Jeremiah 31
1 “Ngaleso sikhathi, kusho uSimakade, ngiyakuba nguNkulunkulu wayo yonke imindeni yakwa-Israyeli, yona ibe ngabantu bami.”
2 Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: “Abantu abasinde enkembeni bafumane umusa ehlane, ngesikhathi u-Israyeli eya khona ukuze athole ukuphumula.”
3 USimakade wabonakala kimi ekude, wathi: “Ngikuthande ngothando lwaphakade, ngakho-ke ngikudonsile ngomusa.
4 Ngizobuye ngikwakhe kabusha, wakheke wena ntombi engu-Israyeli. Uyophinde uvunule ngenjabulo, uphume ngokusina kwabathokozileyo.
5 Uyobuye utshale izivini ezintabeni eSamariya; abatshali bayozitshala, babuye badle izithelo zazo.
6 Ngokuba kuyakuba khona usuku abayakumemeza ngalo abalindi, entabeni yakwa-Efrayimi, bathi: ‘Sukani, asikhuphukele eZiyoni kuSimakade uNkulunkulu wethu.’ ”
7 Ngokuba usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: “Mhlabeleleni ngentokozo uJakobe, nihlokomele inhloko yezizwe, nizwakalise ukudumisa, nithi: ‘Simakade, sindisa abantu bakho insali yakwa-Israyeli.’
8 Bheka, ngiyakubabuyisa enyakatho, ngibaqoqe emikhawulweni yomhlaba; phakathi kwabo kukhona izimpumputhe, izinyonga, abakhulelwe, nabatetayo, bonke bayakubuya kanyekanye, beyibandla elikhulu.
9 Bayakuza bekhala, bekhuleka; lapho ngibabuyisa, ngiyakubaholela emifuleni yamanzi, ngendlela eqondileyo abangayukukhubeka kuyo, ngokuba nginguyise ka-Israyeli, no-Efrayimi uyizibulo lami.
10 “Nina zizwe, yizwani izwi likaSimakade, nilimemezele eziqhingini ezikude, nithi: ‘Owahlakaza u-Israyeli uzokumqoqa, amlondoloze njengomelusi elusa umhlambi wakhe.’
11 Ngokuba uSimakade umhlawulele uJakobe, wamhlenga esandleni sonamandla kunaye.
12 Bayakufika behlabelela ngokujabula, esicongweni seZiyoni bayakuthakasa ngenxa yokuhle abazokuphiwa nguSimakade; okusanhlamvu, iwayini, amafutha, amazinyane ezimvu namankonyane ezinkomo; umphefumulo wabo uyakuba njengensimu eniseliweyo, bangabe besaba nosizi nanini.
13 Intombi iyakuthokoza ngokusina, izinsizwa nabadala bajabule kanyekanye. Ngiyakuguqula ukukhala kwabo kube yinjabulo, ngibaduduze, ngibathokozise, bangabe besaba nosizi.
14 Ngiyakwenelisa umphefumulo wabaphristi ngamanoni, abantu bami basuthe ngokuhle okuvela kimi,” kusho uSimakade.
15 Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: “Izwi liyezwakala eRama, ukulila nokukhala okumunyu, uRaheli ekhalela abantwana bakhe; uyala ukududuzwa ngabantwana bakhe, ngokuba abasekho.”
16 Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: “Bamba izwi lakho, ungakhali, namehlo akho angabi nazinyembezi, ngokuba kuyakuba khona umvuzo ngomsebenzi wakho, babuye ezweni lesitha,” kusho uSimakade.
17 “Kukhona ithemba ngekusasa lakho, abantwana bakho bayakubuyela endaweni yabo,” kusho uSimakade.
18 “Ngimzwile nokumuzwa u-Efrayimi ezikhalela, ethi: ‘Ungishayile, ngashayeka njengethole elingaqeqeshekile; ngibuyise ukuze ngibuye, ngokuba Wena unguSimakade uNkulunkulu wami.
19 Lapho ngichezukile, ngazisola, nalapho sengifundisiwe, nganxothoza, ngaba namahloni, yebo, ngajabha, ngokuba ngalithwala ihlazo lobusha bami.’
20 Ngabe u-Efrayimi uyindodana yami ethandekayo na? Ngabe uyingane engithokoza ngayo na? Nakuba ngivame ukukhuluma kabi ngaye, nokho ngisamkhumbula. Ngakho-ke izibilini zami ziyamhawukela; ngiyakuba nesihe impela kuye,” kusho uSimakade.
