1Wayesethi uJehova kimi: “Noma bekumi phambi kwami oMose noSamuweli, inhliziyo yami ibingebe kulaba bantu; balahle ebusweni bami, baphume. 2Kuyakuthi lapho bethi kuwe: ‘Siyakuphuma siyephi na?’ usho kubo ukuthi: ‘Usho kanje uJehova, uthi:
“ ‘Abokufa, mabaye ekufeni,
nabenkemba, enkembeni,
nabendlala, endlaleni,
nabokuthunjwa, ekuthunjweni.’
3“Ngiyakubamisela izinhlobo ezine,” usho uJehova: “inkemba yokubulala, nezinja zokudonsa, nezinyoni zezulu nezilwane zomhlaba zokudla nezokuchitha. 4Ngiyakubenza ukuba bahlupheke emibusweni yonke yomhlaba ngenxa kaManase indodana kaHezekiya, inkosi yakwaJuda, ngalokho akwenza eJerusalema.
5“Ngokuba ngubani oyakukuhawukela
wena Jerusalema na?
Ngubani oyakukukhalela?
Ngubani oyakuphambukela
ukubuza ngempilo yakho na?
6Wena ungishiyile,” usho uJehova,
“wabuyela emuva;
ngiselulele isandla sami kuwe,
ngakuchitha;
sengikhathele ukuhawukela.
7Ngibelile ngembenge emasangweni ezwe,
ngabaphuca abantwana,
ngachitha abantu bami;
ababuyanga ezindleleni zabo.
8Abafelokazi babo bandile kimi
kunesihlabathi solwandle,
ngehlisele phezu kwawonina
bezinsizwa umchithi emini,
ngehlisele ukwesaba nengebhe phezu kwabo.
9Owazala abayisikhombisa usedangele,
waphuma umoya;
ilanga lakhe lishonile kuse semini;
ujabhile, wayangaza;
insali yabo ngiyakuyinikela enkembeni
ngaphambi kwezitha zabo,” usho uJehova.
Ukukhala kukaJeremiya
10Maye kimina, mame,
ukuthi ungizalile,
ngibe ngumuntu wokuphikisana
nokuxabana emhlabeni wonke!
Angibizanga inzalo,
futhi akubizwanga inzalo kimi,
nokho bayangiqalekisa bonke.
11Wathi uJehova:
“Ngiyakukukhulula
kube kuhle;
impela ngiyakwenza ukuba isitha sikunxuse
ngesikhathi esibi nangesikhathi sokuhlupheka.
12“Umuntu angaphula insimbi yini,
insimbi yasenyakatho, nethusi, na?
13Ngiyakunikela imfuyo yakho
nengcebo yakho kube yimpango
kungengantengo,
ngazo zonke izono zakho
emikhawulweni yakho yonke.
14Ngiyakwenza ukuba uzikhonze izitha zakho
ezweni ongalaziyo,
ngokuba kuphenjiwe umlilo olakeni lwami
oyakuvutha kini.”
15Uyazi wena Jehova;
ngikhumbule, ngihambele,
ungiphindisele kwabangizingelayo;
ungangisusi ngokubekezela kwakho;
yazi ukuthi ngenxa yakho ngithwale ihlazo.
16Amazwi akho afunyanwa, ngawadla;
amazwi akho aba ngukujabula kimi
nokuthokoza kwenhliziyo yami,
ngokuba ngibizwa ngegama lakho,
Jehova Nkulunkulu Sebawoti.
17Angihlalanga emhlanganweni wabahlekayo,
angithokozanga;
ngahlala ngedwa ngenxa yesandla sakho,
ngokuba ungigcwalisile ngokufutheka.
18Yini ukuba ubuhlungu bami
bube khona njalonjalo,
nesilonda sami singapholiswa,
sala ukuphulukiswa, na?
Impela uyakuba ngamanzi aphuthayo kimi,
amanzi angathembekile, na?
19Ngalokho usho kanje uJehova, uthi:
“Uma ubuya, ngiyakukubuyisa,
ume phambi kwami;
uma ukhipha okuyigugu kokungamanyala,
uyakuba ngumlomo wami;
laba bayakubuyela kuwe,
kepha wena awuyikubuyela kubo.
20Ngiyakukwenza ukuba ube lugange
lwethusi oluqinileyo kulaba bantu;
bayakulwa nawe,
kepha abayikukwahlula,
ngokuba mina nginawe ukukusindisa nokukophula,” usho uJehova.
21“Ngiyakukophula esandleni sababi,
ngikuhlenge esandleni sabacindezeli.”
