Jeremiya Chapter 23

1. “Wo kubo abelusi abachitha, bazihlakaze izimvu zedlelo lami!” usho uJehova. 23:1 Jer. 10:21; Hez. 34:2.

2. Ngalokho usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ngabelusi abelusa abantu bami, uthi: “Nihlakazile izimvu zami, nazixosha, anizihambelanga. Bhekani, ngiyakuhambela ububi bezenzo zenu kini,” usho uJehova.

3. “Ngiyakubutha insali yezimvu zami emazweni onke, lapho ngiyixoshele khona, ngiyibuyisele ezibayeni zayo; iyakuchuma, yande.

4. Ngiyakumisa phezu kwayo abelusi abayakuyalusa; ayisayikwesaba, ayiyikuphela amandla, ayisayikujeziswa,” usho uJehova.

5. “Bheka, izinsuku ziyeza,” usho uJehova, “lapho ngiyakumisela uDavide iHlumela elilungileyo; liyakubusa njengenkosi, libe nokuhlakanipha, lenze ukwahlulela nokulunga ezweni.

6. Ezinsukwini zalo uJuda uyakusindiswa, u-Israyeli ahlale elondekile; nanti igama eliyakubizwa ngalo lokuthi: UJEHOVA UNGUKULUNGA KWETHU.

7. “Ngalokho bheka, izinsuku ziyeza,” usho uJehova, “abangasayikusho ngazo ukuthi: ‘Kuphila kukaJehova owabakhuphula abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ezweni laseGibithe,’

8. kepha ukuthi: ‘Kuphila kukaJehova owayikhuphula, wayihola inzalo yendlu ka-Israyeli ezweni lasenyakatho nasemazweni onke lapho ngangibaxoshele khona.’ Iyakwakha ezweni lakubo.”

9. Ngabaprofethi. Inhliziyo yami yaphukile phakathi kwami, amathambo onke ami ayathuthumela; nginjengomuntu odakiweyo, njengomuntu owahlulwe yiwayini ngenxa kaJehova nangenxa yamazwi akhe angcwele.

10. Ngokuba izwe ligcwele iziphingi; izwe liyadabuka ngenxa yesiqalekiso; amadlelo asehlane omile. Ukuhamba kwabo kubi, namandla abo awalungile.

11. “Ngokuba nabaprofethi nabapristi abanaNkulunkulu; nasendlini ngifumene okubi kwabo,” usho uJehova.

12. “Ngalokho indlela yabo iyakuba yizindawo ezibushelelezi; bayakusunduzwa ebumnyameni, bawe kubo, ngokuba ngiyakubehlisela okubi ngomnyaka wokuhanjelwa kwabo,” usho uJehova.

13. “Kubaprofethi baseSamariya ngibonile ubuwula: baprofetha ngoBali, bedukisa abantu bami u-Israyeli.

14. Nakubaprofethi baseJerusalema ngibonile okwesabekayo: bayaphinga, bahamba ngamanga, baqinisa izandla zababi, ukuze kungabuyi muntu ebubini bakhe; bonke banjengeSodoma kimi, nabakhileyo kulo banjengeGomora.”

15. Ngalokho usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti ngabaprofethi, uthi: “Bheka, ngiyakubanika ukuba badle umhlonyane, baphuze amanzi enyongo, ngokuba ukungabi naNkulunkulu kuphume kubaprofethi, kwaya ezweni lonke.”

16. Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uthi: “Ningawalaleli amazwi abaprofethi abaprofetha kini; banifundisa okuyize, bakhuluma umbono wenhliziyo yabo, kungengokuvela emlonyeni kaJehova.

17. Bazinge bethi kwabangidelelayo: UJehova ukhulumile uthi: ‘Niyakuba nokuthula.’ Kubo bonke abahamba ngenkani yenhliziyo yabo bathi: ‘Aniyikwehlelwa ngokubi.’

18. Ngokuba ngubani owake wema emkhandlwini kaJehova ukuba abone, ezwe izwi lakhe na? Ngubani oqaphele izwi lakhe, walizwa, na?

