Jeremiya
5 Manje, zulazulani ezitaladini zaseJerusalema, nibone, nazi, nizifunele ezigcawini zalo ukuthi ningamthola yini umuntu,+ ukuthi ukhona yini owenza ubulungisa,+ noma ofuna ukwethembeka,+ ngizolithethelela. 2 Ngisho noma bengase bathi: “Kuphila kukaJehova!” bayobe befunga amanga wodwa ngalokho.+
3 O Jehova, lawo mehlo akho awabhekile yini ukwethembeka?+ Ubashayile,+ kodwa abazange bagule.+ Ubaqothulile.+ Benqabile ukwamukela isiyalo.+ Benza ubuso babo baba lukhuni kunedwala.+ Benqabile ukubuya.+ 4 Ngisho nami ngokwami ngangithé: “Ngokuqinisekile bangabesigaba esiphansi. Benzé ngobuwula, ngoba abazange bayinake indlela kaJehova, ukwahlulela kukaNkulunkulu wabo.+ 5 Ngizoya kwabakhulu ngikhulume nabo;+ ngoba kumelwe ukuthi bona bayiqaphelile indlela kaJehova, ukwahlulela kukaNkulunkulu wabo.+ Ngokuqinisekile kumelwe ukuthi bona bonke behlangene baliphulile ijoka; kumelwe ukuthi bazigqabulile izibopho.”+
6 Yingakho ingonyama ephuma ehlathini ibabulele, impisi yamathafa ayizingwadule iqhubeka ibaphanga+ nengwe ihlala iphapheme emizini yabo.+ Wonke umuntu ophuma kuyo uyadwengulwa. Ngoba izeqo zabo sezibe ziningi; izenzo zabo zokungathembeki sezibe ziningi.+
7 Ngingakuthethelela kanjani ngenxa yayo kanye le nto? Amadodana akho angishiyile, futhi aqhubeka efunga+ lokho okungeyena uNkulunkulu.+ Ngaqhubeka ngiwanelisa,+ kodwa aqhubeka ephinga,+ futhi aya engamaviyo endlini yowesifazane oyisifebe. 8 Aye aba ngamahhashi agajwe yinkanuko yobulili, anamasende anamandla. Yilowo nalowo uyiyizela umfazi womngane wakhe.+
9 “Akufanele yini ngenze ukuba kulandiswe ngazo kanye lezi zinto?” kusho uJehova.+ “Noma akufanele yini umphefumulo wami uziphindiselele esizweni esinjengalesi?”+
10 “Wozani nimelane nezinhlu zemivini yalo nibangele incithakalo,+ kodwa ningaqothuli ngokuphelele.+ Susani amahlumela alo akhephuzelayo, ngoba akuwona akaJehova.+ 11 Ngoba indlu ka-Israyeli nendlu kaJuda ngokuqinisekile zisebenzelane nami ngokukhohlisa,” kusho uJehova.+ 12 “Zimphikile uJehova, ziqhubeka zithi, ‘Akekho.+ Futhi akukho nhlekelele ezosehlela, akukho nankemba nandlala esizokubona.’+ 13 Abaprofethi ngokwabo baba ngumoya, alikho izwi kubo.+ Yileyo ndlela okuyokwenziwa ngayo kubo.”
14 Ngakho-ke yilokhu uJehova, uNkulunkulu wamabutho akushilo: “Ngenxa yokuthi nina nikhuluma lokhu, bhekani ngenza amazwi ami abe ngumlilo emlonyeni wenu,+ futhi lesi sizwe siyoba yizinkuni, ngokuqinisekile uyosishwabadela.”+
15 “Bhekani nginilethela isizwe esivela kude,+ nina ndlu ka-Israyeli,” kusho uJehova. “Yisizwe esihlala njalo.+ Isizwe sakudala, isizwe esilulimi lwaso ningalwazi, futhi aniyikukuzwa ngokuqonda lokho esikukhulumayo. 16 Umgodla wemicibisholo yaso unjengengcwaba elivulekile; sonke singamadoda anamandla.+ 17 Ngokuqinisekile siyosidla sisiqede isivuno sakho nesinkwa sakho.+ Amadoda ayowadla awaqede amadodana akho namadodakazi akho. Ayoyidla ayiqede imihlambi yakho yezimvu neyezinkomo. Ayowudla awuqede umvini wakho nomkhiwane wakho.+ Ayoyichitha ngenkemba imizi yakho enezivikelo eziqinile othembela kuyo.”
18 “Ngisho nangalezo zinsuku,” kusho uJehova, “ngeke nginiqothule.+ 19 Niyothi, ‘Kungasizathu sini uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu enze kithi zonke lezi zinto?’+ Uyothi kubo, ‘Njengoba nje ningishiyile futhi niye nakhonza unkulunkulu wesinye isizwe ezweni lenu, kanjalo niyokhonza abezinye izizwe ezweni okungelona elenu.”’+
20 Kulandiseni endlini kaJakobe lokhu, nikumemezele kwaJuda, nithi: 21 “Manje, yizwa lokhu, sizwe esingahlakaniphile esingenayo inhliziyo:+ Sinamehlo, kodwa asiboni;+ sinezindlebe, kodwa asizwa.+ 22 ‘Ingabe anesabi ngisho nanami,’+ kusho uJehova, ‘noma anikho yini ebuhlungwini obunzima ngenxa yami,+ mina engimise isihlabathi njengomngcele wolwandle, isiqondiso esimi kuze kube nini nanini olungeke lwadlulela ngalé kwaso? Nakuba amagagasi alo ezijikijela ngapha nangapha, awakwazi ukunqoba; nakuba ehlokoma, awakwazi ukudlulela ngalé kwaso.+ 23 Kodwa sona kanye lesi sizwe sesibé nenhliziyo enenkani nedlubulundayo; siphambukile futhi siqhubeka sihamba endleleni yaso.+ 24 Kodwa asishongo enhliziyweni yaso ukuthi: “Manje simesabe uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu,+ Lowo osinika izihlambi nemvula yasekwindla nemvula yasentwasahlobo ngenkathi yayo,+ Lowo oqapha ngisho namasonto ethu ayaleziwe okuvuna.”+ 25 Iziphambeko zenu ziziphebezile lezi zinto, nezono zenu zinigodlele okuhle.+
26 “‘Ngoba phakathi kwabantu bami kutholakale abantu ababi.+ Baqhubeka besinga, njengalapho abacuphi bezinyoni becathama.+ Babeké isicupho esichithayo. Babamba abantu. 27 Njengendlwana yezinyoni igcwele izidalwa ezindizayo, kanjalo izindlu zabo zigcwele inkohliso.+ Yingakho bebé bakhulu futhi bezuza ingcebo.+ 28 Bakhuluphele;+ bayacwebezela. Futhi baye bachichima izinto ezimbi. Alikho icala lomthetho abalimelile,+ ngisho necala lomthetho lentandane,+ ukuze bazuze impumelelo;+ futhi ukwahlulelwa kwabampofu abazange bakumele.”’
29 “Akufanele yini ngenze ukuba kulandiswe ngenxa yazo kanye lezi zinto,” kusho uJehova, “noma akufanele yini umphefumulo wami uziphindiselele esizweni esinjengalesi?+ 30 Kuye kwenziwa ukuba kuvele isimo esimangalisayo ezweni,+ yebo into enyantisayo: 31 Abaprofethi empeleni baprofetha amanga;+ abapristi bona, bathobisa abantu ngokwamandla abo.+ Abantu bami bathandé ukuba kube ngaleyo ndlela;+ yini-ke nina madoda eniyoyenza esiphethweni sako?”+