UJEREMIYA 2

“ ‘Ndikhumbula ukuzimisela kwakho ebutsheni bakho,

ukundithanda kwakho usengumtshakazi,

ukundilandela kwakho entlango, kumhlaba ongumqwebedu.

₃Ewe, uSirayeli wayengokaNdikhoyo ncakasana,

efana nolibo lwesivuno –

abaludlayo badla ityala,

intlekele ibafikele.’ ”

Lowo ngumlomo kaNdikhoyo.

₄Libekeleni iindlebe ilizwi *likaNdikhoyo,

mzi kaYakobi, nani nonke zizwe zakwaSirayeli.

₅Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi:

“Bubi buni abâbubonáyo kum ooyihlo

bade bandityeshele nje belandela *oothixo abangento,

bade nabo babe zizinto ezingento?

₆Abazange babuze bathi:

‘Uphi na lo Ndikhoyo owasikhupha kumhlaba waseJiputa,

wasihambisa entlango kwilizwe elingumqwebedu lemiwewe;

kwilizwe lembalela nesithokothoko sobumnyama,

ilizwe ekungahambi bani kulo, kungekho namntu umiyo kulo?’

₇Ndanisa kumhlaba wendyebo,

ukuze nixhamle iziqhamo nentlutha yawo.

Koko nina nithe nakufika nawuxabhela umhlaba wam,

nalitsho lanezothe ilifa endininike lona.

₈Ababingeleli ababuzanga bathi: ‘Uphi na uNdikhoyo?’

Abaphathiswa-mthetho abandazanga,

abelusi bandivukela,

nabashumayeli bashumayela benefuthe likaBhali,

balandela *oothixo abangancedi lutho.”

₉“Ngoko ke ndisanimangalela,”

utsho umlomo *kaNdikhoyo.

“Ndiya kumangalela kwanezizukulwana zenu.

₁₀Khanikhe niwele niye kwiziqithi zamaKiti,

okanye nithumele iintlola eKedare,

ziye kuqinisekisa ukuba yakha yakho na into enjengale.

₁₁Lwakha lwakho phi na uhlanga olwananisa ngoothixo balo,

noba bengengoothixo ngenene?

Kodwa bona abantu bam balananisile iqhayiya labo

ngenxa yezinto ezingenaluncedo!

₁₂Yothukani, mazulu, yile nto,

nigubhe luloyiko, nithi khumnqa!”

Lowo ngumlomo kaNdikhoyo.

₁₃“Kaloku lintlantlu mbini ityala labantu bam:

bandishiyile mna, mthombo wamanzi ampompozayo,

bazimbela awabo amaqula –

amaqula avuzayo ziintanda.”

₁₄“Ngaba uSirayeli likhoboka?

Ngaba wazalelwa ebukhobokeni na?

Ngani ukuba abe lixhoba?

₁₅Iingonyama ziyagquma, ziyamgragramela.

Seziwuqwenga-qwengile umhlaba wakhe,

zazitsho zaba ngamabhodlo angahlali bani izixeko zakwaSirayeli.

₁₆Ewe, abantu baseMemfisi naseTapanese

sebekugugule ukhakhayi.

₁₇Nguwe ngokwakho ozenzileyo,

kuba umfulathele *uNdikhoyo uThixo wakho

akuba ebekukhokela endleleni.

₁₈Khawutsho ke,

kungani ukuba uye kusela amanzi aseNayile eJiputa?

Kungani uye kusela amanzi aseYifrate eAsiriya?

₁₉Uza kuqeqeshwa bubugwenxa bakho;

uza kululekwa kukukreqa kwakho;

uza kubuqonda ubukrakra nobubi bokundifulathela

nokungankwantyi phambi kwam, mna Ndikhoyo, Thixo wakho.”

Lowo ngumlomo wengangalala uNdikhoyo onamandla onke.

₂₀“Kudala, Sirayeli, wayaphulayo idyokhwe,

waziqhawula izitrophu zakho,

usithi: ‘Andiyi kukukhonza.’

