UJeremiya 8

8 ¹“Ngaleso sikhathi,’ kusho uBaba wethu, ‘bayakukhipha amathambo amakhosi akwaJuda, nawezikhulu, nawabapristi, nawabaprofethi, nawabantu baseJerusalema, emathuneni abo. ²Bayakuwaneka phambi kwelanga, nenyanga, nalo lonke ibutho lasezulwini ababelithanda, babelikhonza, babelilandela, bebuza kulo, babelikhulekela — engabuthwanga, engangcwatshwanga, aba ngumquba phezu komhlaba. ³Yonke insali yalo mndeni omubi, nomaphi lapho ngibaxoshele khona, iyakukhetha ukufa kunokuphila,’ kusho uBaba wamabutho asezulwini.

Abantu Abangayikubuya

⁴“Batshele, ‘Nanku okushiwo uBaba wethu: Uma abantu bewa, abavuki yini? Uma umuntu ephambuka, akabuyi yini? ⁵Pho kungani lesi sizwe, iJerusalema, siphambukile ngokuhlehla okungapheli? Sibambelela enkohlisweni; siyala ukubuya.’ ⁶Ngilalele ngokucophelela, kodwa abakhulumi okulungileyo. Akekho ophenduka ebubini bakhe, ebuza athi, ‘Ngenzeni na?’ Yilowo nalowo ugijima endleleni yakhe, njengehhashi eligijimela empini. ⁷Ngisho nengabuzane emkhathini iyazazi izinkathi zayo ezimisiweyo, nehobhe, nenkonjane, nendwa kugcina isikhathi sokufika kwazo. Kodwa abantu bami abazi izindlela ezilungileyo zikaBaba wabo. ⁸Ningasho kanjani ukuthi, ‘Sihlakaniphile, nomthetho kaBaba wethu ukithi,’ kanti empeleni usiba olunamanga lwababhali selukuguqule kwaba ngamanga? ⁹Abahlakaniphileyo bayakujabhiswa; bayakudideka babanjwe. Bheka, balahlile izwi lami, pho yikuphi ukuhlakanipha okusele kubo? ¹⁰Ngakho-ke ngiyakunika abanye omkabo, namasimu abo abanikazi abasha. Ngokuba kusukela komncane kuze kube komkhulu, bonke bahahela inzuzo engalungile; kusukela kumprofethi kuze kube kumpristi, bonke benza inkohliso.’ ¹¹Belapha inxeba lendodakazi yabantu bami ngokungathi akulutho, bethi, ‘Ukuthula, ukuthula,’ kanti akukho ukuthula. ¹²Baba namahloni ngezinto ezinengekayo abazenzayo na? Cha, abazange babe namahloni nakancane; babengazi nokuba babomvu ebusweni. Ngakho bayakuwa phakathi kwabawileyo; lapho ngibajezisa, bayakuwiswa phansi,’ kusho uBaba wethu. ¹³‘Ngiyakubabutha nokubabutha,’ kusho uBaba wethu. ‘Akuyikuba khona amagilebhisi emvinini, namakhiwane emkhiwaneni, namaqabunga ayakubuna; lokho engabanika khona kuyakudlula kubo.’

¹⁴“Sihlaleleni lapha? Buthanani ndawonye! Masibalekele emizini ebiyelweyo sifele khona, ngokuba uBaba wethu usigwebele ukuba sife, wasiphuzisa amanzi anobuthi, ngokuba sonile kuye.”

¹⁵Sasithemba ukuthula, kodwa akufikanga okuhle; salindela isikhathi sokuphulukiswa, kodwa kunalokho kukhona uvalo. ¹⁶Ukubhonga kwamahhashi ezitha kuzwakala kusukela kwaDani; ngomsindo wokukhonya kwamahhashi awo amaduna lonke izwe liyathuthumela. Ayeza adle izwe nakho konke okukulo, umuzi nabo bonke abahlala kuwo.

¹⁷“Ngokuba bheka, ngithumela izinyoka ezinobuthi phakathi kwenu, izimfezi ezingenakulunjwa, ziyakuniluma,” kusho uBaba wethu.

UJeremiya Ukhalela Abantu Bakhe

¹⁸Intokozo yami iphelile, usizi lungikhulela; inhliziyo yami iyagula ngaphakathi kimi. ¹⁹Lalela — ukukhala kwendodakazi yabantu bami kuvela ezweni elikude: “UBaba wethu akekho eSiyoni na? INkosi yakhe ayisekho kuyo na?” “Bangicunulelani ngezithombe zabo ezibaziweyo, ngezithixo zabo zezizwe ezingasizi lutho? ²⁰Ukuvuna sekudlulile, ihlobo seliphelile, kodwa asisindiswanga.” ²¹Ngenxa yenxeba lendodakazi yabantu bami ngiphukile; ngiyalila, uvalo lungibambile. ²²Alikho yini ibhalsamu eGileyadi? Akekho yini umelaphi khona? Pho kungani ukuphulukiswa kwendodakazi yabantu bami kungafikanga?