Jeremiah 23

Ugatsha Olulungileyo

1“Maye kubelusi abachitha izimvu zedlelo lami njalo bezihlakaza!” kutsho uThixo. 2Ngakho uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi kubelusi abelusa abantu bami: “Ngenxa yokuthi lina lihlakaze umhlambi wami lawuxotshela khatshana kalaze lawunaka, ngizakwehlisela isijeziso phezu kwenu ngenxa yobubi elibenzileyo,” kutsho uThixo. 3“Mina ngokwami ngizabutha insalela zezimvu zami emazweni wonke engangizixotshele kuwo ngizibuyisele edlelweni lazo, lapho ezizazalana khona zande. 4Ngizazilethela abelusi abazazelusa, njalo kazisayikwesaba loba zithuthumele, loba enye yazo ilahleke,” kutsho uThixo.

5 UThixo uthi, “Ziyeza insuku,
lapho uDavida ngizamvusela uGatsha olulungileyo,
iNkosi ezabusa ngokuhlakanipha,
yenze okulungileyo, lokufaneleyo elizweni.
6Ensukwini zayo uJuda uzasindiswa,
lo-Israyeli ahlale evikelekile.
Ibizo azabizwa ngalo yileli elithi:
UThixo Oyikulunga Kwethu.”

7 UThixo uthi, “Ngakho-ke, insuku ziyeza, lapho abantu bengasayikuthi, ‘Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona, yena owakhupha u-Israyeli eGibhithe,’ 8kodwa bazakuthi, ‘Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona, yena owakhipha izizukulwane zika-Israyeli elizweni elisenyakatho lakuwo wonke amazwe abaxotshela kuwo.’ Lapho-ke bazahlala elizweni labo.”

Abaphrofethi Abaqamba Amanga

9Mayelana labaphrofethi:

Inhliziyo yami idabukile ngaphakathi kwami;
wonke amathambo ami ayaqhaqhazela.
Ngifana lomuntu odakiweyo,
lanjengomuntu owehlulwa liwayini,
ngenxa kaThixo
lamazwi akhe angcwele.
10Ilizwe leli ligcwele izifebe;
ngenxa yesiqalekiso ilizwe lomile
lamadlelo enkangala abunile.
Abaphrofethi balandela indlela embi,
basebenzisa amandla abo ngokungalungi.

11“Umphrofethi lomphristi kabakholwa kunkulunkulu;
lasethempelini lami ngiyabufumana ububi babo,”
kutsho uThixo.
12“Ngakho indlela yabo izatshelela;
bazaxotshelwa emnyameni
njalo lapho bazakuwa.
Ngizabehlisela umonakalo ngomnyaka wokujeziswa kwabo,”
kutsho uThixo.

13“Phakathi kwabaphrofethi baseSamariya
ngabona into eyenyanyekayo:
Baphrofetha ngoBhali
njalo baholela abantu bami ekulahlekeni.
14Lakubaphrofethi baseJerusalema
sengibone into eyesabekayo:
Bayafeba baphile ngamanga.
Baqinisa izandla zabenza okubi,
ukuba kungabikhona oguquka ebubini bakhe.
Kimi bonke banjengeSodoma;
abantu baseJerusalema banjengeGomora.”
15Ngakho, mayelana labaphrofethi uThixo uSomandla uthi:

“Ngizabenza badle ukudla okubabayo,
banathe lamanzi aletshefu,
ngoba kusukela kubaphrofethi baseJerusalema
ukungakholwa kuNkulunkulu sekugcwele ilizwe lonke.”
16 UThixo uSomandla uthi:

