Jeremiah 5

Kakho Loyedwa Olungileyo

1“Yehla ukhwele ngemigwaqo yaseJerusalema,
ukhangele emaceleni wonke, ucabange,
uhlolisise wonke amagceke ayo.
Nxa ungathola umuntu oyedwa nje
oqhuba ngobuqotho efuna iqiniso,
ngizalithethelela idolobho leli.
2Lanxa nje besithi, ‘Ngeqiniso elinjengoba uThixo ekhona,’
bajinge befunga amanga.”

3Awu Thixo, amehlo akho kawadingi qiniso na?
Wabatshaya, kodwa kabezwanga buhlungu,
wabahlifiza, kodwa bala ukuqondiswa.
Benza ubuso babo baba lukhuni kulamatshe,
bala ukuphenduka.
4Ngacabanga ngathi, “Laba ngabayanga nje,
bayizithutha,
ngoba indlela kaThixo kabayazi,
lemilayo kaNkulunkulu wabo.
5Ngakho-ke ngizakuya kubakhokheli
ngikhulume labo,
ngeqiniso indlela kaThixo bayayazi,
lemilayo kaNkulunkulu wabo.”
Kodwa nganhliziyonye labo balephula ijogwe
baqamula lezibopho.
6Ngakho isilwane esivela ehlathini sizabahlasela,
lempisi evela enkangala ibadlwengule,
ingwe izabacathamela eduze lamadolobho abo
ukudabudabula loba ngubani ophumayo,
ngoba iziphambeko zabo zinkulu,
lokuhlehlela kwabo emuva kunengi.

7“Ngingalithethelela ngenxa yani na?
Abantwana benu bangidelile,
bafunga ngabonkulunkulu abangasibonkulunkulu,
ngabanika konke abakuswelayo,
kodwa bona bafeba
baminyana ezindlini zezifebe.
8Bangamabhiza amaduna asuthayo, agcwele inkanuko,
omunye lomunye ekhalela umfazi wenye indoda.
9Ngingabajezisi kulokhu na?”
kutsho uThixo.
“Ngingaphindiseli esizweni
esinjengalesi na?

10Ngenani lidabule phakathi kwezivini zaso lizidlwengule,
kodwa lingazitshabalalisi ngokupheleleyo.
Phundlani ingatsha zalo,
ngoba abantu laba kabasibo bakaThixo.
11Indlu ka-Israyeli lendlu kaJuda
kazithembekanga impela kimi,”
kutsho uThixo.

12Baqambe amanga ngoThixo
bathi, “Kasoze enze lutho!
Akulabubi obuzasehlela,
kasiyikubona impi loba indlala.
13Abaphrofethi bangumoya nje,
lelizwi kalikho kubo,
ngakho abakutshoyo kakwenziwe kubo.”
14Ngakho-ke uThixo uNkulunkulu uSomandla uthi:

“Njengoba abantu sebekhulume amazwi la,
ngizakwenza amazwi ami emlonyeni wakho abe ngumlilo
labantu laba babe zinkuni oziqothulayo.”
15 UThixo uthi, “Wena ndlu ka-Israyeli,
ngizaletha isizwe esivela khatshana ukuba sikuhlasele,
isizwe esidala esiqinileyo,
isizwe ulimi lwaso ongalwaziyo,
lenkulumo yaso ongayizwayo.
16Imixhaka yaso ifana lengcwaba elivulekileyo,
bonke bangamabutho alamandla.
17Bazatshwabadela amabele enu lokudla kwenu,
batshwabadele amadodana enu kanye lamadodakazi enu,
bazatshwabadela izimvu zenu kanye lenkomo zenu,
bazatshwabadela amavini enu kanye lemikhiwa yenu.
Amadolobho avikelweyo eliwathembileyo
bazawachitha ngenkemba.
18Ikanti langalezozinsuku,” kutsho uThixo, “angiyikuliqeda du. 19Lapho abantu bebuza besithi, ‘Kungani uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu enze konke lokhu kithi?’ Batshele uthi, ‘Njengoba lingilahlile lakhonza onkulunkulu bezizweni elizweni lenu, ngokunjalo khathesi lizasebenzela abezizweni elizweni elingayisilo lenu.’

20Memezela lokhu endlini kaJakhobe
njalo ukubike lakoJuda uthi:
21Zwanini lokhu, lina zithutha zabantu abangelangqondo,
abalamehlo kodwa kababoni,
abalezindlebe kodwa kabezwa:
22Akumelanga lingesabe na?”
kutsho uThixo.
“Kaliyikuthuthumela phambi kwami na?
Ngenza itshebetshebe laba ngumngcele wolwandle
umkhawulo wanini lanini olungeke luweqe.
Amagagasi angavinqoza, kodwa awangeke edlule,
angahlokoma, kodwa awangeke aweqe.
23Kodwa abantu laba balezinhliziyo ezilukhuni ezihlamukayo,
baphambukile, balahleka.
24Kabatsho ezinhliziyweni zabo ukuthi,
‘Kasimesabeni uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu,
onisa izulu ngesikhathi salo ekwindla lentwasa,
osithembisa amaviki amiselwe ukuvuna.’
25Ukona kwenu kukuvimbele lokhu,
izono zenu zilemuka okuhle.

26Phakathi kwabantu bami kulabantu ababi
abacathama njengabantu abathiya izinyoni,
lanjengalabo abathiya imijibila yokubamba abantu.
27Njengezitsha ezigcwele izinyoni,
izindlu zabo zigcwele inkohliso;
sebenothile njalo sebelamandla
28sebezimukile njalo babancwaba.
Izenzo zabo ezimbi kazilamkhawulo,
kabakudingi ukulunga.
Izintandane kabazikhulumeli ukuba zinqobe,
amalungelo abayanga kabawavikeli.
29Akumelanga ngibajezisele lokhu na?”
kutsho uThixo.
“Akumelanga ngiphindisele esizweni
esinjengalesi na?

30Into eyesabekayo leyethusayo
isiyenzakele kulelilizwe:
31Abaphrofethi baphrofitha amanga,
abaphristi babusa ngamandla abo,
labantu bami bakuthanda kunjalo.
Kodwa lizakwenzani ekucineni?”