UJeremiya 25

25 ¹Izwi elafika kuJeremiya mayelana nabo bonke abantu bakwaJuda, ngonyaka wesine kaJehoyakimi indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakwaJuda—okwakungunyaka wokuqala kaNebukadinezari inkosi yaseBabiloni. ²UJeremiya umprofethi wakhuluma lokhu kubo bonke abantu bakwaJuda nakubo bonke abahlala eJerusalema, wathi: ³Kusukela ngonyaka weshumi nantathu kaJosiya indodana ka-Amoni inkosi yakwaJuda kuze kube namuhla, le minyaka engamashumi amabili nantathu, izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kimi; ngakhuluma ngokuphindaphinda, kodwa anilalelanga. ⁴UBaba wethu wanithumela zonke izinceku zakhe abaprofethi ngokuphindaphinda, kodwa anilalelanga, anizange ninake.

⁵Bathi: “Phendukani manje, kube yilowo nalowo asuke endleleni yakhe embi nasezenzweni zenu ezimbi, nihlale ezweni uBaba wethu alinika nina noyihlo, kusukela ezikhathini zasendulo kuze kube phakade. ⁶Ningalandeli abanye onkulunkulu ukuba nibakhonze nibakhothamele, ningangicunuli ngomsebenzi wezandla zenu, khona ngingeke nginilimaze.”

⁷Kodwa aningilalelanga, kusho uBaba wethu, ngakho nangivusa ulaka ngomsebenzi wezandla zenu, kwaba ngukulimala kwenu.

⁸Ngakho-ke yilokhu okushiwo nguBaba wamabutho asezulwini: Ngenxa yokuba ningawezwanga amazwi ami, ⁹ngizobiza zonke izizwe zasenyakatho, kusho uBaba wethu, kanye noNebukadinezari inkosi yaseBabiloni, inceku yami. Ngizobaletha ukuba balwe naleli zwe, nabantu balo, nazo zonke izizwe ezilizungezile, ngibabhuqe, ngibenze into eyesabekayo, into yokuncifelwa, amanxiwa kuze kube phakade. ¹⁰Ngizoqeda phakathi kwabo umsindo wenjabulo nomsindo wokuthokoza, izwi lomkhwenyana nezwi likamakoti, umsindo wamatshe okugaya nokukhanya kwesibani. ¹¹Leli zwe lonke lizoba yincithakalo nehlane, lezi zizwe ziyokhonza inkosi yaseBabiloni iminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa.

¹²Kuyothi lapho iminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa isiphelile, ngiyoyijezisa inkosi yaseBabiloni, naleso sizwe, nezwe lamaKhaledi ngecala labo—kusho uBaba wethu—ngilenze ihlane laphakade. ¹³Ngiyokwehlisela kulelo zwe konke engakukhuluma ngokumelene nalo, konke okulotshwe kule ncwadi, uJeremiya akuprofetha ngokumelene nazo zonke izizwe. ¹⁴Izizwe eziningi namakhosi amakhulu nawo ayobagqilaza; ngiyobaphindisela ngokwezenzo zabo, nangomsebenzi wezandla zabo.

Indebe Yolaka LukaBaba Wethu

¹⁵Yilokhu uBaba wethu wakwa-Israyeli akushilo kimi: Thatha le ndebe yewayini lolaka esandleni sami, uziphuzise zonke izizwe engikuthuma kuzo. ^a a v15 Indebe yolaka okumele iziphuze izizwe iyindebe uJesu ayithatha esikhundleni sethu—“Baba, uma uthanda, susa le ndebe kimi” (Luka 22:42)—ukuze labo abathembela kuye bangalokothi bayiphuze. ¹⁶Ziyophuza, zidiyazele, zihlanye ngenxa yenkemba engiyithumela phakathi kwazo.

