UJeremiya
25 Leli lilizwi elimayelana labantu bonke bakoJuda. Lafika kuJeremiya ngomnyaka wesine wokubusa kukaJehoyakhimu+ indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda. Kwakungumnyaka wokuqala wokubusa kukaNebhukhadinezari* inkosi yeBhabhiloni. 2 Umphrofethi uJeremiya wakhuluma labantu* bonke bakoJuda labo bonke abahlala eJerusalema wathi:
3 “Kusukela ngomnyaka wesi-13 wokubusa kukaJosiya+ indodana ka-Amoni inkosi yakoJuda, kuze kube lamuhla, okweminyaka yonke le engu-23, ilizwi likaJehova belifika kimi futhi bengihlala ngikhuluma lani ngiphindaphinda* kodwa alizange lilalele.+ 4 UJehova wathuma kini zonke izinceku zakhe ezingabaphrofethi. Wayezithuma kokuphela kodwa alizange lilalele futhi alizange libe lendaba lalokho ezazikutsho.+ 5 Zazisithi kini, ‘Phendukani, ngamunye wenu atshiye izindlela zakhe ezimbi lezenzo zakhe ezimbi.+ Lapho-ke lizahlala okwesikhathi eside elizweni uJehova alinika lona kudala lina labokhokho benu. 6 Lingalandeli abanye onkulunkulu kumbe libakhonze loba libakhothamele, lingithukuthelisa ngezinto elizenze ngezandla zenu ngoba lingenza njalo ngizalehlisela umonakalo.’
7 “‘Kodwa alizange lingilalele,’ kutsho uJehova. ‘Langithukuthelisa ngezinto elizenze ngezandla zenu, lazilethela umonakalo.’+
8 “Ngakho uJehova wamabutho uthi, ‘“Ngenxa yokuthi aliwalalelanga amazwi ami, 9 ngizabiza zonke izizwe zasenyakatho,”+ kutsho uJehova. “Ngizabiza inceku yami uNebhukhadinezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni.+ Ngizabaletha bazohlasela ilizwe leli,+ labantu abahlala kulo kanye lazo zonke izizwe lezi eziligombolozeleyo.+ Ngizalitshabalalisa lezizwe zonke lezi eziligombolozeleyo, ngilenze into eyesabekayo, ngiliqede lonke. Lizakuba yinhlekisa ebantwini.* 10 Ngizaqeda umsindo wokuthokoza lowokujabula elizweni.+ Akusoze kuzwakale ilizwi lomyeni lelikamakoti.+ Lomsindo welitshe lokuchola awusoze uzwakale njalo akusoze kube lesibane esikhanyisayo. 11 Lonke ilizwe leli lizasala lingamanxiwa futhi abantu bazakwesaba nxa bebona okwenzakale kulo. Izizwe lezi zizakuba ngaphansi kwenkosi yeBhabhiloni okweminyaka engu-70.”’+
12 “‘Kodwa nxa iminyaka engu-70 isiphelile+ ngizayijezisa inkosi yeBhabhiloni kanye lesizwe sayo ngenxa yecala labo,’+ kutsho uJehova. ‘Ngizakwenza ilizwe lamaKhaledi libe ngamanxiwa kuze kube nini lanini.+ 13 Ngizakwehlisela ilizwe lelo konke engikukhulumileyo mayelana lalo, konke okubhalwe ebhukwini leli okuphrofethwe nguJeremiya mayelana lezizwe zonke. 14 Ngizabuyisela kubo lokho okufanele izenzo zabo lemisebenzi yezandla zabo.+ Izizwe ezinengi lamakhosi amakhulu+ azakwenza abeBhabhiloni babe yizigqili zawo.’”+
15 UJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli wathi kimi: “Thatha inkomitsho yewayini yolaka lwami esesandleni sami, unathise zonke izizwe engizakuthuma kuzo. 16 Zizanatha zidiyazele zenze angathi zinhlanya ngenxa yenkemba engizazihlasela ngayo.”+
