UJeremiya 23

23 ¹“Maye kubelusi abachitha behlakaza izimvu zedlelo lami!’ kusho uBaba wethu. ²Ngakho-ke uBaba wethu wakwa-Israyeli usho kanje ngabelusi abalusa abantu bami: ‘Nihlakazile umhlambi wami, nawuxosha, anizange niwunakekele. Manje ngiyakunijezisa ngobubi enibenzile, kusho uBaba wethu. ³Ngiyakuqoqa insali yomhlambi wami kuwo wonke amazwe engabaxosha kuwo, ngibabuyisele edlelweni labo, bazale bande. ⁴Ngiyakubavusela abelusi abazobalusa; abasayikwesaba, abasayikwethuka, akekho oyakulahleka, kusho uBaba wethu. ⁵Bheka, izinsuku ziyeza, kusho uBaba wethu, lapho ngiyakumvusela uDavide iHlumela elilungileyo, ayakubusa njengenkosi, enze ngokuhlakanipha, enze ubulungiswa nokulunga ezweni. ⁶Ezinsukwini zakhe uJuda uyakusindiswa, u-Israyeli ahlale evikelekile. Yileli igama ayakubizwa ngalo: INkosi Ukulunga Kwethu.’

⁷“Ngakho-ke izinsuku ziyeza, kusho uBaba wethu, lapho abasayikuthi, ‘Kuphila kukaBaba wenu owakhuphula abantu bakwa-Israyeli eGibhithe,’ ⁸kodwa kunalokho, ‘Kuphila kukaBaba wenu owakhuphula wabuyisa inzalo yendlu yakwa-Israyeli ezweni lasenyakatho nakuwo wonke amazwe ayebaxoshele kuwo.’ Khona-ke bayakuhlala emhlabathini wabo.”

UBaba udalula abaprofethi bamanga

⁹Mayelana nabaprofethi: Inhliziyo yami yaphukile; onke amathambo ami ayathuthumela. Nginjengomuntu odakiwe, njengalowo owehlulwe yiwayini, ngenxa kaBaba wethu namazwi akhe angcwele. ¹⁰Ngokuba izwe ligcwele iziphingi; ngenxa yesiqalekiso izwe liyalila, namadlelo asehlane omile. Izindlela zabo zimbi, bawasebenzisa kabi amandla abo.

¹¹“Kokubili umprofethi nompristi bangcolile; ngisho nasendlini yami ngifumene ububi babo, kusho uBaba wethu. ¹²Ngakho-ke indlela yabo iyakuba kubo njengezindlela ezishelelayo ebumnyameni, lapho beyakuqhutshelwa khona bawe; ngokuba ngiyakwehlisela inhlekelele phezu kwabo ngonyaka wokujeziswa kwabo, kusho uBaba wethu. ¹³Kubaprofethi baseSamariya ngabona into enengekayo: baprofetha ngoBhali, badukisa abantu bami u-Israyeli. ¹⁴Kepha phakathi kwabaprofethi baseJerusalema ngibone into esabekayo: bayaphinga, baphila ngamanga, baqinisa izandla zabenzi bobubi, ngakho akekho ophenduka ebubini bakhe. Bonke sebefana neSodoma kimi, abakhileyo kulo banjengeGomora.’

¹⁵Ngakho-ke nakhu okushiwo nguBaba wamabutho asezulwini ngabaprofethi: Ngiyakubadlisa ukudla okubabayo, ngibanathise amanzi anoshevu, ngokuba ukungcola kwanda kulo lonke izwe kuvela kubaprofethi baseJerusalema.’

¹⁶Nakhu okushiwo nguBaba wamabutho asezulwini: Ningabalaleli abaprofethi abaprofetha kini; banigcwalisa ngethemba lamanga, bekhuluma imibono evela ezingqondweni zabo, engaveli emlonyeni wami. ¹⁷Balokhu bethi kwabadelela izwi lami, ‘Niyakuba nokuthula,’ nakuwo wonke umuntu olandela inkani yenhliziyo yakhe bathi, ‘Akuyikwehla nhlekelele phezu kwenu.’”

¹⁸Ngokuba ngubani phakathi kwabo oke wema emkhandlwini kaBaba wethu ukuba abone ezwe izwi lakhe? Ngubani onakekele izwi lakhe walalela? ¹⁹Bheka, isivunguvungu sikaBaba wethu siphumile ngolaka, isiphepho esizungezayo; siyakuqhuma phezu kwamakhanda ababi. ²⁰Ulaka lukaBaba wethu aluyikubohla luze aziphelelise izinhloso zenhliziyo yakhe. Ngezinsuku ezizayo niyakukuqonda kahle.

