UJeremiya 12

12 ¹Ulungile, Baba wami, noma nini lapho ngiletha icala lami phambi kwakho; kodwa ngifuna ukukhuluma nawe ngezahlulelo zakho. Kungani indlela yababi iphumelela? Kungani bonke abakhohlisayo bephila ngokunethezeka? ²Wabatshala, base begxila; bayakhula bathela izithelo. Useduze emilonyeni yabo kodwa ukude ezinhliziyweni zabo. ³Kodwa wena, Baba wami, uyangazi; uyangibona, futhi uyayihlola inhliziyo yami ebheke kuwe. Bahudule njengezimvu zokuhlatshwa, ubabekele usuku lokuhlatshwa. ⁴Koze kube nini izwe lilila notshani bawo wonke amasimu bubuna? Ngenxa yobubi balabo abahlala kulo, izilwane nezinyoni kukhukhuliwe—ngokuba abantu bathi, “Akayikubona ukuthi kwenzekani ngathi.”

UBaba Uphendula UJeremiya

⁵Uma ugijimisene nabagijimi ngezinyawo base bekukhathazile, pho uyakuncintisana kanjani namahhashi? Uma ukhubeka ezweni elinokuthula, uyakwenzenjani emahlathini aseJordani? ⁶Ngokuba ngisho abafowenu nendlu kayihlo—ngisho nabo bakukhaphele; ngisho bamemeza ngezwi elikhulu bekumelene nawe. Ungabethembi bona, noma bekhuluma amazwi amnandi kuwe. ⁷Ngiyishiyile indlu yami, ngilidelile ifa lami; ngimnikele othandekayo wenhliziyo yami ezandleni zezitha zakhe. ^a a v7 Ngisho nasekunikeleni abantu bakhe, uBaba wethu udabuka njengalowo odela uthando lwenhliziyo yakhe uqobo — ukwahlulela okubiza uBaba konke. ⁸Ifa lami liphenduke kimi njengebhubesi ehlathini; libhongile kimi, ngakho sengiliphendukele. ⁹Ifa lami liyinyoni edla inyama enamabala yini kimi, izinyoni ezidla inyama zizungeza zibhekene nalo nhlangothi zonke? Hambani, niqoqe zonke izilwane zasendle; niziyise ukuba zidle. ¹⁰Abelusi abaningi balonile isivini sami; basinyathele phansi isabelo sami; baphendule isabelo sami esihle saba yihlane eliyincithakalo. ¹¹Basenze saba yincithakalo; sichithekile, siyalila phambi kwami. Lonke izwe lichithekile, kodwa akekho okubeka enhliziyweni. ¹²Phezu kwawo wonke amagquma ayize ehlane kufikile ababhubhisi, ngokuba inkemba yami iyadla kusukela komunye umkhawulo wezwe kuye komunye; akekho ophephile. ¹³Bahlwanyele ukolweni kodwa bavuna ameva; bazikhandle ngeze. Yibani namahloni ngesivuno senu, ngenxa yolaka lwami oluvuthayo.

¹⁴Nakhu uBaba wethu akushoyo: Mayelana nabo bonke omakhelwane bami ababi abahlwitha ifa engalinika abantu bami u-Israyeli—ngizobasiphula ezweni labo, ngisiphule nendlu yakwaJuda phakathi kwabo. ¹⁵Emva kokubasiphula, ngizobuya, ngibahawukele, ngibuyisele yilowo nalowo efeni lakhe, yilowo nalowo ezweni lakhe.

¹⁶Uma befunda ngempela izindlela zabantu bami—bafunge ngegama lami, ‘Ngempela njengoba uBaba wenu ephila,’ njengoba babafundisa abantu bami ukufunga ngoBhali—bayakwakhiwa phakathi kwabantu bami. ¹⁷Kodwa noma yisiphi isizwe esingayikulalela, ngizosisiphula ngokuphelele ngisibhubhise, kusho uBaba wenu.