Jeremiah's Despair

¹Wayesethi uJehova kimi: “Noma bekumi phambi kwami oMose noSamuweli, inhliziyo yami ibingebe kulaba bantu; balahle ebusweni bami, baphume.

²Kuyakuthi lapho bethi kuwe: ‘Siyakuphuma siyephi na?’ usho kubo ukuthi: ‘Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: “ ‘Abokufa, mabaye ekufeni, nabenkemba, enkembeni, nabendlala, endlaleni, nabokuthunjwa, ekuthunjweni.’

³“Ngiyakubamisela izinhlobo ezine,” usho uJehova: “inkemba yokubulala, nezinja zokudonsa, nezinyoni zezulu nezilwane zomhlaba zokudla nezokuchitha.

⁴Ngiyakubenza ukuba bahlupheke emibusweni yonke yomhlaba ngenxa kaManase indodana kaHezekiya, inkosi yakwaJuda, ngalokho akwenza eJerusalema.

⁵“Ngokuba ngubani oyakukuhawukela wena Jerusalema na? Ngubani oyakukukhalela? Ngubani oyakuphambukela ukubuza ngempilo yakho na?

⁶Wena ungishiyile,” usho uJehova, “wabuyela emuva; ngiselulele isandla sami kuwe, ngakuchitha; sengikhathele ukuhawukela.

⁷Ngibelile ngembenge emasangweni ezwe, ngabaphuca abantwana, ngachitha abantu bami; ababuyanga ezindleleni zabo.

⁸Abafelokazi babo bandile kimi kunesihlabathi solwandle, ngehlisele phezu kwawonina bezinsizwa umchithi emini, ngehlisele ukwesaba nengebhe phezu kwabo.

⁹Owazala abayisikhombisa usedangele, waphuma umoya; ilanga lakhe lishonile kuse semini; ujabhile, wayangaza; insali yabo ngiyakuyinikela enkembeni ngaphambi kwezitha zabo,” usho uJehova.

¹⁰Maye kimina, mame, ukuthi ungizalile, ngibe ngumuntu wokuphikisana nokuxabana emhlabeni wonke! Angibizanga inzalo, futhi akubizwanga inzalo kimi, nokho bayangiqalekisa bonke.

¹¹Wathi uJehova: “Ngiyakukukhulula kube kuhle; impela ngiyakwenza ukuba isitha sikunxuse ngesikhathi esibi nangesikhathi sokuhlupheka.

¹²“Umuntu angaphula insimbi yini, insimbi yasenyakatho, nethusi, na?

¹³Ngiyakunikela imfuyo yakho nengcebo yakho kube yimpango kungengantengo, ngazo zonke izono zakho emikhawulweni yakho yonke.

¹⁴Ngiyakwenza ukuba uzikhonze izitha zakho ezweni ongalaziyo, ngokuba kuphenjiwe umlilo olakeni lwami oyakuvutha kini.”

¹⁵Uyazi wena Jehova; ngikhumbule, ngihambele, ungiphindisele kwabangizingelayo; ungangisusi ngokubekezela kwakho; yazi ukuthi ngenxa yakho ngithwale ihlazo.

¹⁶Amazwi akho afunyanwa, ngawadla; amazwi akho aba ngukujabula kimi nokuthokoza kwenhliziyo yami, ngokuba ngibizwa ngegama lakho, Jehova Nkulunkulu Sebawoti.

¹⁷Angihlalanga emhlanganweni wabahlekayo, angithokozanga; ngahlala ngedwa ngenxa yesandla sakho, ngokuba ungigcwalisile ngokufutheka.

¹⁸Yini ukuba ubuhlungu bami bube khona njalonjalo, nesilonda sami singapholiswa, sala ukuphulukiswa, na? Impela uyakuba ngamanzi aphuthayo kimi, amanzi angathembekile, na?

¹⁹Ngalokho usho kanje uJehova, uthi: “Uma ubuya, ngiyakukubuyisa, ume phambi kwami; uma ukhipha okuyigugu kokungamanyala, uyakuba ngumlomo wami; laba bayakubuyela kuwe, kepha wena awuyikubuyela kubo.

²⁰Ngiyakukwenza ukuba ube lugange lwethusi oluqinileyo kulaba bantu; bayakulwa nawe, kepha abayikukwahlula, ngokuba mina nginawe ukukusindisa nokukophula,” usho uJehova.

²¹“Ngiyakukophula esandleni sababi, ngikuhlenge esandleni sabacindezeli.”