UJeremiya
25 Kwafika izwi kuJeremiya ngokuphathelene nabo bonke abantu bakwaJuda ngonyaka wesine kaJehoyakimi + indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakwaJuda, okwakungunyaka wokuqala kaNebukhadinezari* inkosi yaseBhabhiloni. 2 Yilokhu uJeremiya umprofethi akusho ngokuphathelene nabo bonke* abantu bakwaJuda nazo zonke izakhamuzi zaseJerusalema:
3 “Kusukela ngonyaka ka-13 kaJosiya + indodana ka-Amoni, inkosi yakwaJuda, kuze kube namuhla, le minyaka engu-23, uJehova ubelokhu ekhuluma nami, mina ngaqhubeka ngikhuluma nani ngokuphindaphindiwe* kodwa anizange nilalele. + 4 UJehova wathumela kini zonke izinceku zakhe abaprofethi, ezithumela ngokuphindaphindiwe* kodwa anizange nilalele noma ninake. *+ 5 Zona zazithi, ‘Siyacela, ngamunye makashiye izindlela zakhe ezimbi nezenzo zakhe ezimbi; + khona-ke niyoqhubeka nihlala ezweni uJehova aninika lona nina nokhokho benu. 6 Ningalandeli abanye onkulunkulu, nibakhonze futhi nibakhothamele, ningamcasuli ngokwenza izithombe; ngale kwalokho uzonijezisa.’
7 “ ‘Kodwa aningilalelanga,’ kusho uJehova. ‘Kunalokho nangicasula ngokwenza izithombe ngakho nganijezisa.’ +
8 “Ngakho yilokhu uJehova wamabutho akushoyo, ‘ “Ngenxa yokuthi aniwalalelanga amazwi ami, 9 ngithumela izizwe zasenyakatho,” + kusho uJehova, “ngithumela inkosi yaseBhabhiloni uNebukhadinezari,* inceku yami, + bazobhubhisa leli zwe + nezakhamuzi zalo nazo zonke lezi zizwe ezinxazonke. + Ngizobabhubhisa ngibenze babe yinto eshaqisayo nento yokushayelwa ikhwela, incithakalo yaphakade. 10 Ngizothulisa umsindo wokwethaba nomsindo wokujabula kubo, + izwi lomkhwenyana nezwi likamakoti, + umsindo wetshe lokugaya nokukhanya kwesibani. 11 Lonke leli zwe liyokwenziwa incithakalo, into eshaqisayo, lesi sizwe kuyodingeka sikhonze inkosi yaseBhabhiloni iminyaka engu-70.” ’ +
12 “ ‘Kodwa lapho iminyaka engu-70 isiphelile, + ngizoyijezisa inkosi yaseBhabhiloni nabantu bakhona ngenxa yecala labo,’ + kusho uJehova, ‘izwe lamaKhaledi ngizolenza libe yincithakalo kuze kube phakade. + 13 Ngiyokwenza kuleli zwe ngokuvumelana nawo wonke amazwi engiwakhulumile, konke okulotshwe kule ncwadi, uJeremiya akuprofethile ngazo zonke lezi zizwe. 14 Ngoba izizwe eziningi namakhosi amakhulu, + ziyobenza izigqila, + ngizozibuyisela ngokwezenzo zazo nangokomsebenzi wezandla zazo.’ ” +
15 Ngoba yilokhu uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli akusho kimi: “Thatha le ndebe yewayini yolaka esandleni sami, uphuzise zonke izizwe engikuthuma kuzo. 16 Ziyophuza, zidiyazele zenze njengabantu abasangene lapho ngithumela isitha ukuba sibahlasele ngenkemba.” +
