Jeremiah 23
1 “Maye, kubelusi ababhubhisa, bahlakaze izimvu zedlelo lami!” kusho uSimakade.
2 Ngakho-ke usho kanje uSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ngabelusi abelusa abantu bami, uthi: “Nizihlakazile nazixosha izimvu zami, anizinakekelanga. Bhekani, ngizonijezisa ngenxa yobubi bezenzo zenu,” kusho uSimakade.
3 “Mina, ngiyakuyiqoqa insali yezimvu zami emazweni wonke, lapho ngangiyixoshele khona, ngiyibuyisele emadlelweni ayo; iyakuchuma, yande.
4 Ngiyakumisa phezu kwayo abelusi, abayakuyelusa; ayisayukwesaba, ayisayukuba naluvalo, futhi ayisekho eyolahleka kuyo,” kusho uSimakade.
5 “Bheka, izinsuku ziyeza,” kusho uSimakade, “lapho ngiyakumvusela uDavide iHlumela elilungileyo; liyakubusa njengenkosi, libe nokuhlakanipha, lenze ubulungiswa nokulunga ezweni.
6 Ezinsukwini zalo, uJuda uyakusindiswa, u-Israyeli ahlale elondekile; nanti igama eliyakubizwa ngalo, lokuthi: USIMAKADE UNGUKULUNGA KWETHU.
7 “Ngalokho bheka, izinsuku ziyeza,” kusho uSimakade, “abangasayukusho ngazo bathi: ‘Ngifunga ngiyagomela phambi kukaSimakade owakhuphula abakwa-Israyeli eGibhithe,’
8 kodwa bayothi: ‘Ngifunga uSimakade, owakhuphula, wabahola abozalo lwendlu ka-Israyeli enyakatho nasemazweni wonke, lapho ngangibaxoshele khona.’ Bayakuhlala ezweni lakubo.”
9 Mayelana nabaphrofethi. Inhliziyo yami yephukile ngaphakathi kwami, wonke amathambo ami ayathuthumela. Sengifana nomuntu odakiweyo, nanjengomuntu owahlulwe yiwayini; ngenxa kaSimakade, nangenxa yamazwi akhe angcwele.
10 Ngokuba izwe ligcwele iziphingi; izwe lomisile ngenxa yesiqalekiso; amadlelo asehlane omile. Baphila impilo embi, basebenzisa namandla abo ngokungafanele.
11 “Abaphrofethi nabaphristi bangcolile, nasendlini yami ngithole inkohlakalo yabo,” kusho uSimakade.
12 “Ngakho-ke indlela yabo iyakuba bushelelezi kubo; bayakududulelwa ebumnyameni, bawe kubo; ngiyobehlisela inhlekelele ngonyaka engiyobajezisa ngawo,” kusho uSimakade.
13 “Ngibone into eyihlazo kubaphrofethi baseSamariya: baphrofetha ngoBhali, badukisa abantu bami, u-Israyeli.
14 Ngibone into embi kubaphrofethi baseJerusalema; bayaphinga, bahamba ngobuqili, bakhuthaza abenza okubi ukuze kungaphenduki muntu ebubini bakhe; bonke banjengeSodoma kimi, nezakhamuzi zakhona zinjengeGomora.”
15 Ngakho-ke usho kanje uSimakade Wamabandla ngabaphrofethi, uthi: “Bheka, ngiyakubenza badle okubabayo, ngibaphuzise amanzi anobuthi, ngokuba ukuziphatha kabi kusuke kubaphrofethi baseJerusalema, kwasabalala ezweni lonke.”
16 Usho kanje uSimakade Wamabandla, uthi: “Ningawalaleli amazwi abaphrofethi abaphrofetha kini; bayanikhohlisa, bakhuluma umbono wenhliziyo yabo, hhayi okuphuma emlonyeni kaSimakade.
17 Bakhuluma njalo bethi kwabangidelelayo: uSimakade ukhulume wathi: ‘Niyakuba nokuthula.’ Bathi kubo bonke abahamba ngenkani yenhliziyo yabo: ‘Aniyukwehlelwa yinhlekelele.’
18 Ngokuba ngubani owake wema emkhandlwini kaSimakade ukuba abone, ezwe izwi lakhe na? Ngubani olizwile izwi lakhe, waligcina na?
