Amathambo Akhutshwa Emangcwabeni
Abantu bayawa baphinde bavuke; aba bantu bawa bahlale phantsi. Iintaka ezifudukayo zilazi ixesha lazo ngaphezu kokuba uYuda ezazi iindlela zikaBawo wakhe. UYeremiya, egula lusizi, ubuza ukuba ikho na intlaka eGiliyadi — yaye isahluko asimphenduli.
8 1“Ngelo xesha,” utsho uBawo wethu, “baya kuwakhupha emangcwabeni abo amathambo ookumkani bakwaYuda, nezikhulu, nababingeleli, nabaprofeti, nabemi baseYerusalem. 2Aya kwanekwa phambi kwelanga, nenyanga, nomkhosi wonke wasemazulwini abawuthandayo, abawukhonzayo, abawulandelayo, abacebisana nawo, abawunqulayo — engahlanganiswanga, engangcwatywanga, abe ngumgquba phezu komhlaba. 3Onke amasalela ale ntsapho ikhohlakeleyo, naphi na apho ndiwagxothele khona, aya kunyula ukufa kunobomi,” utsho uBawo wemikhosi yasemazulwini.
Abantu Abangavumiyo Ukubuya
4“Yithi kubo: ‘Utsho uBawo wethu ukuthi: Xa abantu besiwa, abavuki na? Xa umntu ejika, akabuyi na? 5Kutheni ngoko aba bantu, baseYerusalem, bejike babuyela umva ngonaphakade? Banamathele enkohlisweni; bala ukubuya.’ 6Ndiphulaphule ngenyameko, kodwa abathethi okulungileyo. Akukho namnye ojika ebubini bakhe, esithi: ‘Ndenze ntoni na?’ Elowo ubaleka ngendlela yakhe, njengehashe elingenela imfazwe. 7Nengwamza esibhakabhakeni iyawazi amaxesha ayo amisiweyo, nehobe, nenkonjane, nendwe zigcina ixesha lokuza kwazo. Kodwa abantu bam abazi iindlela ezibubulungisa zikaBawo wabo. 8Ningatsho njani ukuthi: ‘Sizizilumko, nomthetho kaBawo wethu unathi,’ kanti usiba olunamanga lwababhali luwuguqule waba bubuxoki? 9Izilumko ziya kudaniswa; ziya kukhwankqa zithiywe. Khangela, balicekisile ilizwi lam, ngoko bunokuba bubulumko buni na obuseleyo kubo? 10Ngako oko abafazi babo ndiya kubanika abanye, namasimi abo ndiwanike abanini abatsha. Kuba bethabathela komncinane base komkhulu, bonke babawela inzuzo embi; bethabathela kumprofeti base kumbingeleli, bonke benza inkohliso.’ 11Banyanga inxeba lentombi yabantu bam ngokungathi asinto, besithi: ‘Uxolo, uxolo,’ kanti alukho uxolo. 12Baba neentloni na ngamasikizi ababenzileyo? Hayi, abazange babe neentloni; babengakwazi nokudana. Ngako oko baya kuwa phakathi kwabawileyo; ngexesha ndibavelelayo, baya kuwiswa phantsi,’ utsho uBawo wethu. 13‘Inene ndiya kubahlanganisa,’ utsho uBawo wethu. ‘Akuyi kubakho zidiliya emdiliyeni, nemikhiwane emthini womkhiwane, namagqabi aya kubuna; oko ndabanika kona kuya kudlula kubo.’
14“Sihlaleleni apha? Buthelanani! Masisabele emizini enqatyisiweyo sitshabalalele khona, kuba uBawo wethu usigwebele ukuba sitshabalale, wasinika amanzi anetyhefu ukuba siwasele, ngenxa yokuba sonile kuye.”
15Sathemba uxolo, kodwa akubangakho nto ilungileyo; salindela ixesha lokuphiliswa, kodwa endaweni yoko kukho unkwantyiso. 16Ukufutha kwamahashe otshaba kuvakala kwaDan; ngesandi sokukhonya kweenkunzi zawo lonke ilizwe liyanyikima. Afika adle ilizwe nako konke okukulo, umzi nabo bonke abahleli kuwo.
17“Kuba khangela, ndithuma iinyoka ezinobuhlungu phakathi kwenu, amarhamba angenakuthakathwa, aya kuniluma,” utsho uBawo wethu.
UYeremiya Ulilela Abantu Bakhe
18Uvuyo lwam luphelile, usizi lundigubungele; intliziyo yam igula ngaphakathi kwam. 19Phulaphula—isikhalo sentombi yabantu bam sivela ezweni elikude: “Akakho na uBawo wethu eZiyon? Akasekho na ukumkani wayo kuyo?” “Yini na ukuba bandiqumbise ngemifanekiso yabo eqingqiweyo, ngoothixo babo basemzini abalilize? 20Ukuvuna kudlule, ihlobo liphele, kodwa asisindiswanga.” 21Ngenxa yenxeba lentombi yabantu bam ndityumkile; ndiyalila, ndibanjwe kukunkwantyiswa. 22Akukho mafutha aqholiweyo na eGiliyadi? Akukho gqirha na khona? Yini na ke ukuba ukuphila kwentombi yabantu bam kungafiki?
