Jeremiya 17

¹“Isono sakwaJuda silotshiwe ngothi lwensimbi lokuloba; ngesihloko sedayimani siqoshiwe ezibhebheni zezinhliziyo zabo nasezimpondweni zama-altare enu,

²abantwana babo besakhumbula ama-altare abo nawo-Ashera babo ngasemithini eluhlaza emagqumeni aphakemeyo.

³Intaba yami yasendle, impahla yakho nengcebo yakho yonke ngiyakukunikela kube yimpango kanye nezindawo zakho eziphakemeyo ngenxa yezono emikhawulweni yakho yonke.

⁴Uyakuyeka ngokwakho ifa lakho engakunika lona, ngikwenze ukuba ukhonze izitha zakho ezweni ongalaziyo, ngokuba niphembile umlilo olakeni lwami oyakuvutha kuze kube phakade.”

⁵Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: “Uqalekisiwe umuntu othemba kubantu, ayenze inyama ibe yingalo yakhe, nonhliziyo yakhe isuka kuJehova.

⁶Uyakuba njengesihlahla esiyize ehlane, angaboni ukuthi kuyeza okuhle, uyakuhlala ezindaweni ezishileyo ehlane, ezweni likasawoti elingahlalwa muntu.

⁷“Ubusisiwe umuntu othemba kuJehova, nothemba lakhe linguJehova.

⁸Ngokuba uyakuba njengomuthi otshalwe ngasemanzini, ozenabisa izimpande zawo ngasemfuleni, ongesabi lapho kufika ukushisa, amaqabunga awo abe luhlaza, angabi naluvalo ngomnyaka wesigagadu, anganqamuki ukuthela izithelo.”

⁹Inhliziyo iyakhohlisa ngaphezu kwakho konke, futhi imbi; ngubani ongayazi na?

¹⁰“Mina Jehova ngivivinya inhliziyo, ngihlola izinso ukuba nginike, kube yilowo nalowo njengezindlela zakhe, njengezithelo zezenzo zakhe.”

¹¹Intendele efukamela ingazalanga, unjalo owenza ingcebo ngokungalungi; iyakumshiya phakathi nezinsuku zakhe, abe yisiwula ngasekugcineni.

¹²Indawo yendlu yethu engcwele iyisihlalo sobukhosi esinenkazimulo esiphakemeyo.

¹³O, themba lika-Israyeli, Jehova, bonke abakushiyayo bayakujabha; abachezuka kimi bayakulotshwa emhlabathini, ngokuba bamshiyile uJehova, umthombo wamanzi aphilayo.

¹⁴Ngiphulukise, Jehova, ngiphuluke; ngisindise, ngisindiswe, ngokuba uludumo lwami.

¹⁵Bheka, bathi kimi: “Liphi izwi likaJehova na? Malize phela.”

¹⁶Mina-ke angiyekanga ukwalusa ngokukulandela, futhi angilufisanga usuku olwesabekayo; wena uyazi; okwaphuma emlonyeni wami kwakuphambi kobuso bakho.

¹⁷Ungabi luvalo kimi; uyisiphephelo sami ngosuku lobubi.

¹⁸Mababe namahloni abangizingelayo, kepha mina mangingabi nawo; baphele amandla bona, mina ngingapheli wona kodwa; behlisele usuku lobubi, ubaphule ngokwaphula okuphindiweyo.

¹⁹Usho kanje kimi uJehova, uthi: “Hamba ume esangweni lamadodana abantu, angena ngalo amakhosi akwaJuda, aphuma ngalo futhi, nasemasangweni onke aseJerusalema,

²⁰uthi kuwo: ‘Zwanini izwi likaJehova nina makhosi akwaJuda, noJuda wonke, nani nonke enakhileyo eJerusalema eningena ngalawa masango;

²¹usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Xwayani ngenxa yemiphefumulo yenu ukuba ningathwali mthwalo ngosuku lwesabatha, ningawungenisi ngamasango aseJerusalema;

²²futhi ningakhiphi mthwalo ezindlini zenu ngosuku lwesabatha, ningasebenzi msebenzi, kepha lungcweliseni usuku lwesabatha njengokuyala kwami oyihlo,

²³nakuba bengalalelanga, bengabekanga izindlebe, kepha benza lukhuni intamo yabo, ukuze bangezwa, balaywe.

²⁴Kuyakuthi uma ningilalela nokungilalela, usho uJehova, ukuba ningangenisi mthwalo ngamasango alo muzi ngosuku lwesabatha, nilungcwelise usuku lwesabatha ukuze ningenzi ngalo umsebenzi,

²⁵kungene ngamasango alo muzi amakhosi nezikhulu abahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavide bekhwele izinqola namahhashi, bona nezikhulu zabo, abantu bakwaJuda nabakhileyo eJerusalema, nalo muzi uyakuhlala kuze kube phakade.

²⁶Bayakufika bephuma emizini yakwaJuda, nasemaphandleni aseJerusalema, nasezweni lakwaBenjamini, nasehlanzeni, nasezintabeni, naseningizimu, beletha iminikelo yokushiswa, nemihlatshelo, neminikelo yempuphu, nenhlaka, befika neminikelo yokubonga endlini kaJehova.

²⁷Kepha uma ningalaleli ukuba nilungcwelise usuku lwesabatha, ningathwali mthwalo lapho ningena ngamasango aseJerusalema ngosuku lwesabatha, ngiyakuphemba umlilo emasangweni alo, uqede izindlu zamakhosi zaseJerusalema, ungacinywa.’ ”