17 Ngakho ngayithatha indebe esandleni sikaJehova ngaziphuzisa zonke izizwe uJehova ayengithume kuzo: + 18 ngaqala ngeJerusalema namadolobha akwaJuda, + amakhosi akhona nezikhulu zakhona, ukuze kube yindawo ebhuqiwe, into eshaqisayo, into yokushayelwa ikhwela nesiqalekiso + njengoba kunjalo namuhla; 19 ngalandela ngoFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe nezinceku zakhe, izikhulu zakhe nabo bonke abantu bakhe, + 20 nabo bonke abantu bokufika ababehlala eGibhithe; wonke amakhosi ezwe lase-Uze; wonke amakhosi asezweni lamaFilisti, + i-Ashikeloni, + iGaza, i-Ekroni nababesindile base-Ashidodi; 21 u-Edomi, + uMowabi + nabakwa-Amoni; + 22 wonke amakhosi aseThire, wonke amakhosi aseSidoni + namakhosi asesiqhingini esisolwandle; 23 iDedani, + iThema, iBuzi nabo bonke labo abashefe amahwanqa; + 24 wonke amakhosi ama-Arabhu + nawo wonke amakhosi ezinhlanga zabantu ezihlukahlukene ezihlala ehlane; 25 wonke amakhosi aseZimri, wonke amakhosi ase-Elamu + nawo wonke amakhosi amaMede; + 26 nawo wonke amakhosi asenyakatho aseduze nakude, enye ngemva kwenye, nayo yonke eminye imibuso yomhlaba; inkosi yaseSheshaki *+ nayo iyophuza ngemva kwawo.
27 “Kumele uthi kuzo, ‘Yilokhu uJehova wamabutho, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, akushoyo: “Phuzani nidakwe, nihlanze, niwe nize ningabe nisakwazi ukuvuka + ngenxa yesitha engisithumela kini ukuba sizonihlasela.” ’ 28 Uma zenqaba ukuthatha indebe esandleni sakho ukuba ziphuze, uyothi kuzo, ‘Yilokhu uJehova wamabutho akushoyo: “Phuzani! 29 Ngoba uma ngijezisa idolobha elibizwa ngegama lami, + ingabe nina ngeke nginijezise?” ’ +
“ ‘Ngeke nginiyeke, ngoba zonke izakhamuzi zomhlaba ngiyozibhubhisa ngenkemba,’ kusho uJehova wamabutho.
30 “Wena uzoprofetha kuzo wonke la mazwi uthi,
‘UJehova uyobhonga ephezulu,
Uyokwenza izwi lakhe lizwakale esendaweni yakhe yokuhlala engcwele.
Uyobhonga esendaweni yakhe yokuhlala.
Uyomemeza njengalabo abanyathela isikhamo sewayini,
Uyohlabelela ingoma yokunqoba ngokumelene nazo zonke izakhamuzi zasemhlabeni.’
31 ‘Umsindo uyofinyelela ngisho nasemajukujukwini omhlaba,
Ngoba uJehova unempikiswano nezizwe.
Uyobahlulela yena mathupha bonke abantu. +
Ababi uyobanikela enkembeni,’ kusho uJehova.
32 Yilokhu uJehova wamabutho akushoyo:
‘Inhlekelele isuka kwesinye isizwe iya kwesinye, +
Isiphepho esikhulu siyosuka sivela emajukujukwini omhlaba. +
33 “ ‘Ababulewe nguJehova ngalolo suku bayosukela komunye umkhawulo womhlaba kuze kube komunye umkhawulo womhlaba. Ngeke balilelwe, ngeke babuthwe noma bangcwatshwe. Bayoba njengomquba phezu komhlaba.’
34 Khalani, nina belusi, nimemeze!
Bhuquzani, nina zikhulu zomhlambi,
Ngoba isikhathi sokuba nibulawe nesokuba nihlakazwe sesifikile,
Niyowa niphahlazeke njengesitsha esiyigugu!
35 Abelusi abasenayo indawo abangabalekela kuyo,
Izikhulu zomhlambi azinayo indlela yokuphunyuka.
36 Lalelani! Ukukhala kwabelusi
Nokulila kwezikhulu zomhlambi,
Ngoba uJehova ucekela phansi idlelo labo.
37 Akusekho muntu ezindaweni zokuhlala ezinokuthula
Ngenxa yentukuthelo kaJehova evuthayo.