UJeremiya 4

4 ¹“Uma ubuya, wena Israyeli,” kusho uBaba wethu, “khona ubuyele kimi. Uma ususa izinto zakho ezinengekayo phambi kwami ungantengantengi, ²futhi uma ufunga uthi, ‘Kuphila kukaBaba wethu,’ ngeqiniso, ngokwahlulela, nangokulunga, khona izizwe ziyakuzibusisa ngaye, zizibonge ngaye.”

³Ngokuba nakho lokhu uBaba wethu akushoyo kubantu bakwaJuda naseJerusalema: Qhaqhani umhlabathi wenu ongakalinywa, ningahlwanyeli phakathi kwameva. ⁴Zisokeleni uBaba wethu; susani ijwabu lezinhliziyo zenu, bantu bakwaJuda nani enihlala eJerusalema—funa ulaka lwami luqhume njengomlilo lusha kungabikho ocimayo, ngenxa yobubi bezenzo zenu.

Inhlekelele Ivela Enyakatho

⁵“Kumemezeleni kwaJuda, nikubike eJerusalema, nithi: ‘Vuthelani icilongo kulo lonke izwe!’ Memezani nithi: ‘Buthanani, sibalekele emizini ebiyelweyo!’ ⁶Phakamisani uphawu nibheke eSiyoni! Balekelani ukuba niphephe, ningalibali! Ngokuba ngiletha inhlekelele ivela enyakatho, incithakalo enkulu.”

⁷Ibhubesi likhuphukile lisuka ehlathini lalo; umchithi wezizwe usehambile. Ulishiyile indawo yakhe ukuze enze izwe lakho libe yihlane; imizi yakho iyakuba ngamanxiwa, kungasasali muntu ohlala kuyo. ⁸Ngakho yembathani izingubo zokulila, nililane nikhale kabuhlungu, ngokuba ulaka oluvuthayo lukaBaba wethu alukasuki kithi.

⁹“Ngalolo suku,” kusho uBaba wethu, “inkosi nezikhulu zayo ziyakuphelelwa isibindi; abapristi bayakwethuka, nabaprofethi bamangale.”

¹⁰Ngase ngithi, “Awu, Baba oNguMbusi! Ubakhohlise ngempela laba bantu neJerusalema: ‘Niyakuba nokuthula’—kanti inkemba isifika emphinjeni wethu.”

¹¹“Khona laba bantu neJerusalema bayakutshelwa ukuthi: Umoya oshisayo ovela ezindaweni eziphakeme ezingenalutho zasehlane uphephethela indodakazi yabantu bami—hhayi ukwela, hhayi ukuhlunga. ¹²Umoya onamandla kakhulu kunalokhu uyeza ngokuyala kwami. Manje sengimemezela izahlulelo zami ngabo.”

¹³Bheka! Isitha sisondela njengamafu, izinqola zaso zempi zinjengesivunguvungu; amahhashi aso ashesha kunezinkozi. Maye kithi—sesibhujisiwe! ¹⁴Jerusalema, geza ububi enhliziyweni yakho, ukuze usindiswe. Koze kube nini imicabango yakho emibi ihlala phakathi kwakho? ¹⁵Ngokuba izwi liyakumemezela lisuka kwaDani, libike inhlekelele isuka ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi.

¹⁶Xwayisani izizwe, nikumemezele eJerusalema: “Abavimbezeli bayeza bevela ezweni elikude; baphakamisa umkhosi wabo wempi bemelene nemizi yakwaJuda. ¹⁷Bayizungeza njengabalindi abaqapha insimu, ngokuba ingivukele,” kusho uBaba wethu. ¹⁸Izindlela zakho nezenzo zakho zikwehlisele lokhu. Yilokhu ukubhujiswa kwakho, yeka ukubaba kwakho, ngokuba kugwaza kuze kufike enhliziyweni yakho uqobo.

Umprofethi Ukhalela Abantu Bakhe

¹⁹Ubuhlungu bami, ubuhlungu bami! Ngiyazonyonya ngobuhlungu. Awu, izindonga zenhliziyo yami! Inhliziyo yami iyagquma phakathi kwami; angikwazi ukuthula, ngokuba ngizwile umsindo wecilongo, umkhosi wempi. ²⁰Kumenyezelwa inhlekelele phezu kwenhlekelele, ngokuba izwe lonke lichithekile. Ngokuphazima kweso amatende ami abhujisiwe, izembozo zamatende ami ngomzuzwana. ²¹Koze kube nini ngibona iduku lempi ngizwa umsindo wecilongo?

²²“Ngokuba abantu bami bayiziwula; abangazi. Bayizingane ezingenangqondo, ezingenakuqonda. Bayazi ukwenza okubi, kodwa abakwazi ukwenza okuhle.”

²³Ngabheka umhlaba, nawo wawungenasimo ungenalutho; ngabheka namazulu, kodwa ukukhanya kwawo kwakungasekho. ²⁴Ngabheka izintaba, zazithuthumela; onke amagquma ayezamazama. ²⁵Ngabheka, kwakungekho muntu nhlobo; zonke izinyoni zezulu zazibalekile. ²⁶Ngabheka, izwe elivundileyo laseliyihlane; yonke imizi yalo yayingamanxiwa phambi kukaBaba wethu, phambi kolaka lwakhe oluvuthayo.

²⁷Ngokuba nakho lokhu uBaba wethu akushoyo: Izwe lonke liyakuchitheka, kodwa angiyukulibhubhisa ngokupheleleyo. ²⁸Ngenxa yalokhu umhlaba uyakulila, namazulu ngaphezulu abe mnyama, ngokuba ngikhulumile, nginqumile; angiyukuzisola, futhi angiyukuhlehla kukho.

²⁹Ngomsindo wabagibeli bamahhashi nabacibisheli onke amadolobha ayabaleka. Babalekela emahlathini bakhwele phakathi kwamadwala; onke amadolobha ashiyiwe, kungasekho muntu ohlala kuwo. ³⁰Wena-ke, wena ochithekileyo, yini oyenzayo, uzembathisa okubomvu, uzihlobisa ngemihlobiso yegolide, upenda amehlo akho? Uzenza umuhle ngeze. Izithandwa zakho ziyakudelela wena; zifuna ukukubulala. ³¹Ngokuba ngezwa isililo esinjengesowesifazane obeletha, ubuhlungu obunjengobowesifazane obeletha izibulo lakhe—isililo sendodakazi yaseSiyoni, ikhefuzela, yelula izandla zayo: “Maye kimi! Ngiyafa phambi kwababulali.” ^a a v31 Igama elithi 'indodakazi yaseSiyoni' yigama lenkondlo elisho iJerusalema.