Yeremiya
13 UYehova wathi kum: “Hamba uyokuzithengela ibhanti lelinen uze ulibhinqe, kodwa ungalifaki emanzini.” 2 Ndalithenga ibhanti njengokuba uYehova wayetshilo ndaza ndalibhinqa. 3 Ilizwi likaYehova lafika kum okwesibini lisithi: 4 “Thatha ibhanti olithengileyo nolibhinqileyo, uhambe uye kumEfrate, ulifihle apho kwimfanta yeliwa.” 5 Ndaya kulifihla ngakumEfrate, kanye njengokuba uYehova wayendiyalele.
6 Emva kweentsuku ezininzi uYehova wathi kum: “Phakama, uye kumEfrate uze apho uthathe ela bhanti ndandikuyalele ukuba ulifihle.” 7 Ndaya ke kumEfrate, ndemba ndalikhupha kwindawo endandilifihle kuyo, ndaza ndabona ukuba lalonakele; kwakuphelile ngalo.
8 Ilizwi likaYehova lafika kum lisithi: 9 “Uthi uYehova, ‘Ndiza kulitshabalalisa ngaloo ndlela ikratshi lakwaYuda nekratshi elikhulu leYerusalem.+ 10 Aba bantu benza izinto ezimbi nabangavumiyo ukuthobela amazwi am,+ abalandela intliziyo yabo ngenkani+ nabalandela abanye oothixo, bebakhonza yaye bequbuda kubo, baza kufana nqwa neli bhanti kungekho yalo.’ 11 ‘Kuba kanye njengokuba ibhanti lisithi nca esinqeni somntu, yonke indlu kaSirayeli nayo yonke indlu kaYuda ndayenza yathi nca kum,’ utsho uYehova, ‘ukuze zibe ngabantu bam+ negama+ nendumiso nento entle. Kodwa abazange bathobele.’+
12 “Uze ubanike nalo myalezo, ‘Uthi uYehova uThixo kaSirayeli: “Yonke ingqayi enkulu imele igcwaliswe ngewayini.”’ Yaye baza kukuphendula bathi, ‘Asiyazi na kakade into yokuba yonke ingqayi enkulu imele igcwaliswe ngewayini?’ 13 Uze uthi ke kubo, ‘Uthi uYehova: “Ndiza kubanxilisa bonke abemi beli lizwe,+ ookumkani abahleli etroneni kaDavide, ababingeleli nabaprofeti, nabo bonke abemi baseYerusalem. 14 Ndiza kungqubanisa ootata noonyana,” utsho uYehova.+ “Andizukuba naluvelwano, lusizi nanceba kubo; akukho nto iza kundinqanda ukuba ndingabonakalisi.”’+
15 Yivani nize nimamelisise.
Sanukuba nekratshi, kuba uYehova uthethile.
16 Mzukiseni uYehova uThixo wenu
Ngaphambi kokuba azise ubumnyama
Naphambi kokuba iinyawo zenu zikhubeke ezintabeni xa kuqalisa ukuba mnyama.
Niza kuba nethemba lokukhanya,
Kodwa yena uza kuzisa ithunzi elimnyama;
Uza kulijika libe sisithokothoko.+
17 Ukuba niyala ukumamela,
Ndiza kulila kwindawo efihlakeleyo ngenxa yekratshi lenu.
18 Yithi kukumkani nakumama wakhe,*+ ‘Hlalani kwindawo ephantsi,
Kuba isithsaba senu esihle siza kuwa kwiintloko zenu.’
19 Izixeko zasemzantsi zivaliwe,* akukho mntu uzivulayo.
UYuda wonke usiwe ekuthinjweni, uthinjwe ngokupheleleyo.+
20 Phakamisa amehlo akho ubone abo bavela emntla.+
Uphi na umhlambi owawuwunikiwe, iigusha zakho ezintle?+
Ayizukukubamba na inimba, njengomfazi ozalayo?+
22 Yaye xa usithi entliziyweni yakho, ‘Kutheni ndisehlelwa zezi zinto nje?’+
Kungenxa yobuninzi bezono zakho le nto imibhinqo yakho ikhululwe+
Nezithende zakho ziphethwe ngobundlobongela.
23 UmKushi* angalitshintsha na ibala lolusu lwakhe, okanye ihlosi litshintshe amabala alo?+
Ukuba kunjalo, nani ningatsho nikwazi ukwenza okulungileyo,
Nina bantu bafundiswe ukwenza ububi.
24 Ndiza kubasasaza njengeendiza ezimka nomoya wasentlango.+
25 Liqashiso lakho elo, isahlulo endikwabela sona,” utsho uYehova,
26 Ngoko ndiza kuyiphakamisela ebusweni bakho imibhinqo yakho,
Yaye liza kubonwa ihlazo lakho,+
27 Ukukrexeza* kwakho+ nokukhala kwakho ngenxa yenkanuko,
Ukuthengisa kwakho ngomzimba okulihlazo.
Ezindulini, endle,
Ndizibonile izenzo zakho ezenyanyekayo.+
Uza kuthi shu, Yerusalem!
Kuza kude kube nini na ungacocekanga?”+