UJeremiya 2

2 ¹Izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kimi, lathi:

²Hamba, umemezele ezindlebeni zaseJerusalema, uthi: uBaba wethu uthi: Ngiyakhumbula ukuzinikela kobusha bakho, uthando lwakho lobumakoti, nokungilandela kwakho ehlane, ezweni elingahlwanyelwe. ^a a v2 UBaba wethu ukhumbula ngesisa uthando luka-Israyeli lwasekuqaleni, njengomyeni ekhumbula umakoti wakhe—kungubumnene obufanayo besivumelwano abulangazelela ukubuyisa. ³U-Israyeli wayengcwele kuBaba wethu, izithelo zokuqala zokuvuna kwakhe. Bonke ababemdla babethola icala; inhlekelele yabehlela, kusho uBaba wethu.

⁴Zwanini izwi likaBaba wethu, ndlu kaJakobe, nani nonke mindeni yendlu ka-Israyeli.

⁵Usho kanje uBaba wethu: Yibuphi ububi okhokho benu abaluthola kimi, baze baduka kakhulu kimi, bexosha izithombe eziyize baze baba yize?

⁶Abazange babuze bathi: “Uphi uBaba wethu, owasikhuphula ezweni laseGibhithe, owasihola ehlane, sadabula izwe lezinkangala nemigodi, izwe lesomiso nobumnyama obukhulu, izwe okungadluli muntu kulo, lapho kungahlali muntu khona?” ⁷Ngakuletha ezweni elivundile ukuba udle izithelo zalo nokuhle kwalo. Kodwa weza wangcolisa izwe lami, wenza ifa lami laba yisinengiso. ⁸Abapristi abazange babuze bathi: “Uphi uBaba wethu?” Labo abaphatha umthetho ababengangazi; abelusi bahlubuka kimi; abaprofethi baprofetha ngoBhali, balandela lokho okuyize. ⁹Ngakho-ke ngisanimangalela, kusho uBaba wethu, ngizolibeka nasebantwaneni babantwana benu. ¹⁰Welelani ogwini lwaseKhophrosi nibheke; thumelani eKhedari niqaphele kahle; nibone ukuthi kwake kwaba khona yini into enjengalena: ¹¹Kake kwaba khona yini isizwe esashintsha onkulunkulu baso, nakuba bengesibo onkulunkulu nhlobo? Kodwa abantu bami bashintshanise inkazimulo yabo ngalokho okuyize. ¹²Mangala ngalokhu, mazulu; yethuka, wesabe kakhulu, kusho uBaba wethu. ¹³Ngokuba abantu bami benze ububi obubili: bafulathele mina, umthombo wamanzi aphilayo, bazimbela imigodi yamanzi—imigodi efayo engenakuwagcina amanzi. ^b b v13 UBaba wethu uzibiza ngokuthi ungumthombo wamanzi aphilayo; kamuva uJesu wanikela ngawo lawa manzi aphilayo kubo bonke abeza kuye (Johane 4:14; 7:38).

¹⁴U-Israyeli uyisigqila yini? Wazalwa eyinceku na? Pho kungani esebe yimpango? ¹⁵Amabhongo ezingonyama abhonga kuye; abhodla kakhulu. Enza izwe lakhe laba yihlane; imizi yakhe ishisiwe, ayisenabantu. ¹⁶Ngaphezu kwalokho, amadoda aseMemfisi naseThahphanesi aphuce ukhakhayi lwekhanda lakho. ^c c v16 Ukuphucwa noma ukuhlutshulwa kwekhanda kwakuwuphawu lokunqotshwa ngokuphelele nelehlazo ezweni lasendulo. ¹⁷Awuzilethelanga lokhu wena ngokwakho yini ngokufulathela uBaba wakho, owayekuhola endleleni? ¹⁸Manje-ke, kungani uya eGibhithe ukuyophuza amanzi aseNayile? Kungani uya e-Asiriya ukuyophuza amanzi aseYufrathe? ¹⁹Ububi bakho uqobo buzolaya wena; ukuhlubuka kwakho kuzokusola. Yazi-ke ubone ukuthi kubi futhi kubaba kangakanani ukufulathela uBaba wakho; awunakho ukungesaba, kusho uBaba wamabutho asezulwini. ²⁰Kudala ngalephula ijoka lakho, ngaqaqa izibopho zakho, kodwa wathi: “Angiyikukhonza.” Yebo, phezu kwawo wonke amagquma aphakeme nangaphansi kwayo yonke imithi eluhlaza wawulala phansi njengesifebe. ²¹Ngangikutshale njengomvini okhethekileyo, ovela enhlanyelweni ethembeke ngokuphelele. Pho waphenduka kanjani kimi waba umvini owonakeleyo, wasendle? ²²Noma ungageza ngesoda usebenzise insipho eningi, ibala lecala lakho lisekhona phambi kwami, kusho uBaba oyiNkosi.

