Jeremiah 9
1 Sengathi ikhanda lami lingamanzi, namehlo ami ngumthombo wezinyembezi, ukuba ngikhalele ababuleweyo babantu bami imini nobusuku.
2 Sengathi ngabe nginendawo yokulala izihambi ehlane, ukuze ngibashiye abantu bami, ngisuke kubo, ngokuba bonke bayiziphingi, iqembu lamaqili.
3 “Bagobisele umnsalo wolimi emangeni, abaqinanga eqinisweni ezweni, ngokuba basuka kulobu bubi bedlulele kobunye; abangazi Mina,” kusho uSimakade.
4 “Yilowo nalowo makaxwaye umakhelwane wakhe, ningethembeli nakubafowenu, ngokuba abafowenu bonke bagebenga, bonke omakhelwane behla benyuka, behleba.
5 Yilowo nalowo ukhohlisa umakhelwane wakhe, abalikhulumi iqiniso; ulimi lwabo balufundise ukukhuluma inkohliso, bazikhathaza ngokwenza okubi.
6 Bahlala phakathi kwenkohliso; ngenkohliso bayenqaba ukungazi Mina,” kusho uSimakade.
7 Ngakho-ke usho kanje uSimakade Wamabandla, uthi: “Ngiyakubancibilikisa, ngibavivinye, ngokuba ngizokwenza kanjani ngenxa yesono sabantu bami na?
8 Ulimi lwabo lungumcibisholo obulalayo, lukhuluma inkohliso; bakhuluma kahle ngomlomo wabo komakhelwane babo, kepha ezinhliziyweni bayamqamekela.
9 Angizukubajezisa yini ngalokho na?” kusho uSimakade. “Umphefumulo wami awuyukuziphindiselela yini esizweni esinjengalesi na?”
10 Ngiyakukhala, ngilile ezintabeni, nasemadlelweni asehlane, ngikhihle isililo; ngokuba aqothuliwe, akukho muntu owedlula kuwo, akuzwakali nakukhala kwemfuyo; izinyoni zezulu nezilwane zibalekile, zahamba.
11 “Ngizakulenza iJerusalema libe yindunduma yamatshe, nendawo yamakhanka; imizi yakwaJuda ngiyenze ibe yincithakalo, kungahlali muntu kuyo.”
12 Ngubani umuntu ohlakaniphileyo, ongaqonda okukhulunywe kuye ngumlomo kaSimakade, ukuze akumemezele na? Izwe libhujiselweni, lishiselweni lanjengehlane, kwangaba bikho odabula kulo na?
13 USimakade wathi: “Kungenxa yokuba bawushiyile umthetho wami engawubeka phambi kwabo. Abalilalelanga izwi lami futhi abahambanga ngalo.
14 Kepha bahambe balandela inkani yenhliziyo yabo, balandela oBhali ababafundiswa ngokhokho babo.”
15 Ngakho-ke usho kanje uSimakade Wamabandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: “Ngiyakubondla laba bantu ngemifino ebabayo, ngibaphuzise amanzi anobuthi.
16 Ngiyakubahlakaza phakathi kwezizwe abangazazi, bona nokhokho babo, ngibalandelise ngenkemba, ngize ngibaqede nya.”
17 Usho kanje uSimakade Wamabandla, uthi: “Qaphelani, nibize abesifazane besililo ukuba beze; thumelani kwabesifazane abahlakaniphileyo ukuba bafike,
18 mabasheshe basikhihlele isililo, ukuze amehlo ethu agobhoze izinyembezi, izinkophe zethu ziphophoze amanzi.
19 Ngokuba izwi lesililo lizwakele livela eZiyoni, lithi: ‘Yeka ukubhujiswa kwethu! Sithelwe ngehlazo kakhulu; silishiyile izwe, ngokuba bazidilizile izindlu zethu.’ ”
20 Yizwani izwi likaSimakade nina besifazane, izindlebe zenu zilamukele izwi eliphuma emlonyeni wakhe, nifundise amadodakazi enu iculo lesililo, kube yilowo nalowo afundise umakhelwane wakhe ukukhihla isililo.
21 Ngokuba ukufa kwenyukele emafasiteleni ethu, kungene ezinqabeni zethu, kubulala izingane emigwaqweni, nezinsizwa ezigcawini.
22 Khuluma uthi: “Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: “ ‘Izidumbu zabantu ziyakusabalala njengendle emasimini, nanjengokusanhlamvu okunqunyiwe okusala emva komvini, kungekho okubuthayo.’ ”
23 Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: “Ohlakaniphileyo makangazishayi isifuba ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe, neqhawe malingazibongi ngobuqhawe balo, nocebileyo makangazibongi ngengcebo yakhe.
24 Kepha ozibongayo makazibonge ngalokhu, ukuthi uyangiqonda, futhi uyangazi ukuthi nginguSimakade owenza umusa, ubulungiswa nokulunga emhlabeni, ngokuba ngiyathokoza ngalezi zinto,” kusho uSimakade.
25 “Bheka, izinsuku ziyeza,” kusho uSimakade, “lapho ngiyakujezisa bonke abasoke enyameni kuphela,
26 iGibhithe, uJuda, u-Edomi, abantu bakwa-Amoni, uMowabi, nabo bonke abadilingiwe emaceleni amakhanda abo, abakhe ehlane. Ngokuba zonke izizwe azisokile, nendlu yonke yakwa-Israyeli ayisokile enhliziyweni.”