Jeremiah 17
1 “Isono sakwaJuda silotshwe ngosiba lwensimbi lokuloba; siqoshwe ngesihloko sedayimane ezibhebheni zenhliziyo yabo, nasezimpondweni zama-althare enu.
2 Abantwana babo basawakhumbula ama-althare abo nawo-Ashera babo ngasemithini eluhlaza, emagqumeni aphakemeyo.
3 Intaba yami ezweni, impahla nengcebo yenu yonke ngiyakukunikela kube yimpango, kanye nezindawo zenu eziphakemeyo ngenxa yezono ezifundeni zenu zonke.
4 Niyakulilahla nina uqobo ifa lenu enganinika lona; ngiyonenza nikhonze izitha zenu ezweni eningalaziyo, ngokuba niphembe umlilo wolaka lwami oyakuvutha kuze kube phakade.”
5 Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: “Uqalekisiwe umuntu othembela kubantu, owenza izikhwepha zakhe zibe yisihlangu sakhe, nonhliziyo yakhe isukile kuSimakade.
6 Uyakuba njengesihlahla ogwadule, akayukukubona okuhle noma kuza kuye, uyakuhlala ezindaweni ezigagadekile ehlane, ezweni likasawoti okungahlali muntu kulo.
7 “Ubusisiwe umuntu othembela kuSimakade, nothemba lakhe linguSimakade.
8 Uyakufana nesihlahla esitshalwe ngasemanzini, esimpande zaso sizenabisele ngasemfuleni. Akayukwesaba lapho ebona ukushisa kuza, amaqabunga aso ahlala eluhlaza, ngonyaka wesigagadu awanakukhathazeka, futhi awayeki ukuthela izithelo.
9 “Inhliziyo iyakhohlisa ngaphezu kwakho konke, futhi ayelapheki; ngubani ongayiqonda na?
10 “Mina Simakade ngiyayiphenya inhliziyo, ngihlole nezinso; ukuba nginike yilowo nalowo njengokwezindlela zakhe, nanjengezithelo zezenzo zakhe.”
11 Owenza ingcebo ngokungalungi ufana nentendele echamusela ingazalelanga; iyakumshiya dengwane esaphile ingxenye nje yezinsuku zakhe, ekugcineni abe yisiwula.
12 Indawo yendlu yethu engcwele, iyisihlalo sobukhosi esikhazimulayo nesiphakemeyo.
13 Simakade, themba lika-Israyeli, bonke abakushiyayo bayakujabha; abasuka kimi bayakulotshwa emhlabathini, ngokuba bamshiyile uSimakade, umthombo wamanzi aphilayo.
14 Simakade, ngiphulukise, ngiyakuphuluka, ngihlenge, ngiyakuhlengwa, ngokuba uludumo lwami.
15 Bheka, bathi kimi: “Liphi izwi likaSimakade na? Malize phela.”
16 Kepha angiyekanga ukuba ngumelusi okusebenzelayo, futhi angilufisanga usuku olwesabekayo; Wena uyakwazi engakushoyo, ngiphambi kobuso bakho.
17 Ungabi ngongethusayo, ngokuba uyisiphephelo sami ngosuku lwenhlekelele.
18 Mabajabhiswe abangizingelayo, kodwa mina mangingadunyazwa; behlisele ngosuku lwenhlekelele, ubabhubhise ngokubhubha okuphindiweyo.
19 Usho kanje kimi uSimakade, uthi: “Hamba ume esangweni lamadodana abantu, okungena kuphume kulo amakhosi akwaJuda, nasemasangweni wonke eJerusalema,
20 uthi kuwo: ‘Yizwani izwi likaSimakade, nina makhosi akwaJuda, nani nonke baJuda, nezakhamuzi zonke zaseJerusalema eningena ngalawa masango.
21 Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: “Xwayani ngenxa yemiphefumulo yenu, ukuba ningathwali mthwalo ngosuku lwesabatha, ningawungenisi emasangweni eJerusalema,
22 futhi ningakhiphi mthwalo ezindlini zenu ngosuku lwesabatha, futhi ningenzi msebenzi, kodwa lungcweliseni usuku lwesabatha, njengalokhu ngabayala okhokho benu,
23 nakuba bengalalelanga, bengayibekanga indlebe kepha bazenza lukhuni izintamo zabo, abalalelanga, futhi abakwemukelanga ukuqondiswa.
24 Kuyakuthi uma ningilalelisisa,” kusho uSimakade, “ningangenisi mthwalo emasangweni alo muzi ngosuku lwesabatha, kepha nilungcwelise usuku lwesabatha, ukuze ningenzi noma yimuphi umsebenzi ngalo,
25 kuyongena emasangweni alo muzi, amakhosi nezikhulu abahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavide, begibele ezinqoleni nasemahhashini, bona nezikhulu zabo, nabantu bonke bakwaJuda nabakhileyo eJerusalema, lo muzi uyakuba khona kuze kube phakade.
26 Bayakufika bevela emizini yakwaJuda, nasemizaneni ezungeze iJerusalema, ezweni lakwaBhenjamini, emagqumeni nakwelezintaba naseNegevu, belethe iminikelo yokushiswa, imihlatshelo, iminikelo yokusanhlamvu, nenhlaka, bayofika naneminikelo yokubonga endlini kaSimakade.
27 Kepha uma ningangilaleli nilungcwelise usuku lwesabatha, ningathwali mthwalo nxa ningena emasangweni eJerusalema ngosuku lwesabatha, ngiyophemba umlilo emasangweni alo, oyongqongqisa izinqaba zeJerusalema, futhi ongenakucinywa.” ’ ”