UJeremiya 44

44 ¹Izwi elafika kuJeremiya ngawo wonke amaJuda ayehlala eGibhithe, eMigidoli, naseThaphanesi, naseMemfisi, nasePhatrosi:

²Nakhu okushiwo nguBaba wamabutho asezulwini, uBaba wethu wakwa-Israyeli, uthi: Nayibona yonke inhlekelele engayehlisela phezu kweJerusalema nasemizini yonke yakwaJuda. Namuhla iyizindunduma, kungasekho muntu ohlala kuyo, ³ngenxa yobubi abenza bona ukuze bangithukuthelise—beshisa iminikelo, bekhonza abanye onkulunkulu ababengabazi bona, nani, noyihlomkhulu. ⁴Kepha ngathumela kini zonke izinceku zami abaprofethi, ngiphindaphinda, ngithi: ‘Ningayenzi le nto enengekayo engiyizondayo! ⁵Kodwa abalalelanga, abaphendukanga ebubini babo, ekushiseleni abanye onkulunkulu impepho. ⁶Ngakho ukufutheka nolaka lwami kwathululeka, kwavutha emizini yakwaJuda nasezitaladini zaseJerusalema; yaba yihlane nendunduma esekuyiyo kuze kube namuhla.

⁷Nakhu okushiwo nguBaba wamabutho asezulwini, uBaba wethu wakwa-Israyeli, uthi: Nizilimazelani kangaka, ninquma indoda, nowesifazane, nomntwana, nosana kwaJuda, ningazishiyeli nsalela?

⁸“Ningithukuthelisa ngemisebenzi yezandla zenu, nishisela abanye onkulunkulu iminikelo eGibhithe, lapho nize khona ukuba nihlale—nizinquma nina, nize nibe yisiqalekiso nehlazo phakathi kwazo zonke izizwe zomhlaba. ⁹Senizikhohliwe yini izinto ezimbi zoyihlomkhulu, nezamakhosi akwaJuda, nezabafazi bawo, nezenu, nezabafazi benu—ezenziwa ezweni lakwaJuda nasezitaladini zaseJerusalema? ¹⁰Kuze kube namuhla abazithobanga, abesabanga, abawulandelanga umthetho wami nezimiso zami engazibeka phambi kwenu noyihlomkhulu.”

¹¹Nakhu okushiwo nguBaba wamabutho asezulwini, uBaba wethu wakwa-Israyeli: Ngibhekisa ubuso bami kini ngenhloso yokulimaza, ukuze nginqume wonke uJuda. ¹²“Ngiyakuyithatha insalela yakwaJuda ebizimisele ukuya kuhlala eGibhithe: bonke bayakubhubha, bawe khona ngenkemba nangendlala, kusukela komncane kuze kuyofika komkhulu, befa ngenkemba nangendlala, baze babe yisiqalekiso, nokwesabekayo, nehlazo, nenhlekisa. ¹³Ngiyakubajezisa abahlala eGibhithe njengoba ngayijezisa iJerusalema—ngenkemba, nangendlala, nangesifo. ¹⁴Akekho onsalela yakwaJuda eyeza ukuhlala eGibhithe oyakuphunyuka noma asinde abuyele kwaJuda, lapho belangazelela ukuphinde bahlale khona—akekho oyakubuya ngaphandle kwabambalwa abaphunyukayo.”

¹⁵Khona-ke bonke abesilisa ababazi ukuthi abafazi babo benzela abanye onkulunkulu iminikelo, nabo bonke abesifazane ababemi lapho—isixuku esikhulu—nabo bonke abantu ababehlala eGibhithe, ePhatrosi, baphendula uJeremiya, bathi: ¹⁶“Izwi osikhulumele lona egameni likaBaba wethu—ngeke sikulalele. ¹⁷Cha—impela siyakukwenza konke esakuthembisa: senzele indlovukazi yasezulwini iminikelo, siyithululele iminikelo yokuphuzwa, njengoba sasenza—thina, noyihlomkhulu, namakhosi ethu, nezikhulu zethu—emizini yakwaJuda nasezitaladini zaseJerusalema. Ngaleso sikhathi sasinokudla okuningi, saphumelela, asibonanga nhlekelele. ^a a v17 Indlovukazi Yasezulwini kwakungunkulunkulukazi wenzalo owayedumile e-Asiya Encane yasendulo, cishe u-Astarte noma u-Ishtar, owayekhonzwa kabanzi kwaJuda. ¹⁸Kodwa selokhu sayeka ukushisela indlovukazi yasezulwini impepho nokuyithululela iminikelo yokuphuzwa, sesisweleka yonke into, saqedwa ngenkemba nangendlala.”

