Judgment Threatened

¹“Uma uphenduka, Israyeli,” usho uJehova, “uyakuphendukela kimi; uma ususa ebusweni bami izinengiso zakho, awuyikuntengantenga.

²Uyakufunga ngeqiniso, nangokwahlulela, nangokulunga, ngokuthi: ‘Kuphila kukaJehova,’ izizwe ziyakuzibusisa kuye, zizibonge kuye.”

³Ngokuba usho kanje uJehova kubantu bakwaJuda nabaseJerusalema, uthi: “Qathani umqatho wenu, ningatshali phakathi kwameva.

⁴Zisokeleni kuJehova, nisuse amajwabu ezinhliziyo zenu nina bantu bakwaJuda nabakhileyo eJerusalema, funa ukufutheka kwami kuphume njengomlilo, kuvuthe, kungabikho ongakucima, ngenxa yobubi bezenzo zenu.

⁵“Khulumani kwaJuda, nizwakalise eJerusalema, nithi: ‘Bethani amacilongo ezweni,’ nimemeze nithi: ‘Buthanani, singene emizini ebiyelweyo.’

⁶Misani ibhanela elibheka ngaseSiyoni, nibaleke ningemi, ngokuba ngiyakuletha okubi kuvele ngasenyakatho nokubhujiswa okukhulu.”

⁷Ingonyama ikhuphukile esihlahleni sayo, umchithi wezizwe uyeza; uphumile endaweni yakhe ukuba ulenze izwe lakho libe yincithakalo, ichithwe imizi yakho, kungabikho ohlala kuyo.

⁸Ngalokho bhincani izindwangu zamasaka, nikhale, nihewule, ngokuba ulaka oluvuthayo lukaJehova alubuyanga kithi.

⁹“Kuyakuthi ngalolo suku,” usho uJehova, “inhliziyo yenkosi iphele kanye nezinhliziyo zezikhulu; abapristi bayakumangala, abaprofethi bethuke.”

¹⁰Ngase ngithi: “Awu, Nkosi Jehova, ubakhohlisile nokubakhohlisa laba bantu neJerusalema ngokuthi: ‘Niyakuba nokuthula;’ nokho inkemba ifinyelele emphefumulweni.”

¹¹Ngaleso sikhathi kuyakuthiwa kulaba bantu nakulo iJerusalema: “Ishisandlu elivela emadulini angenalutho liya endodakazini yabantu bami, lingayikubahlakaza, lingayikubahlunga.

¹²Umoya omkhulu kunokuba kwenziwe lokhu uyakuphuma kimi. Manje sengiyakukhuluma nami ukwahlulela kubo.”

¹³Bhekani, uyakhuphuka njengamafu, izinqola zakhe zinjengesivunguvungu, amahhashi akhe anejubane kunezinkozi. Maye kithina, ngokuba sichithiwe!

¹⁴Jerusalema, hlanza inhliziyo yakho, kuphume ububi, ukuze usindiswe. Koze kube nini imicabango yakho emibi ihlala phakathi kwakho na?

¹⁵Ngokuba izwi liyamemezela liphuma kwaDani; lizwakalisa okubi kuvela ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi.

¹⁶“Khumbuzani izizwe; bhekani, nizwakalise eJerusalema ukuthi kufika abavimbezeli abaphuma ezweni elikude; baliphakamisa izwi labo ngakuyo imizi yakwaJuda.

¹⁷Njengabalinda insimu baphezu kwalo nxazonke, ngokuba lingihlubukile,” usho uJehova.

¹⁸“Ukuhamba kwakho nezenzo zakho kukwenzele lokhu; lokhu kuyingozi yakho ngokuba imunyu; ifinyelele enhliziyweni yakho.”

¹⁹Zibilini zami, zibilini zami, nginobuhlungu enhliziyweni yami; inhliziyo yami ikhala phakathi kwami, anginakuthula, ngokuba ulizwile, mphefumulo wami, izwi lecilongo, ukuhlatshwa komkhosi wempi.

²⁰Kuyamenyezelwa ukubhujiswa phezu kokubhujiswa, ngokuba izwe lonke liyachithwa. Amatende ami ayachithwa masinyane, nezilenge zami ngokuphazima kweso.

²¹Koze kube nini ngibona ibhandela, ngizwe izwi lecilongo, na?

²²“Yebo, abantu bami bayiziwula, abangazi; bangabantwana abayiziphukuphuku, abanakuqonda; bahlakaniphele ukwenza okubi, kepha ukwenza okuhle kabakwazi.”

²³Ngabuka umhlaba; bheka, wawuyize, wawungenalutho, nezulu lalingenakukhanya.

²⁴Ngabuka izintaba; bheka, zazamazama; onke amagquma anyakaza.

²⁵Ngabuka; bheka, kwakungekho muntu; izinyoni zonke zezulu zazibalekile.

²⁶Ngabuka; bheka, izwe elivundileyo laliyihlane, nemizi yalo yonke yayidiliziwe ebusweni bukaJehova naphambi kolaka lwakhe oluvuthayo.

²⁷Ngokuba uJehova usho kanje, uthi: “Izwe lonke liyakuba yincithakalo, kepha angiyikuliqeda ngokupheleleyo.

²⁸Umhlaba uyakhala ngalokhu, izulu phezulu limnyama, ngokuba ngikukhulumile, ngikuhlosile, ngingazisolanga; futhi angiyikubuya kukho.”

²⁹Umuzi wonke uyabaleka ngenxa yomsindo wabamahhashi nowabemicibisholo; bayangena ezihlahleni, bakhuphukele emadwaleni; imizi yonke ishiyiwe, akakho ohlala kuyo.

³⁰Lapho usuchithiwe, uyakwenzani na? Noma wembatha okubomvu, noma uzivunulisa ngezivunulo zegolide, noma ugqaba amehlo akho ngomuthi, uzenza muhle ngeze; izithandwa zakho ziyakudelela, zifuna ukukubulala.

³¹Ngizwile izwi njengokungathi elonemihelo, usizi lozibulayo, izwi lendodakazi yaseSiyoni eheheza, ezelula izandla zayo, ithi: “Maye kimina! Ngokuba umphefumulo wami uphele amandla ngababulali.”