UJeremiya 5

5 ¹“Zulazulani emigwaqweni yaseJerusalema, bukani manje niqaphele! Seshani ezinkundleni zayo—uma ningathola umuntu oyedwa, oyedwa owenza ubulungiswa efuna iqiniso, khona ngizoyithethelela. ²Noma bethi, ‘Kuphila kukaBaba wethu,’ basuke befunga amanga.”

³Baba wethu, amehlo akho awabheki yini ukwethembeka? Wabashaya, kodwa abazange bezwe ubuhlungu; wabaqeda, kodwa benqaba ukwamukela ukuqondiswa. Benza ubuso babo baba lukhuni kunedwala; benqaba ukuphenduka. ⁴Ngase ngithi, ‘Laba bangabampofu nje; bayiziwula, ngokuba abayazi indlela kaBaba wethu, izindlela ezilungileyo zikaBaba wabo.’ ⁵Ngizakuya kwabakhulu ngikhulume kubo, ngokuba impela bayayazi indlela kaBaba wethu, izindlela ezilungileyo zikaBaba wabo.’ Kodwa nabo, bonke, babelephule ijoka; babeziqamule izibopho. ⁶Ngalokho ibhubesi eliphuma ehlathini liyakubashaya, impisi yasogwadule iyakubadabula. Ingwe icathamile ibheke imizi yabo; wonke ophuma kuyo uyakudatshulwa abe yizicucu—ngokuba ukuhlubuka kwabo kuningi, ukubuyela kwabo emuva akunakubalwa.

⁷“Kungani ngingakuthethelela? Abantwana bakho bangishiyile bafunga ngalabo abangesibo onkulunkulu. Ngabasuthisa, kodwa baphinga, baya ngobuningi ezindlini zezifebe. ⁸Babenjengamahhashi amaduna asuthisiwe anenkanuko, yilelo nalelo likhonyela umkamakhelwane walo.’ ⁹Ngingabajezisi yini ngenxa yalezi zinto? kusho uBaba wethu. Ngingaziphindiseli yini esizweni esinjengalesi? ¹⁰Khuphukani phakathi kwemithi yayo yamagilebhisi nibhubhise, kodwa ningaqedi nya; susani amagatsha ayo, ngokuba awasiwo akaBaba wethu. ¹¹Ngokuba indlu ka-Israyeli nendlu kaJuda abathembekanga neze kimi, kusho uBaba wethu.”

¹²Bakhuluma amanga ngoBaba wethu; bathi, ‘Akayikwenza lutho! Akukho ngozi eyakufika phezu kwethu; asiyikubona inkemba nendlala.’ ¹³Abaprofethi bangumoya nje; izwi alikho kubo. Ngakho makwenziwe kanjalo kubo!

¹⁴Ngakho-ke usho kanje uBaba wamabutho asezulwini: Ngenxa yokuba nikhuluma leli zwi, amazwi ami emlonyeni wakho ngiwenza abe ngumlilo, nalaba bantu babe yizinkuni, uyakubaqeda. ¹⁵Bheka, ngiletha kini isizwe esivela kude, we ndlu ka-Israyeli, kusho uBaba wethu—isizwe esihlala njalo, isizwe sasendulo, isizwe eningalwazi ulimi lwaso, eningakuqondi lokho esikukhulumayo. ¹⁶“Isikhwama sabo semicibisholo sinjengethuna elivulekile; bonke bangamaqhawe anamandla. ¹⁷Bayakudla isivuno sakho nesinkwa sakho; bayakudla amadodana akho namadodakazi akho; bayakudla imihlambi yakho yezimvu neyezinkomo; bayakudla imivini yakho nemikhiwane yakho. Ngenkemba bayakudiliza imizi yakho ebiyelweyo oyethembayo.”

¹⁸Kodwa ngisho nangalezo zinsuku, kusho uBaba wethu, angiyikuniqeda nya. ¹⁹Lapho bebuza bethi, ‘Kungani uBaba wethu esenze konke lokhu kithi?’ uzakuthi kubo: ‘Njengoba ningishiyile nakhonza onkulunkulu bezizwe ezweni lenu, kanjalo niyakukhonza abafokazi ezweni elingesilo elenu.’

²⁰“Memezelani lokhu endlini kaJakobe; nikuvakalise koJuda: ²¹Zwanini lokhu, we sizwe esiyiziwula nesingenangqondo, eninamehlo kodwa ningaboni, eninezindlebe kodwa ningezwa:” ²²Anesabi yini mina? kusho uBaba wethu. Anithuthumeli yini phambi kwami? Ngabeka isihlabathi saba ngumkhawulo wolwandle, isimiso esiphakade olungenakusidlula. Noma amagagasi edlikiza, awanakunqoba; noma ehlokoma, awanakuwela ngaphesheya kwaso. ²³Kodwa lesi sizwe sinenhliziyo enenkani nevukelayo; baphambukile bazihambela ngeyabo indlela. ²⁴Abasho ezinhliziyweni zabo ukuthi, ‘Masesabe uBaba wethu, onika imvula—imvula yekwindla neyentwasahlobo ngesikhathi sayo— osigcinela amasonto amisiweyo okuvuna.’ ²⁵“Ukona kwenu kuzisusile lezi zibusiso, nezono zenu zinigodlele okuhle. ²⁶Ngokuba phakathi kwabantu bami kutholakala abantu ababi; bacathama njengabathiyi bezinyoni abalindeleyo; babeka ugibe, kanti ngabantu ababathiyayo. ²⁷Njengekheji eligcwele izinyoni, izindlu zabo zigcwele inkohliso; ngalokho sebekhulile baceba. ²⁸Sebekhuluphele bacwebezela; bachichima izenzo ezimbi. Abalweli icala lezintandane, ukuze ziphumelele, namalungelo abaswele abawasekeli.” ²⁹Ngingabajezisi yini ngenxa yalezi zinto? kusho uBaba wethu. Ngingaziphindiseli yini esizweni esinjengalesi? ³⁰“Into eshaqisayo neyesabekayo yenzekile ezweni: ³¹abaprofethi baprofetha amanga, nabapristi babusa ngegunya labo; abantu bami bakuthanda kanjalo. Kodwa niyakwenzani lapho kufika ukuphela?”