Isiprofetho ngokunqoba kukaNebukadinesari
1Izwi elafika kuJeremiya ngabantu bonke bakwaJuda ngomnyaka wesine kaJehoyakimi indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakwaJuda, ongumnyaka wokuqala kaNebukadinesari, inkosi yaseBabele, 2alikhulumayo uJeremiya umprofethi kubo bonke abantu bakwaJuda nakubo bonke abakhileyo eJerusalema, ethi: 3“Kusukela emnyakeni weshumi nantathu kaJosiya indodana ka-Amoni, inkosi yakwaJuda, kuze kube namuhla, le minyaka engamashumi amabili nantathu izwi likaJehova lifikile kimi, ngalikhuluma, ngilisho kini njalonjalo, kepha kanilalelanga.”
4UJehova uthumile kini zonke izinceku zakhe abaprofethi, ebathuma njalonjalo, kepha anilalelanga, anibekanga indlebe ukuba nizwe 5lapho kwathiwa: “Ake nibuye, kube yilowo nalowo endleleni yakhe embi, nasebubini bezenzo zenu, nihlale ezweni uJehova alinike nina nawoyihlo, kusukela phakade kuze kube phakade, 6ningalandeli abanye onkulunkulu ukuba nibakhonze, nikhuleke kubo, ningangicunuli ngemisebenzi yezandla zenu; khona angiyikunenzela okubi.
7“Kepha aningilalelanga,” usho uJehova, “naze nangicunula ngemisebenzi yezandla zenu, kwaba kubi kini.”
8Ngalokho usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uthi: “Ngenxa yokuba ningawalalelanga amazwi ami, 9bheka, ngiyakuthumela, ngilande yonke imindeni yasenyakatho,” usho uJehova, “noNebukadinesari, inkosi yaseBabele, inceku yami, ngibehlisele phezu kwaleli zwe nabakhileyo kulo, naphezu kwazo zonke lezi zizwe nxazonke, ngibaqalekise, ngibenze babe yisimangaliso nento encimfelwayo, nencithakalo ephakade. 10Futhi ngiyakususa kubo izwi lokujabula nezwi lokuthokoza, izwi lomyeni nezwi lomakoti, nomsindo wamatshe okugaya nokukhanya kwesibani. 11Izwe lonke leli liyakuba yincithakalo nesimangaliso, nalezi zizwe ziyakuyikhonza inkosi yaseBabele iminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa.
12“Kuyakuthi lapho iminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa isigcwalisekile, ngihambele inkosi yaseBabele nesizwe leso,” usho uJehova, “ngobubi babo, kanye nezwe lamaKaledi, ngilenze libe yincithakalo ephakade. 13Ngiyakwehlisela phezu kwalelo zwe onke amazwi ami engiwakhulume phezu kwalo, konke okulotshwe kule ncwadi, uJeremiya akuprofethile ngazo zonke izizwe. 14Ngokuba bayakukhonziswa nabo yizizwe eziningi nangamakhosi amakhulu, ngiphindise kubo ngezenzo zabo nangemisebenzi yezandla zabo.”
15Ngokuba washo kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli kimi, wathi: “Thatha le ndebe yewayini lokufutheka esandleni sami, uphuzise kuyo zonke izizwe engikuthuma kuzo. 16Ziyakuphuza, zintengantenge, zihlanye ngaphambi kwenkemba engiyakuyithuma phakathi kwazo.”
17Ngase ngiyithatha indebe esandleni sikaJehova, ngaziphuzisa zonke izizwe uJehova angithuma kuzo: 18iJerusalema nemizi yakwaJuda, namakhosi alo, nezikhulu zalo, ukuba ngikwenze kube yincithakalo, nesimangaliso, nento encimfelwayo, nesiqalekiso njenganamuhla; 19kanye noFaro inkosi yaseGibithe, nezinceku zakhe, nezikhulu zakhe, nabantu bakhe bonke, 20nayo yonke ingxubevange yabantu; onke amakhosi ase-Uzi, nawo onke amakhosi asezweni lamaFilisti e-Ashikeloni, naseGaza, nase-Ekroni, nensali yase-Ashidodi; 21o-Edomi, noMowabi, nabantwana bakwa-Amoni, 22nawo onke amakhosi aseTire, nawo onke amakhosi aseSidoni, namakhosi aseziqhingini ezingaphesheya kolwandle; 23iDedani, neThema, neBuzi, nabo bonke abadilingiwe emaceleni amakhanda abo, 24nawo onke amakhosi ase-Arabiya, nawo onke amakhosi engxubevange yabantu ehlala ehlane, 25nawo onke amakhosi aseZimri, nawo onke amakhosi ase-Elamu, nawo onke amakhosi aseMediya, 26nawo onke amakhosi asenyakatho, akude naseduze, yileyo naleyo, nayo yonke imibuso yezwe esebusweni bomhlaba; nenkosi yaseSheshaki iyakuphuza emva kwabo.
27“Uyakusho kubo ukuthi: ‘Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Phuzani, nidakwe, nihlanze, niwe, ningabe nisasukuma ngenxa yenkemba engiyakuyithuma phakathi kwenu.’ 28Kuyakuthi lapho bala ukuthatha indebe esandleni sakho ukuba bayiphuze, usho kubo ukuthi: ‘Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uthi: Impela niyakuphuza. 29Ngokuba bheka, ngiyaqala ukwenza okubi emzini obizwe ngegama lami; nina beniyakuba ngabangenacala na? Aniyikuba ngabangenacala, ngokuba ngiyakubiza bonke abakhileyo emhlabeni beze enkembeni, usho uJehova Sebawoti.’
30“Manje, profetha kubo onke lawa mazwi, uthi kubo:
“ ‘UJehova uyakuduma ephezulu,
aliphumise izwi lakhe
esendaweni yakhe engcwele;
uyakuduma nokuduma phezu kwekhaya lakhe,
amemeze njengabanyathela iwayini
kubo bonke abakhileyo emhlabeni.
31Umsindo uyakufinyelela emkhawulweni womhlaba,
ngokuba uJehova uyamelana nezizwe;
uyahlulela inyama yonke,
kepha ababi uyakubanikela enkembeni,’ ” usho uJehova.
32Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uthi:
“Bheka, okubi kuyaphuma
kwesinye isizwe kuye kwesinye,
nesivunguvungu siyavuswa emikhawulweni yomhlaba.”
33Ngalolo suku ababuleweyo bakaJehova bayakusukela komunye umkhawulo womhlaba, baze bafike komunye; abayikukhalelwa, abayikubuthwa, abayikumbelwa, bayakuba ngumquba ebusweni bomhlaba.
34Hhewulani nina belusi, nikhale,
nihuquzele emlotheni
nina zikhulu zomhlambi,
ngokuba seziphelele
izinsuku zenu zokuba nihlatshwe,
nginihlakaze, niwe njengesitsha esihle.
35Abelusi abayikuba nandawo ukubalekela kuyo,
izikhulu zomhlambi zingabi nasiphephelo.
36Yizwi lokukhala kwabelusi,
nokuhhewula kwezikhulu zomhlambi,
ngokuba uJehova uyachitha idlelo labo,
37nezibaya ezithuleyo ziqediwe
ngenxa yokufutheka kolaka oluvuthayo lukaJehova.
38Uwushiyile umphandu wakhe njengengonyama,
ngokuba izwe labo seliyincithakalo
ngenxa yokufutheka kwenkemba ecindezelayo
nangenxa yokufutheka kolaka lwalo.