1 Watsho kum *uNdikhoyo ukuthi: “Yiya kuthenga ibhanti eyenziwe ngelinen, uyibhinqe esinqeni, kodwa ingaze idibane namanzi.”
2 Ndaya kuyithenga ke loo bhanti, njengokutsho kukaNdikhoyo, ndayibhinqa.
3 Libuye lavakala kum ilizwi likaNdikhoyo, lisithi:
4 “Thatha le bhanti uyibhinqileyo, uye emlanjeni iEfrati, ufike uyifihle emfanteni kwiliwa elilapho.”
5 Ndahamba ke ndafika ndayifihla ngase-Efrati njengokutsho kukaNdikhoyo.
6 Emva kwexesha elide wabuya wathi kum uNdikhoyo: “Yiya e-Efrati, ufike uthathe laa bhanti ndandithe yifihle khona.”
7 Ndaya ke, ndafika ndayivumbulula apho ndandiyifake khona. Ndafika sele yonakele, kungasenakwenziwa nto ngayo.
8 Lavakala kum ilizwi likaNdikhoyo lisithi:
9 “Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: Ndiya kwenjenjalo ke ukonakalisa ikratshi lakwaJuda, ikratshi elikhulu laseJerusalem.
10 Aba bantu bakhohlakeleyo, bangandivayo, balawulwa kukuqaqadeka kweentliziyo zabo, bathe phithi kukunqula nokukhonza oothixo basemzini, baza kuba njengale bhanti yelinen kungenakwenziwa nto konke ngayo.
11 Kanye njengokuba ibhanti ithiwa ntshi esinqeni somntu, umzi kaSirayeli uphela kwakunye nokaJuda ndawubophelela kum,” lowo ngumlomo kaNdikhoyo, “khon' ukuze babe ngabantu bam, ndizenzele igama ngabo, nodumo neqhayiya, kodwa bona abevanga.”
12 Wathi kum *uNdikhoyo: “Yithi kwaba bantu: ‘Utsho uNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli ukuthi: Wonke umphanda wozaliswa ngewayini.’ Bona ke baya kuthi: ‘Uba asiyazi kakade into yokuba wonke umphanda wozaliswa ngewayini?’
13 Uya kuthi ke wena: ‘Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: Bonke abemi beli lizwe ndiza kubenza banxile, nditsho iikumkani zabo, ezo zisezihlangwini zikaDavide, ababingeleli, abashumayeli, nabo bonke abantu baseJerusalem.
14 Ndiza kubakhandanisa omnye nomnye, ooyise noonyana, utsho uNdikhoyo. Usizi nenceba nemfesane ndiza kuziphosa ngasemva zingandinqandi ekubatshabalaliseni.’ ”
15 MaSirayeli, *uNdikhoyo uthethile;bekani iindlebe nive,niyeke ukuziphakamisa.
16 Mzukiseni uNdikhoyo uThixo wenuengekaniziseli ubumnyamanikhubeke ezindulini ezinamathunzi;hleze ukukhanya enikulindeleyo kujikekube sisithokothokosobumnyama.
17 Ukuba aniva, ndiya kukhala ngasese, ndilile ngenxa yekratshi eninalo.Ndiya kutsho ezimathontsi ngenxa yomhlambi kaNdikhoyo othinjiweyo.
18 Mxeleleni ukumkani kunye nonina ukumkanikazi,nithi: “Zithobeni; hlalani phantsi;kuba izithsaba zokuhlonipheka kwenu zithulwe ezintlokweni zenu.”
19 Izixeko zelisezantsi zingqingiwe,akukho bani unako ukungena.Abantu bakwaJuda bathinjiwe,bafudusiwe xa bebonke.
20 Vula amehlo ukhangele, Jerusalem,ubabone abavela ngasentla.Uphi umhlambi owawuwunikiwe?Iphi impahla emfutshane obukade uqhayisa ngayo?
21 Uya kuthini xa abo ububafundisa bengabahlobo, sele benikwe amagunya phezu kwakho?Akuyi kufikelwa yintlungu na okomfazi osikwa yinimba?
22 Wakuzibuza usithi: “Zindihlela ngani ezi zinto?”uzuqonde ukuba kungenxa yobugwenxa bakhosele umbhinqo wakho udlakaziwe,waza nawe wagonyamelwa.
23 Angalijika na ibala lolusu lwakhe umKushe?Yona ingwe ingawajika amabala ayo?Nani eniqhele imikhwa emibi aninakujika nenze okulungileyo.
24 “Ndiza kunichitha-chitha nixele umququ uphetshethwa ngumoya wasentlango.
25 Yinxaxheba yakho leyo,kwakunye nesabelo osahlulelwe ndim.”Lowo ngumlomo kaNdikhoyo.“Kaloku wandilibala wathembela kwizinto zobuxoki.
26 Ndiza kukuhluba izambatho zakho,ndikubhence, libonwe ihlazo lobuze bakho,
27 nditsho ukukrexeza kwakho,nokuthabatheka kwakho yinkanuko,ukukhanuka kwakho ezindle,namanyala okuhenyuza kwakho.Ndiwabonile amanyundululu akho ezindulini endle.Mawoo, Jerusalem!Hayi ukungcola kwakho!Kuya kude kube nini na unje!”