21 “Zibekele amatshe ayinkombandlela, uzibekele izimpawu zomgwaqo, uqaphelisise umendo wakho, indlela owahamba ngayo; uzophinde ubuye ngayo. Buya ntombi engu-Israyeli, ubuyele kule mizi yakho.
22 Kuyoze kube nini uguquguquka, we ndodakazi ehlubukayo na? Ngokuba uSimakade udale into entsha emhlabeni: owesifazane uyakuyihaqa indoda.”
23 Usho kanje uSimakade Wamabandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: “Bayakubuye basho leli lizwi ezweni lakwaJuda nasemizini yalo, ngesikhathi ngibabuyisa ekuthunjweni kwabo, bathi: ‘USimakade makakubusise wena khaya lokulunga, ntaba yobungcwele.’
24 UJuda nayo yonke imizi yakhe bayakuhlala kulo ndawonye, abalimi baphume nemihlambi.
25 Ngokuba ngizobahlumelelisa abadangeleyo, ngibaqinise abaphelelwa ngamandla.”
26 Ngase ngiphaphama, ngabheka; ngangikade ngilele obumnandi ubuthongo.
27 “Bheka, izinsuku ziyeza, lapho indlu ka-Israyeli nendlu kaJuda ngiyakuzihlwanyela ngembewu yabantu, nangembewu yezilwane,” kusho uSimakade.
28 “Kuyakuthi njengalokhu ngangibaqaphile ukuze ngibasiphule, ngibadilize, ngibabhidlize, ngibabhubhise, ngibalimaze, kanjalo-ke ngiyakubalinda ukuba ngibakhe, ngibatshale,” kusho uSimakade.
29 “Ngalezo zinsuku abasayikusho futhi ukuthi: “ ‘Oyise badla amagilebhisi amuncu, amazinyo abantwana babo aba buthuntu.’
30 “Yilowo nalowo uyokufa ngenxa yobubi bakhe. Bonke abantu abadla amagilebhisi amuncu, amazinyo abo azokuba buthuntu.
31 “Bheka, izinsuku ziyeza,” kusho uSimakade, “lapho ngiyakwenza isivumelwano esisha nendlu ka-Israyeli nendlu kaJuda,
32 esingafani nesivumelwano engasenza nokhokho babo; mhla ngibabamba ngesandla, ngibakhipha eGibhithe; isivumelwano sami abasephula noma ngangiyinkosi yabo,” kusho uSimakade.
33 “Kepha yilesi isivumelwano engizakusenza nendlu ka-Israyeli, emveni kwalezo zinsuku,” kusho uSimakade: “ngiyakufaka umthetho wami ezibilini zabo, ngiwulobe ezinhliziyweni zabo, ngiyoba nguNkulunkulu wabo, bona babe ngabantu bami.
34 Abasayukufundisana, kube yilowo nalowo afundise umakhelwane wakhe, noma umfowabo, athi: ‘Yazi uSimakade,’ ngokuba bonke bayakungazi, kusukela kwabancane kuya kwabadala,” kusho uSimakade, “ngokuba ngiyakubathethelela ububi babo, nesono sabo angisayukusikhumbula.”
35 Usho kanje uSimakade obeka ilanga ukuba likhanyise emini, nezikhathi ezimisiwe zenyanga nezezinkanyezi, ukuba zikhanyise ebusuku, ovusa ulwandle ukuba kuhlokome amaza alo; nguSimakade Wamabandla igama lakhe, uthi:
36 “Uma lokhu okumisiwe kungasuka ebusweni bami, yilapho-ke abozalo luka-Israyeli beyakuphela, bangabe besaba yisizwe phambi kwami zonke izinsuku,” kusho uSimakade.
37 Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: “Uma amazulu phezulu engake alinganiswe, nezisekelo zomhlaba emajukujukwini ziphenyisiswe; kulapho-ke Mina ngiyobalahla khona bonke abozalo luka-Israyeli, ngakho konke abakwenzileyo,” kusho uSimakade.
38 “Bheka, izinsuku ziyeza, lapho uSimakade eyakwakhelwa kabusha umuzi, kusukela embhoshongweni kaHananeli kuze kube sesangweni iGumbi, kusho uSimakade.
39 Umucu wokulinganisa uyakusuka lapho futhi uze uqondane negquma iGarebhi, ujike uze ufike eGowa.
40 Isigodi sonke; lapho kugcwele khona izidumbu, nalapho kulahlwa khona umlotha, nawo wonke amasimu, kuze kube semfudlaneni iKidroni, kuze kufike egumbini leSango Lehhashi ngasempumalanga; kuyakuba ngcwele kuSimakade, kungabe kusasishulwa, noma kubhidlizwe, kuze kube phakade.”