Jeremiah 2

U-Israyeli Udela UNkulunkulu

1Ilizwi likaJehova lafika kimi lisithi, 2“Hamba umemezele iJerusalema lisizwa uthi: “ ‘Ngiyakukhumbula ukuzinikela kwasebutsheni bakho, ukungithanda kwakho njengomlobokazi ungilandela enkangala, phakathi kwelizwe elingahlanyelwanga.

3U-Israyeli wayengcwele kuJehova, eyizithelo zakuqala zesivuno sakhe, bonke abamtshwabadelayo baba lecala, behlelwa yincithakalo,’ ” kutsho uJehova.

4Zwana ilizwi likaJehova, we ndlu kaJakhobe, lani lonke sendo lwendlu ka-Israyeli.

5UJehova uthi: “Yibubi bani okhokho benu ababubona kimi, baze bedukele khatshana kangaka lami? Balandela izithombe eziyize, labo ngokwabo baba yize.

6Kababuzanga ukuthi, ‘Ungaphi uJehova, owasikhupha elizweni laseGibhithe wasikhokhela emagangeni alugwadule phakathi kwelizwe lezinkangala lezindonga, ilizwe lokoma lobumnyama, ilizwe elingahanjwa muntu lelingelamuntu ohlala kulo?’

7Ngaliletha elizweni elivundileyo ukuba lidle izithelo zalo lezilimo ezinhle. Kodwa lina lafika langcolisa ilizwe lami, lenza ilifa lami langakhwabitheki.

8Abaphristi kababuzanga ukuthi, ‘Ungaphi uJehova?’ Labo abaphatha umthetho abangazanga; abakhokheli bangihlamukela. Abaphrofethi baphrofetha ngoBhali balandela izithombe eziyize.

9“Ngakho-ke ngilethesa amacala futhi,” kutsho uJehova. “Labantwana babantwana benu ngizabethesa amacala.

10Welani liye ngasemakhunjini aseKhithimi likhangele, thumelani eKhedari lihlolisise kuhle, libone langabe sekwake kwaba lento enjengale:

11Isizwe sake santshintsha onkulunkulu baso na? (Belo bavele kabasibo onkulunkulu.) Kodwa abantu bami bantshintshe inkazimulo yabo ngenxa yezithombe eziyize.

12Mangalani lokhu, lina mazulu, lithuthumele ngokwesaba okukhulu,” kutsho uJehova.

13“Abantu bami benze izono ezimbili: Bangidelile, mina mthombo wamanzi okuphila, bagebha eyabo imithombo, imithombo evuzayo engagcini manzi.

14Kambe u-Israyeli yisisebenzi, isigqili ngokuzalwa na? Pho kungani eseyimpango na?

15Izilwane zibhongile; sezihwabhile kuye. Zilichithile ilizwe lakhe; amadolobho akhe atshisiwe atshiywa engaselamuntu.

16Njalo, labantu baseMemfisi leThahafanesi baphuce ikhanda lakho.

17Lokhu kawukwehliselanga phezu kwakho ngokudela uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho lapho ekukhokhela endleleni na?

18Khathesi kungani usiya eGibhithe ukuba unathe amanzi eShihori na? Njalo kungani usiya e-Asiriya ukuba unathe amanzi eYufrathe na?

19Ububi bakho buzakujezisa; ukutshedela kwakho emuva kuzakukhuza. Ngakho cabanga ubone ukuthi kubi njalo kubuhlungu kanjani lapho udela uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho njalo ungelavalo ngami,” kutsho uJehova uSomandla.

20“Endulo wephula ijogwe lakho, waquma izibopho zakho; wathi, ‘Kangiyikukukhonza!’ Lakanye, phezu kwamaqaqa wonke langaphansi kwazo zonke izihlahla eziluhlaza walala phansi njengewule.

21Mina ngangikuhlanyele ulivini elihle elohlobo oluqinileyo loluthembekileyo. Pho kwenzakala njani ukuba ungiphendukele ube livini elibolileyo, leganga?

22Lanxa ugeza ngesoda usebenzisa lesepa enengi, ichatha lobubi bakho lilokhu likhona phambi kwami,” kutsho uJehova Wobukhosi.

23“Ungatsho kanjani na uthi, ‘Kangingcolanga; kangibalandelanga oBhali?’ Khangela ukuthi waziphatha njani esigodini, khumbula osukwenzile. Ulikamela elisikazi elilesiqubu eligijima lapha lalaphaya,

24ubabhemi weganga ojwayele inkangala, ophembela umoya enkanukweni yakhe – ngubani ongamenqabela ekukhanukeni kwakhe? Abaduna abamxotshayo akusweleki ukuba bazidinise; bazamfumana ngesikhathi sokukhwelwa.

25Ungagijimi izinyawo zakho zize zihlubuke lomphimbo wakho uze wome. Kodwa wena wathi, “Akusizi lutho! Ngiyabathanda onkulunkulu bezizweni, kumele ngibalandele.’

26“Njengokuyangeka kwesela nxa selibanjiwe, ngokunjalo indlu ka-Israyeli iyangekile – bona, amakhosi abo lezikhulu zabo, abaphristi babo labaphrofethi babo.

27Bathi esigodweni, ‘Wena ungubaba wami,’ elitsheni bathi, ‘Nguwe owangizalayo.’ Bangifulathele, hatshi ngobuso babo nje; kodwa nxa sebehlupheka bathi, ‘Woza usihlenge.”

28Pho bangaphi onkulunkulu elazenzela bona? Kabeze uma bengakuhlenga lapho usuphakathi kokuhlupheka! Ngoba wena Juda ulabonkulunkulu abanengi njengobunengi bamadolobho akho.

29“Kungani lingethesa umlandu? Lonke lingihlamukele,” kutsho uJehova.

30“Ukubajezisa kwami abantu bakho kwaba yize; kabakuvumanga ukuqondiswa. Inkemba yakho isibatshwabadele abaphrofethi bakho njengesilwane esiphangayo.

31“Wena owalesisizukulwane, khumbula ilizwi likaJehova: “Ngibe ngiyinkangala ku-Israyeli kumbe ilizwe lomnyama omkhulu na? Kungani abantu bami besithi, ‘Sikhululekile ukuba sizulazule; kasiyikuza kuwe futhi’?

32Intombi ingazikhohlwa iziceciso zayo na, lomlobokazi akhohlwe izihlobiso zakhe na? Kodwa abantu bami bangikhohliwe, okwezinsuku ezingeke zibalwe.

33Yeka ukuhlakanipha kwakho ekufuneni uthando! Labesifazana ababi kakhulu bangafunda ezindleleni zakho.

34Ezigqokweni zakho abantu bathola igazi lokuphila elabayanga abangelacala lanxa ungababambanga befohlela phakathi. Kodwa kukho konke lokhu

35uthi, ‘Kangilacala; kangithukuthelelanga.’ Kodwa mina ngizakwahlulela, ngoba uthi, ‘Angonanga.’

36Kungani uqhubeka kangaka, untshintsha izindlela zakho? IGibhithe izakuyangisa njengalokhu owakwenziwa yi-Asiriya.

37Uzasuka kuleyondawo izandla zakho zisekhanda lakho, ngoba uJehova ubalahlile labo obathembayo; kabayikukusiza.