17 Ngakho ngathatha inkomitsho eyayisesandleni sikaJehova, nganathisa zonke izizwe uJehova ayengithume kuzo.+ 18 Ngaqalisa ngeJerusalema, lamadolobho akoJuda,+ lamakhosi ayo kanye lezikhulu zayo ukuze ngibehlisele umonakalo owesabekayo, ngibatshabalalise babe yinhlekisa futhi baqalekiswe,+ njengoba kunjalo lamuhla. 19 Ngalandela ngoFaro inkosi yeGibhithe, lezinceku zakhe, lezikhulu zakhe, labo bonke abantu bakhe,+ 20 labantu bonke bezinye izizwe abahlala elizweni lakhe. Nganathisa lawo wonke amakhosi elizwe lase-Uzi, lawo wonke amakhosi elizwe lamaFilisti,+ awe-Ashikheloni,+ leGaza, le-Ekhroni lalawo ayesele e-Ashidodi. 21 Ngalandela ngabako-Edomi,+ labakoMowabi,+ labako-Amoni,+ 22 lawo wonke amakhosi aseThire, laweSidoni,+ lamakhosi ezihlenge eziselwandle,* 23 labaseDedani,+ leThema, leBhuzi kanye labo bonke abagela inwele zabo emaceleni.+ 24 Nganathisa lawo wonke amakhosi ama-Arabhu,+ lamakhosi wonke abantu bezinye izizwe abahlala enkangala, 25 lawo wonke amakhosi aseZimri, lawe-Elami,+ lawamaMede,+ 26 lawo wonke amakhosi asenyakatho aseduze kanye lalawo akhatshana, ngokulandelana kwawo, layo yonke eminye imibuso esemhlabeni. Inkosi yaseSheshaki*+ izanatha ngemva kwabo bonke.
27 “Kumele uthi kubo, ‘UJehova wamabutho uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: “Nathani lidakwe lize lihlanze, liwe lingavuki+ ngenxa yenkemba engizalihlasela ngayo.”’ 28 Nxa bangayala ukuthatha inkomitsho obanika yona ukuthi banathe, uthi kubo, ‘UJehova wamabutho uthi: “Kumele linathe! 29 Nxa ngiqala ngokwehlisela umonakalo edolobheni elibizwa ngebizo lami,+ kambe lina ngingayekela ukulijezisa?”’+
“‘Lizajeziswa loba sekutheni ngoba ngibiza inkemba ezamelana labo bonke abantu abahlala emhlabeni,’ kutsho uJehova wamabutho.
30 “Kumele uphrofethe wonke amazwi la uthi kubo,
‘UJehova uzakhwaza esendaweni ephakemeyo,
Uzakwenza ilizwi lakhe lizwakale esendaweni yakhe engcwele.
Uzabhonga esahlulela labo abasendaweni yakhe yokuhlala,
Amemeze njengalabo abavoxa amagilebisi,
Uzahlabela ingoma yokunqoba bonke abahlala emhlabeni.’
31 ‘Kuzazwakala umsindo emaphethelweni omhlaba,
Ngoba uJehova uphikisana lezizwe.
Uzakwahlulela bonke abantu,+
Abahlasele ngenkemba abenza okubi,’ kutsho uJehova.
32 UJehova wamabutho uthi:
‘Umonakalo uyasabalala usuka kwesinye isizwe usiya kwesinye.+
Isiphepho esilolaka sizavunguza sisuka ezindaweni ezikhatshana.+
33 “‘Labo ababulewe nguJehova ngalelolanga bazagcwala umhlaba wonke, kusukela komunye umkhawulo womhlaba kusiya komunye. Abasoze bakhalelwe kumbe babuthwe loba bangcwatshwe. Bazakuba njengomquba emhlabathini.’
34 Khalani lina belusi, limemeze kakhulu!
Zigiqeni phansi lina zikhulu zabantu,*
Ngoba isikhathi sokubulawa lokuchithachithwa kwenu sesifikile.
Lizakuwa njengesitsha esiligugu!
35 Abelusi baswele indawo yokubalekela,
Lezikhulu zabantu* ngeke ziphunyuke.
37 Indawo zokuhlala ezilokuthula aziselalutho oluphilayo
Ngenxa yolaka lukaJehova oluvuthayo.
38 Njengesilwane esilolaka siphuma esikhundleni saso,+ utshiye indawo yakhe yokuhlala.
Ilizwe labo selibe yinto eyesabekayo
Ngenxa yenkemba eqede abantu
Langenxa yolaka lwakhe oluvuthayo.”