²³Ungasho kanjani ukuthi: “Angingcoliswanga; angilandelanga oBhali”? Bheka indlela yakho esigodini; cabanga ngalokho okwenzile—ithole lekamela elingathuli, ligijima ngapha nangapha, ²⁴imbongolo yasendle ejwayele ehlane, ihogela umoya enkanukweni yayo—ngubani ongayibamba lapho ivuthwa? Abayifunayo abadingi ukuzikhathaza ngokuyifuna; lapho sekufika isikhathi sayo, bayoyithola. ²⁵Yeka izinyawo zakho zingakabi ze ngokuhamba, nomphimbo wakho ungakomi. Kodwa wathi: “Akuselithemba! Cha, ngokuba ngithanda abafokazi, ngiyobalandela.” ²⁶Njengoba isela lijabhiswa lapho libanjwa, kanjalo indlu ka-Israyeli iyajabhiswa—bona, amakhosi abo, izikhulu zabo, abapristi babo, nabaprofethi babo, ²⁷abathi emthini: “Ungubaba wami,” nasetsheni bathi: “Wena wangizala.” Ngokuba bangifulathele mina, hhayi ubuso babo kimi. Kodwa ngesikhathi senhlupheko yabo bayakhala, bathi: “Vuka usisindise!” ^d d v27 Ukubiza umuthi obaziwe ngokuthi ‘baba’ kuwukulingisa okudabukisayo kobuhlobo beqiniso—ukufulathela uBaba weqiniso owabadalayo, babhekise ezintweni ezingaphili ezingeke zikwazi. ²⁸Kodwa baphi onkulunkulu ozenzele bona? Mabavuke, uma bengakusindisa ngesikhathi senhlupheko yakho; ngokuba unonkulunkulu abaningi njengemizi yakho, Juda. ²⁹Kungani nibeka icala kimi? Nonke ningihlubukile, kusho uBaba wethu. ³⁰Ngeze ngashaya abantwana benu; abazange bamukele ukulaywa. Inkemba yakho uqobo yadla abaprofethi bakho njengebhubesi eliphangayo. ³¹Sizukulwane, qaphela izwi likaBaba wethu: Kade ngiyihlane yini ku-Israyeli, noma izwe lobumnyama obukhulu? Pho kungani abantu bami bethi: “Sikhululekile ukuzulazula; ngeke sisabuyela kuwe”? ³²Intombi ingawakhohlwa yini amagugu ayo, noma umakoti abhande lakhe lomshado? Kodwa abantu bami bangikhohliwe izinsuku ezingenakubalwa. ³³Yeka ubuqili bakho ekufuneni uthando! Uze wafundisa izindlela zakho nakubesifazane ababi. ³⁴Emaphethelweni ezingubo zakho kutholakala igazi lokuphila labampofu abangenacala—nakuba ungazange ubabambe begqekeza endlini. Kodwa naphezu kwazo zonke lezi zinto, ³⁵wena uthi: “Anginacala; impela intukuthelo yakhe isisukile kimi.” Kodwa ngizokwahlulela ngokuba uthi: “Angonanga.” ³⁶Yeka indlela ongakhathali ngayo ukushintsha indlela yakho! Uzojabhiswa yiGibhithe njengoba wajabhiswa yi-Asiriya. ³⁷Nalapho uzophuma izandla zakho ziphezu kwekhanda lakho, ngokuba uBaba wethu ubalahlile labo obathembayo, ngeke bakusize ngalutho.