Yeremiya
44 Kwafika ilizwi kuYeremiya lisiya kuwo onke amaYuda awayehlala kwilizwe laseYiputa,+ eMigdoli,+ eTapanehesi,+ eNofu,*+ nakwilizwe lasePatrosi,+ lisithi: 2 “Uthi uYehova wemikhosi, uThixo kaSirayeli, ‘Niyibonile yonke intlekele endiyizisele iYerusalem+ nazo zonke izixeko zakwaYuda, namhlanje zitshabalele, akukho mntu uhlala kuzo.+ 3 Le nto ndiyenza kuba bandicaphukise ngokwenza izinto ezimbi, ngokuhamba bayokuqhumisa imibingelelo+ baze bakhonze abanye oothixo ababekade bengabazi, bengaziwa nini nangookhokho benu.+ 4 Ndaqhubeka ndithumela kuni bonke abakhonzi bam abaprofeti, ndibathumela kaninzi,* ndisithi: “Sanukuyenza le nto yenyanyekayo ndiyicaphukelayo.”+ 5 Kodwa abazange bamamele, bengazange bavule ndlebe, ukuze bayeke izinto ezimbi ababezenza, bayeke ukuqhumisa imibingelelo kwabanye oothixo.+ 6 Ngoko ingqumbo yam nomsindo wam zaba kwizixeko zakwaYuda nakwizitrato zaseYerusalem, zatsho zatshabalala, njengokuba zinjalo namhlanje.’+
7 “Uthi uYehova uThixo wemikhosi, uThixo kaSirayeli, ‘Kutheni nizizisela intlekele engaka, ukuze kutshabalale kwandoda namfazi, namntwana, nalusana kwaYuda, kungabikho kwamntu ushiyekayo? 8 Yintoni enibangela ukuba nindicaphukise ngemisebenzi yezandla zenu, ngokunikela imibingelelo kwabanye oothixo kwilizwe laseYiputa eniyokuhlala kulo? Niza kutshabalala, nibe sisithuko nento yokuhlekisa kuzo zonke iintlanga zomhlaba.+ 9 Nizilibele na izinto ezimbi ezenziwa ngookhokho benu, izinto ezimbi ezenziwa ngookumkani bakwaYuda,+ izinto ezimbi ezenziwa ngabafazi babo,+ izinto ezimbi ezenziwa nini nezinto ezimbi ezenziwa ngabenu abafazi+ kwilizwe lakwaYuda nasezitratweni zaseYerusalem? 10 Kude kube ngoku abakazithobi, abakoyiki,+ bengekahambi nangemithetho nemimiselo yam endayinika nina nookhokho benu.’+
11 “Ngoko ke uthi uYehova wemikhosi, uThixo kaSirayeli, ‘Ndizimisele ukunizisela intlekele, ukuze ndimtshabalalise wonke uYuda. 12 Ndiza kuthatha abashiyekileyo kwaYuda ababezimisele ukuza kuhlala kwilizwe laseYiputa, yaye baza kuphelela apho kwelo lizwe laseYiputa.+ Baza kuwa likrele nayindlala; ukususela koyena mncinci ukuyokutsho koyena mkhulu; baza kufa likrele nayindlala. Baza kuba sisithuko, into eyoyikekayo, into eqalekisiweyo nento yokuhlekisa.+ 13 Ndiza kubohlwaya abo bahlala kwilizwe laseYiputa kanye njengokuba ndohlwaya iYerusalem ngekrele, ngendlala nangesifo esingubhubhani.+ 14 Abo bashiyekileyo bakwaYuda abayokuhlala kwilizwe laseYiputa abazukubhungca okanye basinde okanye babuyele kwilizwe lakwaYuda. Baza kufuna ukubuyela nokuhlala khona, kodwa abazukubuyela, ngaphandle kwabambalwa abaza kube beqhweshile.’”