19. Bheka, isivunguvungu sikaJehova esinokufutheka siphumile; isivunguvungu esiyisikhwishikhwishi sehlele phezu kwamakhanda ababi.

20. Intukuthelo kaJehova ayiyikubuya aze enze, aze afeze umgomo wenhliziyo yakhe; ezinsukwini ezizayo niyakukuqonda nokukuqonda.

21. Mina angibathumanga abaprofethi, nokho bagijima; bengingakhulumile kubo, nokho baprofetha.

22. Uma bebemi emkhandlwini wami, nga bezwisile abantu bami amazwi ami, bababuyise endleleni yabo embi, nasebubini bezenzo zabo.

23. “NginguNkulunkulu eduze yini,” usho uJehova, “ngingesiye uNkulunkulu kude na?

24. Ukhona ongacasha ezindaweni ezisithekileyo ukuze ngingamboni na?” usho uJehova. “Angithi ngiyagcwalisa izulu nomhlaba na?” usho uJehova.

25. “Ngizwile ukuthi bathini abaprofethi abaprofetha amanga egameni lami, bethi: ‘Ngiphuphile, ngiphuphile.’

26. Lokhu koze kube nini ezinhliziyweni zabaprofethi abaprofetha amanga, bengabaprofethi benkohliso yenhliziyo yabo,

27. abacabanga ukwenza ukuba abantu bami bakhohlwe igama lami ngamaphupho abo abawalandisa, kube yilowo nalowo kumakhelwane wakhe, njengalokho oyise bakhohlwa igama lami ngenxa kaBali, na?

28. Umprofethi onephupho makalilandise iphupho, kepha onezwi lami makalikhulume izwi lami ngeqiniso. Amakhoba ayini kukolweni na?” usho uJehova.

29. “Izwi lami alinjengomlilo yini,” usho uJehova, “nanjengesando esaphula itshe na?

30. “Ngalokho bheka, ngimelene nabaprofethi,” usho uJehova, “abeba amazwi ami, kube yilowo nalowo kumakhelwane wakhe.

31. Bheka, ngimelene nabaprofethi,” usho uJehova, “abasebenzisa izilimi zabo, bathi: ‘Uthi yena.’

32. Bheka, ngimelene nabaprofetha amaphupho amanga,” usho uJehova, “bawalandise, badukise abantu bami ngamanga abo nangokuwawaza kwabo; mina-ke angibathumanga nokho, angibayalanga, futhi abasizanga laba bantu,” usho uJehova.

33. “Nxa laba bantu, noma umprofethi, noma umpristi, bekubuza bethi: ‘Iyini indaba kaJehova?’ uyakubatshela ukuthi: ‘Yinina eniyindaba,’ nokuthi: ‘Ngiyakunilahla, usho uJehova.’

34. Nomprofethi-ke, nompristi, nabantu abayakusho ukuthi: ‘Indaba kaJehova,’ ngiyakuhambela lowo muntu nendlu yakhe.

35. Niyakusho kanje, kube yilowo nalowo kumakhelwane wakhe, kube yilowo nalowo kumfowabo, nithi: ‘UJehova uphendule wathini?’ nokuthi: ‘UJehova ukhulumeni?’

36. Indaba kaJehova anisayikuyikhumbula, ngokuba izwi lalowo nalowo muntu liyakuba yindaba yakhe, lokhu niwahlanekezele amazwi kaNkulunkulu ophilayo, uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu wethu.

37. Uyakusho kanje kumprofethi, uthi: ‘UJehova ukuphendule wathini?’ nokuthi: ‘UJehova ukhulumeni?’

38. Kepha uma nithi: ‘Indaba kaJehova,’ khona uJehova usho kanje, uthi: Ngenxa yokuba nithi leli zwi lokuthi ‘indaba kaJehova,’ noma mina ngathumela kini, ngathi: Aniyikuthi: ‘Indaba kaJehova,’

39. ngalokho ngiyakuniphakamisa nokuniphakamisa, nginilahle ebusweni bami, nina nomuzi enganinika wona, nina nawoyihlo,

40. nginehlisele ihlazo eliphakade namahloni emiyo njalo okungayikukhohlakala.”