1 Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously? 2 Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins. 3 But thou, O LORD, knowest me: thou hast seen me, and tried mine heart toward thee: pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter. 4 How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end.
5 ¶ If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee , then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan? 6 For even thy brethren, and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee: believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.
7 ¶ I have forsaken mine house, I have left mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies. 8 Mine heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest; it crieth out against me: therefore have I hated it. 9 Mine heritage is unto me as a speckled bird, the birds round about are against her; come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field, come to devour. 10 Many pastors have destroyed my vineyard, they have trodden my portion under foot, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. 11 They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart. 12 The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness: for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land: no flesh shall have peace. 13 They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns: they have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit: and they shall be ashamed of your revenues because of the fierce anger of the LORD.
14 ¶ Thus saith the LORD against all mine evil neighbours, that touch the inheritance which I have caused my people Israel to inherit; Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them. 15 And it shall come to pass, after that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them, and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his land. 16 And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name, The LORD liveth; as they taught my people to swear by Baal; then shall they be built in the midst of my people. 17 But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.
Kung'ong'ola kwa Jeremiya
1 Imwi Yahwe mogala makalulwama,
ha nding'ong'ola ku muli.
Koga ndoshakabhuzwa ngekwe ndebo yangu nditi,
Ini babiibi bebhudilila kene?
Ini basina bugalimoyo bali gele bakashalanduka?
2 Makabadzwala bakamela midzi,
banokula bakazwala mitjelo.
Mogala muli pa milomo yabo,
koga muli kule ne mimoyo yabo.
3 Koga mundiziba imi Yahwe,
mondibona mukalika mikumbulo yangu nge kwenyu.
Mubakwebele kutjena se pkhwizi inonobhayiwa.
Mubabigile ntome mubabigila zhuba le kubhayiwa.
4 Kowotola tjibaka tjingapani shango ili mu tjililo,
ne bushwa gwe shango yose gubuna kene?
Ngoti ibabo banogala muili babiibi,
phuka ne nyuni dzakafa.
Ngoti bathu banoti, “Aatobona bhelelo ledu.”
5 “Ha wakatongo phikidzana ngo labuka ne bathu,
bakamusiya mungaphikidzana ne mbizi tjini wali?
Ha mu shango yakabakililika musakadzikama,
mungatubula tjini mu ishaka tje Jorodani wali?
6 Nanga hama dzenyu iyo ng'umba ya tate benyu,
bakamuthamila bupitipiti,
banolila nge kwenyu,
musitongo bagalabgwe,
nenguba bangamuleba bubuya.
7 “Ndakafupatila ng'umba yangu.
Ndakalasha thaka yangu.
Ndakalonga tjido tje moyo wangu,
mu maboko e zwita zwizwe.
8 Thaka yangu yatjindishandukila,
yonga shumba mu ishaka,
inondibombela,
ndizo ndotjibenga.
9 Apa thaka yangu yotjinga phele kundili,
apa nyuni dzakagupoteleka kugunginilila kene?
Yendani munokubunganya phuka dze shango,
mudzizhise kuti dzowoja.
10 Balisi banjinji bakakolomola nnda wangu we mizhambi,
bakakanyangila pasi gobe langu,
bakathama gobe langu lakanaka
tjilambanyika tjakathukudzika.
11 Bakalithama likathukudzika kwakabangalala,
lolilila kundili.
Shango yose yakathukudzika,
ngono nthu aana hanya nge kwako.
12 Pezhugwi kwe matuthu asina miti mu tjilambanyika,
bakolomoli bazha,
ngoti thumo la Yahwe loja,
akuna nthu wakabakililika.
13 Banowodzwala korong ngono bakavuna mmihwa,
banozwinyadzila suli ngono bakasivune tjimwe.
Banowobhakhwa nge shoni ngekwe zwawavuna,
ngekwe kugwadzamoyo kukulu kwa Yahwe.”
14 Yahwe banoleba ngekwe babakidzani bangu babiibi, ibo banobhatabhata thaka yandakapa bathu bangu Iziraela kuti ibe yabo beti, “Bonani, ndowobadzikunula mu shango yabo ne ng'umba ye Juda ndowoidzikunula pakati kwabo. 15 Ndowoti ndisinokubadzikunula ndowoti kakale abahwila ngoni, abgwiliza mmwe ne mmwe ku thaka iye ne mmwe ne mmwe ku shango iye. 16 Ngono banowoti bezwidiya zila dze bathu bangu, betuna nge zina langu beti, ‘Nge malebeswa Yahwe banotjila,’ sekwa bakadiya bathu bangu kutuna na Bhaale ipapo banowodzikamisiwa pakati kwe bathu bangu. 17 Koga ha itjaba tjimwe tjisingandihwilile ipapo ndowotjidzikunula tjoselele atjikolomodza, kojalo Yahwe.”