15 Onke amadoda awayesazi ukuba abafazi bawo benzela abanye oothixo imibingelelo, nabo bonke abafazi ababemi apho, behlanganisene, nabo bonke abantu ababehlala kwilizwe laseYiputa,+ ePatrosi,+ bamphendula uYeremiya bathi: 16 “Asizukulimamela ilizwi olithethe kuthi egameni likaYehova. 17 Kodwa ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo, siza kuzenza zonke izinto ebesithe siza kuzenza, siza kubingelela kuKumkanikazi Wamazulu,* sinikele neminikelo eselwayo,+ kanye njengokuba thina, ookhokho bethu, ookumkani bethu neenkokheli zethu sasisenza kwizixeko zakwaYuda nakwizitrato zaseYerusalem xa sasihlutha sisonka, siphila kamnandi, kungekho kwantlekele siyibonayo. 18 Xa sayekayo ukwenza iminikelo kuKumkanikazi Wamazulu nokunikela iminikelo eselwayo, saphelelwa yiyo yonke into, saphela likrele nayindlala.”
19 Abafazi bongeza ngelithi: “Futhi xa sasibingelela kuKumkanikazi Wamazulu, sinikela kuye iminikelo eselwayo, sazenza ngaphandle kwemvume yamadoda ethu na izonka ezirawundi eziyimifanekiso yakhe, sinikela kuye neminikelo eselwayo?”
20 Emva koko wathi uYeremiya kubo bonke abantu, kumadoda namakhosikazi awo nabo bonke abantu ababethetha naye: 21 “Imibingelelo enaniyenza, nina, ookhokho benu, ookumkani benu, iinkokheli zenu nabantu belizwe kwizixeko zakwaYuda nasezitratweni zaseYerusalem,+ uYehova uzikhumbule ibe zithe qatha entliziyweni yakhe! 22 Ekugqibeleni uYehova akazange akwazi ukuzinyamezela izinto ezimbi nezenyanyekayo enanizenza, yaye nelizwe lenu latshabalala, laba yinto eyoyikekayo, isithuko, indawo engahlali mntu, njengokuba linjalo nanamhlanje.+ 23 Kungenxa yokuba nenze le minikelo naza namona uYehova ngokungalithobeli ilizwi likaYehova, nokuba ningawulandelanga umthetho wakhe, imimiselo yakhe, nezikhumbuzo zakhe le nto nisehlelwa yile ntlekele, njengokuba kunjalo namhlanje.”+
24 UYeremiya waphinda wathi kubo bonke abantu nakubo bonke abafazi: “Yivani ilizwi likaYehova, nonke maYuda akwilizwe laseYiputa. 25 Uthi uYehova wemikhosi, uThixo kaSirayeli, ‘Izinto ezithethwe nini nabafazi benu ngemilomo yenu nizenze ngezandla zenu, kuba nithe: “Ngaphandle kwamathandabuzo, siza kuzenza zonke izinto ebesithe siza kuzenza, siza kubingelela kuKumkanikazi Wamazulu,* sinikele neminikelo eselwayo.”+ Ngokuqinisekileyo nina bafazindini niza kwenza ngokwezifungo zenu, ibe niza kuzenza izifungo zenu.’
26 “Yivani ilizwi likaYehova, nonke maYuda ahlala kwilizwe laseYiputa, ‘“Ndifunga ngegama lam elikhulu,” utsho uYehova, “ukuba akukho mntu wakwaYuda+ uza kuphinda afunge ngegama lam athi, ‘Ephila nje uYehova iNkosi enguMongami!’+ 27 Ngoku ndibalalele ukuze ndibazisele intlekele kungekhona into entle;+ onke amadoda akwaYuda akwilizwe laseYiputa aza kutshabalala likrele nayindlala, de aphele.+ 28 Bambalwa abaza kusinda kwikrele baze bemke eYiputa babuyele kwilizwe lakwaYuda.+ Bonke abashiyekileyo bakwaYuda abayokuhlala kwilizwe laseYiputa baza kwazi ukuba lelikabani ilizwi elibe yinyaniso, lelam okanye lelabo!”’”
29 “‘Le yindlela eniza kubona ngayo ukuba ndiza kunohlwaya kule ndawo,’ utsho uYehova, ‘ukuze nazi ukuba into endayithethayo ndinithembisa ngentlekele iza kwenzeka ngokuqinisekileyo. 30 Uthi uYehova: “Ndiza kunikela uFaro Hofera, ukumkani waseYiputa kwiintshaba zakhe nabo bafuna ukumbulala, kanye njengokuba ndinikele uKumkani uZedekiya wakwaYuda kuNebhukadenetsare* ukumkani waseBhabhiloni, owayelutshaba lwakhe nowayefuna ukumbulala.”’”+