²¹“Angizange ngibathume laba baprofethi, kodwa bagijima; angikhulumanga kubo, kodwa baprofetha. ²²Kodwa uma babeme emkhandlwini wami, babeyakumemezela amazwi ami kubantu bami, babebaphendula endleleni yabo embi nasebubini bezenzo zabo. ²³Kanti nginguBaba wenu oseduze kuphela na, kusho uBaba wethu, ngingesiye noBaba wenu okude na? ²⁴Kukhona yini umuntu ongacasha ezindaweni ezisithekile ukuze ngingamboni na? kusho uBaba wethu. Angiligcwalisi yini izulu nomhlaba? kusho uBaba wethu.’

²⁵“Ngizwile abaprofethi abaprofetha amanga egameni lami, bethi, ‘Ngiphuphile! Ngiphuphile!’ ²⁶Koze kube nini amanga egcwala izinhliziyo zabaprofethi abaprofetha inkohliso yezinhliziyo zabo? ²⁷Bahlose ukwenza abantu bami bakhohlwe igama lami ngamaphupho abawaxoxelanayo, njengalokhu okhokho babo bakhohlwa igama lami ngenxa kaBhali. ²⁸Umprofethi onephupho makalixoxe iphupho lakhe, kodwa onezwi lami makakhulume izwi lami ngokuthembeka. Amahlanga ayini kukolweni? kusho uBaba wethu. ²⁹Izwi lami alinjengomlilo yini, kusho uBaba wethu, nanjengesando esiphahlaza idwala na?’

³⁰“Ngakho-ke, bheka, ngimelene nabaprofethi, kusho uBaba wethu, abantshontshelana amazwi ami. ³¹Bheka, ngimelene nabaprofethi, kusho uBaba wethu, abanyakazisa izilimi zabo bese bethi, ‘UNkulunkulu ukhulumile.’ ³²Ngimelene nalabo abaprofetha amaphupho amanga, kusho uBaba wethu; bawalandisa, badukise abantu bami ngamanga abo nangokuzikhukhumeza kwabo okungenangqondo. Angizange ngibathume noma ngibayale, abasizi ngalutho kulaba bantu, kusho uBaba wethu.’

Nina Ningumthwalo

³³“Lapho laba bantu, noma umprofethi, noma umpristi bebuza bethi, ‘Uyini umthwalo kaBaba wethu?’ yisho kubo uthi, ‘Nina ningumthwalo! Ngiyakunilahla, kusho uBaba wethu.’ ^a a v33 Igama elisho “isiprofetho” lisho futhi “umthwalo.” Abantu bafuna umyalezo; uBaba wethu uphendula ngokuthi ukungathembeki kwabo yiwona mthwalo ayakuwubeka phansi. ³⁴Umprofethi, umpristi, noma umuntu othi, ‘Umthwalo kaBaba wethu,’ ngiyakumjezisa lowo muntu nendlu yakhe. ³⁵Ngamunye wenu makasho kumakhelwane wakhe nakumfowabo athi: ‘Uphenduleni uBaba wethu?’ noma ‘Ukhulumeni uBaba wethu?’ ³⁶Kodwa ningabe nisasho ukuthi ‘umthwalo kaBaba wethu,’ ngokuba izwi lomuntu ngamunye liba ngumthwalo wakhe; nina niwahlanekezele amazwi kaBaba wethu ophilayo wamabutho asezulwini.’ ³⁷Yisho kanje kumprofethi: ‘Uphenduleni uBaba wethu kuwe?’ noma ‘Ukhulumeni uBaba wethu?’ ³⁸Kodwa uma nithi, ‘Umthwalo kaBaba wethu,’ khona-ke uBaba wethu uthi: Ngenxa yokuba nikhulume la mazwi, ‘Umthwalo kaBaba wethu,’ nakuba ngathumela izwi ngithi kini, ‘Ningasho ukuthi, Umthwalo kaBaba wethu, ³⁹ngakho bhekani, ngiyakuniphakamisa nokuniphakamisa njengomthwalo, nginilahle nisuke ebusweni bami—nina kanye nomuzi engawunika nina nokhokho benu. ⁴⁰Futhi ngiyakwehlisela phezu kwenu ihlazo elingunaphakade namahloni angapheliyo angasoze akhohlakale.’”