Jeremiya 1

¹Amazwi kaJeremiya, indodana kaHilikiya, wabapristi ababe se-Anathoti ezweni lakwaBenjamini,

²okwafika kuye izwi likaJehova ezinsukwini zikaJosiya indodana ka-Amoni, inkosi yakwaJuda, ngomnyaka weshumi nantathu wokubusa kwakhe;

³lafika futhi ezinsukwini zikaJehoyakimi indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakwaJuda, kuze kube sekupheleni komnyaka weshumi nanye kaSedekiya indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakwaJuda, kuze kube sekuthunjweni kweJerusalema ngenyanga yesihlanu.

⁴Kwafika kimi izwi likaJehova, lathi:

⁵“Ngingakakubumbi esiswini ngakwazi; ungakaphumi esizalweni ngakungcwelisa, ngakubeka umprofethi ezizweni.”

⁶Kepha ngathi: “Awu, Nkosi Jehova! Bheka, angikwazi ukukhuluma, ngokuba ngingumntwana.”

⁷Kepha uJehova wathi kimi: “Ungasho ukuthi ungumntwana, ngokuba uyakuya kubo bonke engikuthuma kubo, nakho konke engikuyala ngakho uyakukukhuluma.

⁸Ungabesabi, ngokuba nginawe ukuba ngikophule,” usho uJehova.

⁹UJehova wayeselula isandla sakhe, wawuthinta umlomo wami; uJehova wathi kimi: “Bheka, ngibekile amazwi ami emlonyeni wakho.

¹⁰Bona, ngiyakubeka namuhla phezu kwezizwe naphezu kwemibuso ukusiphula nokudiliza, ukuchitha nokubhubhisa, ukwakha nokutshala.”

¹¹Izwi likaJehova lafika kimi futhi, lathi: “Jeremiya, ubonani na?” Ngathi: “Ngibona igatsha lomalimondi.”

¹²Wayesethi uJehova kimi: “Ubone kahle, ngokuba ngiyakulilinda izwi lami ukuba ngilenze.”

¹³Lase lifika kimi izwi likaJehova ngokwesibili, lithi: “Ubonani na?” Ngathi: “Ngibona ikhanzi elibilayo. Ubuso balo bungasenyakatho.”

¹⁴Wayesethi kimi uJehova: “Okubi kuyakuqhambuka ngasenyakatho, kubehlele bonke abakhileyo bomhlaba.

¹⁵Ngokuba bheka, ngiyakubiza yonke imindeni yemibuso yasenyakatho,” usho uJehova. “Iyakufika, yilowo nalowo ubeke isihlalo sawo sobukhosi ezikhaleni zamasango aseJerusalema, nakuzo zonke izingange zalo nxazonke, nakuyo yonke imizi yakwaJuda.

¹⁶Ngiyakukhipha ukwahlulela kwami phezu kwabo ngenxa yabo bonke ububi babo, ngokuba bangihlubukile, bashisela abanye onkulunkulu impepho, bakhuleka kuyo imisebenzi yezandla zabo.

¹⁷“Ngalokho bopha izinkalo zakho, usuke, ukhulume kubo bonke engikuyala ngabo; ungapheli amandla ngabo, funa ngiqede amandla akho ebusweni babo.

¹⁸Ngokuba bheka, ngikubekile namuhla ube ngumuzi obiyelweyo, nensika yensimbi, nezingange zethusi ngakulo izwe lonke, nangawo amakhosi akwaJuda nezikhulu zalo, nangakubo abapristi balo nabantu bezwe.

¹⁹Bayakulwa nawe, kepha abayikukwahlula, ngokuba nginawe,” usho uJehova, “ukuba ngikophule.”