UBaba Wethu Ubumba Abantu Bakhe
Esondweni lombumbi imbiza eyonakele imane ibunjwe kabusha, futhi uBaba wethu uthi nezizwe ziphathwa ngendlela efanayo — inhlekelele ememezelwe ingahoxiswa uma ziphenduka. AkwaJuda aphendula ngokuthi akusekho themba futhi bazolandela amacebo abo. Bese amadoda ecebela uJeremiya amasu.
18 1Izwi elafika kuJeremiya livela kuBaba wethu:
2"Sukuma, wehlele endlini yombumbi, lapho-ke ngizakwenza ukuba uzwe amazwi ami."
3Ngakho ngehlela endlini yombumbi, bheka-ke wayelapho, esebenza esondweni lakhe. 4Isitsha sobumba ayesibumba sonakala esandleni sakhe, ngakho wasibumba kabusha saba ngesinye, njengokubona kwakhe.
5Khona-ke izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kimi:
6"Angikwazi yini ukwenza kini njengalo mbumbi, wena ndlu ka-Israyeli? kusho uBaba wenu. Njengobumba esandleni sombumbi, nani ninjalo esandleni sami, ndlu ka-Israyeli. 7'Nganoma yisiphi isikhathi ngingakhuluma ngesizwe noma ngombuso, ukuba ngisisiphule, ngisidilize, ngisichithe, 8kodwa uma leso sizwe engikhulume ngaso siphenduka ebubini baso, ngiyawushintsha umqondo wami ngenhlekelele engangisihlosele yona. 9Nganoma yisiphi isikhathi ngingakhuluma ngesizwe noma ngombuso, ukuba ngisakhe ngisitshale, 10kodwa uma senza okubi phambi kwami, singalaleli izwi lami, khona-ke ngizawushintsha umqondo wami ngokuhle engangisihlosele khona.
11"Manje tshela amadoda akwaJuda nabantu baseJerusalema uthi: Nakhu akushoyo uBaba wenu: Ngibumba inhlekelele ngimelene nani, ngakha icebo elimelene nani. Yilowo nalowo kini, phenduka endleleni yakho embi; yenza izindlela zenu nezenzo zenu kube kuhle.'" a a v11 Igama elisho "ukubumba" lapha yilona elisetshenziselwa umbumbi esondweni lakhe — uBaba wethu, umbumbi, uyaxwayisa ukuthi manje usebumba imiphumela ebangwe izinqumo zabantu bakhe uqobo.
12Kodwa bathi: "Akusizi lutho! Sizalandela amacebo ethu, yilowo nalowo enza ngenhliziyo yakhe enenkani, embi."
13Ngakho uBaba wethu uthi: Buzani izizwe—ngubani owake wezwa into enjalo? Intombi yakwa-Israyeli yenze into eyesabeka kakhulu. 14Iqhwa laseLebanoni lingake lisuke yini emaweni anamadwala? Amanzi apholile agobhoza evela emithonjeni ekude angake ome yini? 15Kodwa abantu bami bangikhohliwe; bashisela izithombe eziyize impepho, babangela abantu bami ukuba bakhubeke ezindleleni zasendulo, bahambe ezindleleni ezisecaleni—ezimagebhugebhu, ezingahanjwa, 16benza izwe labo libe yincithakalo, into yokudelelwa kuze kube phakade; bonke abadlula kulo bayakwethuka banikine amakhanda abo. 17Njengomoya wasempumalanga ngizabahlakaza phambi kwesitha; ngizababonisa umhlane wami, hhayi ubuso bami, ngosuku lwenhlekelele yabo.
18Bathi: "Wozani, masakhe icebo ngoJeremiya—imfundiso ngeke iphele kumpristi, neseluleko kohlakaniphileyo, nezwi kumprofethi. Wozani, simshaye ngolimi; singanaki konke akushoyo." 19Nginake, Baba wami, uzwe izwi labangimangalelayo! 20Okubi kufanele yini kubuyiselwe esikhundleni sokuhle? Kodwa bangimbele umgodi ukuba bathathe ukuphila kwami. Khumbula ukuma kwami phambi kwakho ngikhuluma okuhle ngabo, ukuze ngisuse ulaka lwakho kubo. 21Ngakho nikela abantwana babo endlaleni; ubanikele emandleni enkemba. Abafazi babo mabaphelelwe abantwana babe ngabafelokazi; amadoda abo mababulawe, izinsizwa zabo zibulawe ngenkemba empini. 22Makuzwakale ukukhala ezindlini zabo, lapho uletha abahlaseli ngokuzuma phezu kwabo, ngokuba bambe umgodi ukuba bangibambe, bafihlela izinyawo zami izicupho. 23Kodwa wena, Baba wami, uyakwazi konke ukwakha kwabo icebo lokungibulala. Ungakuthetheleli ukona kwabo, ungasesuli isono sabo phambi kwakho. Mabawiselwe phansi phambi kwakho; ubasukele ngesikhathi solaka lwakho.
