Yeremiya
2 Ilizwi likaYehova lafika kum lisithi: 2 “Hamba uyokukhwaza ezindlebeni zeYerusalem, uthi, ‘Uthi uYehova:
“Ndiyikhumbula kakuhle indlela owawuzinikele ngayo kum* ebutsheni bakho,+
Indlela owawundithanda ngayo xa wawuza kutshata nam,+
Indlela owawundilandela ngayo entlango,
Kwilizwe elingatyalwanga mbewu.+
3 USirayeli wayengcwele kuYehova,+ esisivuno sakhe sokuqala.”’
‘Nabani na omqwengayo wayeza kuba netyala.
Wayeza kufikelwa yintlekele,’ utsho uYehova.”+
4 Yiva ilizwi likaYehova ndlu kaYakobi,
Nani nonke zintsapho zendlu kaSirayeli.
5 Uthi uYehova:
“Ndabenza ntoni ookhokho bakho,+
Le nto bandishiya kangaka,
6 Abazange bathi, ‘Uphi na uYehova,
Owasikhupha kwilizwe laseYiputa,+
Wasikhokela, sahamba entlango,
Sahamba kwilizwe leentlango+ nemingxuma,
Sahamba kwilizwe elomileyo,+ kwiindawo ezimnyama thsu,
Sahamba kwilizwe elingahanjwa mntu
Nekungahlali mntu kulo?’
Kodwa nina nangena naza nalingcolisa ilizwe lam;
Nalenza into eyenyanyekayo ilifa lam.+
8 Ababingeleli abazange bathi, ‘Uphi uYehova?’+
Abo baphethe uMthetho babengandazi;
Abelusi bandijikela,+
Abaprofeti baprofeta ngoBhahali,+
Baza balandela oothixo abangancedi nganto.
9 ‘Ngoko ke ndiza kuqhubeka ndisilwa nani,’+ utsho uYehova,
‘Ibe ndiza kulwa noonyana boonyana benu.’
10 ‘Kodwa welelani kumazwe angaselunxwemeni lwaseKitim+ nize nibone.
Ndithi, yiyani naseKedare+ nize niqwalasele kakuhle;
Nibone ukuba yakha yenzeka na into enje.
11 Lwakhe lwakho na uhlanga olutshintsha oothixo balo ngenxa yezinto ezingengothixo?
Kodwa bona abantu bam baye balulahla uzuko lwam ngenxa yento engancedi nganto.+
12 Qwalaselani nize nimangaliswe yile nto, nina mazulu;
Nyukelwani zizibilini ngenxa yokoyika kakhulu,’ utsho uYehova,
13 ‘Kuba abantu bam benze izinto ezimbini ezimbi:
Bandilahlile, mna mthombo wamanzi aphilayo,+
Baza bazimbela amaqula,
Amaqula aqhekekileyo, angenakugcina manzi.’
14 ‘Ngaba uSirayeli sisicaka okanye ikhoboka elizalelwe endlini?
Kutheni ke eye wathinjwa?
Zalenza into eyoyikekayo ilizwe lakhe.
Bazitshisile izixeko zakhe, ukuze kungabikho mhlali.
16 Abantu baseNofu*+ naseTapanesi+ boxutha umhlaba wakho.*
19 Ububi bakho bufanele bukulungise,
Nokungathembeki kwakho kufanele kukukhalimele.
Yazi uze uqonde indlela ekukubi nekukrakra ngayo,+
Ukushiya uYehova uThixo wakho;
Niye nabonisa ukuba anindoyiki,’+ itsho iNkosi enguMongami uYehova wemikhosi.
Kodwa uye wathi: “Andizukukukhonza,”
Kuba wangqengqa, wazaneka phezu kwazo zonke iinduli eziphakamileyo,+
Naphantsi kwayo yonke imithi eluhlaza, uzenza umfazi othengisa ngomzimba.+
21 Ndakutyala unjengomthi weediliya ezibomvu zodidi,+ wonke uyimbewu esulungekileyo;
Ngoku ujike njani waba ngamahlumelo antshwencileyo omthi weediliya wasemzini?’+
22 ‘Nokuba ubungahlamba ngesoda* uze usebenzise isepha eninzi,
Ityala lakho beliya kuqhubeka lisisibhaxu phambi kwam,’+ itsho iNkosi enguMongami uYehova.
23 Utsho njani ukuthi, ‘Andizingcolisanga.
Andibalandelanga ooBhahali’?
Jonga indlela yakho entlanjeni.
Cinga ngale nto uyenzileyo.
Ufana nethole lemazi yenkamela elibalekayo,
Elibaleka njee, linyuka lisehla ezindleleni zalo,
24 Idonki yasendle eqhele ukuba sendle,
Enukisa iduna emoyeni, ikhanuka,
Ngubani onokuyibamba xa ifuna ukukhwelwa?
Akukho namnye kwabo bayikhangelayo ekuya kufuneka azidinise.
Baza kuyifumana ngexesha layo.*
25 Sukuvumela unyawo lwakho luhambe ze,
Nomqala wakho unxanwe.
Kodwa wena uye wathi, ‘Hayi! Akukho themba!+
26 Njengokuhlazeka kwesela xa libhaqiwe,
Iza kuhlaziswa njalo nendlu kaSirayeli,
Yona, ookumkani bayo neenkosana zayo,
Ababingeleli bayo nabaprofeti bayo.+
27 Bathi emthini, ‘Ungutata wam,’+
Bathi naselityeni, ‘Wena wandizala.’
Kodwa mna bandifulathela, abajonga kum.+
Ibe ngexesha lentlekele yabo baza kuthi,
‘Phakama usisindise!’+
28 Baphi ngoku oothixo bakho ozenzele bona?+
Mabaphakame ukuba bayakwazi ukukusindisa ngexesha lokwehlelwa kwakho yintlekele.
Kuba oothixo bakho baninzi ngokungathi zizixeko zakho Yuda.+
29 ‘Kutheni nihlala nisilwa nam?
Kutheni niye nandijikela nonke?’+ utsho uYehova.
30 Ndiye ndababetha oonyana benu, kodwa loo nto ayincedanga.+
31 Yhini zizukulwana, khanilicinge ngokwenu ilizwi likaYehova.
Ndiye ndaba njengentlango njee na kuSirayeli
Okanye ilizwe lengcinezelo yobumnyama?
Kutheni le nto aba bantu, abantu bam, besithi, ‘Sibhadula sikhululekile.
Asiphindi sibuyele kuwe’?+
32 Intombi engazange yalala nandoda ingazilibala na izihombo zayo?
Umtshakazi angasilibala na isinxibo sakhe sobutshakazi?
Kodwa bona abantu bam baye bandilibala ixesha elide.+
33 Ulichule mfazindini kwiindlela zakho zokufuna uthando!
Uye wazifundisa iindlela ezingalunganga.+
34 Kwaneempahla zakho zinamabala egazi lamahlwempu angenatyala.+
Andibabhaqanga abangenatyala beqhekeza;
Kodwa iimpahla zenu zonke zinkone ligazi labo.+
35 Kodwa wena uthi, ‘Ndimsulwa.
Ndiqinisekile ukuba akasandiqumbelanga.’
Ngoku ndiyakugweba
Kuba uthi, ‘Andonanga.’
36 Kutheni ukungazinzi kwakho ukwenza into engenamsebenzi?