“Lingalaleli okuphrofethwa ngabaphrofethi kini;
balenza lithembe amanga.
Bakhuluma imibono evela ezingqondweni zabo,
engaveli emlonyeni kaThixo.
17Bahlala besithi kulabo abangidelelayo,
‘UThixo uthi: Lizakuba lokuthula.’
Lakubo bonke abalandela inkani yezinhliziyo zabo
bathi, ‘Akulabubi obuzalehlela.’
18Kodwa nguphi wabo owake wema emhlanganweni kaThixo
ukuba abone kumbe ezwe ilizwi lakhe na?
Ngubani olilaleleyo walizwa ilizwi lakhe?
19Khangelani, isiphepho sikaThixo
sizaphutsha silulaka,
isavunguzane esibhoda ngolaka
phezu kwamakhanda ababi.
20Ulaka lukaThixo kaluyikuphela
aze azifeze ngokupheleleyo
injongo zenhliziyo yakhe.
Ensukwini ezizayo
lizakuzwisisa kuhle lokhu.
21Abaphrofethi laba angibathumanga;
kodwa bagijima lemibiko yabo;
kangizange ngikhulume labo,
kodwa sebephrofethile.
22Kodwa aluba babekhona emhlanganweni wami,
ngabe bamemezela amazwi ami ebantwini bami
njalo ngabe babaphendula ezindleleni zabo ezimbi
lasezenzweni zabo ezimbi.”

23 UThixo uthi,
“NginguNkulunkulu oseduze kuphela,
uNkulunkulu ongekho khatshana na?
24Umuntu angacatsha endaweni efihlakeleyo
ukuba ngingamboni na?”
kutsho uThixo.
“Angithi ngigcwele ezulwini lasemhlabeni na?”
kutsho uThixo.
25“Ngikuzwile okutshiwo ngabaphrofethi abaphrofetha amanga ngebizo lami. Bathi, ‘Ngiphuphile! Ngiphuphile!’ 26Koze kube nini lokhu kuqhubeka ezinhliziyweni zalaba abaphrofethi abalamanga na? 27Bacabanga ukuthi amaphupho abawatshelanayo azakwenza abantu bami bakhohlwe ibizo lami, njengabokhokho babo abakhohlwa ibizo lami ngenxa yokukhonza uBhali. 28Akuthi umphrofethi ophupha iphupho kalitsho, kodwa lowo olelizwi lami kalikhulume ngobuqotho, ngoba amakhoba angenzani lamabele na?” kutsho uThixo. 29“Ilizwi lami kalinjengomlilo,” kutsho uThixo, “lanjengesando esidabula idwala libe yizicucu na?”

30 UThixo uthi, “Ngakho, ngimelana labaphrofethi abantshontsha kwabanye amazwi okuthiwa avela kimi. 31Yebo, ngimelana labaphrofethi abasebenzisa indimi zabo kodwa bathi, ‘UThixo uthi,’ 32Ngeqiniso, ngimelana lalabo abaphrofetha amaphupho amanga,” kutsho uThixo. “Bayawatsho baholele abantu bami ekulahlekeni ngamanga abo lamawala, ikanti angizange ngibathume kumbe ngibakhethe. Kababasizi ngalutho abantu laba,” kutsho uThixo.

Isiphrofethi Samanga

33“Nxa abantu laba, loba umphrofethi kumbe umphristi, bebuza besithi, ‘Izilo likaThixo kuyini?’ wothi kubo, ‘Izilo liphi? Ngizakulahla, kutsho uThixo.’ 34Nxa umphrofethi loba umphristi kumbe omunye umuntu esithi, ‘Leli lizilo likaThixo,’ lowomuntu ngizamjezisa kanye labendlu yakhe. 35Lokhu yikho omunye wenu ohlala ekutsho kumngane wakhe loba isihlobo sakhe ukuthi: ‘Impendulo kaThixo ithini na?’ loba ‘UThixo utheni?’ 36Kodwa akumelanga lithi ‘izilo likaThixo’ futhi, ngoba umuntu wonke ilizwi lakhe liba lizilo lakhe ngoba liyawahlanekela amazwi kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, uThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu wethu. 37Lokhu yikho elihlala likutsho kumphrofethi ukuthi, ‘Impendulo kaThixo kuwe ithini?’ loba ‘UThixo utheni?’ 38Lanxa lina lisithi, ‘Leli lizilo likaThixo,’ uThixo uthi: Lasebenzisa amazwi athi, ‘Leli lizilo likaThixo.’ Lanxa mina ngalitshela ukuthi lingabokuthi, ‘Leli lizilo likaThixo.’ 39Ngakho, ngeqiniso ngizalikhohlwa ngiliphosele khatshana lami kanye ledolobho engalinika lona lina labokhokho benu. 40Ngizalehlisela ihlazo elingapheliyo lokuyangeka okungayikukhohlakala.”