¹⁹Abesifazane banezela, bathi: “Ngesikhathi senzela indlovukazi yasezulwini iminikelo, siyithululela iminikelo yokuphuzwa, kanti sasenza amaqebelengwane afana nayo, siyithululela iminikelo yokuphuzwa ngaphandle kokwazi kwamadoda ethu?”

²⁰Khona-ke uJeremiya wathi kubo bonke abantu, abesilisa nabesifazane, ababemphendule ngale ndlela. ²¹“Iminikelo enayishisa emizini yakwaJuda nasezitaladini zaseJerusalema—nina, noyihlo, namakhosi enu, nezikhulu zenu, nabantu bezwe—uBaba wethu akazange ayikhumbule na? Akufikanga yini engqondweni yakhe? ²²Ngakho uBaba wethu wayengasakwazi ukubekezelela izenzo zenu ezimbi nezinto zenu ezinengekayo; izwe lenu laba yindunduma, nokwesabekayo, nesiqalekiso, elingahlali muntu, njenganamuhla. ²³Ngenxa yokuthi nashisa iminikelo, nona kuBaba wethu, aniwulalelanga izwi lakhe, anihambanga ngomthetho wakhe, nangezimiso zakhe, nangobufakazi bakhe, le nhlekelele yanehlela, njengoba kunjalo namuhla.”

²⁴UJeremiya wathi kubo bonke abantu nakubo bonke abesifazane: “Zwanini izwi likaBaba wethu, nina nonke bakwaJuda enisezweni laseGibhithe.

²⁵Nakhu okushiwo nguBaba wamabutho asezulwini, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Nina nabafazi benu nakukhuluma ngemilomo yenu, nakwenza ngezandla zenu, nathi: ‘Siyakuzigcina izithembiso esazenza—sishisele indlovukazi yasezulwini impepho, siyithululele iminikelo yokuphuzwa.’ Zigcineni-ke izithembiso zenu! Nizifeze!”

²⁶“Zwanini izwi likaBaba wethu, nina nonke bakwaJuda enihlala ezweni laseGibhithe: Bhekani, ngifungile ngegama lami elikhulu, usho yena, ukuthi akukho muntu wakwaJuda kulo lonke izwe laseGibhithe oyakuphinde abize igama lami, athi: ‘Kuphila kukaBaba oyiNkosi. ²⁷Bhekani, ngibaqaphele ngenhloso yokulimaza, hhayi okuhle. Bonke abantu bakwaJuda abaseGibhithe bayakufa ngenkemba nangendlala kuze kungasali namunye. ²⁸Abambalwa abasinda enkembeni bayakubuya eGibhithe baye kwaJuda; khona-ke yonke insalela yakwaJuda eyaya eGibhithe ukuhlala khona iyakwazi ukuthi yizwi likabani eligcinwayo—elami noma elabo.”

²⁹Yilokhu okuyisibonakaliso kini, kusho uBaba wethu: Ngiyakunijezisa kule ndawo, ukuze nazi ukuthi amazwi ami amelene nani ayakugcwaliseka impela—ngenhloso yokulimaza. ³⁰Nakhu okushiwo nguBaba wethu: Nginikela uFaro uHofra inkosi yaseGibhithe ezitheni zakhe ezifuna ukumbulala, njengoba nganikela uZedekiya inkosi yakwaJuda kuNebukadenezari inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, isitha sakhe esasifuna ukumbulala.’