us. We won't have war or famine.
Bayiphikile iNkosi, bathi: Kayisiyo; njalo ububi kabuyikusehlela, futhi kasiyikubona inkemba loba indlala.
13 The prophets are just like the wind. The Lord doesn't speak through them. What they predict can happen to them!”
Labaprofethi bazakuba ngumoya, lelizwi kalikho kubo; kuzakwenziwa njalo kibo!
14 So this is the reply from the Lord God Almighty: Because of what you've said, I will make my words like a fire in your mouth and you people like the wood it burns up.
Ngalokho itsho njalo iNkosi uNkulunkulu wamabandla: Ngoba likhuluma lelilizwi, khangela, ngizakwenza amazwi ami emlonyeni wakho abe ngumlilo, lalababantu babe zinkuni, njalo uzabaqothula.
15 Look! I am bringing a nation from far away to attack you, people of Israel, declares the Lord. It's a powerful nation that has existed for a long time; it's a nation whose language you don't know, and when they speak you can't understand them.
Khangelani, ngizaletha phezu kwenu isizwe esivela khatshana, ndlu kaIsrayeli, itsho iNkosi; yisizwe esilamandla, yisizwe esidala, isizwe ongalwaziyo ulimi lwaso, longayikuzwa esikukhulumayo.
16 Their arrows bring death; they are all strong warriors.
Isamba saso semitshoko sinjengengcwaba elivulekileyo; bonke bangamaqhawe.
17 They will consume your harvest and your food; they will destroy your sons and your daughters; they will eat your flocks and your herds; they will feed on your vines and your fig trees. They will attack and will destroy the fortified towns that you have so much confidence in.
Njalo sizakudla isivuno sakho lokudla kwakho; sizakudla amadodana akho lamadodakazi akho; sizakudla izimvu zakho lenkomo zakho; sizakudla ivini lakho lomkhiwa wakho; lemizi yakho ebiyelweyo othembela kiyo, sizayithelela ubuyanga ngenkemba.
18 But even at that time I won't completely destroy you, declares the Lord.
Kodwa langalezonsuku, itsho iNkosi, kangiyikwenza isiphetho esipheleleyo kini.
19 When people ask you Jeremiah, “Why did the Lord our God do all these things to us?” you are to tell them, “In the same way you have abandoned me and served foreign gods here in your country, so you will serve foreigners in a country that isn't your own.”
Kuzakuthi-ke lapho lisithi: INkosi uNkulunkulu wethu yenzeleni zonke lezizinto kithi? Khona uzakutsho kubo uthi: Njengoba lingidelile, lakhonza onkulunkulu bemzini elizweni lakini, ngokunjalo lizakhonza abezizwe elizweni elingeyisilo lenu.
20 Announce this to the people of Jacob and Judah:
Memezelani lokhu endlini kaJakobe, likuzwakalise koJuda, lisithi:
21 Listen to this, you foolish, stupid people, who have eyes but don't see, who have ears but don't hear.
Zwanini-ke lokhu, lina bantu abayizithutha labangelangqondo, elilamehlo, kodwa lingaboni, elilendlebe, kodwa lingezwa.
22 Aren't you afraid of what I can do? declares the Lord. Don't you think you should tremble in my presence? I am the one who set up the shore as the sea's boundary, an everlasting limit that it can't cross. The waves crash against it, but they can't defeat it. They roar, but they can't cross the barrier.
Kalingesabi yini? itsho iNkosi; kaliyikuthuthumela phambi kwami yini, engabeka itshebetshebe laba ngumngcele wolwandle ngesimiso saphakade olungeledlule? Lanxa amagagasi alo etshayana kube kanti angenqobe; lanxa ehlokoma kube kanti kawayikudlula phezu kwawo.
23 But you people have a stubborn and rebellious attitude. You have left me and gone your own way.
Kodwa lababantu balenhliziyo evukelayo lephikayo; baphambukile, bahamba.
24 You didn't think to say, “We should appreciate the Lord our God, who sends the autumn and spring rains at the right time, who makes sure we can have a harvest every year.”
Futhi kabatsho enhliziyweni zabo ukuthi: Ake sesabe iNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, enika izulu lakuqala lelamuva ngesikhathi salo, esigcinela amaviki amisiweyo esivuno.
25 Your wrong actions have taken these benefits from you; your sins have deprived you of my blessings.
Iziphambeko zenu ziphambule lezizinto, lezono zenu zaligodlela okuhle.
26 For there are wicked men among my people. They're like bird-trappers, secretly watching and waiting to catch people in their snare.
Ngoba phakathi kwabantu bami kutholakala abakhohlakeleyo; bacatheme njengabathiya inyoni; babeka umgibe ochithayo, babambe abantu.
27 Their homes are full of their ill-gotten gains, like cages full of birds. That's why they've become powerful and rich.
Njengezongo ligcwele inyoni, zinjalo izindlu zabo zigcwele inkohliso; ngakho-ke sebebakhulu, banothile.
28 They've grown fat and smooth, and have become experts in evil. They deny justice to orphans, and they don't defend the rights of those in need.
Bazimukile, bancwaba, yebo, bedlula imisebenzi yomubi; kabameli udaba, udaba lwezintandane, kube kanti bayaphumelela; lelungelo labaswelayo kabalahluleli.
29 Shouldn't I punish them for all this? declares the Lord. Shouldn't I retaliate for what this nation has done?
Kangiyikubajezisa ngalezizinto yini? kutsho iNkosi. Umphefumulo wami kawuyikuphindisela esizweni esinjengalesi yini?
30 Something horrible, something terrible has happened here in this country.
Okwethusayo lokwesabekayo kwenzakele elizweni.
31 The prophets give false prophecies; the priests rule as they please. My people love it like this, but what will you do when it all falls apart?
Abaprofethi baprofetha ngamanga, labapristi babusa ngezandla zabo; labantu bami bakuthanda kunjalo; kodwa lizakwenzani ekupheleni kwakho?
