Jeremiah 4
1 “Uma uphenduka, Israyeli,” kusho uSimakade, “uyakubuyela kimi; uma ususa phambi kwami izinengiso zakho, awuyukuntengantenga.
2 Uyakufunga ngeqiniso, ngobulungiswa, nangokulunga, uthi: ‘Ngifunga phambi kukaSimakade,’ izizwe ziyakuzibusisa ngaye, zizishaye isifuba ngaye.”
3 Usho kanje uSimakade kubantu bakwaJuda nabaseJerusalema, uthi: “Qathani umqatho wenu, ningatshali phakathi kwameva.
4 Zisokeleni uSimakade, nisuse amajwabu ezinhliziyo zenu, nina bantu bakwaJuda, nani zakhamuzi zaseJerusalema, funa intukuthelo yami iphume njengomlilo, ivuthe, kungabi bikho oyicimayo, ngenxa yobubi bezenzo zenu.
5 “Memezelani kwaJuda, nihlabe umkhosi eJerusalema, nithi: ‘Bethani amacilongo ezweni,’ nimemeze, nithi: ‘Buthanani, masihambe siye emizini ebiyelweyo.’
6 Misani ibhanela libheke eZiyoni, nibaleke niyocasha, ningemi, ngokuba ngiyakwehlisa inhlekelele ivela enyakatho, nokubhujiswa okukhulu.”
7 Ingonyama iphumile ehlokozini, umbhubhisi wezizwe uyeza; uphumile endaweni yakhe ukuba enze izwe lakho libe yincithakalo, imizi yakini icekelwe phansi, kungabi bikho ohlala kuyo.
8 Ngalokho bhincani indwangu eyisaka, nikhale, nilile, ngokuba intukuthelo kaSimakade evuthayo ayikasuki kithi.
9 “Kuyakuthi ngalolo lusuku,” kusho uSimakade, “inhliziyo yenkosi idangale nezinhliziyo zezikhulu; abaphristi bayakumangala, abaphrofethi bathuthumele.”
10 Ngase ngithi: “Awu, Nkosi Simakade, impela ubakhohlisile laba bantu neJerusalema, wathi: ‘Niyakuba nokuthula,’ kodwa inkemba isemqaleni.”
11 Ngaleso sikhathi kuyakuthiwa kulaba bantu, nakulo iJerusalema: “Ishisandlu elivela ezindaweni eziphakeme ezingamaqwaqwasi liya endodakazini yabantu bami, aliyukubahlakaza, aliyukubahlambulula.
12 Umoya omkhulu kunalokho uyakuphuma kimi. Manje ngiyakukhuluma, ngibagwebe.”
13 Bhekani, uyakhuphuka njengamafu, izinqola zakhe zinjengesivunguvungu, amahhashi akhe anejubane kunezinkozi. Maye, kithi, ngokuba sichithiwe!
14 Jerusalema, hlanza ububi obusenhliziyweni yakho, ukuze usindiswe. Kuyoze kube nini imicabango yakho emibi ihleli ezibilini zakho na?
15 Ngokuba izwi liyamemezela, liphuma kwaDani; limemezela inhlekelele ivela kwelezintaba kwa-Efrayimi.
16 “Xwayisani izizwe ngalokhu; bhekani, kumemezeleni eJerusalema ukuthi abavimbezeli bayeza, bavela kwelikude izwe; bayalizwakalisa izwi labo emizini yakwaJuda.
17 Njengabalindi bensimu, balithelekele nxazonke, ngokuba lingihlubukile,” kusho uSimakade.
18 “Ukuziphatha kwakho nezenzo zakho kukulethele lezi zinto; lokhu kungenxa yokukhohlakala kwakho, ngokuba umunyu ufinyelele enhliziyweni yakho.”
19 O, buhlungu bami, buhlungu bami, inhliziyo yami iyaqaqamba; iyabubula inhliziyo yami, anginakuthula, ngokuba umphefumulo wami uwuzwile umsindo wecilongo, kuhlatshwa umkhosi wempi.
20 Kumenyezelwa ukubhujiswa phezu kokubhujiswa, ngokuba izwe lonke lenziwe incithakalo. Amathende ami ashatshalaliswe ngokushesha, namakhethini ami ngokuphazima kweso.
21 Kuyoze kube nini ngibona ibhanela, ngizwa umsindo wecilongo na?
22 “Yebo, abantu bami bayiziwula, abangazi; bangabantwana abayiziphukuphuku, abanakuqonda; bayizingcweti ekwenzeni okubi, abakwazi ukwenza okuhle.”
23 Ngawubuka umhlaba; bheka, wawuyize, ungenalutho, nezulu lalingenakukhanya.
24 Ngabuka izintaba, bheka, zazamazama, namagquma wonke anyakaza.
25 Ngabuka; uyabona-ke, kwakungekho muntu; zonke izinyoni zezulu zazibalekile.
26 Ngabuka; bheka, izwe elivundileyo laliyihlane, nemizi yalo yonke yayidiliziwe phambi kukaSimakade, naphambi kwentukuthelo yakhe evuthayo.
27 Ngokuba usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: “Izwe lonke liyakuba yincithakalo, kepha angiyukuliqeda liphele nya.
28 Umhlaba uyakhala ngalokhu, izulu phezulu liyakuba mnyama, ngokuba ngikukhulumile, nginqumile; anginakuguquka, anginakuphenduka kulokhu.”
29 Yonke imizi iyabaleka ngenxa yomsindo wabamahhashi, nowabaciba ngemicibisholo; abantu bangena emahlokozini, bakhuphukele emadwaleni; imizi yonke isele dengwane, akusekho ohlala kuyo.
30 Wena ochithiweyo, wenzani ngokuvunula ngokubomvu nangemvunulo yegolide, nokugqaba amashiya akho ngomuthi, uzenza muhle ngeze na? Izithandwa zakho ziyakwedelela, zifuna ukukubulala.
31 Ngizwile izwi kungathi ngelowesifazene ohelelwayo, usizi lozibulayo, izwi lendodakazi uZiyoni ihefuzela, yelula izandla zayo, ithi: “Maye, kimi! Ngokuba umphefumulo wami udangele, phambi kwababulali bami.”