Jeremiah 3
1 “Uma indoda ilahla umkayo, noma yena ahambe ayogana enye indoda, ingabe isabuyela yini kuye na? Lelo lizwe liyobe lingangcoliswanga kakhulu na? Kepha wena ofebe nezithandwa eziningi uyakubuyela kimi,” kusho uSimakade.
2 “Phakamisela amehlo akho emadulini angamaqwaqwasi, ubone, kukuphi lapho ongazinikelanga kwalalwa khona nawe na? Ubahlalele ngasezindleleni, ubufana nomArabhi ehlane, walingcolisa izwe ngobufebe nangobubi bakho.
3 Yingakho-ke izihlambi zinqandiwe, nemvula yakamuva ingabangabikho. Nokho ubunesibindi sobufebe, wenqaba ukuba namahloni.
4 Awungibizile yini khona manje, uthi kimi: ‘Baba, Wena ungumngani wobusha bami,’ na?
5 Uyakuhlala uthukuthele njalonjalo na? Uyoyigcina intukuthelo kuze kube phakade na? Yiyona ndlela okhulume ngayo, kodwa wenza okubi, waphumelela ukukwenza.”
6 USimakade wathi kimi, ngesikhathi sokubusa kukaJosiya inkosi: “Uboneni na? U-Israyeli akahlubukanga yini na? Ukhuphukele kuzo zonke izintaba eziphakeme, nangaphansi kwazo zonke izihlahla eziluhlaza, wafeba khona.
7 Ngangicabanga ukuthi emva kokwenza zonke lezo zinto, uzobuyela kimi, kodwa akabuyanga. Nodadewabo uJuda okhohlisayo, ukubonile lokho.
8 Ubonile ukuthi ngakho konke ukungethembeki kwakhe u-Israyeli, ohlubukayo angenqenanga ukumnika incwadi yesehlukaniso, nokho udadewabo uJuda akesabanga, naye uhambile wayofeba.
9 Ngenxa yokuba wayengenamahloni ngokufeba kwakhe, walingcolisa izwe, ephinga namatshe nezihlahla.
10 Nokho kukho konke lokho lo dadewabo ombuluzayo, uJuda, akazange abuyele kimi ngenhliziyo ephelele, kodwa ngokuzenzisa nje,” kusho uSimakade.
11 USimakade wayesethi kimi: “U-Israyeli ohlubukayo uzibonakalise elungile kimi kunoJuda okhohlisayo.
12 Hamba umemezele lawa mazwi enyakatho, uthi: “ ‘Buya wena Israyeli ohlubukayo,’ kusho uSimakade; ‘angizukunibheka nginyukubele, ngokuba nginomusa,’ kusho uSimakade; ‘Angiyukuthukuthela kuze kube phakade.
13 Kuphela, yazi ububi bakho ukuthi uhlubukile kuSimakade uNkulunkulu wakho, izindlela zakho wazihlakazela kwabezizwe, phansi kwazo zonke izihlahla eziluhlaza; anililalelanga izwi lami,’ ” kusho uSimakade.
14 “Buyani, bantu abahlubukayo,” kusho uSimakade. “Ngokuba ngiyiNkosi yenu, ngizothatha abe munye emzini, babe babili emndenini, nginiyise eZiyoni.
15 Ngizakuninika abelusi abathandwa yinhliziyo yami, abazonelusa ngokwazi nangokuhlakanipha.
16 Kuyothi lapho nanda, futhi nichuma ezweni, ngalezo zinsuku,” kusho uSimakade, “abasayukusho ukuthi: ‘Umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaSimakade;’ awuyukungena enhliziyweni, abayukuwucabanga, abasayukuwukhumbula, abayukuba nesizungu sawo, awuseyukwenziwa omusha.
17 Ngaleso sikhathi, abantu bayobiza iJerusalema ngokuthi liyisihlalo sobukhosi sikaSimakade. Izizwe zonke ziyobuthelwa kulo, kulo igama likaSimakade eJerusalema. Azisayukuhamba ngokwenkani yenhliziyo yazo embi.
18 Ngalezo zinsuku indlu yakwaJuda iyakuhamba nendlu yakwa-Israyeli, ziyakubuya kanyekanye ezweni enyakatho, ziye ezweni engalinika okhokho benu ukuba libe yifa labo.
19 “Mina bengicabanga ukuthi: “ ‘Ngizakukubeka kanjani phakathi kwabantu, ngikuphe izwe elinxanelekayo, ifa elihle kakhulu ezizweni!’ Ngathi niyakungibiza nithi: ‘Baba,’ ningaguquki ekungilandeleni.
20 Impela njengomfazi ekhohlisa umyeni, kanjalo ningikhohlisile nina ndlu ka-Israyeli,” kusho uSimakade.
21 Izwi liyezwakala emadulini angamaqwaqwasi, likhala, linxusela abantu bakwa-Israyeli, ngokuba bayihlanekezele indlela yabo, bamkhohlwa uSimakade uNkulunkulu wabo.
22 “Buyani nina bantwana enihlubukayo; ngizoniphulukisa ekuhlubukeni kwenu.” “Bheka, sesilapha, siza kuwe, ngokuba unguSimakade uNkulunkulu wethu.
23 Impela amagquma ayize nomsindo wezintaba. Ngokwempela, ukusindiswa kuka-Israyeli kukuSimakade uNkulunkulu wethu.
24 Nento eyihlazo iwuqedile umshikashika wokhokho bethu, kwasebusheni bethu; izimvu nezimbuzi zabo, nezinkomo zabo; namadodana abo namadodakazi abo.
25 Masilale phansi sinamahloni, ihlazo lethu lisisibekele, ngokuba sonile kuSimakade uNkulunkulu wethu, thina nokhokho bethu, kusukela ebusheni bethu kuze kube namuhla, asililalelanga izwi likaSimakade uNkulunkulu wethu.”