UJeremiya.
8.
“ ‘Ngalesosikhathi, kutsho uThixo, amathambo amakhosi akoJuda lawezikhulu zakhona, amathambo abaphristi lawabaphrofethi, kanye lamathambo abantu baseJerusalema azakhutshwa emangcwabeni awo. 
Azachaywa elangeni lasenyangeni lakuzo zonke izinkanyezi zasemazulwini, abakuthandayo bakukhonza njalo abakulandelayo bakubuza bakudumisa. Kawayikubuthwa loba angcwatshwe, kodwa azakuba njengezibi phezu komhlabathi. 
Loba kungaphi engibaxotshela khona, bonke abasilayo balesisizwe esibi bazakhetha ukufa kulokuphila, kutsho uThixo uSomandla.’ ” 
“Wothi kubo, ‘UThixo uthi: Abantu bangawa, kabavuki na? Omunye angaphambuka, kaphenduki na? 
Pho kungani abantu laba bedukile? Kungani iJerusalema lihlala liseduka? Bayanamathela enkohlisweni, bayala ukuphenduka. 
Ngilalele ngesineke, kodwa kabatsho okulungileyo. Kakho ophenduka ebubini bakhe, esithi, “Kuyini engikwenzileyo na?” Yilowo lalowo ulandela indlela yakhe njengebhiza lizithela empini. 
Lengabuzane emoyeni liyazazi izikhathi zalo zomnyaka, lejuba, lenkonjane lohemu kuyasigcina isikhathi sakho sokuthutha. Kodwa abantu bami kabakwazi okufunwa nguThixo. 
Lingatsho kanjani ukuthi, “Sihlakaniphile, ngoba silomthetho kaThixo,” lona iqiniso kuyikuthi amanga alotshwe ngosiba lwababhali asenze umthetho wangabi liqiniso? 
Abahlakaniphileyo bazayangiswa, bazakwesaba bathiyeke. Njengoba belalile ilizwi likaThixo, balenhlakanipho bani na? 
Ngakho abafazi babo ngizabapha amanye amadoda lamasimu abo abe ngawabanye abatsha. Kusukela kwabancane kusiya kwabakhulu, bonke bayizihwaba ezifuna inzuzo, banjalo abaphrofethi kanye labaphristi, bonke benza inkohliso. 
Babopha inxeba labantu bami kungathi kalilibi kakhulu. Bathi, “Ukuthula, ukuthula,” khona ukuthula kungekho. 
Kambe bayayangeka na ngokuziphatha kwabo okunengisayo? Hatshi, bavele kabalazo inhloni, lokuyangeka kabakwazi. Ngakho bazawela phakathi kwabawileyo, bazakwehliselwa phansi lapho sebejeziswa, kutsho uThixo. 
Ngizabemuka isivuno sabo, kutsho uThixo. Akuyikuba lezithelo ezivinini zabo. Akuyikuba lezithelo zomkhiwa esihlahleni, lamahlamvu aso azabuna. Engibanike khona kuzathathwa kubo.’ ” 
Pho sihlaleleni lapha? Buthanini! Kasibalekeleni emadolobheni avikelweyo siyebhubhela khona! Ngoba uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu usesilahlele ekubhubheni wasinika amanzi aletshefu ukuba sinathe, ngoba sonile kuye. 
Sathemba ukuba lokuthula kodwa akubanga lobuhle obukhona, ekubeni kube yisikhathi sokwelatshwa kwaba lokwesaba. 
Ukuthimula kwamabhiza esitha kuyezwakala kuvelela koDani, ekukhaleni kwamabhiza amaduna ilizwe lonke liyaqhaqhazela. Zilande ukuzatshwabadela ilizwe lakho konke okukulo, idolobho labo bonke abahlala kulo. 
“Khangelani, ngizathumela phakathi kwenu izinyoka ezilobuhlungu, izinhlangwana ezingeke zithakathwe, njalo zizaliluma,” kutsho uThixo. 
Awu Mduduzi wami osizini, inhliziyo yami isiqaleka phakathi kwami. 
Lalela ukukhala kwabantu bami okuvela elizweni elikhatshana besithi: “UThixo kakho eZiyoni na? INkosi yalo kayisekho lapho na?” “Kungani bevuse ulaka lwami ngezifanekiso zabo, langezithombe zezizweni eziyize na?” 
“Ukuvuna sekwedlule, ihlobo seliphelile, kodwa kasihlengwanga.” 
Njengoba abantu bami benqotshiwe lami nginqotshiwe, ngiyalila njalo ukwesaba kungiphethe. 
Akulamuthi yini eGiliyadi? Kakho yini lomelaphi khona? Pho kungani kungekho kwelatshwa kwenxeba labantu bami na? 
