Iinkokeli Ezidla Abantu Bazo
Isityholo sinomfanekiso wobundlongondlongo bokutya abantu: iinkokeli ezihlinza ulusu lwabantu bazo zize zibaqhekeze zibafake embizeni. Abaprofeti bashumayela uxolo kubani na obondlayo; uBawo wethu akayi kuphendula. Ngenxa yala madoda, iZiyon iya kulinywa, nentaba yetempile ishiywe ibe lihlathi.
3 1Ndaza ndathi: Phulaphulani, nina nkokeli zakwaYakobi, zikhulu zendlu kaSirayeli! Akusingomsebenzi wenu na ukwazi ubulungisa? 2Nina abathiya okulungileyo baze bathande okubi, abahlinza ulusu lwabantu bam, nenyama yabo emathanjeni abo; 3abadla inyama yabantu bam, bahlube ulusu lwabo, baze bawaphule amathambo abo abe ngamaqhekeza; abawatyatyayo njengenyama esembizeni, njengenyama esengxawini. 4Baya kwandula ke ukukhala kuBawo wethu, kodwa akayi kubaphendula; uya kubusithelisa ubuso bakhe kubo ngelo xesha, ngenxa yobubi ababenzileyo.
5Nanku okuthiwa nguBawo wethu ngabaprofeti abalahlekisa abantu bam: xa besondliwa, bakhala besithi: “Uxolo,” kodwa bamemezele imfazwe kulowo ongafaki nto emlonyeni wabo. 6Ngako oko niya kufikelwa bubusuku, ningenambono; bube bubumnyama kuni, ningenakuvumisa. Baya kutshonelwa lilanga abaprofeti, imini ibe mnyama phezu kwabo. 7Ababoni baya kudana, bahlazeke abavumisi; baya kuyigquma bonke imilomo yabo ngeentloni, kuba kungekho mpendulo ivela kuBawo wethu.
8Ke mna, ndizaliswe ngamandla— nguMoya kaBawo wethu— nangobulungisa nangobugorha, ukuze ndixele kuYakobi ukreqo lwakhe, nakuSirayeli isono sakhe. 9Yivani oku, nina nkokeli zendlu kaYakobi nabaphathi bendlu kaSirayeli, nina bacekisa ubulungisa, nigqwetha konke okuthe tye, 10abakhayo iZiyon ngegazi, neYerusalem ngobugwenxa. 11Iinkokeli zayo zigweba ngesicengo, ababingeleli bayo bafundise ngexabiso, nabaprofeti bayo bavumisa ngesilivere; kodwa bayame kuBawo wethu besithi: “UBawo wethu akakho na phakathi kwethu? Akukho bubi buya kusehlela.” 12Ngako oko ngenxa yenu iZiyon iya kulinywa njengentsimi, iYerusalem ibe yimfumba yamanxuwa, nentaba yetempile ibe yinduli enamahlathi.