UJeremiya 42

42 ¹Base besondela bonke abaholi bamabutho, kanye noJohanani indodana kaKhareya noJezaniya indodana kaHoshaya, nabantu bonke, kusukela komncane kuze kube komkhulu, ²bathi kuJeremiya umprofethi: “Sicela uzwe isicelo sethu: khuleka kuBaba wakho ngenxa yethu, ngenxa yayo yonke le nsali—ngokuba sisele sibambalwa kwabaningi, njengoba ubona, ³ukuze uBaba wakho asibonise indlela esifanele ukuhamba ngayo nento esifanele ukuyenza.”

⁴UJeremiya umprofethi wathi kubo: “Nginizwile. Ngiyakukhuleka kuBaba wenu njengoba nicela, nginitshele konke uBaba wenu akuphendulayo, ngingagodli lutho.”

⁵Bathi kuJeremiya: “UBaba wethu makabe ufakazi oqinisileyo nothembekileyo ngokumelene nathi uma singenzi konke uBaba wakho akuthuma ngakho ukuba usitshele. ⁶Kungaba kuhle noma kubi, siyakulalela izwi likaBaba wethu, esikuthuma kuye, ukuze kusilungele lapho silalela izwi likaBaba wethu.”

⁷Ekupheleni kwezinsuku eziyishumi izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kuJeremiya. ⁸Wayesebiza uJohanani indodana kaKhareya, nabo bonke abaholi bamabutho ababe naye, nabantu bonke, kusukela komncane kuze kube komkhulu,

⁹wathi: “Usho kanje uBaba wethu wakwa-Israyeli, enangithuma kuye ukuba ngibeke isicelo senu phambi kwakhe:

¹⁰Uma nihlala ngempela kuleli zwe, ngiyakunakha, ngingadilizi; nginitshale, nginganisiphuli—ngokuba ngiyazisola ngenhlekelele engayehlisela phezu kwenu.

¹¹Ningayesabi inkosi yaseBhabhiloni eniyesabayo manje. Ningayesabi, kusho uBaba wethu, ngokuba nginani ukuba nginisindise, nginophule esandleni sayo.

¹²Ngiyakunibonisa isihawu, ukuze inkosi yaseBhabhiloni inihawukele, iniyekele nibuyele ezweni lenu.

¹³Kodwa uma nithi, ‘Ngeke sihlale kuleli zwe,’ ningalaleli izwi likaBaba wenu, ¹⁴nithi, ‘Cha, siyakuya eGibhithe, lapho singeyukubona khona impi, singeyukuzwa icilongo, singalambeli isinkwa, sihlale khona,’ ¹⁵zwanini-ke izwi likaBaba wethu, nsali yakwaJuda. Usho kanje uBaba wamabutho asezulwini, uBaba wakwa-Israyeli: Uma ninqume ukuya eGibhithe ukuba niyokwakha khona, ¹⁶khona-ke inkemba eniyesabayo iyakunifica eGibhithe, nendlala eniyesabayo kakhulu iyakunilandela eGibhithe, nifele khona. ¹⁷Bonke abanqume ukwakha eGibhithe bayakufa ngenkemba, nangendlala, nangesifo; akekho oyakusinda noma aphunyuke enhlekeleleni engiyiletha phezu kwabo.

¹⁸Usho kanje uBaba wamabutho asezulwini, uBaba wakwa-Israyeli: Njengokuba ulaka lwami nentukuthelo yami kwathululwa phezu kwabantu baseJerusalema, kanjalo intukuthelo yami iyakuthululwa phezu kwenu lapho ningena eGibhithe. Niyakuba yisiqalekiso, nesesabiso, nenhlekisa, nehlazo, ningaphinde niyibone le ndawo.”

¹⁹“UBaba wethu ukhulumile kini, nsali yakwaJuda: Ningayi eGibhithe. Yazini ngokuqinisekileyo ukuthi nginixwayisile namuhla. ²⁰Nizidukisile ngokulahlekelwa yikuphila kwenu, ngokuba nangithuma kuBaba wenu, nithi, ‘Sikhulekele kuBaba wethu; konke akushoyo, usitshele, sikwenze.’ ²¹Namuhla nginitshelile, kodwa anililalelanga izwi likaBaba wenu kunoma yini angithuma ngayo ukuba nginitshele. ²²Ngalokho yazini ngokuqinisekileyo: niyakufa ngenkemba, nangendlala, nangesifo endaweni enifisa ukwakha kuyo.”