Jeremiah 9

1Awu, sengathi ngabe ikhanda lami lingumthombo wamanzi,
lamehlo ami angumthombo wezinyembezi!
Kade ngizakhala emini lebusuku
ngikhalela abantu bami ababuleweyo.
2Awu, sengathi ngabe enkangala
ngilendawo engahlala izihambi,
ukuba ngisuke ebantwini bami
ngisuke kubo,
ngoba bonke bayizifebe,
ixuku labantu abangathembekanga.

3“Benza izindimi zabo zilunge
njengesavutha ukuba batshoke amanga,
ukuthi bayanqoba elizweni
akusikho ngeqiniso.
Basuka kokunye ukona baye kokunye;
kabangamukeli,”
kutsho uThixo.
4“Qaphela abangane bakho,
ungabathembi abafowenu.
Ngoba wonke umfowenu ungumkhohlisi,
njalo wonke umngane ungumhlebi.
5Umngane ukhohlisa umngane,
njalo kakho okhuluma iqiniso.
Sebafundisa izindimi zabo ukuqamba amanga,
bayazidinisa ngokona.
6Lihlala phakathi kwenkohliso,
ngenkohliso yabo bayala ukungamukela,”
kutsho uThixo.
7Ngakho uThixo uSomandla uthi:

“Khangelani, ngizabacolisa ngibahlole,
ngoba kuyini okunye engingakwenza
ngenxa yesono sabantu bami?
8Ulimi lwabo lungumtshoko olobuthi,
lukhuluma inkohliso.
Lowo lalowo ukhuluma kuhle kubomakhelwane bakhe,
kodwa enhliziyweni zabo bebathiya ngemijibila.
9Kakufanele ngibajezisele lokhu na?”
kubuza uThixo.
“Kakufanele ngiphindisele
esizweni esinjengalesi na?”

10Ngizakhala ngililele izintaba
ngibuye ngililele lamadlelo asenkangala.
Atshabalele njalo kakho ohambela kuwo,
lokubhonsa kwezinkomo akuzwakali.
Izinyoni zasemoyeni sezibalekile,
lezinyamazana kazisekho.

11“IJerusalema ngizalenza libe yinqumbi yonxiwa,
isikhundla samakhanka,
njalo ngizawadiliza amadolobho akoJuda
ukuze kungabikhona ohlala kuwo.”
12Nguphi umuntu ohlakaniphileyo ukuba akuzwisise lokhu? Ngubani ofundiswe nguThixo ongakuchaza? Kungani ilizwe litshabalalisiwe lachithwa njengenkangala ukuze kungadluli muntu kulo?

13 UThixo wathi, “Kungenxa yokuthi sebelahle umthetho wami engababekela wona; kabangilalelanga, lomthetho wami kabawulandelanga. 14Esikhundleni salokho, bona balandele ubulukhuni bezinhliziyo zabo; balandele oBhali, njengokufundiswa kwabo ngoyise.” 15Ngakho-ke, uThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: “Khangelani, abantu laba ngizabadlisa ukudla okubabayo ngibanathise lamanzi alobuthi. 16Ngizabahlakazela ezizweni bona kanye laboyise abangazange bazazi, njalo ngizabalandela ngenkemba ngize ngibaqede du.”

17 UThixo uSomandla uthi:

“Cabangani khathesi! Bizani abesifazane abalilayo beze,
libize labo abalobuciko obumangalisayo.
18Kabeze ngokuphangisa,
bazesililela amehlo ethu aze ehlise inyembezi
lempophoma zamanzi zigeleze,
ziphuma enkopheni zethu.”
19Ilizwi lokukhala liyezwakala livela eZiyoni:
“Yeka kunganani ukuchithakala kwethu!
Yeka ubukhulu behlazo lethu!
Kumele sisuke elizweni lethu
ngoba izindlu zethu zidiliziwe.”

20Khathesi, lina abesifazane, zwanini ilizwi likaThixo,
vulani indlebe zenu lizwe amazwi omlomo wakhe.
Fundisani amadodakazi enu ukulila,
lifundisane amazwi okukhala.
21Ukufa kukhwele kwangena ngamafastela ethu,
njalo kungenile lasezinqabeni zethu,
sekususe abantwana emigwaqweni
kanye lamajaha ezindaweni zikazulu.
22Tshono uthi, uThixo uthi,

“ ‘izidumbu zabafileyo zizalala
njengezibi egangeni,
njengamabele aqunywe ngemva kovunayo,
okungekho ozawabutha.’ ”
23 UThixo uthi:

“Ohlakaniphileyo kangazincomi ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe,
loba indoda elamandla izincome ngamandla ayo,
loba indoda enothileyo izincome ngenotho yayo,
24kodwa lowo ozincomayo,
kazincome ngokuthi uyaqedisisa njalo uyangazi,
ukuthi mina nginguThixo, osebenzisa umusa,
imfanelo lokulunga emhlabeni,
ngoba lezizinto ziyangithokozisa,”
kutsho uThixo.
25 UThixo uthi, “Insuku ziyeza, lapho engizabajezisa khona bonke abasoke enyameni kuphela, 26iGibhithe, loJuda, lo-Edomi, lo-Amoni loMowabi labo bonke abahlala enkangala ezindaweni ezikhatshana. Ngoba izizwe zonke lezi kazisokanga, njalo lendlu yonke ka-Israyeli kayisokanga enhliziyweni.”