UJeremiya 29

1 La-ke ngamazwi encwadi ayithumelayo uJeremiya umprofethi ivela eJerusalema isiya kunsali yabadala babathunjiweyo lakubapristi lakubaprofethi lebantwini bonke ayebathumbile uNebhukadinezari besuka eJerusalema wabasa eBhabhiloni

Now these are the words of the letter which Jeremiah the prophet sent to the residue of the elders of the captivity, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon,

2 (emva kokuphuma kukaJekoniya inkosi, lendlovukazi, labathenwa, iziphathamandla zakoJuda lezeJerusalema, lababazi, labakhandi, besuka eJerusalema),

after the departure of Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, and the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the artificers, and the smiths, from Jerusalem,

3 ngesandla sikaElasa indodana kaShafani, loGemariya indodana kaHilikhiya, uZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda eyabathuma eBhabhiloni kuNebhukadinezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, isithi:

by the hand of Elasah, the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah, the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah, the king of Judah, sent to Babylon, to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, ) saying: —

4 Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, kibo bonke abathunjiweyo engabenza bathunjwa besuswa eJerusalema basiwa eBhabhiloni:

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the captives whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon:

5 Yakhani izindlu, lihlale kizo, lihlanyele izivande, lidle izithelo zazo;

Build ye houses and dwell in them; and plant gardens and eat the fruit of them.

6 lithathe abafazi, lizale amadodana lamadodakazi, lithathele amadodana enu abafazi, lendise amadodakazi enu emadodeni, ukuze azale amadodana lamadodakazi, lande khona, linganciphi.

Take ye wives, and have sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and increase ye there, and be not diminished.

7 Lidinge ukuthula komuzi lapho engilithumbele khona, liwukhulekele eNkosini; ngoba ekuthuleni kwawo lizakuba lokuthula.

And seek ye the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray for it to Jehovah, for in its peace shall be your peace.

8 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Akuthi abaprofethi benu labavumisi benu abaphakathi kwenu bangalikhohlisi; lingawalaleli amaphupho enu eliwenza aphutshwe;

For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Let not your prophets and your diviners, who are in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.

9 ngoba baprofetha amanga kini ngebizo lami; kangibathumanga, itsho iNkosi.

For they prophesy falsely to you in my name; I have not sent them, saith Jehovah.

10 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi: Qiniso, lapho iminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa isigcwalisekile eBhabhiloni, ngizalihambela, ngiqinise ilizwi lami elihle kini, ukuthi ngilibuyise kulindawo.

For thus saith Jehovah: Surely, when seventy years shall be completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will perform for you my good promise, that I would bring you again to this place.

11 Ngoba mina ngiyazi imicabango engiyicabanga ngani, itsho iNkosi, imicabango yokuthula, kayisiyo eyokubi, ukuthi ngilinike isiphetho lokulindelweyo.

For I know the designs which I have in mind concerning you, designs of good and not of evil, to give you a happy end, and fulfill your hopes.

12 Khona lizangibiza liyekhuleka kimi, ngilizwe.

Then ye shall call upon me, and go in peace; ye shall pray to me, and I will hear you;

13 Njalo lizangidinga, lingithole, lapho lingidingisisa ngenhliziyo yenu yonke.

ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye search for me with all your heart.

14 Njalo ngizatholwa yini, itsho iNkosi, ngibuyise ukuthunjwa kwenu, ngiliqoqe kuzo zonke izizwe lakuzo zonke indawo lapho engilixotshele khona, itsho iNkosi, ngilibuyise endaweni engalithumba livela khona.

And I will be found by you, saith Jehovah, and I will bring you back from captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith Jehovah; and I will bring you again to the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

15 Ngoba litshilo: INkosi isivusele abaprofethi eBhabhiloni.

Since ye say, Jehovah hath raised us up prophets in Babylon,

16 Ngoba utsho njalo uJehova ngenkosi ehlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida langabo bonke abantu abahlala kulumuzi, abafowenu abangaphumelanga ekuthunjweni kanye lani:

behold, thus saith Jehovah concerning the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and concerning all the people that dwell in this city, your brethren that went not forth with you into captivity, —

17 Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Khangelani, ngizathumela phakathi kwabo inkemba, indlala, lomatshayabhuqe wesifo, ngibenze babe njengemikhiwa eyenyanyekayo, engadlekiyo ngenxa yobubi.

thus saith Jehovah of hosts: Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and I will make them like vile figs, which cannot be eaten for badness.

