Jeremiah 26
1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came from Yahweh:
Ekuqaleni kokubusa kukaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda, kwafika ilizwi leli livela kuThixo lisithi,
2 “Yahweh says: ‘Stand in the court of Yahweh’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah which come to worship in Yahweh’s house, all the words that I command you to speak to them. Don’t omit a word.
“UThixo uthi: Mana egumeni lendlu kaThixo ukhulume kubo bonke abantu basemadolobheni akoJuda abeza endlini kaThixo ukuba bakhonze. Batshele konke engakulaya khona, kungabi lelizwi olitshiyayo.
3 It may be they will listen, and every man turn from his evil way, that I may relent from the evil which I intend to do to them because of the evil of their doings.’”
Mhlawumbe bazalalela omunye lomunye wabo aphenduke endleleni yakhe embi. Lapho-ke ngizadeda ngingabehliseli umonakalo ebengizawenza kubo ngenxa yobubi ababenzileyo.
4 You shall tell them, “Yahweh says: ‘If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law which I have set before you,
Tshono kubo uthi, ‘UThixo uthi: Nxa lingangilaleli lilandele umthetho wami engalibekela wona,
5 to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you, even rising up early and sending them—but you have not listened—
njalo nxa lingalaleli amazwi ezinceku zami abaphrofethi, engabathuma kini njalonjalo (lanxa lingalalelanga),
6 then I will make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.’”
ngizakwenza indlu le ibe njengeShilo ledolobho leli libe yinto yokuqalekiswa phakathi kwezizwe zonke zomhlaba.’”
7 The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in Yahweh’s house.
Abaphristi, labaphrofethi kanye labantu bonke bamuzwa uJeremiya ekhuluma amazwi la endlini kaThixo.
8 When Jeremiah had finished speaking all that Yahweh had commanded him to speak to all the people, the priests and the prophets and all the people seized him, saying, “You shall surely die!
Kodwa kwathi uJeremiya eqeda nje ukubatshela bonke abantu konke uThixo ayemlaye ukuba akutsho, abaphristi, labaphrofethi kanye labantu bonke bamphuthuma bathi kuye, “Kumele ufe!
9 Why have you prophesied in Yahweh’s name, saying, ‘This house will be like Shiloh, and this city will be desolate, without inhabitant’?” All the people were crowded around Jeremiah in Yahweh’s house.
Kungani uphrofetha ngebizo likaThixo usithi indlu le izakuba njengeShilo ledolobho leli lizachitheka abantu basuke kulo?” Abantu bonke bambuthanela uJeremiya endlini kaThixo.
10 When the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to Yahweh’s house; and they sat in the entry of the new gate of Yahweh’s house.
Kwathi izikhulu zakoJuda sezizwe ngalezizinto, zaya endlini kaThixo zisuka esigodlweni senkosi zahlala ezindaweni zazo entubeni yeSango elitsha lendlu kaThixo.
11 Then the priests and the prophets spoke to the princes and to all the people, saying, “This man is worthy of death, for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.”
Abaphristi, labaphrofethi basebesithi ezikhulwini lasebantwini bonke, “Umuntu lo kumele agwetshelwe ukufa ngoba uphrofetha kubi ngedolobho leli. Likuzwile ngezindlebe zenu!”
12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the princes and to all the people, saying, “Yahweh sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard.
UJeremiya wasesithi ezikhulwini zonke lasebantwini bonke: “UThixo ungithumile ukuba ngiphrofethe kubi ngendlu le langedolobho leli zonke izinto elizizwileyo.
13 Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey Yahweh your God’s voice; then Yahweh will relent from the evil that he has pronounced against you.
Ngakho lungisani izindlela zenu lezenzo zenu lilalele uThixo uNkulunkulu wenu. Ngalokho uThixo uzadeda angabe esalehlisela umonakalo abememezele ukuwehlisela kini.
14 But as for me, behold, I am in your hand. Do with me what is good and right in your eyes.
Kodwa mina, ngisezandleni zenu; yenzani kimi loba kuyini lokho elikubona kukuhle, kufanele.
15 Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, on this city, and on its inhabitants; for in truth Yahweh has sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”
Kodwa likwazi, impela ukuthi lingangibulala, lizakwehlisela phezu kwenu icala legazi elimsulwa laphezu kwedolobho leli kanye laphezu kwabantu abahlala kulo, ngoba ngeqiniso uThixo ungithumile kini ukuba ngikhulume wonke amazwi la lani lisizwa.”
16 Then the princes and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets: “This man is not worthy of death; for he has spoken to us in the name of Yahweh our God.”
Izikhulu labantu bonke basebesithi kubaphristi lakubaphrofethi, “Umuntu lo akumelanga abulawe! Ukhulume kithi ngebizo likaThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.”
17 Then certain of the elders of the land rose up, and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying,
Abanye babadala baselizweni basondela phambili bakhuluma kulolonke ibandla labantu bathi,
18 “Micah the Morashtite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies says: “‘Zion will be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem will become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.’
“UMikha waseMoreshethi waphrofitha ensukwini zikaHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda. Wabatshela bonke abantu bakoJuda wathi, ‘UThixo uSomandla uthi: IZiyoni izalinywa njengensimu, iJerusalema izakuba yinqwaba yemfucuza, intaba yethempeli ibe yindunduma eyande izixukwana.’
19 Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Didn’t he fear Yahweh, and entreat the favor of Yahweh, and Yahweh relented of the disaster which he had pronounced against them? We would commit great evil against our own souls that way!”
Kanje uHezekhiya inkosi yakoJuda loba omunye umuntu nje wakoJuda wambulala na? UHezekhiya kamesabanga yini uThixo wacela umusa kuye? UThixo kadedanga wayekela ukubehlisela umonakalo ayewumemezele kubo na? Sekuseduze ukuthi sizehlisele umonakalo owesabekayo phezu kwethu!”
20 There was also a man who prophesied in Yahweh’s name, Uriah the son of Shemaiah of Kiriath Jearim; and he prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah.
(U-Uriya indodana kaShemaya owaseKhiriyathi-Jeyarimi ungomunye umuntu owaphrofetha ngebizo likaThixo: waphrofitha izinto ezinjalo ngedolobho leli langelizwe leli njengoJeremiya.
21 When Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men and all the princes heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Uriah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt.
Kwathi inkosi uJehoyakhimi lezinduna zakhe kanye lezikhulu zakhe besizwa amazwi akhe, bafuna ukumbulala. Kodwa u-Uriya wakuzwa lokho wasebalekela eGibhithe esesaba.
22 Then Jehoiakim the king sent Elnathan the son of Achbor and certain men with him into Egypt.
UJehoyakhimi inkosi, wathuma u-Elinathani indodana ka-Akhibhori lamanye amadoda eGibhithe.
23 They fetched Uriah out of Egypt and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.
Bamthatha u-Uriya eGibhithe bamusa kuJehoyakhimi inkosi wambulala ngenkemba isidumbu sakhe saphoselwa endaweni yokungcwabela abantukazana.)
24 But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that they didn’t give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.
Phezu kwalokho, u-Ahikhami indodana kaShafani wasekela uJeremiya, ngakho kanikezwanga ebantwini ukuba bambulale.