¹⁷Ngayithatha indebe esandleni sikaBaba wethu, ngaziphuzisa zonke izizwe angithuma kuzo. ¹⁸iJerusalema, namadolobha akwaJuda, namakhosi awo neziphathimandla zawo—kwenziwa incithakalo, into eyesabekayo, into yokuhlekwa, isiqalekiso, njengoba kunjalo namuhla. ¹⁹uFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe, nezinceku zakhe, neziphathimandla zakhe, nabo bonke abantu bakhe, ²⁰nazo zonke izizwe ezixubene; nawo wonke amakhosi akwa-Uze; nawo wonke amakhosi elizwe lamaFilisti—i-Ashkeloni, iGaza, i-Ekroni, nensali yase-Ashdodi; ²¹i-Edomi, iMowabi, nabantu bakwa-Amoni; ²²wonke amakhosi aseThire, wonke amakhosi aseSidoni, namakhosi aselizweni elingasogwini ngaphesheya kolwandle; ²³iDedani, iThema, iBhuzi, nabo bonke abagunda izinwele emacileni amakhanda abo; ^b b v23 Ukugunda izinwele emacileni amakhanda kwakuyisiko elalihlonza ezinye izizwe zasogwadule lwase-Arabiya. ²⁴wonke amakhosi ase-Arabiya nawezizwe ezixubene ezihlala ogwadule; ²⁵wonke amakhosi akwaZimri, wonke amakhosi ase-Elamu, nawo wonke amakhosi aseMediya; ²⁶wonke amakhosi asenyakatho, aseduze nakude, elilodwa ngemva kwelinye, nayo yonke imibuso yomhlaba esebusweni bomhlabathi—emva kwawo inkosi yaseSheshaki iyophuza. ^c c v26 ISheshaki iligama eliyimfihlo leBabiloni, elakhiwe ngokuhlehlisa izinhlamvu zalo — indlela yokubiza ukwahlulelwa kweBabiloni okuzayo ngaphandle kokukusho ngqo.

²⁷Yisho kubo: Yilokhu okushiwo nguBaba wamabutho asezulwini, uBaba wakwa-Israyeli: Phuzani, nidakwe, nihlanze, niwe, ningabe nisavuka, ngenxa yenkemba engiyithumela phakathi kwenu. ²⁸Uma benqaba ukuthatha indebe esandleni sakho ukuze baphuze, yisho kubo uthi: “UBaba wamabutho asezulwini uthi: Nimelwe ukuphuza! ²⁹Bhekani, ngiqala ukwehlisela inhlekelele phezu komuzi obizwa ngegama lami. Pho nina niyophunyuka ningajeziswanga nhlobo na? Ngeke niphunyuke ningajeziswanga. Ngokuba ngibiza inkemba ukuba imelane nabo bonke abasemhlabeni, kusho uBaba wamabutho asezulwini.”

³⁰“Profetha wonke lawa mazwi ngokumelene nabo, uthi kubo: ‘UBaba wethu uyabhonga esezulwini ephezulu, ukhipha izwi lakhe esekhaya lakhe elingcwele; ubhonga kakhulu ngokumelene nomhlambi wakhe, ememeza njengabanyatheli bezithelo zomvini, ngokumelene nabo bonke abahlala emhlabeni.’ ³¹Ukubhonga kufinyelela emikhawulweni yomhlaba, ngokuba uBaba wethu ubeka icala ngokumelene nezizwe; ungena ekwahluleleni nayo yonke inyama, ababi ubanikela enkembeni, kusho uBaba wethu.”

³²Yilokhu okushiwo nguBaba wamabutho asezulwini: Bhekani, inhlekelele isabalala isuka esizweni iya kwesinye isizwe—isiphepho esikhulu sivuka emikhawulweni yomhlaba.

³³Ngalolo suku ababulewe bakaBaba wethu bayolala kusukela komunye umkhawulo womhlaba kuze kube komunye—bengalilelwa, bengabuthwa, bengembelwa, njengomquba phezu komhlabathi.

³⁴Lilani, nina belusi, nikhale; ginqikani othulini, nina zinkosi zomhlambi! Ngokuba izinsuku zokuhlatshwa kwenu sezifikile; niyokuwa niphihlizeke njengesitsha esiyigugu. ³⁵Ngeke kube khona isiphephelo sabelusi, akukho nokuphunyuka kwezinkosi zomhlambi. ³⁶Lalelani—ukukhala kwabelusi, ukulila kwezinkosi zomhlambi! Ngokuba uBaba wethu uchitha amadlelo abo, ³⁷namadlelo anokuthula athuliswe ngenxa yolaka oluvuthayo lukaBaba wethu. ³⁸Njengebhubesi ushiye umhume wakhe, ngokuba izwe labo seliyihlane ngenxa yenkemba yomcindezeli nangenxa yolaka oluvuthayo lukaBaba wethu.