UJeremiya 7

7 ¹Izwi elafika kuJeremiya livela kuBaba wethu:

²Yima esangweni lendlu kaBaba wethu umemezele khona uthi: Zwanini izwi likaBaba wethu, nina nonke bakwaJuda eningena ngalawa masango ukuze nimkhonze. ³Nakhu okushiwo nguBaba wamabutho asezulwini, uBaba wethu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Guqulani izindlela zenu nezenzo zenu, ngiyakunivumela ukuba nihlale kule ndawo.

⁴Ningawethembi lawa mazwi enkohliso athi: ‘Ithempeli likaBaba wethu! Ithempeli likaBaba wethu! Ithempeli likaBaba wethu!’ ⁵Uma niguqula ngempela izindlela zenu nezenzo zenu, niphathana ngobulungiswa ngempela, ⁶uma ningamcindezeli owezizwe, intandane, noma umfelokazi, ningachithi igazi elingenacala kule ndawo, ningalandeli abanye onkulunkulu kube ukulimala kwenu, ⁷khona-ke ngiyakunivumela ukuba nihlale kule ndawo, izwe engalinika okhokho benu endulo, kuze kube phakade. ⁸Kodwa bhekani—nithemba amazwi enkohliso angasizi ngalutho. ⁹Niyakweba, nibulale, niphinge, nifunge amanga, nenzele uBhali iminikelo, nilandele abanye onkulunkulu eningabazi, ¹⁰bese nize nime phambi kwami kule ndlu ebizwa ngegama lami, nithi, ‘Siphephile!’—kanti niqhubeka nenza zonke lezi zinto ezinengekayo? ¹¹Le ndlu ebizwa ngegama lami isiphenduke umhume wezigebengu emehlweni enu na? Mina ngokwami ngikubonile, kusho uBaba wethu.

¹²Manje hambani niye endaweni yami eyayiseShilo, lapho ngabeka khona igama lami kuqala, nibone engakwenza kuyo ngenxa yobubi babantu bami u-Israyeli. ¹³Manje, njengoba nenze konke lokhu, kusho uBaba wethu—ngakhuluma kini ngiphindaphinda kodwa anilalelanga, nganibiza kodwa anisabelanga,

¹⁴ngakho ngiyakwenza kule ndlu ebizwa ngegama lami, eniyethembayo, nakule ndawo enganinika yona nina nokhokho benu, njengalokho engakwenza eShilo. ¹⁵Ngiyakunilahla nisuke phambi kwami, njengoba ngalahla zonke izihlobo zenu, bonke abantwana bakwa-Efrayimi. ^a a v15 U-Efrayimi uyigama elifushane lombuso wasenyakatho ka-Israyeli, owathunjwa yi-Asiriya waya ekudingisweni cishe ngonyaka wama-722 BC.

¹⁶Wena—ungabakhulekeli lesi sizwe; ungaphakamisi ukukhala noma umkhuleko ngabo; unganxusi kimi, ngokuba angiyikukulalela. ¹⁷Awuboni yini abakwenzayo emizini yakwaJuda nasezitaladini zaseJerusalema? ¹⁸Abantwana baqoqa izinkuni, oyise baphembe umlilo, abesifazane baxove inhlama ukuze benzele indlovukazi yezulu amaqebelengwane; bathululela abanye onkulunkulu iminikelo yokuphuza ukuze bangithukuthelise. ^b b v18 Indlovukazi yezulu kwakungunkulunkulukazi wamaqaba wenzalo owayekhonzwa eMpumalanga Eseduze yasendulo—imindeni yayinikela ukukhonza kwasekhaya kuye esikhundleni sokukunikela kuBaba wethu. ¹⁹Kodwa yimina yini abangithukuthelisayo? kusho uBaba wethu. Akubona yini bona ngokwabo, kube ihlazo labo?

²⁰Ngakho uBaba oBusayo uthi: ulaka lwami nentukuthelo yami kuyakuthululeka kule ndawo—phezu kwabantu nezilwane, phezu kwemithi yasendle nezithelo zomhlaba—kuvuthe, kungacimeki.

²¹Nakhu okushiwo nguBaba wamabutho asezulwini, uBaba wethu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Yengezani iminikelo yenu yokushiswa kweminye imihlatshelo yenu, nizidlele nina inyama! ²²Ngokuba ngosuku engakhipha ngalo okhokho benu ezweni laseGibhithe, angizange ngikhulume nje kubo noma ngibayale ngeminikelo yokushiswa nemihlatshelo. ²³Nakhu engabayala ngakho: Lalelani izwi lami, ngiyakuba nguBaba wenu nani nibe ngabantwana bami. Hambani ngokugcwele ngendlela enginiyala ngayo, ukuze kunihambele kahle.

²⁴Kodwa abalalelanga, abavulanga ndlebe; bahamba ngamacebo abo, izinhliziyo zabo ezimbi zinenkani, baya emuva, hhayi phambili. ²⁵Kusukela osukwini okhokho benu abaphuma ngalo eGibhithe kuze kube manje, nganithumela zonke izinceku zami abaprofethi, ngiphindaphinda, usuku nosuku. ²⁶Kodwa abangilalelanga, abanakanga, kepha baba nenkani benza okubi kunokhokho babo.

²⁷Uyakukhuluma kubo onke la mazwi, kodwa abayikukulalela; uyakubabiza, kodwa abayikukusabela.

²⁸Yithi kubo: Yilesi isizwe esingalalelanga izwi likaBaba wethu, esingamukelanga ukuqondiswa; iqiniso linyamalele, linqunywe ezindebeni zabo. ²⁹Gunda izinwele zakho uzilahle; lilela ezindaweni eziphakeme ezize, ngokuba uBaba wethu usilahlile wasishiya isizukulwane solaka lwakhe.

Isigodi Sokubulawa

³⁰UJuda wenze okubi emehlweni ami, kusho uBaba wethu. Babeke izithombe zabo ezinengekayo endlini ebizwa ngegama lami, bayingcolisa. ³¹Bakha izindawo eziphakeme zaseThofeti eSigodini sakwaBheni-Hinomu ukuze bashise amadodana namadodakazi abo emlilweni—engingakuyalanga neze, okungazange kungene engqondweni yami. ^c c v31 IThofeti kwakuyindawo eSigodini sakwaBheni-Hinomu ngaseningizimu yeJerusalema lapho kwakuhlatshwa khona abantwana; kamuva lesi sigodi saveza igama elithi ‘iGehena.’ ³²Ngakho izinsuku ziyeza, kusho uBaba wethu, lapho kungasayikubizwa ngokuthi iThofeti noma iSigodi sakwaBheni-Hinomu, kodwa iSigodi Sokubulawa; bayakuba bangcwaba eThofeti kuze kungabi khona indawo eseleyo. ³³Izidumbu zalesi sizwe ziyakuba ngukudla kwezinyoni zezulu nezilwane zomhlaba, kungekho muntu wokuzixosha. ³⁴Ngiyakuthulisa emizini yakwaJuda nasezitaladini zaseJerusalema umsindo wenjabulo nowokuthokoza, izwi lomkhwenyana nelomakoti, ngokuba izwe liyakuba yincithakalo.