18 Ngixotshane labo ngenkemba, ngendlala, langomatshayabhuqe wesifo, ngibanikele ukuba yisesabiso kuyo yonke imibuso yomhlaba, babe yisiqalekiso, lento eyesabekayo, lokuncifelwayo, lehlazo, phakathi kwazo zonke izizwe lapho engibaxotshele khona;

And I will persecute them with the sword, and with famine, and with pestilence, and I will give them up to oppression in all kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and a hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I drive them;

19 ngenxa yokuthi bengawalalelanga amazwi ami, itsho iNkosi, engawathumela kibo ngenceku zami abaprofethi, ngivuka ngovivi ngibathuma, kodwa kalilalelanga, itsho iNkosi.

because they have not hearkened to my words, saith Jehovah, when I sent to them my servants, the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith Jehovah.

20 Lina-ke zwanini ilizwi leNkosi, lina lonke bathunjiweyo, engabathuma besuka eJerusalema besiya eBhabhiloni:

Hear ye, therefore, the word of Jehovah, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.

21 Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, mayelana loAhabi indodana kaKolaya, lamayelana loZedekhiya indodana kaMahaseya, abaprofetha amanga kini ngebizo lami: Khangelani, ngizabanikela esandleni sikaNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni, ozababulala phambi kwamehlo enu.

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab, the son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah, the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in my name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and he shall slay them before your eyes.

22 Njalo kuzathathwa kubo isiqalekiso yibo bonke abathunjiweyo koJuda abaseBhabhiloni kuthiwe: Kungathi iNkosi ikumise njengoZedekhiya lanjengoAhabi, inkosi yeBhabhiloni eyamosa ngomlilo;

And from them shall be taken a curse among all the captives of Judah that are at Babylon, so that they shall say, “Jehovah make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire!”

23 ngenxa yokuthi benze ubuthutha koIsrayeli, bafeba labafazi babomakhelwane babo, baqamba amazwi angamanga ngebizo lami, engingabalayanga wona; njalo yimi engaziyo, engingumfakazi, itsho iNkosi.

because they have practised villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I commanded them not. But I know it, and am a witness, saith Jehovah.

24 Uzakhuluma kuShemaya umNehelami usithi:

And to Shemaiah, the Nehelamite, shalt thou say,

25 Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, isithi: Ngenxa yokuthi wena uthumele izincwadi ngebizo lakho kubo bonke abantu abaseJerusalema, lakuZefaniya indodana kaMahaseya umpristi, lakubo bonke abapristi, usithi:

Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Because thou hast sent letters in thy name to all the people that are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah, the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,

26 INkosi isikwenze ube ngumpristi esikhundleni sikaJehoyada umpristi, ukuthi libe ngababonisi bendlu yeNkosi phezu kwakhe wonke umuntu ohlanyayo ozitshaya umprofethi, ukuthi limfake esitokisini elezankosi entanyeni.

Jehovah hath made thee priest in the room of Jehoiada the priest, that there should be officers in the house of Jehovah against every one that is mad and prophesieth, and that thou shouldst put him into the stocks, and into prison;

27 Khathesi-ke, kungani ungamkhuzanga uJeremiya umAnathothi ozitshaya umprofethi kini?

now, therefore, why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, who prophesieth to you?

28 Ngoba ngenxa yalokhu usethumele kithi eBhabhiloni esithi: Kuzakuba kude; yakhani izindlu, lihlale kizo, lihlanyele izivande, lidle izithelo zazo.

For he hath sent to us at Babylon, saying, This captivity is long. Build ye houses and dwell in them, and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

29 UZefaniya umpristi waseyifunda lincwadi endlebeni zikaJeremiya umprofethi.

And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.

30 Laselifika ilizwi leNkosi kuJeremiya lisithi:

Then came the word of Jehovah to Jeremiah, saying:

31 Thumela kubo bonke abathunjiweyo usithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi ngoShemaya umNehelami: Ngenxa yokuthi uShemaya eprofethe kini, mina-ke ngingamthumanga, walenza ukuthi lithembe amanga,

Send to all those of the captivity, saying, Thus saith Jehovah concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah the prophet hath prophesied to you, and I sent him not, and he hath caused you to trust in a lie,

32 ngakho itsho iNkosi: Khangela, ngizajezisa uShemaya umNehelami kanye lenzalo yakhe; kayikuba lamuntu ozahlala phakathi kwalababantu, angaboni okuhle engizakwenzela abantu bami, itsho iNkosi, ngoba ukhulume ukuhlamuka emelene leNkosi.

therefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah, the Nehelamite, and his offspring. There shall descend from him not a man to dwell among this people, and he shall not behold the good which I will do for my people, saith Jehovah; for he hath spoken rebellion against Jehovah.