Judah's Wickedness

¹“Yehlani nenyuke ezitaladini zaseJerusalema, nibone nazi, nicinge ezigcawini, uma ningafumana umuntu, uma kukhona owenza ukwahlulela, ofuna iqiniso; bese ngilithethelela.

²Noma bethi: ‘Kuphila kukaJehova,’ nokho bafunga amanga.”

³Jehova, amehlo akho awaseqinisweni na? Ubashayile, kepha abadabukanga; ubaqedile, kepha balile ukwamukela ukulaywa; benza lukhuni ubuso babo kunetshe, bala ukuphenduka.

⁴Ngase ngithi mina: “Laba bayizimpofana nje, bayiziwula, ngokuba abayazi indlela kaJehova, ukwahlulela kukaNkulunkulu wabo.

⁵Sengiyakuya kwabakhulu, ngikhulume nabo, ngokuba bona bayayazi indlela kaJehova nokwahlulela kukaNkulunkulu wabo;” kepha bona babelaphulile ijoka kanyekanye, bazigqabulile izibopho.

⁶Ngalokho ingonyama yasehlathini iyakubashaya, babhujiswe yimpisi yasehlane, ingwe iyiqamekele imizi yabo, badatshulwe bonke abaphuma kuyo, ngokuba iziphambeko zabo ziningi, nokuhlehla kwabo kwandile.

⁷“Ngingakuthethelela kanjani na? Abantwana bakho bangishiyile, bafunga okungesibo onkulunkulu. Ngabafungisa, kepha baphinga, babuthana endlini yezifebe.

⁸Banjengamahhashi akhulupheleyo andindayo; yilowo nalowo uyiyizela umfazi womakhelwane wakhe.

⁹Angiyikubahambela ngalokho na?” usho uJehova. “Umphefumulo wami awuyikuphindisa esizweni esinjengalesi na?

¹⁰“Khuphukelani ezingangeni zalo, nilichithe, ningaliqedi ngokupheleleyo nokho; susani amagatsha alo, ngokuba awasiwo akaNkulunkulu.

¹¹Ngokuba indlu ka-Israyeli nendlu kaJuda zingikhohlisile nokungikhohlisa,” usho uJehova.

¹²Zimphikile uJehova, zathi: “Hhayi yena! Okubi akuyikusehlela, asiyikubona inkemba nendlala.

¹³Abaprofethi bayakuba ngumoya, akakho okhulumayo kubo; kuyakwenziwa kanjalo kubo.”

¹⁴Ngalokho usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu Sebawoti, uthi: “Ngokuba nikhuluma leli zwi, bhekani, ngiyakwenza amazwi ami abe ngumlilo emlonyeni wakho, nalaba bantu babe yizinkuni, ubadle.

¹⁵Bhekani, ngiyakwehlisela phezu kwenu isizwe esivela kude nina ndlu ka-Israyeli,” usho uJehova; “yisizwe esinamandla, yisizwe esidala, yisizwe ongazi ulimi lwaso, nongezwa lokhu abakukhulumayo.

¹⁶Isambo sabo sinjengethuna elivulekileyo, bangamaqhawe bonke.

¹⁷Bayakudla okuvuniweyo kwakho nesinkwa sakho, badle amadodana akho namadodakazi akho, badle izimvu zakho nezinkomo zakho, badle imivini yakho nemikhiwane yakho, bachithe ngenkemba imizi yakho ebiyelweyo othemba kuyo.

¹⁸“Kepha nangalezo zinsuku,” usho uJehova, “angiyikuniqeda ngokupheleleyo.

¹⁹Kuyakuthi lapho nisho nithi: ‘UJehova uNkulunkulu wenu wenzeleni kithi konke lokhu na?’ usho kubo ukuthi: ‘Njengalokho ningishiyile, nakhonza onkulunkulu babezizwe ezweni lakini, kanjalo niyakukhonza abezizwe ezweni elingesilo elenu.’

²⁰“Memezani lokhu endlini kaJakobe, nikuzwakalise kwaJuda ngokuthi:

²¹Yizwani lokhu nina bantu eniyiziwula neningenakuqonda, eninamehlo, ningaboni kodwa, eninezindlebe, ningezwa kodwa.

²²Aningesabi yini,” usho uJehova, “anithuthumeli phambi kwami, mina engibeke isihlabathi sibe ngumkhawulo wolwandle, umncele ophakade olungenakudlula kuwo, na? Noma lugubha, alunakuwahlula; noma luduma, alunakudlula kuwo.

²³Kepha laba bantu banenhliziyo eyambukileyo nehlubukileyo; bambuka, bahamba.

²⁴Futhi abasho ezinhliziyweni zabo ukuthi: ‘Ake sesabe uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu onika imvula eyokuqala neyamuva ngesikhathi sayo, asigcinele amasonto anqunyiweyo akuvuna.’

²⁵Ububi benu buchezukisile lokhu, nezono zenu zinenqabele okuhle.

²⁶“Ngokuba phakathi kwabantu bami kufunyanwa ababi, baqamekela njengabacuphayo nabalinda izinyoni, babeke ugibe, babambe abantu.

²⁷Njengendlwana yezinyoni igcwele zona, kanjalo izindlu zabo zigcwele inkohliso; ngalokho bakhulile, bacebile.

²⁸Bakhuluphele, bayacwebezela; yebo, bayadlula ezintweni zobubi; abameli ukulunga, abameli izintandane ukuba zihlahlamele, nemfanelo yabampofu abayahluleli.

²⁹Angiyikubahambela ngalokho na?” usho uJehova. “Umphefumulo wami awuyikuphindisa esizweni esinjengalesi na?

³⁰“Okumangalisayo nokwesabekayo kuyenziwa ezweni.

³¹Abaprofethi baprofetha amanga, abapristi babusa eceleni kwabo; abantu bami bayakuthanda kanjalo, kepha niyakwenze njani ekupheleni na?