Jeremiah 23

Ugatsha Olulungileyo

1“Maye kubelusi abachitha izimvu zedlelo lami njalo bezihlakaza!” kutsho uJehova.

2Ngakho uJehova, 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 uJehova. 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 uJehova.

5“Izinsuku ziyeza,” kutsho uJehova, “lapho uDavida ngizamvusela uGatsha olulungileyo, iNkosi ezabusa ngokuhlakanipha, yenze okulungileyo, lokufaneleyo elizweni.

6Ezinsukwini zayo uJuda uzakhululwa, lo-Israyeli ahlale evikelekile. Ibizo azabizwa ngalo yileli elithi: UJehova Oyikulunga Kwethu.

7“Ngakho-ke, izinsuku ziyeza,” kutsho uJehova, “lapho abantu bengasayikuthi, ‘Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uJehova ekhona, yena owakhupha u-Israyeli eGibhithe, 8kodwa bazakuthi, ‘Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uJehova ekhona, yena owakhipha izizukulwana 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 kaJehova 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 uJehova.

12“Ngakho indlela yabo izatshelela; bazaxotshelwa emnyameni njalo lapho bazakuwa. Ngizabehlisela umonakalo ngomnyaka wokujeziswa kwabo,” kutsho uJehova.

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 kungabi khona oguquka ebubini bakhe. Kimi bonke banjengeSodoma; abantu baseJerusalema banjengeGomora.”

15Ngakho, mayelana labaphrofethi uJehova uSomandla uthi: “Ngizabenza badle ukudla okubabayo, banathe lamanzi aletshefu, ngoba kusukela kubaphrofethi baseJerusalema ukungakholwa kuNkulunkulu sekugcwele ilizwe lonke.”

16UJehova uSomandla uthi: “Lingalaleli okuphrofethwa ngabaphrofethi kini; balenza lithembe amanga. Bakhuluma imibono evela ezingqondweni zabo, engaveli emlonyeni kaJehova.

17Bahlala besithi kulabo abangidelelayo, ‘UJehova uthi: Lizakuba lokuthula.’ Lakubo bonke abalandela inkani yezinhliziyo zabo bathi, ‘Akulabubi obuzalehlela.’

18Kodwa nguwuphi wabo owake wema emhlanganweni kaJehova ukuba abone kumbe ezwe ilizwi lakhe na?

19Khangelani, isiphepho sikaJehova sizaphutsha silulaka, isivunguzane esibhoda ngolaka phezu kwamakhanda ababi.

20Ulaka lukaJehova kaluyikuphela aze azifeze ngokupheleleyo izinjongo zenhliziyo yakhe. Ezinsukwini 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“NginguNkulunkulu oseduze kuphela,” kutsho uJehova, “uNkulunkulu ongekho khatshana na?

24Umuntu angacatsha endaweni efihlakeleyo ukuba ngingamboni na?” kutsho uJehova. “Angithi ngigcwele ezulwini lasemhlabeni na?” kutsho uJehova.

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 uJehova. 29“Ilizwi lami kalinjengomlilo,” kutsho uJehova, “lanjengesando esidabula idwala libe yizicucu na?

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

Amazilo Amanga Labaphrofethi Bamanga

33“Nxa abantu laba, loba umphrofethi kumbe umphristi, bebuza besithi, ‘Izilo likaJehova kuyini?” wothi kubo, ‘Izilo liphi? Ngizakulahla, kutsho uJehova.’ 34Uma umphrofethi loba umphristi kumbe omunye umuntu esithi, ‘Leli lizilo likaJehova,’ lowomuntu ngizamjezisa kanye labendlu yakhe.

35Lokhu yikho omunye wenu ohlala ekutsho kumngane wakhe loba isihlobo sakhe ukuthi: ‘Impendulo kaJehova ithini na?’ loba ‘UJehova utheni?’ 36Kodwa akumelanga lithi ‘izilo likaJehova’ futhi, ngoba umuntu wonke ilizwi lakhe liba lizilo lakhe ngoba liyawahlanekela amazwi kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, uJehova uSomandla, uNkulunkulu wethu. 37Lokhu yikho elihlala likutsho kumphrofethi ukuthi, ‘Impendulo kaJehova kuwe ithini?’ loba ‘UJehova utheni?’ 38Lanxa lina lisithi, ‘Leli lizilo likaJehova,’ uJehova uthi: Lasebenzisa amazwi athi, ‘Leli lizilo likaJehova.’ Lanxa mina ngalitshela ukuthi lingabokuthi, ‘Leli lizilo likaJehova.’ 39Ngakho, ngeqiniso ngizalikhohlwa ngiliphosele khatshana lami kanye ledolobho engalinika lona lina labokhokho benu. 40Ngizalehlisela ihlazo elingapheliyo – lokuyangeka okungayikukhohlakala.