UJeremiya
5 Hambahambani emigwaqweni yeJerusalema,
Likhangelisise yonke indawo libone.
Hambani liyekhangela lasemagcekeni edolobho,
Libone kumbe lingamthola yini umuntu owenza okulungileyo,+
Njalo othembekileyo.
Nxa lingamthola, iJerusalema ngizayithethelela.
2 Lanxa bangaze bathi: “Sifunga ngoJehova uNkulunkulu ophilayo!”
Bayabe belokhu befunga amanga.+
3 Awu Jehova, amehlo akho awadingi abathembekileyo yini?+
Ubajezisile abantu bakho kodwa abazwanga lutho,
Lanxa uphose wabaqeda abazange balalele.+
4 Kodwa mina ngithe enhliziyweni yami: “Laba ngabantukazana sibili,
Benza ubuthutha ngoba abayazi indlela kaJehova,
Abazazi izahlulelo zikaNkulunkulu wabo.
5 Ngakho ngizakuya ebantwini abahlonitshwayo ngikhulume labo,
Ngoba kumele ukuthi bona bayayazi indlela kaJehova,
Bayazazi lezahlulelo zikaNkulunkulu wabo.+
Kodwa bonke bephule ijogwe
Baqamula lezintambo.”
6 Ngenxa yalokhu isilwane esiphuma eguswini siyabahlasela,
Leganyana elivela enkangala liyabadlithiza.
Ingwe layo iyabacathamela emadolobheni abo,
Bonke abaphumayo iyabadabudabula,
Ngoba amacala abo manengi,
Lezenzo zabo ezimbi zinengi kakhulu.+
7 Ngingalithethelela njani lisenza lokhu?
Amadodana enu angitshiyile,
Afunga ngonkulunkulu wamanga.+
Ngawanika akuswelayo,
Kodwa aqhubeka efeba,
Esiyagcwala endlini yewule.
8 Banjengamabhiza atshiswa yinkanuko,
Ngamunye wabo utshisekela ukulala lomfazi wenye indoda.+
9 Ngakho uJehova uthi: “Kambe ngingayekela ukubajezisa bona besenza izinto lezi?
Ngingayekela sibili ukuphindisela esizweni esinje?”+
10 “Buyani lizohlasela amasimu ayo amagilebisi,
Kodwa lingawatshabalalisi ngokupheleleyo.+
Yephulani izingatsha ezincane,
Ngoba ayisizo zikaJehova.
11 Abendlu yako-Israyeli labendlu yakoJuda
Bangikhohlise kakhulu,” kutsho uJehova.+
12 “Bamlahlile uJehova njalo baqhubeka besithi,
‘Kasoze enze lutho.+
Akulamonakalo ozasehlela,
Asisoze sihlaselwe ngenkemba loba siqedwe yindlala.’+
13 Abaphrofethi baphrofetha izinto ezingekhoyo,
Ilizwi likaNkulunkulu alikho kubo.
Kwangathi bangaba njengamazwi abo!”
14 Ngakho uJehova uNkulunkulu wamabutho uthi:
“Ngenxa yokuthi abantu laba bakhuluma izinto lezi,
Sengisenza amazwi ami abe ngumlilo emlonyeni wakho,+
Bona babe zinkuni.
Umlilo uzabatshabalalisa.”+
15 “Ngizakulethela isizwe esivela khatshana kakhulu, wena ndlu yako-Israyeli,”+ kutsho uJehova,
“Isizwe esesilesikhathi eside sikhona,
Isizwe sakudala,
Esilolimi ongalwaziyo,
Njalo esilabantu abakhuluma izinto ongazizwayo.+
16 Isikhwama sabo semitshoko sinjengengcwaba elivulekileyo,
Bonke bangamaqhawe.
17 Bazatshabalalisa isivuno sakho baqede lesinkwa sakho,+
Babulale amadodana akho lamadodakazi akho.
Bazaqeda izimvu zakho lenkomo zakho,
Batshabalalise amasimu akho amagilebisi lawezihlahla zomkhiwa.
Bazahlasela ngenkemba badilize amadolobho akho owathembileyo avikelwe ngemiduli.”
18 UJehova uthi, “Kodwa langalezonsuku angisoze ngilitshabalalise liphele.+ 19 Nxa bangakubuza bathi, ‘Kungani uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu esehlisele konke lokhu?’ kumele ubaphendule uthi, ‘Njengoba lahlamukela uNkulunkulu lakhonza unkulunkulu wezinye izizwe elizweni lenu, lizasebenzela abantu bezinye izizwe elizweni elingayisilo lenu.’”+
20 Khulumani ngalokhu endlini kaJakhobe,
Likumemezele koJuda lithi:
21 “Zwanini lina bantu abayizithutha labangelangqondo:+
22 ‘Kanti alingesabi yini?’ kutsho uJehova,
‘Akufanelanga yini lithuthumele phambi kwami?
Phela yimi engafaka itshebetshebe ukuthi ibe ngumngcele wolwandle,
Umngcele ozahlala ukhona, ongeke weqiwe lulwandle.
Lanxa amagagasi alo engaphakama, ngeke aweqe,
Lanxa ehlokoma kawedluli aye ngale kwawo.+
23 Kodwa abantu laba balenhliziyo elukhuni futhi bayahlamuka,
Baphambukile bazihambela ngendlela abayifunayo.+
24 Kabatsho ezinhliziyweni zabo ukuthi:
“Asimesabeni uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu,
Osinika izulu ngesikhathi salo,
Izulu lokuqala lezulu lokucina,
Lowo oba leqiniso lokuthi siyasithola isikhathi sokuvuna.”+
25 Iziphambeko zenu yizo ezenze ukuthi lingazitholi izinto lezi,
Izono zenu sezenze ukuthi lingakutholi okuhle.+
26 Phakathi kwabantu bami kulabantu abenza okubi.
Baqhubeka becatheme njengabantu abathiya inyoni.
Bafaka imijibila eyingozi,
Babambe abantu.
27 Izindlu zabo zigcwele impahla abayithole ngobuqili,+
Njengesilugu esigcwele inyoni.
Yikho belamandla futhi benothile.
28 Bazimukile njalo bayacazimula,
Benza izinto ezimbi ezinengi.
29 Ngakho uJehova uthi: “Kambe ngingayekela ukubajezisa bona besenza izinto lezi?
Ngingayekela sibili ukuphindisela esizweni esinje?
30 Elizweni kwenzakale into emangalisayo leyesabekayo.
31 Abaphrofethi baphrofetha amanga,+
Abaphristi basebenzisa izikhundla zabo ukuze bazenzele umathanda phezu kwabantu,
Njalo abantu bami bakuthanda kunjalo.+
Kodwa lizakwenzani nxa ukuphela sekufikile?”