19 Bheka, isivunguvungu sikaSimakade esinolaka siphumile. Isivunguvungu esikhwishizayo siyakhwishiza phezu kwamakhanda ezikhohlakali.
20 Intukuthelo kaSimakade ayiyukubohla aze akwenze lokho, ayifeze inhloso yenhliziyo yakhe. Ezinsukwini zokugcina niyakukuqonda nokukuqonda lokhu.
21 Mina angibathumanga abaphrofethi, nokho bagijima; angikhulumanga kubo, kodwa baphrofetha.
22 Uma babemile emkhandlwini wami, bebeyokwenza abantu bami bawezwe amazwi ami, bebeyobanqanda endleleni yabo embi, nasezenzweni zabo zokukhohlakala.
23 “NginguNkulunkulu oseduze yini, angisiye uNkulunkulu okude na?” kusho uSimakade.
24 “Ukhona yini ongacasha ezindaweni ezisithekileyo ukuze ngingamboni na?” kusho uSimakade. “Angiligcwalisi yini izulu nomhlaba na?” kusho uSimakade.
25 “Ngizwile ukuthi bathini abaphrofethi abaphrofetha amanga egameni lami, bethi: ‘Ngiphuphile, ngiphuphile.’
26 Kuyoze kube nini bengaphenduki ezinhliziyweni, abaphrofethi abaphrofetha amanga, bengabaphrofethi benkohliso yenhliziyo yabo na?
27 Abaceba ukwenza ukuba abantu bami balikhohlwe igama lami ngamaphupho abo abawalandisa, kube yilowo nalowo kumakhelwane wakhe, njengoba okhokho babo balikhohlwa igama lami ngenxa kaBhali na?
28 Umphrofethi onephupho makalande ngalo iphupho, kepha onezwi lami makalikhulume izwi lami ngeqiniso. Amakhoba ayini kukusanhlamvu na?” kusho uSimakade.
29 “Izwi lami alinjengomlilo yini, nanjengesando esiqhekeza idwala na?” kusho uSimakade.
30 “Ngakho-ke bheka, ngimelene nabaphrofethi, abeba amazwi ami, kube yilowo nalowo kumakhelwane wakhe, kusho uSimakade.
31 Bheka, ngimelene nabaphrofethi,” kusho uSimakade, “abakhuluma izilimi zabo, bathi: ‘Uthi Yena.’
32 Bheka, ngimelene nabaphrofethi abaphupha amanga,” kusho uSimakade, “bawalandise, badukise abantu bami ngamanga abo nangobudedengu babo. Mina-ke angibathumanga, angibayalanga, futhi ababasizanga ngalutho laba bantu,” kusho uSimakade.
33 “Uma laba bantu, noma umphrofethi, noma umphristi bekubuza bethi: ‘Uyini umthwalo kaSimakade na?’ Uyobatshela uthi: ‘Yinina eningumthwalo,’ ubuye uthi: ‘Ngiyakunilahla, kusho uSimakade.’
34 Umphrofethi, umphristi nabantu abayokuthi: ‘Ngumthwalo kaSimakade,’ ngiyomjezisa lowo muntu nabendlu yakhe.
35 Niyakusho kanjalo, omunye kumakhelwane wakhe, nomfowabo kumfowabo, nithi: ‘USimakade uphendule wathini na?’ nokuthi: ‘USimakade utheni na?’
36 Kepha maningaqhubeki, nithi: ‘Umthwalo kaSimakade,’ ngokuba oyoqhubeka asho njalo, umthwalo kuyoba ngowakhe, ngoba uyobe ephendulele amazwi kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, uSimakade Wamabandla, uNkulunkulu wethu.
37 Ngalokho uyakusho kanje kumphrofethi, uthi: ‘USimakade ukuphendule wathini?’ nokuthi: ‘USimakade utheni na?’
38 Kepha uma nithi: ‘Umthwalo kaSimakade,’ khona uSimakade usho kanje, uthi: ngenxa yokuba nisebenzisa leli lizwi elithi: ‘Umthwalo kaSimakade,’ nakuba Mina ngathumela kini, ngathi: ningasho ukuthi: ‘Umthwalo kaSimakade,’
39 ngakho-ke ngiyakuniphakamisa nokuniphakamisa, nginilahle kude nobukhona bami, nina nomuzi enganinika wona, nina nokhokho benu,
40 ngiyakunithela ngehlazo namahloni angapheliyo, okungayikulibaleka.”