UJeremiya 4

₁“Uma uphenduka, Israyeli,” kusho uSimakade,

“uyakubuyela kimi;

uma ususa phambi kwami izinengiso zakho,

awuyukuntengantenga.

₂Uyakufunga ngeqiniso, ngobulungiswa, nangokulunga, uthi:

‘Ngifunga phambi kukaSimakade,’

izizwe ziyakuzibusisa ngaye,

zizishaye isifuba ngaye.”

“Qathani umqatho wenu,

ningatshali phakathi kwameva.

₄Zisokeleni uSimakade,

nisuse amajwabu ezinhliziyo zenu,

nina bantu bakwaJuda,

nani zakhamuzi zaseJerusalema,

funa intukuthelo yami iphume njengomlilo,

ivuthe, kungabi bikho oyicimayo,

ngenxa yobubi bezenzo zenu.

₅“Memezelani kwaJuda,

nihlabe umkhosi eJerusalema, nithi:

‘Bethani amacilongo ezweni,’

nimemeze, nithi:

‘Buthanani,

masihambe siye emizini ebiyelweyo.’

₆Misani ibhanela libheke eZiyoni,

nibaleke niyocasha, ningemi,

ngokuba ngiyakwehlisa inhlekelele ivela enyakatho,

nokubhujiswa okukhulu.”

₇Ingonyama iphumile ehlokozini,

umbhubhisi wezizwe uyeza;

uphumile endaweni yakhe

ukuba enze izwe lakho libe yincithakalo,

imizi yakini icekelwe phansi,

kungabi bikho ohlala kuyo.

₈Ngalokho bhincani indwangu eyisaka,

nikhale, nilile,

ngokuba intukuthelo kaSimakade evuthayo ayikasuki kithi.

₉“Kuyakuthi ngalolo lusuku,” kusho uSimakade,

“inhliziyo yenkosi idangale

nezinhliziyo zezikhulu;

abaphristi bayakumangala,

abaphrofethi bathuthumele.”

₁₃Bhekani, uyakhuphuka njengamafu,

izinqola zakhe zinjengesivunguvungu,

amahhashi akhe anejubane kunezinkozi.

Maye, kithi, ngokuba sichithiwe!

₁₄Jerusalema, hlanza ububi obusenhliziyweni yakho,

ukuze usindiswe.

Kuyoze kube nini imicabango yakho

emibi ihleli ezibilini zakho na?

₁₅Ngokuba izwi liyamemezela, liphuma kwaDani;

limemezela inhlekelele ivela kwelezintaba kwa-Efrayimi.

₁₆“Xwayisani izizwe ngalokhu;

bhekani, kumemezeleni eJerusalema

ukuthi abavimbezeli bayeza,

bavela kwelikude izwe;

bayalizwakalisa izwi labo emizini yakwaJuda.

₁₇Njengabalindi bensimu,

balithelekele nxazonke,

ngokuba lingihlubukile,” kusho uSimakade.

₁₈“Ukuziphatha kwakho

nezenzo zakho kukulethele lezi zinto;

lokhu kungenxa yokukhohlakala kwakho,

ngokuba umunyu ufinyelele enhliziyweni yakho.”

₁₉O, buhlungu bami,

buhlungu bami,

inhliziyo yami iyaqaqamba;

iyabubula inhliziyo yami,

anginakuthula, ngokuba umphefumulo wami

uwuzwile umsindo wecilongo,

kuhlatshwa umkhosi wempi.

₂₀Kumenyezelwa ukubhujiswa phezu kokubhujiswa,

ngokuba izwe lonke lenziwe incithakalo.

Amathende ami ashatshalaliswe ngokushesha,

namakhethini ami ngokuphazima kweso.

₂₁Kuyoze kube nini ngibona ibhanela,

ngizwa umsindo wecilongo na?

₂₂“Yebo, abantu bami bayiziwula, abangazi;

bangabantwana abayiziphukuphuku,

abanakuqonda;

bayizingcweti ekwenzeni okubi,

abakwazi ukwenza okuhle.”

₂₃Ngawubuka umhlaba;

bheka, wawuyize, ungenalutho,

nezulu lalingenakukhanya.

₂₄Ngabuka izintaba,

bheka, zazamazama,

namagquma wonke anyakaza.

₂₅Ngabuka;

uyabona-ke, kwakungekho muntu;

zonke izinyoni zezulu zazibalekile.

₂₆Ngabuka;

bheka, izwe elivundileyo laliyihlane,

nemizi yalo yonke yayidiliziwe

phambi kukaSimakade,

naphambi kwentukuthelo yakhe evuthayo.

₂₇Ngokuba usho kanje uSimakade, uthi:

“Izwe lonke liyakuba yincithakalo,

kepha angiyukuliqeda liphele nya.

₂₈Umhlaba uyakhala ngalokhu,

izulu phezulu liyakuba mnyama,

ngokuba ngikukhulumile,

nginqumile;

anginakuguquka,

anginakuphenduka kulokhu.”

₂₉Yonke imizi iyabaleka

ngenxa yomsindo wabamahhashi,

nowabaciba ngemicibisholo;

abantu bangena emahlokozini,

bakhuphukele emadwaleni;

imizi yonke isele dengwane,

akusekho ohlala kuyo.

₃₀Wena ochithiweyo,

wenzani ngokuvunula

ngokubomvu nangemvunulo yegolide,

nokugqaba amashiya akho ngomuthi,

uzenza muhle ngeze na?

Izithandwa zakho ziyakwedelela,

zifuna ukukubulala.

₃₁Ngizwile izwi kungathi ngelowesifazene ohelelwayo,

usizi lozibulayo,

izwi lendodakazi uZiyoni

ihefuzela, yelula izandla zayo, ithi:

“Maye, kimi!

Ngokuba umphefumulo wami udangele,

phambi kwababulali bami.”