1 O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Beth-haccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction. 2 I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman . 3 The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place. 4 Prepare ye war against her; arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! for the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out. 5 Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces.
6 ¶ For thus hath the LORD of hosts said, Hew ye down trees, and cast a mount against Jerusalem: this is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her. 7 As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness: violence and spoil is heard in her; before me continually is grief and wounds. 8 Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.
9 ¶ Thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall throughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine: turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets. 10 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it. 11 Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days. 12 And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD. 13 For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. 14 They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace. 15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD. 16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein . 17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying , Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.
18 ¶ Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. 19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it. 20 To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto me. 21 Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will lay stumblingblocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbour and his friend shall perish. 22 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth. 23 They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion. 24 We have heard the fame thereof: our hands wax feeble: anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain, as of a woman in travail. 25 Go not forth into the field, nor walk by the way; for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side.
26 ¶ O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes: make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation: for the spoiler shall suddenly come upon us. 27 I have set thee for a tower and a fortress among my people, that thou mayest know and try their way. 28 They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders: they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters. 29 The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed of the fire; the founder melteth in vain: for the wicked are not plucked away. 30 Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them.
1 Tizhani imwi bathu be Bhenjamini!
Tizhani mu Jerusalema!
Lidzani lunyanga mu Tekowa,
milidzani tjilakidzo ku Bhetehakeremu,
ngoti mbatsha dzakaangama kudwa ku bunandzwa,
ne golomodzo gulu.
2 Ndowokolomola nkololokadzi we Ziyoni
iye wakanaka unozwida.
3 Balisi ne ngubi dzabo banowon'nginilila,
banowobaka mishasha yabo kumpoteleka,
mmwe ne mmwe unowofudzila mu magalo awe.
4 “Lulwamisani ngwa kubhayana naye,
ngati n'nginilileni zhuba lili pa thongomana!”
“Yee mme wee! Tapalala ngoti zhuba lotjimila,
mitutshi ye matewuko yotjikula.”
5 “Milikani, ngatibanginilileni busiku,
tikolomole ng'umba dzidze dze bushe!”
6 Ngoti Yahwe Masimbawose bakati,
“Temani miti yayo,
mubake matathilo nge vu kupoteleka Jerusalema.
Ndiwo nzi nkulu wakafanila lobgwa shamu,
akuna tjimwe kuzhe kwe kutshambilidza koga muuli.
7 Koga se tshime libhata vula yalo mbuyanana,
ndizo unozwibigila vula mbuyanana mu bubi gugwe.
Ngwa ne golomodzo zohwika muuli,
bugwele ne mabanga zogala zwili mbeli kwangu.
8 Tjenjela iwe Jerusalema,
kuyita kuti ndisitongodwa ndikufupatila,
ndikadwa ndikuthama kuti uthukudzike,
ube shango isina bagali.”
9 Yahwe Masimbawose bakati,
“Kubunganyani limbelimbe le Iziraela kwazo se zhambi,
se ntjeli we zhambi yisani maboko enyu ku thabi dzawo.”
10 Ndiani wandakafanila lebeleka naye kuti ndintjejedze,
iye ungateedza kene?
Bona zebe dzabo dzakazhaligwa
kuti basiteedze,
bona, dama la Yahwe ntukano kubali,
abatobona shatho mu lili.
11 Ndizo ndizhele bushongola gwa Yahwe,
ndonyala nge kulibhatilila.
“Gutebulilani pezhugwi kwe bana mu dzizila,
na pezhugwi kwe makubungano wose e bazhuzha,
balume ne bakadzi banowobe mugulibo,
kose ne bawola ne sholotjena.
12 Ng'umba dzabo dzowokobegwa bamwe,
kose ne minda dzabo kose ne bakadzi babo,
ngoti ndowotambunudza luboko gwangu,
aloba bagali be shango,”
kojalo Yahwe.
13 “Kudwa mu ntukununu kunoti nkulukulu,
mmwe ne mmwe uzhele bugovu gwe kushaba nge kusakalulwama,
kudwa mu nlebesambeli kunoti ku mpirisiti,
mmwe ne mmwe unothama bupitipiti.
14 Bakapodza mabanga e bathu bangu kutukununu,
beti, ‘Kunyalala, kunyalala,’
koga akuna kunyalala.
15 Apa bakabe bana shoni abethama zwinoshimisa kene?
Aa, bose koga abana shoni,
abatolobgwa ne hana.
Ndizo banowofabo koga sa ibabo bakafa,
nge tjibaka tjandinobe ndibaloba shamu,
banowolobesiwa,”
kojalo Yahwe.
16 Ngoti Yahwe bakati,
“Imani hwunde ye zila mubone,
ngono bhuzwisisani ngekwe zila hwulukugwi,
iko kuna zila yakalulwama kwayiko, ngono muyende muili,
muwane kunyaluluka kwe meya dzenyu.
Koga banoti, ‘Atingayende muili.’
17 Ndakamubigila balindi kumutjengeta nditi,
‘Bhulutanani kulila kwe lunyanga!’
Koga banoti, ‘Atingabhulutane.’
18 Ndizo ke teedzani, imwi zwitjaba,
zibani imwi gubungano kuti banowoshingikaligwa ngeni.
19 Teedzani imwi shango, bonani, ndozhisa bubi mu bathu ibaba,
igo ntjelo we mikumbulo yabo,
ngoti abazobhulutana matama abo,
koga ngekwe nlayo wangu, bakaulasha.
20 Apa ndoshathila motsha unodwa ku Sheba,
kene pkhwe dzinodwa ku shango dzikule kene?
Zwibhayilo zwenyu zwinopisiwa hazwitoamutjilika,
ne zwipo zwenyu azwitondishathisa.
21 Ndizo Yahwe bakati,
‘Bonani ndobiga mbeli kwe bathu ibaba,
bgwe linokutha linowobakutha,
botate kose ne bakololo,
mbakidzani ne nkwinya banowoloba.’ ”
22 Yahwe bakati,
“Bonani, bathu baswika kudwa ku shango ye bunandzwa,
shango hwulu inodzonga kudwa phelelo dze shango.
23 Bakazwilulwamisa ne matati ne misebe,
bakasima mimoyo kakale abana ngoni,
nsindo wabo unonga wekuwona kwe gungwa,
banotatha mbizi,
bakalongoloka se balume banoyenda ku ngwa
kuwokunginilila iwe nkololokadzi we Ziyoni!”
24 Takahwa mbiko ngekwako,
tikatemeka mafupa tisina simba,
zogwadza zwakati ambadza,
zogwadza zwinonga nkadzi ali mu zwibhayo.
25 Musibhudile kuzhe ku minda,
kene kuyenda mu dzizila,
ngoti tjita tjina thumo,
lutjo gumu mabizho wose.
26 Iwe nkololokadzi we bathu bangu,
ambala zwiambalo zwe saka,
ubumbuluke mu nlota,
ulile se unolilila nkololo uwo uyega,
tjililo tjinogwadza,
ngoti tjinyolotjo nkolomodzi
unodwa ezha mutili.
27 “Ndakakuthama nliki we phangula ne bathu bangu,
kuti ndizo ulingisise kakale ulike zila dzabo.
28 Bose koga zwikomba zwe bapanduki,
bakanoyenda yenda beleba bung'wa,
bakasima se phangula kene butale,
bose koga banotjinya.
29 Vutho lothuta kwazo,
ntodo unojiwa nge moto,
kukuyunga kwakadwilila suli,
ngoti babi abatosukika.
30 Bo tjidang'wa siliva yakalashiwa,
ngoti Yahwe bakabalasha.”