Jeremiah 17 (BONCB)
1 “Isono sikaJuda sidwetshwe ngensimbi,sabhalwa ngomcijo wedayimaniezicecedwini zenhliziyo zabolasempondweni zama-alithare abo. 2 Labantwababo bayawakhumbulaama-alithare abo lezinsika zika-Asheraphansi kwezihlahla eziluhlazalaphezu kwamaqaqa aphakemeyo. 3 Intaba yami eselizwenilenotho yenu kanye lemfuyo yenu yonkengizakunikela kube yimpango,ndawonye lezindawo zenu eziphakemeyo,ngenxa yokona kulolonke ilizwe lenu. 4 Ngenxa yezici zenu lizalahlekelwayilifa engalinika lona.Ngizalenza libe yizigqili zezitha zenuelizweni elingalaziyo,ngoba livuse ulaka lwami,njalo luzavutha kuze kube nininini.” 5 UTHIXO uthi:“Uqalekisiwe lowo othemba umuntu,othembe ukuthi amandla akhe asenyameni,onhliziyo yakhe ihlamukela UTHIXO. 6 Uzakuba njengesihlahlanyana enkangala;ukuphumelela kayikukubona ekufikeni kwakho.Uzahlala ezindaweni ezomileyo enkangala,elizweni letswayi elingahlali muntu. 7 Kodwa ubusisiwe umuntu othemba UTHIXO,othemba lakhe likuye. 8 Uzakuba njengesihlahla esihlanyelwe eduze lamanziesinabisela impande zaso esifuleni.Kasesabi lapho ukutshisa kufika;amahlamvu aso ahlala eluhlaza.Kasikhathazeki ngomnyaka wokoma;kasiphuthi ukuthela izithelo.” 9 Inhliziyo iyakhohlisa okudlula izinto zonkenjalo imbi kakhulu.Ngubani ongayizwisisa na? 10 “Mina THIXO ngiyayihlola inhliziyongihlole lengqondo,ukuba umuntu ngimnike okufanele ukwenza kwakhe mayelanalalokho okufanele izenzo zakhe.” 11 Umuntu ozuza inotho ngezindlela ezimbiunjengesikhwehle esichamisela amaqanda esingawaqandelanga.Lapho ingxenye yokuphila kwakhe isidlule, izaphela,kuthi ekucineni abonakale eyisithutha. 12 Isihlalo sobukhosi, esikhazimulayo esaphakanyiswayo kusukela ekuqaleni,siyindawo yethu yokuphephela. 13 Awu THIXO, themba lika-Israyeli,bonke abakudelayo bazayangiswa.Labo abakuhlamukelayo bazabhalwa othuliningoba bedele UTHIXO,umthombo wamanzi okuphila. 14 Ngisilisa, THIXO, njalo ngizasiliswa;ungikhulule, ngizakhululeka,ngoba nguwe engimdumisayo. 15 Bahlala besithi kimi,“Lingaphi ilizwi LIKATHIXO na?Kaligcwaliseke khathesi!” 16 Angibalekanga ekubeni ngumelusi wenu;liyakwazi ukuthiangilufisanga usuku lokuphela ithemba.Okudlula endebeni zami kusobala kini. 17 Ungabi ngowesabekayo kimi;uyisiphephelo sami ngosuku lokuhlupheka. 18 Abangihluphayo kabayangiswe,kodwa mina ungivikele ehlazweni;kababe lokwesaba,kodwa mina ungivikele ekwesabeni.Balethele usuku lobubi.Ubabhubhise ngokuqothula okuphindiweyo. 19 UTHIXO wathi kimi: “Hamba uyekuma esangweni labantu, amakhosi akoJuda angena ngalo njalo aphume ngalo; ume futhi lakuwo wonke amanye amasango aseJerusalema. 20 Uthi kubo, ‘Zwanini ilizwi LIKATHIXO, lina makhosi akoJuda labo bonke abantu abahlala koJuda kanye labantu bonke abahlala eJerusalema abangena ngala amasango. 21 UTHIXO uthi: Qaphelani lingathwali mthwalo ngosuku lweSabatha loba liwungenise ngamasango aseJerusalema. 22 Lingaphumisi mthwalo ezindlini zenu kumbe lenze loba yiwuphi umsebenzi ngosuku lweSabatha, kodwa ligcine iSabatha lingcwele, njengokulaya kwami okhokho benu. 23 Kodwa kabalalelanga loba banake; izintamo zabo zazilukhuni njalo kabalalelanga kumbe bamukele ukulaywa. 24 UTHIXO uthi: Kodwa nxa liqaphele ukungilalela, lingangenisi mthwalo ngamasango edolobho leli ngeSabatha, kodwa ligcina usuku lweSabatha lungcwele ngokungenzi msebenzi ngalo, 25 lapho-ke amakhosi ahlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida azangena lezikhulu zawo ngamasango edolobho leli. Wona lezikhulu zawo bazafika begade izinqola zempi lamabhiza, belabantu bakoJuda lalabo abahlala eJerusalema; bahlale kulo idolobho kuze kube nininini. 26 Abantu bazakuza bevela emadolobheni akoJuda lasemizini egqagqele iJerusalema, bevela elizweni lakoBhenjamini lasezintatshaneni zangasentshonalanga, bevela elizweni lamaqaqa laseNegebi, beletha iminikelo yokutshiswa lemihlatshelo, iminikelo yamabele, impepha kanye leminikelo yokubonga endlini KATHIXO. 27 Kodwa nxa lingangilaleli ekuthini ligcine usuku lweSabatha lungcwele ngokungathwali mthwalo lapho lingena ngamasango aseJerusalema ngosuku lweSabatha, lapho-ke ngizaphemba umlilo ongacitshekiyo emasangweni eJerusalema ozaqothula izinqaba zalo.’ ”