UJeremiya 42

1 Zonke izikhulu zebutho, kanye loJohanani indodana kaKhareya loJezaniya indodana kaHoshayiya, labantu bonke kusukela komncane kusiya komkhulu baya

Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even to the greatest, came near,

2 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.

and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Please let our supplication be presented before you, and pray for us to Yahweh your God, even for all this remnant, for we are left but a few of many, as your eyes see us,

3 Khuleka ukuba uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho asitshele lapho okumele siye khona lalokho okumele sikwenze.”

that Yahweh your God may show us the way in which we should walk, and the things that we should do.”

4 UJeremiya umphrofethi waphendula wathi, “Ngizwile. Ngizakhuleka impela kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu njengoba licelile; ngizalitshela konke uThixo akutshoyo ngingalifihleli lutho.”

Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard you. Behold, I will pray to Yahweh your God according to your words; and it will happen that whatever thing Yahweh answers you, I will declare it to you. I will keep nothing back from you.”

5 Basebesithi kuJeremiya, “UThixo kabe ngufakazi wethu oqotho lothembekileyo nxa singenzi okuvumelana lakho konke uThixo uNkulunkulu wakho akuthuma ukuba usitshele khona.

Then they said to Jeremiah, “May Yahweh be a true and faithful witness among us, if we don’t do according to all the word with which Yahweh your God sends you to tell us.

6 Lanxa kukuhle kumbe kukubi sizamlalela uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu esikuthuma kuye, ukuze kusilungele, ngoba sizamlalela uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.”

Whether it is good, or whether it is bad, we will obey the voice of Yahweh our God, to whom we send you; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of Yahweh our God.”

7 Emva kwensuku ezilitshumi ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuJeremiya.

After ten days, Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah.

8 Ngakho wabiza uJohanani indodana kaKhareya lezikhulu zonke zebutho ezazilaye kanye labantu bonke kusukela komncane kusiya komkhulu.

Then he called Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,

9 Wathi kubo, “UThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, elingithume ukuba ngiyekwethula isicelo senu kuye, uthi:

and said to them, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your supplication before him, says:

10 ‘Lingahlala kulelilizwe ngizalakha, ngingalibhidlizi, ngizalihlanyela ngingalisiphuni, ngoba ngilusizi ngomonakalo engawenza kini.

‘If you will still live in this land, then I will build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up; for I grieve over the distress that I have brought on you.

11 Lingayesabi inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, eliyesabayo khathesi. Lingayesabi, kutsho uThixo, ngoba ngilani njalo ngizalihlenga ngilikhulule ezandleni zayo.

Don’t be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid. Don’t be afraid of him,’ says Yahweh, ‘for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.

12 Ngizakuba lesihawu kini ukuze layo ibe lesihawu kini ilibuyisele elizweni lakini.’

I will grant you mercy, that he may have mercy on you, and cause you to return to your own land.

13 Kodwa lina lingathi, ‘Kasiyikuhlala kulelizwe,’ ngalokho lingalaleli uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu,

“‘But if you say, “We will not dwell in this land,” so that you don’t obey Yahweh your God’s voice,

14 njalo nxa lisithi, ‘Hatshi, thina sizakuyahlala eGibhithe lapho esingayikubona khona impi loba sizwe icilongo kumbe silambele ukudla,

saying, “No, but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we will see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there we will dwell;”’

15 zwanini-ke ilizwi likaThixo, lina abasele koJuda.’ UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: ‘Nxa liphitshekela ukuya eGibhithe njalo lihambe ukuyahlala khona,

now therefore hear Yahweh’s word, O remnant of Judah! Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘If you indeed set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to live there,

16 lapho-ke inkemba eliyesabayo izalifica khona, lendlala eliyesabayo izalilandela eGibhithe, njalo lizafela khonale.

then it will happen that the sword, which you fear, will overtake you there in the land of Egypt; and the famine, about which you are afraid, will follow close behind you there in Egypt; and you will die there.

17 Ngempela bonke abaphitshekela ukuya eGibhithe ukuba bahlale khona bazakufa ngenkemba, indlala lesifo; kakho lamunye wabo ozasinda loba aphephe kumonakalo engizabehlisela wona.’

So will it be with all the men who set their faces to go into Egypt to live there. They will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence. None of them will remain or escape from the evil that I will bring on them.’

18 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.’

For Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘As my anger and my wrath has been poured out on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so my wrath will be poured out on you, when you enter into Egypt; and you will be an object of horror, an astonishment, a curse, and a reproach; and you will see this place no more.’

19 Lina abasele koJuda, uThixo ulitshelile wathi, ‘Lingayi eGibhithe.’ Wobani leqiniso lalokhu ukuthi: Ngiyalixwayisa lamuhla

“Yahweh has spoken concerning you, remnant of Judah, ‘Don’t go into Egypt!’ Know certainly that I have testified to you today.

20 ukuthi lenza iphutha elikhulu kakhulu ngokungithuma kuThixo uNkulunkulu wenu lisithi, ‘Sikhulekele kuThixo uNkulunkulu wethu; usitshele konke akutshoyo sizakwenza.’

For you have dealt deceitfully against your own souls; for you sent me to Yahweh your God, saying, ‘Pray for us to Yahweh our God; and according to all that Yahweh our God says, so declare to us, and we will do it.’

21 Sengilitshelile lamuhla, kodwa lilokhu lingalaleli lokho uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu angithume ukuthi ngilitshele khona.

I have declared it to you today; but you have not obeyed Yahweh your God’s voice in anything for which he has sent me to you.

22 Ngakho khathesi wobani leqiniso ukuthi lizakufa ngenkemba, indlala lesifo endaweni elifuna ukuyahlala kuyo.”

Now therefore know certainly that you will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence in the place where you desire to go to live.”