Jeremiah 2
1 Izwi likaSimakade lafika kimi, lathi: “Hamba ukhulume lizwa lonke iJerusalema, uthi:
2 “ ‘Usho kanje uSimakade, ngiyakukhumbula umusa wobusha bakho, uthando lwakho njengomakoti, nokuthi wangilandela kanjani ehlane, ezweni okungatshalwanga lutho kulo.
3 U-Israyeli ungcwele kuSimakade, uwulibo lwezithelo zakhe; bonke abazidlayo bayothweswa icala, behlelwe ngokubi,’ ” kusho uSimakade.
4 Yizwani izwi likaSimakade nina ndlu kaJakobe, nani nonke mindeni yendlu ka-Israyeli.
5 Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: “Bubi buni oyihlo ababufumana kimi, ukuba baze badede babe kude nami, balandele okuyize, baphenduke ize nabo na?
6 Abashongo ukuthi: ‘Uphi uSimakade owasikhuphula eGibhithe, wasihola ezweni eliyihlane nogwadule; izwe lemigodi, nesomiso, ezweni lethunzi lokufa, elingadatshulwa muntu, nalapho kungahlali muntu khona na?’
7 Nganingenisa ezweni elivundileyo ukuba nidle izithelo zalo nokuhle kwalo; kepha lapho seningenile, nalingcolisa izwe lami, nenza ifa lami laba yisinengiso.
8 Abaphristi abashongo ukuthi: ‘Uphi uSimakade na?’ Abaphethe umthetho babengazi, ababusi baphambuka kimi, abaphrofethi baphrofetha ngoBhali, balandela okungenakusiza.
9 “Ngakho-ke ngizophikisana nani,” kusho uSimakade, “ngiyakuphikisana nanabantwana babantwana benu.
10 Welelani eziqhingini eKhithimi, nibone, thumelani eKhedari, niqonde kahle, nibone ukuthi yake yenzeka yini into enjengalena na?
11 Isizwe sake sabalahla yini onkulunkulu baso, noma bengesibo onkulunkulu na? Kepha isizwe sami silulahlile udumo lwaso ngokungenanzuzo.
12 Mangalani ngalokho, mazulu, nithuthumele, nibe yincithakalo yoqobo,” kusho uSimakade.
13 “Ngokuba abantu bami benzile okubi okubili: bangishiyile, Mina mthombo wamanzi aphilileyo; bazigubhela imithombokwakhiwa, imithombokwakhiwa evuzayo, engenakuwagcina amanzi.
14 U-Israyeli uyisigqila esazalelwa ekhaya yini na? Kungani pho abe yimpango na?
15 Amabhongo ezingonyama alibhozomela, akhonya, alenza izwe lakhe laba yincithakalo; imizi yakhona iyincithakalo, akukho muntu owakhe kuyo.
16 Abantu baseNofi nabaseThahiphanesi baluphucile ukhakhayi lwakho.
17 Akunguwe yini oziholele amanzi ngomsele, ngokushiya uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho ngesikhathi ekuhola endleleni na?
18 Ngakho-ke uzuzeni ngokuya eGibhithe uphuze amanzi eShihori na? Uzuzeni ngokuya e-Asiriya, ukuba uphuze amanzi omfula na?
19 Ububi bakho buyakukujezisa, nokuhlubuka kwakho kuyakukusola; yazi-ke, ubone ukuthi ukuhlubuka uSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho kuyinto embi nebaba kanjani; akusekho ukungesaba kuwe,” kusho iNkosi uSimakade Wamabandla.
20 “Ngokuba kwasemandulo walephula ijoka lakho, wagqabula izibopho zakho, wathi: ‘Angiyukukhonza.’ Ngokuba kuwo wonke amagquma aphakemeyo, naphansi kwayo yonke imithi eluhlaza, walala njengesifebe.
21 Mina ngakutshala ungumvini wekhethelo, imbewu enhle kakhulu; pho uphenduke kanjani waba yigatsha elonakeleyo kimi, elomvini wabezizwe na?
22 Ngokuba noma ugeza ngesoda, uzithathele insipho eningi, ububi bakho bulotshiwe phambi kwami,” kusho iNkosi uSimakade.
23 “Ungakusho kanjani ukuthi: ‘Angingcolile, angibalandelanga oBhali,’ na? Bheka ukuziphatha kwakho esigodini, ubone ukuthi wenzeni: uyikamela lensikazi elinejubane, elizulazula ezindleleni zalo,
24 nembongolo yasendle ejwayele ihlane, esezela umoya ngokukhanuka kwayo; ngubani ongavimbela inkanuko yayo na? Bonke abayifunayo abayukukhathala, bayakuyifumana ngenyanga yayo.
25 Nqanda unyawo lwakho lungabi olungenasicathulo, nomphimbo wakho ukuba ungomi; kepha wena wathi: ‘Kuyize; qha, ngiyabathanda onkulunkulu babezizwe, ngizobalandela.’
26 “Njengesela linxothoza lapho selibanjiwe, iyakuba njalo nendlu yakwa-Israyeli; iyokuba namahloni, yona namakhosi ayo, izikhulu zabo, abaphristi babo, nabaphrofethi babo
27 abathi emthini: ‘Ungubaba,’ nasetsheni, bathi: ‘Wena wangizala.’ Bangifulathele, abangibheki, kepha kuyothi ngesikhathi senhlekelele, bathi: ‘Vuka, usisindise.’
28 Baphi onkulunkulu bakho ozenzele bona na? Mabavuke, uma bengakusindisa ngesikhathi sokuhlupheka kwakho, ngokuba njengomumo wemizi yakho, banjalo onkulunkulu bakho, Juda.
29 “Kungani nimelana nami na? Nonke niphambukile kimi,” kusho uSimakade.
30 “Abantwana benu ngibashayele ize, abakwemukelanga ukuyalwa. Inkemba yenu idle abaphrofethi benu njengengonyama ebhubhisayo.
31 “Wena sizukulwane, lalela izwi likaSimakade. “Ngike ngaba yini yihlane ku-Israyeli, noma izwe lesigayegaye na? Kungani abantu bami bethi: ‘Sesidlubulundile, asisayukubuyela kuwe,’ na?
32 Intombi ingakhohlwa yini yimvunulo yayo, nomakoti ixhama lakhe na? Nokho abantu bami bangikhohliwe izinsuku ezingenakubalwa.
33 Uyilungisa kanjani indlela yakho uma ufuna uthando na?
34 Emiphethweni yezingubo zakho kufunyenwe igazi labampofu abangenacala, nanxa ungazange ubabhadame begqekeza. Phezu kwakho konke lokho,
35 uthi: ‘Anginacala. Impela intukuthelo yakhe ingehlele.’ Kodwa sengizokukwehlulela, ngokuba uthi: ‘Angonanga.’
36 Usheshelani kangaka ukuguqula indlela yakho na? NeGibhithe lizokujabhisa njengalokhu wajabhiswa yi-Asiriya.
37 Nalapho uyophuma uthwele imikhono ekhanda, ngokuba uSimakade ubalahlile labo owethembele kubo; abayukukuphumelelisa.”