UJeremiya 29

29 ¹Yilawa amazwi encwadi uJeremiya umprofethi ayithumela esuka eJerusalema eya kumalunga asele abadingisiweyo, nakubapristi, nakubaprofethi, nakubo bonke abantu uNebukadinezari ayebadingisele eBabiloni esuka eJerusalema. ²Lokhu kwaba emva kokuba inkosi uJekoniya, nenkosikazi unina, nezikhulu zasebukhosini, nezikhulu zakwaJuda nezaseJerusalema, nezingcweti nabakhandi bensimbi, baphuma eJerusalema. ³Wayithuma ngesandla sika-Elasa indodana kaShafani noGemariya indodana kaHilikiya, uZedekiya inkosi yakwaJuda ayebathumele enkosini uNebukadinezari eBabiloni. Yayithi:

⁴Yilokhu uBaba wamabutho asezulwini, uBaba wethu ka-Israyeli, akushoyo kubo bonke abadingisiweyo engabathumela eBabiloni ngibakhipha eJerusalema: ⁵“Yakhani izindlu nihlale kuzo; tshalani izivande nidle izithelo zazo. ⁶Ganani, nizale amadodana namadodakazi. Zitholeleni amadodana enu abafazi, namadodakazi enu niwendisele kubayeni, ukuze nawo azale amadodana namadodakazi. Yandani lapho, ningancipheli. ⁷Funani inhlalakahle yomuzi engadingisela kuwo, nithandaze kimi ngawo, ngokuba enhlalakahleni yawo nani niyothola eyenu.” ⁸Yilokhu uBaba wamabutho asezulwini, uBaba wethu ka-Israyeli, akushoyo: Ningavumi ukuba abaprofethi benu nezangoma eziphakathi kwenu banikhohlise; ningawalaleli amaphupho abawaphuphayo njalonjalo. ⁹Baprofetha amanga kini ngegama lami; angibathumanga, kusho uBaba wenu. ¹⁰Ngokuba uBaba wenu uthi: Lapho iminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa yaseBabiloni isiphelele, ngiyonivakashela ngigcwalise kini isithembiso sami esihle sokunibuyisela kule ndawo. ¹¹Ngokuba ngiyawazi amasu enginawo ngani, kusho uBaba wenu—amasu okuthula, hhayi awomonakalo, okunipha ikusasa nethemba. ¹²“Khona-ke niyongibiza, nize, nithandaze kimi, mina ngiyonilalela. ¹³Niyongifuna ningithole, lapho ningifuna ngenhliziyo yenu yonke. ¹⁴Niyongithola, kusho uBaba wenu. Ngiyobuyisa inhlanhla yenu, nginibuthe kuzo zonke izizwe nakuzo zonke izindawo enganixosha kuzo, kusho uBaba wenu, nginibuyisele kuleyo ndawo enganidingisela kuyo.”

¹⁵Ngokuba nithe, “UBaba wethu usivusele abaprofethi eBabiloni,”

¹⁶yilokhu uBaba wenu akushoyo ngenkosi ehlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavide, nangabo bonke abantu abakulo muzi—abafowenu abangazange baye ekudingisweni kanye nani,

¹⁷yilokhu uBaba wamabutho asezulwini akushoyo: Ngithumela inkemba, nendlala, nesifo kubo, ngibenze babe njengamakhiwane abolileyo, onakele kakhulu angadleki. ¹⁸Ngiyobaxosha ngenkemba, nangendlala, nangesifo, ngibenze babe yinto eyesabekayo kuyo yonke imibuso yomhlaba—isiqalekiso, nencithakalo, nokuhlekwa usulu, nehlazo phakathi kwazo zonke izizwe engibaxoshela kuzo, ¹⁹ngokuba abawalalelanga amazwi ami, kusho uBaba wenu—engawathuma kaningi ngezinceku zami abaprofethi—kodwa nina anivumanga ukulalela, kusho uBaba wenu.

²⁰Ngakho-ke nina badingisiweyo, zwanini izwi likaBaba wenu—nina nonke engabathumela eBabiloni ngibakhipha eJerusalema. ²¹Yilokhu uBaba wamabutho asezulwini, uBaba wethu ka-Israyeli, akushoyo ngo-Ahabi indodana kaKholaya noZedekiya indodana kaMahaseya, abaprofetha amanga kini ngegama lami: Ngiyobanikela esandleni sikaNebukadinezari inkosi yaseBabiloni, oyobabulala phambi kwamehlo enu. ²²Ngenxa yabo bonke abadingisiweyo bakwaJuda abaseBabiloni bayothatha lesi siqalekiso bathi: “UBaba wethu makakwenze ube njengoZedekiya no-Ahabi, inkosi yaseBabiloni eyabosa emlilweni,” ²³ngokuba benza izinto ezilihlazo kwa-Israyeli: bephinga nabafazi bomakhelwane babo, bekhuluma amanga ngegama lami, engingabayalanga ngawo. Ngiyazi, futhi ngingufakazi, kusho uBaba wenu.

UBaba Usola UShemaya

²⁴Yisho lokhu kuShemaya umNehelamu:

²⁵Yilokhu uBaba wamabutho asezulwini, uBaba wethu ka-Israyeli, akushoyo: Ngegama lakho uthumele izincwadi kubo bonke abantu abaseJerusalema, kuZefaniya indodana kaMahaseya umpristi, nakubo bonke abapristi, uthi:

²⁶“USimakade ukwenze umpristi esikhundleni sikaJehoyada umpristi, ukuba ube yisikhulu endlini kaSimakade phezu kwawo wonke umuntu ohlanyayo ozenza umprofethi, ukuba umfake esitokisini nasensimbini yentamo.” ²⁷Pho-ke kungani ungamsolanga uJeremiya wase-Anathoti ozenza umprofethi kini? ²⁸Ngokuba uthumele kithi eBabiloni wathi: “Kuyoba isikhathi eside. Yakhani izindlu nihlale kuzo; tshalani izivande nidle izithelo zazo.”

²⁹UZefaniya umpristi wayifunda le ncwadi ngezwi elikhulu kuJeremiya umprofethi. ³⁰Khona-ke izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kuJeremiya, lathi:

³¹Thumela kubo bonke abadingisiweyo, uthi: UBaba wenu uthi ngoShemaya umNehelamu: Ngokuba uShemaya eprofethe kini, mina ngingamthumanga, wanenza nethemba emangeni, ³²ngalokho uBaba wenu uthi: Ngiyomjezisa uShemaya umNehelamu nenzalo yakhe. Akekho owakhe oyohlala phakathi kwalesi sizwe, futhi ngeke akubone okuhle engiyokwenzela abantu bami, kusho uBaba wenu, ngokuba ushumayele ukuvukela mina.