‏ Jeremiah 8

Ukona Lobuqili BukaJuda

1“ ‘Ngalesosikhathi, kutsho uThixo, amathambo amakhosi akoJuda lawezikhulu zakhona, amathambo abaphristi lawabaphrofethi, kanye lamathambo abantu baseJerusalema azakhutshwa emangcwabeni awo. 2Azachaywa elangeni lasenyangeni lakuzo zonke izinkanyezi zasemazulwini, abakuthandayo bakukhonza njalo abakulandelayo bakubuza bakudumisa. Kawayikubuthwa loba angcwatshwe, kodwa azakuba njengezibi phezu komhlabathi. 3Loba kungaphi engibaxotshela khona, bonke abasilayo balesisizwe esibi bazakhetha ukufa kulokuphila, kutsho uThixo uSomandla.’ ”

Isono Lesijeziso

4“Wothi kubo, ‘UThixo uthi:

Abantu bangawa, kabavuki na?
Omunye angaphambuka, kaphenduki na?
5Pho kungani abantu laba bedukile?
Kungani iJerusalema lihlala liseduka?
Bayanamathela enkohlisweni,
bayala ukuphenduka.
6Ngilalele ngesineke,
kodwa kabatsho okulungileyo.
Kakho ophenduka ebubini bakhe,
esithi, “Kuyini engikwenzileyo na?”
Yilowo lalowo ulandela indlela yakhe
njengebhiza lizithela empini.
7Lengabuzane emoyeni
liyazazi izikhathi zalo zomnyaka,
lejuba, lenkonjane lohemu
kuyasigcina isikhathi sakho sokuthutha.
Kodwa abantu bami kabakwazi
okufunwa nguThixo.

8Lingatsho kanjani ukuthi, “Sihlakaniphile,
ngoba silomthetho kaThixo,”
lona iqiniso kuyikuthi amanga alotshwe ngosiba lwababhali
asenze umthetho wangabi liqiniso?
9Abahlakaniphileyo bazayangiswa,
bazakwesaba bathiyeke.
Njengoba belalile ilizwi likaThixo,
balenhlakanipho bani na?
10Ngakho abafazi babo ngizabapha amanye amadoda
lamasimu abo abe ngawabanye abatsha.
Kusukela kwabancane kusiya kwabakhulu,
bonke bayizihwaba ezifuna inzuzo,
banjalo abaphrofethi kanye labaphristi,
bonke benza inkohliso.
11Babopha inxeba labantu bami
kungathi kalilibi kakhulu.
Bathi, “Ukuthula, ukuthula,”
khona ukuthula kungekho.
12Kambe bayayangeka na ngokuziphatha kwabo okunengisayo?
Hatshi, bavele kabalazo inhloni,
lokuyangeka kabakwazi.
Ngakho bazawela phakathi kwabawileyo,
bazakwehliselwa phansi lapho sebejeziswa,
kutsho uThixo.

13Ngizabemuka isivuno sabo,
kutsho uThixo.
Akuyikuba lezithelo ezivinini zabo.
Akuyikuba lezithelo zomkhiwa esihlahleni,
lamahlamvu aso azabuna.
Engibanike khona
kuzathathwa kubo.’ ”

14Pho sihlaleleni lapha?
Buthanini!
Kasibalekeleni emadolobheni avikelweyo
siyebhubhela khona!
Ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu usesilahlele ekubhubheni
wasinika amanzi aletshefu ukuba sinathe,
ngoba sonile kuye.
15Sathemba ukuba lokuthula
kodwa akubanga lobuhle obukhona,
ekubeni kube yisikhathi sokwelatshwa
kwaba lokwesaba.
16Ukuthimula kwamabhiza esitha
kuyezwakala kuvelela koDani,
ekukhaleni kwamabhiza amaduna
ilizwe lonke liyaqhaqhazela.
Zilande ukuzatshwabadela
ilizwe lakho konke okukulo,
idolobho labo bonke abahlala kulo.

17“Khangelani, ngizathumela phakathi kwenu
izinyoka ezilobuhlungu,
izinhlangwana ezingeke zithakathwe, njalo zizaliluma,”
kutsho uThixo.

18Awu Mduduzi wami osizini,
inhliziyo yami isiqaleka phakathi kwami.
19Lalela ukukhala kwabantu bami
okuvela elizweni elikhatshana besithi:
“UThixo kakho eZiyoni na?
INkosi yalo kayisekho lapho na?”

“Kungani bevuse ulaka lwami ngezifanekiso zabo,
langezithombe zezizweni eziyize na?”

20“Ukuvuna sekwedlule,
ihlobo seliphelile,
kodwa kasihlengwanga.”

21Njengoba abantu bami benqotshiwe lami nginqotshiwe,
ngiyalila njalo ukwesaba kungiphethe.
22Akulamuthi yini eGiliyadi?
Kakho yini lomelaphi khona?
Pho kungani kungekho kwelatshwa
kwenxeba labantu bami na?