UJeremiya 23
1 Maye kubelusi abachitha behlakaza izimvu zedlelo lami! itsho iNkosi.
"Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture." says the LORD.
2 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, imelene labelusi abelusa abantu bami: Lizihlakazile izimvu zami, lazixotsha, kalizethekelelanga. Khangelani, ngizaphindisela phezu kwenu ububi bezenzo zenu, itsho iNkosi.
Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, against the shepherds who feed my people: "You have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them; look, I will visit on you the evil of your doings," says the LORD.
3 Mina-ke ngizabutha insali yezimvu zami iphume kuwo wonke amazwe lapho engizixotshele khona, ngizibuyise futhi esibayeni sazo; njalo zizazala, zande.
"I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and multiply.
4 Ngizamisa phezu kwazo abelusi abazazelusa; njalo kazisayikwesaba, kaziyikutshaywa luvalo, kaziyikulahleka, itsho iNkosi.
I will set up shepherds over them, who shall feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be lacking," says the LORD.
5 Khangela, insuku ziyeza, itsho iNkosi, lapho engizavusela uDavida iHlumela elilungileyo; njalo iNkosi izabusa iphumelele, izakwenza isahlulelo lokulunga emhlabeni.
"Look, the days come," says the LORD, "that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
6 Ensukwini zalo uJuda uzasindiswa, loIsrayeli ahlale evikelekile. Njalo leli libizo layo ezabizwa ngalo: INkosi Ukulunga Kwethu.
In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is his name by which he shall be called: 'The LORD our righteousness.'
7 Ngakho khangela, insuku ziyeza, itsho iNkosi, lapho abangasayikuthi: Kuphila kweNkosi, eyabakhuphula abantwana bakoIsrayeli elizweni leGibhithe.
Therefore look, the days come," says the LORD, "that they shall no more say, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt';
8 Kodwa: Kuphila kweNkosi eyakhuphula eyaletha inzalo yendlu kaIsrayeli isuka elizweni lenyakatho lakuwo wonke amazwe engangiyixotshele khona. Njalo bazahlala elizweni lakibo.
but, 'As the LORD lives, who brought up and who led the descendants of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all the countries where he had driven them.' They shall dwell in their own land."'
9 Mayelana labaprofethi: Inhliziyo yami yephukile ngaphakathi kwami; amathambo ami wonke ayathuthumela; nginjengesidakwa, lanjengomuntu owehlulwe liwayini, ngenxa yeNkosi, langenxa yamazwi obungcwele bayo.
Concerning the prophets: My heart within me is broken, all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine has overcome, because of the LORD, and because of his holy words.
10 Ngoba ilizwe ligcwele izifebe; ngoba ngenxa yesiqalekiso ilizwe liyalila; amadlelo enkangala omile, lokuhamba kwabo kubi, lamandla abo kawaqondanga.
For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourns; the pastures of the wilderness are dried up. "Their course is evil, and their might is not right;
11 Ngoba lomprofethi lompristi kabamesabi uNkulunkulu; ngitsho endlini yami ngitholile ububi babo, itsho iNkosi.
for both prophet and priest are profane; yes, in my house have I found their wickedness," says the LORD.
12 Ngakho indlela yabo izakuba kibo njengezindlela ezitshelelayo emnyameni; bafuqelwa phansi, bawele kuyo; ngoba ngizabehlisela okubi ngomnyaka wokuhanjelwa kwabo, itsho iNkosi.
"Therefore their way shall be to them as slippery places in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall in it; for I will bring evil on them, even the year of their visitation," says the LORD.
13 Ngibonile-ke ubuwula kubaprofethi beSamariya; baprofetha ngoBhali, baduhisa abantu bami uIsrayeli.
"I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied by Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
14 Kodwa kubaprofethi beJerusalema ngibonile into eyesabekayo; bayafeba, bahambe emangeni, baqinisa izandla zabenzi bobubi ukuze bangaphenduki ngulowo ebubini bakhe; bonke sebenjengeSodoma kimi, labakhileyo bayo njengeGomora.
In the prophets of Jerusalem also I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies; and they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that none does return from his wickedness: they are all of them become to me as Sodom, and its inhabitants as Gomorrah.
15 Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla mayelana labaprofethi: Khangela, ngizabadlisa umhlonyane, ngibanathise amanzi enyongo; ngoba kusukela kubaprofethi beJerusalema ukungamesabi uNkulunkulu kuphumele ilizwe lonke.
Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets: 'Look, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall; for from the prophets of Jerusalem is ungodliness gone forth into all the land.'
16 Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Lingalaleli amazwi abaprofethi abaprofetha kini; balenza libe yize; bakhuluma umbono wenhliziyo yabo, hatshi ovela emlonyeni weNkosi.
Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you: they teach you vanity; they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.
17 Baqhubeka besithi kwabangidelelayo: INkosi ithe: Lizakuba lokuthula; njalo bathi kuye wonke ohamba ngenkani yenhliziyo yakhe: Ububi kabuyikukwehlela.
They say continually to those who despise me, "The LORD has said, 'You shall have peace'"; and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart they say, "No evil shall come on you."
18 Ngoba ngubani omi kucebo leNkosi, wabona wezwa ilizwi layo? Ngubani oqaphelise ilizwi lakhe, walizwa?
For who has stood in the council of the LORD, that he should perceive and hear his word? Who has marked my word, and heard it?
19 Khangela, isivunguzane seNkosi, ulaka luphumile, ngitsho isivunguzane esibuhlungu; sizakwehlela ngamandla phezu kwekhanda labakhohlakeleyo.
Look, the storm of the LORD, his wrath, has gone forth. Yes, a whirling storm. It shall burst on the head of the wicked.
