UJeremiya 13

13 ¹Yilokhu uBaba wethu akusho kimi: “Hamba, uzithengele ibhande lelineni, ulifake okhalweni lwakho, kodwa ungalivumeli lithinte amanzi.”

²Ngakho ngalithenga ibhande, njengokusho kukaBaba wethu, ngalifaka okhalweni lwami.

³Khona-ke izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kimi ngokwesibili:

⁴“Thatha ibhande owalithenga, lona elisokhalweni lwakho, usukume, uye e-Ewufrathe, ulifihle emfantwini wedwala.”

⁵Ngakho ngahamba ngalifihla ngase-Ewufrathe, njengokungiyala kukaBaba wethu.

⁶Emva kwezinsuku eziningi uBaba wethu wathi kimi: “Sukuma, uye e-Ewufrathe, uthathe ibhande engakutshela ukuba ulifihle khona.”

⁷Ngakho ngaya e-Ewufrathe, ngalimba ibhande, ngalithatha lapho ngangilifihle khona. Kodwa lase lonakele, lingasasizi lutho.

⁸Khona-ke izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kimi:

⁹“Yilokhu uBaba wethu akushoyo: Kanjalo ngiyakubhubhisa ukuziqhenya kukaJuda nokuziqhenya okukhulu kweJerusalema. ¹⁰Lesi sizwe esibi, esenqaba ukulalela amazwi ami, esilandela inkani yezinhliziyo zaso, esijaha abanye onkulunkulu ukuba sibakhonze sibakhothamele, siyakuba njengaleli bhande—elingasasizi lutho. ¹¹Njengoba ibhande linamathela okhalweni lomuntu, kanjalo ngenza bonke abakwa-Israyeli nabo bonke abakwaJuda banamathela kimi, kusho uBaba wethu, ukuze babe ngabantu bami, igama, indumiso, nenkazimulo—kodwa abazange balalele.

Yonke imbiza igcwaliswe ngokwahlulela

¹²“Ngakho batshele: uBaba ka-Israyeli uthi: Yonke imbiza iyakugcwaliswa ngewayini. Bazakuphendula: ‘Asazi yini ukuthi yonke imbiza iyakugcwaliswa ngewayini?’ ¹³Khona-ke batshele: Yilokhu uBaba wethu akushoyo: Sengizakugcwalisa bonke abakuleli zwe—amakhosi ahlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavide, abapristi, abaprofethi, nabo bonke abaseJerusalema—ngokudakwa. ¹⁴Ngiyakubaphahlaza omunye komunye, abazali nabantwana ngokufanayo, kusho uBaba wethu. Akukho sihawu, akukho kuyekelela, akukho musa okuyakungivimba ekubabhubhiseni.”

Lalelani ubumnyama bungakehli

¹⁵Lalelani niqaphele; ningaziqhenyi, ngokuba uBaba wethu usekhulumile. ¹⁶Nikezani uBaba wenu udumo engakalethi ubumnyama, izinyawo zenu zingakakhubeki ezintabeni ezihwalalayo; niyakulindela ukukhanya, kodwa yena uyakukuphendula kube yithunzi elinzima akwenze kube ubumnyama obukhulu. ¹⁷Kodwa uma ningalaleli, ngiyakukhala ngasese ngenxa yokuziqhenya kwenu; amehlo ami ayakukhala kabuhlungu agobhoze izinyembezi, ngokuba umhlambi kaBaba wethu uthunjiwe. ¹⁸Yitsho enkosini nakunina wenkosi: Zithobeni nihlale phansi, ngokuba umqhele wenu wenkazimulo usuwile emakhanda enu. ¹⁹Imizi yaseNegevi ivaliwe, akekho ongayivula. UJuda wonke uthunjelwe ekudingisweni, uthunjwe ngokuphelele. ²⁰Phakamisani amehlo enu nibone labo abavela enyakatho. Uphi umhlambi owawunikwe wona, umhlambi wakho omuhle? ²¹Uyakuthini lapho uBaba wethu esebeka labo wena ngokwakho owabaqeqeshayo njengabangane bakho ukuba babe ngababusi bakho? Ubuhlungu abuyikukubamba yini njengowesifazane obelethayo? ²²Uma uzibuza wena uthi: “Kungani lezi zinto zenzeke kimi?”—kungenxa yobukhulu becala lakho ukuthi izingubo zakho zihlutshuliwe futhi wena wadlwengulwa. ²³Angashintsha yini um-Ethiyophiya isikhumba sakhe, noma ingwe amabala ayo? Khona-ke nani ningenza okuhle—nina eniqeqeshelwe ukwenza okubi. ^a a v23 IKushi laliyizwe elaliseningizimu yeGibhithe eduze komfula iNayile ophezulu, esifundeni samanje saseSudani nase-Ethiyophiya.

²⁴Ngiyakunihlakaza njengamakhoba aphetshethwa ngumoya wasehlane. ²⁵Yilesi isabelo sakho, ingxenye engiyilinganisile ngakuwe, kusho uBaba wethu, ngokuba ungikhohliwe mina wathemba amanga. ²⁶“Ngakho mina ngokwami ngiyakudonsela izingubo zakho phezu kobuso bakho, nehlazo lakho liyakubonakala. ²⁷Ukuphinga kwakho, ukukhonya kwakho ngenkanuko, ubufebe bakho obungenamahloni—phezu kwamagquma nasendle evulekile ngizibonile izenzo zakho ezinengekayo. Maye kuwe, Jerusalema! Koze kube nini uhlanjululwa?”