Drought and Famine

¹Into eyafikayo kuYeremiya, ililizwi likaYehova, ngendawo yokunqumka kwemvula."

²Linesijwili elakwaYuda; amasango alo athe matshamatsha, ahlala emhlabeni enezimnyama zokuzila; kuyenyuka ukukhala kweYerusalem."

³Iingangamsha zabo zithuma abaphantsi kwazo amanzi; bafika emaquleni, bangafumani manzi; babuya imiphanda yabo ize, bedanile; bathi nqa, bagqubuthele intloko."

⁴Ngenxa yomhlaba oqhiphuke umbilini, kuba kungabangakho mvula ezweni, abalimi badanile, bagqubuthele intloko."

⁵Ewe, nemazi yexhama iyazala endle, iyishiye inkonyana, ngokuba kungekho luhlaza."

⁶Namaesile asendle emi eluqayini, esezela umoya njengeempungutye; ayaphela amehlo awo, ngokuba kungekho mifuno."

⁷Ukuba ubugwenxa bethu bungqina ngathi, Yehova, yenza ngenxa yegama lakho; ngokuba kuninzi ukuphamba kwethu; sonile kuwe."

⁸Themba likaSirayeli, Msindisi wakhe ngexesha lembandezelo, yini na ukuba ube njengomphambukeli kweli lizwe, ube njengomhambi olalise okobusuku obunye?"

⁹Yini na ukuba ube njengendoda esuke yathi nka, ube njengegorha elingenakusindisa; kanti uphakathi kwethu, Yehova, negama lakho sibizwe ngalo. Musa ukusiyekela."

¹⁰Utsho uYehova kwaba bantu, ukuthi, Benjenje ukuthanda ukubhadula; iinyawo zabo abazinqandanga; uYehova akakholiswa ngabo; kungoku uya kubukhumbula ubugwenxa babo, azivelele izono zabo."

¹¹Wathi uYehova kum, Musa ukubathandazela aba bantu, ukuba kulunge kubo."

¹²Xa bazila ukudla, andiyi kukuphulaphula ukuhlahlamba kwabo; naxa banyusa amadini anyukayo neminikelo yokudla, andiyi kukholiswa ngawo; ke ndiya kubaphelisa ngekrele, nangendlala, nangendyikitya yokufa."

¹³Ndaza ndathi, Kwowu, Nkosi Yehova, yabona, abaprofeti bathi kubo, Aniyi kubona krele, nendlala aniyi kuba nayo; ndiya kuninika uxolo oluyinyaniso kule ndawo."

¹⁴Wathi uYehova kum, Abaprofeti baprofeta ubuxoki egameni lam; andibathumanga, andibawiselanga mthetho, andithethanga kubo; bona baniprofetela umbono wobuxoki, nokuvumisa, nento engento, nenkohliso yentliziyo yabo."

¹⁵Ngako oko uthi uYehova, ngokusingisele kubaprofeti abaprofeta egameni lam, ndingabathumanga mna, abathi, Akuyi kubakho krele nandlala kweli lizwe; uthi, Baya kufa likrele nayindlala bona abo baprofeti."

¹⁶Naba bantu, baprofetela bona, baya kuba yimilahlwa ezitratweni zaseYerusalem ngenxa yendlala nekrele; kungabikho ubangcwabayo, bona, nabafazi babo, noonyana babo, neentombi zabo, ndibaphalazele ngeento zabo ezimbi."

¹⁷Ngoko uze uthethe kubo eli lizwi lokuthi, Amehlo am ahla iinyembezi ubusuku nemini, angaphezi; ngokuba yaphulwe ngolwaphulo olukhulu inkazana eyintombi yabantu bakowethu, ngenxeba elibulalayo kakhulu."

¹⁸Ukuba ndithe ndaphuma ndaya emaphandleni, nabo ababuleweyo likrele; ukuba ndithe ndangena kuwo umzi, nabo abafa yindlala; ngokuba umprofeti kwanombingeleli bayaquleka ezweni abangalaziyo."

¹⁹Umcekise kwaphela na uYuda? Udimele na yiZiyon umphefumlo wakho? Yini na ukuba usibethe, singabi nakuphiliswa? Sithembe uxolo, akwabakho nto ilungileyo; sithembe ixesha lokuphiliswa, nanko ikukudandatheka."

²⁰Siyakwazi, Yehova, okungendawo kwethu, ubugwenxa boobawo; ngokuba sonile kuwe."

²¹Ngenxa yegama lakho, musa ukusigiba; ungayihlazisi itrone yobuqaqawuli bakho. Khumbula, ungawaphuli umnqophiso wakho nathi."

²²Phakathi kothixo abangento beentlanga, bakho na abanganisa imvula? Izulu lingayinika na imivumbi? Asinguwe na, Yehova Thixo wethu? Sithembe wena; ngokuba uzenzile wena zonke ezo zinto."