20 Ulaka lweNkosi kaluyikuphenduka, ize yenze, njalo ize iqinise iminakano yenhliziyo yayo. Ekucineni kwezinsuku lizakuqedisisa lokukuqedisisa.
The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he has executed, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days you shall understand it perfectly.
21 Kangibathumanga lababaprofethi, kanti bona bagijima; kangikhulumanga labo, kanti bona baprofetha.
I sent not these prophets, yet they ran: I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.
22 Kodwa uba bebemi kucebo lami, ngabe benza abantu bami bezwa amazwi ami, ngabe babaphendula endleleni yabo embi lebubini bezenzo zabo.
But if they had stood in my council, then had they caused my people to hear my words, and had turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.
23 NginguNkulunkulu oseduze yini, itsho iNkosi, njalo hatshi uNkulunkulu okhatshana?
Am I a God at hand,' says the LORD, 'and not a God afar off?
24 Ukhona yini ongacatsha endaweni ezisithekileyo ukuze ngingamboni? itsho iNkosi. Kangigcwalisi yini amazulu lomhlaba? itsho iNkosi.
Can any hide himself in secret places so that I shall not see him?' says the LORD. 'Do I not fill heaven and earth?' says the LORD.
25 Ngizwile ukuthi abaprofethi batheni, abaprofetha amanga ebizweni lami besithi: Ngiphuphile, ngiphuphile!
'I have heard what the prophets have said, who prophesy lies in my name, saying, "I have dreamed, I have dreamed."
26 Koze kube nini kusenhliziyweni yabaprofethi abaprofetha amanga? Yebo, bangabaprofethi benkohliso yenhliziyo yabo;
How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, even the prophets of the deceit of their own heart,
27 abacabanga ukwenza abantu bami bakhohlwe ibizo lami ngamaphupho abo abawalandisa ngulowo umakhelwane wakhe, njengaboyise bakhohlwa ibizo lami ngenxa kaBhali.
who think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbor, as their fathers forgot my name for Baal.
28 Umprofethi olephupho, kalilandise iphupho; lolelizwi lami, kalikhulume ilizwi lami ngeqiniso. Amahlanga ayini lamabele? itsho iNkosi.
The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the straw to the wheat?' says the LORD.
29 Ilizwi lami kalinjalo njengomlilo yini, itsho iNkosi, lanjengesando esiqhekeza idwala libe yizicucu?
'Isn't my word like fire?' says the LORD; 'and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?
30 Ngakho khangela, ngimelene labaprofethi, itsho iNkosi, abeba amazwi ami, ngulowo kumakhelwane wakhe.
Therefore look, I am against the prophets,' says the LORD, 'who steal my words everyone from his neighbor.
31 Khangela, ngimelene labaprofethi, itsho iNkosi, abasebenzisa ulimi lwabo, bathi: Ithi.
Look, I am against the prophets,' says the LORD, 'who use their tongues, and say, "He says."
32 Khangela, ngimelene labaprofetha amaphupho amanga, itsho iNkosi, bawalandisa, baduhise abantu bami ngamanga abo, langokuwalazela kwabo, kanti mina ngingabathumanga, ngingabalayanga; ngakho kabayikubasiza ngitsho ngalutho lababantu, itsho iNkosi.
Look, I am against the prophets who prophesy lying dreams,' says the LORD, 'and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their vain boasting: yet I did not send them, nor commanded them; neither do they profit this people at all,' says the LORD.
33 Lalapho lababantu, loba umprofethi, kumbe umpristi, bekubuza, besithi: Uyini umthwalo weNkosi? Khona uzakuthi kibo: Umthwalo bani? Ukuthi ngizalidela, itsho iNkosi.
'When this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask you, saying, "What is the burden of the LORD?" Then you shall tell them, "You are the burden, and I will cast you off," says the LORD.
34 Mayelana lomprofethi, lompristi, labantu, abazakuthi: Umthwalo weNkosi; ngizamjezisa lalowomuntu lendlu yakhe.
As for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, who shall say, "The burden of the LORD," I will even punish that man and his house.
35 Lizakhuluma ngalindlela, ngulowo kumakhelwane wakhe, langulowo kumfowabo: INkosi iphendule yathini? Lokuthi: INkosi ikhulumeni?
You shall say everyone to his neighbor, and everyone to his brother, "What has the LORD answered?" and, "What has the LORD spoken?"
36 Kodwa umthwalo weNkosi kalisayikukhuluma ngawo. Ngoba ilizwi langulowo lalowomuntu lizakuba ngumthwalo wakhe, ngoba liwahlanekele amazwi kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu wethu.
You shall mention the burden of the LORD no more: for every man's own word shall be his burden; for you have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.
37 Uzakutsho ngokunjalo kumprofethi: INkosi ikuphenduleni? njalo: INkosi ikhulumeni?
You shall say to the prophet, "What has the LORD answered you?" and, "What has the LORD spoken?"
38 Kodwa uba lisithi: Umthwalo weNkosi; ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi: Ngoba likhuluma lamazwi okuthi: Umthwalo weNkosi; njalo ngithumele kini ngisithi: Lingabokuthi: Umthwalo weNkosi;
But if you say, "The burden of the LORD"; therefore thus says the LORD: Because you say this word, "The burden of the LORD," and I have sent to you, saying, "You shall not say, 'The burden of the LORD'";
39 ngakho khangelani, mina ngizalikhohlwa ngokupheleleyo, ngitshiye lina lomuzi engalinika wona laboyihlo, lisuke ebusweni bami.
therefore, look, I will surely lift you up and I will cast you off, and the city that I gave to you and to your fathers, away from my presence:
40 Njalo ngizabeka phezu kwenu ihlazo elilaphakade lokuyangeka okulaphakade, okungayikukhohlakala.
and I will bring an everlasting reproach on you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.'"
