Jeremiya 9:1-26
9 O ukube ikhanda lami belingamanzi, namehlo ami engumthombo wezinyembezi!+ Khona-ke bengiyokhala imini nobusuku ngenxa yababuleweyo bendodakazi yabantu bakithi.+
2 O ukube benginendawo yokungenisa izihambi ehlane!+ Khona-ke bengiyobashiya abantu bakithi ngisuke kubo, ngoba bonke bayiziphingi,+ umbuthano onesizotha wabenza ngokukhohlisa;+
3 bagoba ulimi lwabo ngamanga+ njengomnsalo wabo; kodwa ngokuphathelene nokwethembeka abazange bazibonise benamandla ezweni.
“Ngoba basuka kobunye ububi baye kobunye ububi, futhi abanginakanga ngisho nanami,”+ kusho uJehova.
4 “Ziqapheni yilowo nalowo kumngane wakhe,+ ningalokothi nibeke ithemba lenu kumfowenu.+ Ngoba yilowo nalowo muntu ngokuqinisekile uyoqilizela ngisho nomfowabo esikhundleni,+ nalowo nalowo mngane womuntu uyohambahamba njengomnyundeli,+
5 baqhubeka bekhohlisa yilowo nalowo umngane wakhe;+ futhi abakhulumi neze iqiniso. Bafundisé ulimi lwabo ukukhuluma amanga.+ Bazenzé bakhathala benza okubi nje kuphela.+
6 “Uhlezi phakathi kwenkohliso.+ Ngenkohliso benqabile ukungazi,”+ kusho uJehova.
7 Ngakho-ke yilokhu uJehova wamabutho akushilo: “Bheka ngiyabancibilikisa, futhi kumelwe ngibahlole,+ ngoba ngalé kwalokho isiphi isinyathelo ebengingasithatha ngenxa yendodakazi yabantu bami?+
8 Ulimi lwabo luwumcibisholo ocekayo.+ Lukhulumé inkohliso. Ngomlomo wakhe, umuntu ulokhu ekhuluma ukuthula nomngane wakhe; kodwa ngaphakathi kuye uhlela ukuqamekela kwakhe.”+
9 “Akufanele yini ngibenze balandise ngenxa yalezi zinto?” kusho uJehova. “Noma akufanele yini umphefumulo wami uziphindiselele esizweni esinjengalesi?+
10 Ngiyophakamisa ukukhala nesililo ngenxa yezintaba,+ nengoma yokulila ngenxa yamadlelo asehlane; ngoba ayobe eshisiwe+ kangangokuba akukho muntu odabulayo futhi ngokuqinisekile abantu ngeke bawuzwe umsindo wemfuyo.+ Kokubili isidalwa esindizayo samazulu nesilwane kuyobe kubalekile; kuyobe kuhambile.+
11 Ngiyokwenza iJerusalema libe yinqwaba yamatshe,+ isikhundla sezimpungushe;+ nemizi yakwaJuda ngiyoyenza ibe yihlane eliyincithakalo, ingahlalwa muntu.+
12 “Yimuphi umuntu ohlakaniphile ukuba akuqonde lokhu, ngisho nalowo umlomo kaJehova okhulumé naye, ukuba akulandise?+ Empeleni, kungani izwe kufanele lishabalale, lishiswe impela njengehlane kungabikho muntu odabulayo?”+
13 UJehova wathi: “Ngenxa yokuthi bashiya umthetho wami engabanika wona ukuba ube phambi kwabo, nangenxa yokuthi abazange balilalele izwi lami futhi abazange bahambe ngalo,+
14 kodwa baqhubeka belandela inkani yenhliziyo yabo+ belandela nemifanekiso yoBhali,+ oyise ababebafundisé yona;+
15 ngakho-ke yilokhu uJehova wamabutho, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, akushilo, ‘Bheka ngisenza ukuba sidle umhlonyane,+ lesi sizwe, futhi ngiyosenza ukuba siphuze amanzi anobuthi;+
16 futhi ngiyosihlakazela ezizweni esingazange sizazi sona noyise,+ futhi ngiyothumela inkemba emva kwaso kuze kube yilapho sengisiqothulile.’+
17 “Yilokhu uJehova wamabutho akushilo, ‘Ziphatheni ngokuqonda, nina bantu, nibize abesifazane abahaya ingoma yokulila,+ ukuba beze; nithumele ngisho nakwabesifazane abanekhono, ukuba beze,+
18 ukuba basheshe futhi baphakamise isililo ngenxa yethu. Futhi kwangathi amehlo ethu angageleza izinyembezi namehlo ethu akhanyayo aconse amanzi.+
19 Ngoba kuzwakale izwi lesililo eZiyoni:+ “Yeka indlela esiphangwé ngayo!+ Yeka indlela esizizwé sinamahloni ngayo! Ngoba silishiyile izwe; ngoba bazintshinge kude izindawo zethu zokuhlala.”+
20 Kodwa yizwani nina besifazane, izwi likaJehova, futhi kwangathi indlebe yenu ingalamukela izwi lomlomo wakhe. Khona-ke fundisani amadodakazi enu isililo,+ yilowo nalowo wesifazane afundise umngane wakhe ingoma yokulila.+
21 Ngoba ukufa kukhuphuke ngamafasitela ethu; kungené emibhoshongweni yethu yokuhlala, ukuze kunqume umntwana esitaladini, izinsizwa ezigcawini.’+
22 “Khuluma, ‘Yilokhu uJehova akushoyo: ‘Izidumbu zabantu kumelwe nazo ziwe njengomquba phezu kobuso bensimu nanjengohlu lokusanhlamvu okusanda kusikwa ngemva komvuni, kungekho muntu wokubutha.”’”+
23 Yilokhu uJehova akushilo: “Umuntu ohlakaniphile makangazigabisi ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe,+ futhi indoda enamandla mayingazigabisi ngamandla ayo.+ Umuntu ocebile makangazigabisi ngengcebo yakhe.”+
24 “Kodwa ozigabisayo makazigabise ngenxa yale nto kanye, ukuba nokuqondisisa+ nokuba nolwazi ngami, ukuthi nginguJehova,+ Lowo obonisa umusa wothando, ubulungisa, nokulunga emhlabeni;+ ngoba yilezi izinto engijabula ngazo,”+ kusho uJehova.
25 “Bheka! Kuza izinsuku,” kusho uJehova, “futhi ngiyokwenza ukuba kulandise wonke umuntu osokile kodwa oqhubeka esekungasokini,+
26 phezu kweGibhithe+ naphezu kukaJuda+ naphezu kuka-Edomi+ naphezu kwamadodana ka-Amoni+ naphezu kukaMowabi+ naphezu kwabo bonke labo abazinwele zabo zigundiwe ezinhlafunweni zabo abahlala ehlane;+ ngoba zonke izizwe azisokile, nayo yonke indlu ka-Israyeli ayisokile enhliziyweni.”+
