UJeremiya 11

11 ¹Izwi elafika kuJeremiya livela kuBaba wethu:

²“Yizwa amazwi alesi sivumelwano, uwakhulume kubantu bakwaJuda nakulabo abahlala eJerusalema. ³Uthi kubo: Nakhu okushiwo nguBaba ka-Israyeli: Uqalekisiwe noma ngubani ongezukuwalalela amazwi alesi sivumelwano, ⁴engakuyala ngawo okhokho benu ngosuku engabakhipha ngalo ezweni laseGibhithe, esithandweni sensimbi, ngathi: Ngilaleleni nenze konke engikuyalayo, ukuze nibe ngabantwana bami, mina ngibe nguBaba wenu. ^a a v4 Isithando sensimbi simelela umsebenzi onzima wobugqila baseGibhithe — ubugqila obushisayo, obungapheli, obungenandlela yokuphuma. ⁵Khona-ke ngiyakugcina isifungo engasifungela okhokho benu, sokubanika izwe eligeleza ubisi noju—njengoba kunjalo namuhla.” Ngaphendula ngathi: “Amen, Baba wethu.”

⁶UBaba wethu wathi kimi: “Memezela wonke la mazwi emizini yakwaJuda nasezitaladini zaseJerusalema: Yizwa amazwi alesi sivumelwano uwalalele.”

⁷“Ngabaxwayisa ngokucophelela okhokho benu mhla ngibakhuphula eGibhithe, ngibaxwayisa ngokuphindaphindiwe kuze kube namuhla ngithi: Ngilaleleni. ⁸Kodwa abazange balalele futhi abezwanga; yilowo nalowo walandela inhliziyo yakhe enenkani nembi. Ngakho ngabehlisela wonke amazwi alesi sivumelwano engabayala ukuba basigcine, kodwa abasigcinanga.”

⁹UBaba wethu wathi kimi: “Kukhona itulo phakathi kwabantu bakwaJuda nakulabo abahlala eJerusalema. ¹⁰Babuyele ezonweni zokhokho babo, abenqaba ukuzwa amazwi ami. Balandele abanye onkulunkulu ukuba babakhonze. U-Israyeli noJuda basephule isivumelwano sami engasenza nokhokho babo.” ¹¹Ngakho nakhu okushiwo nguBaba wethu: Ngiyabehlisela inhlekelele abangeke bayibalekele. Nakuba bekhala kimi, ngeke ngibalalele. ¹²Khona-ke imizi yakwaJuda nabantu baseJerusalema bayakuhamba bakhale konkulunkulu abashisela bona impepho, kodwa laba abasoze babasiza nakancane ngesikhathi sabo sosizi. ¹³Onkulunkulu bakho baningi njengemizi yakho, Juda; ama-altare owamisele leyo nto eyihlazo—ama-altare okushisela uBhali impepho—alingana nezitaladi zaseJerusalema.

¹⁴“Ngakho ungabakhulekeli lesi sizwe, ungaphakamisi nakukhala nokuthandaza ngabo, ngokuba ngeke ngilalele lapho bekhala kimi ngesikhathi sabo sosizi. ¹⁵Yiliphi ilungelo isithandwa sami esinalo endlini yami, njengoba sesenze amasu amabi amaningi kangaka? Inyama engcwele ingakususa yini ukubhujiswa kwakho? Lapho inhlekelele yakho ifika, uyakuthokoza yini khona-ke?” ^b b v15 Inyama engcwele: izingxenye zemihlatshelo yezilwane ezilethwa ethempelini njengeminikelo kuNkulunkulu.

¹⁶UBaba wethu wake wakubiza ngomnqumo ochumayo, omuhle onezithelo ezakheke kahle. Kodwa ngomdumo wesiphepho esinamandla uBaba wethu uyakuwuthungela umuthi ngomlilo, namagatsha awo ayakwaphulwa.

¹⁷UBaba wamabutho asezulwini, owakutshala, usenqume inhlekelele emelene nawe, ngenxa yobubi u-Israyeli noJuda abenza bona—bevusa intukuthelo yami ngokushisela uBhali impepho.

Itulo Elimelene NoJeremiya

¹⁸UBaba wethu wangazisa kona, ngakwazi; khona-ke wangibonisa izenzo zabo. ¹⁹Kodwa nganginjengewundlu elimnene eliyiswa ekuhlatshweni; angiqondanga ukuthi babengakhe itulo bemelene nami, bethi: “Masiwubhubhise umuthi kanye nezithelo zawo; masimnqume ezweni labaphilayo, ukuze kungabibikho ozakhumbula igama lakhe.” ²⁰Kodwa Baba wamabutho asezulwini, wena owahlulela ngokulunga, ovivinya inhliziyo nengqondo, ngivumele ngibubone ubulungiswa bakho phezu kwabo, ngokuba ngiyibeke kuwe indaba yami.

²¹Ngakho nakhu okushiwo nguBaba wethu ngabantu base-Anathoti abafuna ukuphila kwakho, bethi: Ungaprofethi egameni likaBaba wethu, funa sikubulale, ^c c v21 I-Anathoti kwakuyidolobha lakubo likaJeremiya, idolobha labapristi ngasenyakatho nje yaseJerusalema — ngakho leli tulo elimelene naye lavela komakhelwane nezihlotsheni zakhe. ²²ngakho uBaba wamabutho asezulwini uthi: Sengizobajezisa. Izinsizwa zabo ziyakufa ngenkemba, amadodana namadodakazi abo afe ngendlala. ²³Ngeke kusale nsali; ngiyakwehlisela inhlekelele phezu kwabantu base-Anathoti ngomnyaka wokujeziswa kwabo.