Ewe, ubuhamba ulala ezinkalweni zonke

nangaphantsi kwemithi yonke,

uziqhekeza uxela ihenyukazi.

₂₁Kanti ke mna ndakutyala;

ungumdiliya omhle othenjiweyo.

Kutheni ngoku sewajika waba ngumdiliya wasendle nje?

₂₂Nditsho nokuba ungade uzihlambe ngesoda,

uziguxe ngeyodwa isepha,

awusayi kusuka wona umdintsi wesono sakho.”

Lowo ngumlomo weNkosi *uNdikhoyo.

₂₃“Ungathini ukuthi: ‘Andizenyelisanga;

andikhange ndimlandele uBhali’?

Khangela umkhondo wakho entilini,

uzigqale izenzo zakho.

Ubufana nqwa nethokazi lenkamela lirhaqaza entlango,

₂₄nqwa nemazi yeqwarha lasentlango edumbileyo

ehamba isezela umoya, ifuna inkunzi.

Ngubani ongayithintelayo xa injalo?

Akukho nkunzi izixhamla ngayo kuloo meko –

isuka iyifumane lula ngelo xesha.

₂₅Sirayeli, musa ukuzityabula iinyawo

ude nomqala wakho utshe kukusukelana nezithixo.

Kambe ke uthi: ‘Akusancedi nto;

sendithandana noothixo basemzini;

andinakungabalandeli.’ ”

₂₆*UNdikhoyo uthi:

“Kanye njengoko lidana linyoshoze xa libhaqiwe isela,

koba njalo ukuhlazeka kukaSirayeli nookumkani bakhe,

neziphathamandla, ababingeleli, kunye nabashumayeli.

₂₇Bona bathi emthini: ‘Ungubawo wena.’

Elityeni bathi: ‘Nguwe ondizeleyo.’

Kaloku aba bantu beze ngenqentsu kum;

abezanga ngabuso.

Kodwa ngexesha leenkxwaleko ikwangabo abathi: ‘Phakama, usincede!’

₂₈Baphi kakade abo thixo bakho uzenzeleyo?

Mabavuke kaloku, bakuhlangule ngexesha lengxakeko.

Baninzi kangangeedolophu zakho oothixo bakho, Juda!

₂₉Nina ke, ningandibeka tyala lini,

inini nje xa ninonke abakreqileyo kum?”

Lowo ngumlomo kaNdikhoyo.

₃₀“Naxa ndabohlwayayo abantwana benu,

abazanga baqeqesheke.

Suka nababulala ngekrele *abashumayeli,

banga baqwengwe ziingonyama.

₃₁Phulaphulani izwi likaNdikhoyo, nina besi sizukulwana!

Ndiyintlango na kuni, maSirayeli,

umhlaba osithokothoko sobumnyama?

Ke kutheni ukuba abantu bam bathi:

‘Siza kuhamba ngesiyibonayo.

Siyabhadula; soze siphinde size kuwe!’

₃₂Ikhe izilibale iintsimbi zayo intombi?

Yena umtshakazi ukhe awulibale umbhinqo wakhe?

Kodwa bona abantu bam sele kukade bandilibalayo.

₃₃Hayi ke indlela orhaqaza ngayo

uleqeka emva kwezithandwa zakho!

Sele unako ukufundisa nabafazi abangoongantweni.

₃₄Izambatho zakho zilijaja ligazi leendwayi nabantu abamsulwa,

ingelilo kambe elezikrelemnqa ozibhaqe ziqhekeza.

₃₅Naxa kunjalo usathi: ‘Ndimsulwa;

uNdikhoyo akasenawo umsindo ngakum.’

Kodwa ke mna Ndikhoyo ndiza kukohlwaya

naxa usithi akwenzanga sono.

₃₆Yini na ukuba urhaqaze kangaka, uzijika-jike iindlela zakho?

IJiputa iza kukuphoxa kanye ngalaa ndlela yaniphoxa ngayo neAsiriya.

₃₇Uya kuyishiya iJiputa unyoshoza ludano.

Mna Ndikhoyo ndibalahlile abo uthembele kubo;

akukho nto baya kukuphumelelisa kuyo.”