1USomnini waphendula wathi:
“Nange kunendlela oyithathako,
wena Israyeli,
akube ngebuyela kimi.
Nanisusa iinyenyiso zenu emehlwenami,
ningabe nisehla nenyuka,
2khona-ke nizakufunga ngeqiniso,
ngobuqotho nangokulunga nanithi,
‘Sifunga uSomnini ophilako.’
Nje-ke iinkoro zakwa-Israyeli
zizakufuna iimbusiso nedumo lazo
kimi mina Somnini.
3“Mbala, nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini kibo boke abantu bakwaJuda nebeJerusalema:
“Zikghemeleni ihlabathi engakalinywa,
ningatjali hlangana nameva.
4Zisokeni kube kuSomnini,
nisuse amajwabu weenhliziyo zenu
nina bantu bakwaJuda nebeJerusalema!
Nakungasinjalo itukuthelwami izakuqubuka
ngebanga lobumbi enibenzileko
bese itjhise njengomlilo
kungabi nomcimi.”
Ihlekelele yangetlhagwini iyeza
5Bikani kwaJuda, nimemezele eJerusalema nithi:
“Vuthelani ipalapala enarheni!
Rhuwelelani nithi,
‘Yenibuthane ndawonye!
Asibalekeleni emadorobheni anemithangala!’
6Phakamiselani iphawu eZiyoni!
Phephiselani ipahlenu eJerusalema, ningariyadi!
Qalani, uSomnini sele azokuletha
ihlekelele evela ngetlhagwini,
ngitjho nokurhayilwa okukhulu.”
7Ibhubezi liphumile ngedzabeni lalo,
umbhubhisi wezizwe ufudukile.
Utjhiye indawakhe
kobana enze inarhakho ibe libhudu,
wena Juda.
Amadorobhakho azakuba marubhi
atlhoge abahlali.
8Yeke, yembathani iinzilo,
nilile nirhahlawule nithi:
Maye, ilaka elivuthako lakaSomnini
alikasuki phezu kwethu.
9USomnini uZimu wathi:
“Mhlokho, ikosi kanye neenkhulu
izakuphela amandla,
abaphristi bakhene,
abaphorofidi bakakamale.”
10Yeke mina ngathi: “Maye Somnini Somandla, ukhohlise kokukhohlisa isizwesi kanye neJerusalema ngokuthi bazakuba nokuthula khisibe isabula isihlezi emphinjeni.”
11Ngesikhatheso isizwesi kanye neJerusalema bazakutjelwa kuthiwe: “Ummoya otjhwabisako ovela emibundwini eligagadu erhalawumbeni uphembethela ngebantwini bami, kodwana awuzukuphephetha namkha uthanyele. 12Kumumoya onamandla khulu kunalokho! Ngesikhathesi ubuya kimi. Mina ngokwami ngizakukhupha iingwebo phezu kwabo.”
13Qalani, uza njengamafu!
Ikaranakhe iza njengesiwuruwuru,
iinjomani zakhe zigijima khulu kunamadlanga.
Maye thina! Siphelile!
14Wena Jerusalema,
hlamba ubumbi obusehliziywenakho bese uyasinda.
Kuzabe kube nini imizindlo emimbi ihlezi kuwe na?
15Ilizwi libika ukusuka kwaDani,
limemezela ihlekelele eentabeni zakwa-Efrayimu lithi:
16“Yazisani iinkoro zakwa-Israyeli,
nimemezele eJerusalema nithi:
‘Qalani, napo abavimbezeli beza,
basuka enarheni ekhatjhana,
baqubula ingoma yepi
phezu kwamadorobho wakwaJuda.
17Bazombeleza iJerusalema
njengomuntu olinde isimu
ngombana lingihlubukile mina Somnini.’ ”
Kutjho uSomnini.
18Ukuziphatha kwakho
kanye nezenzo zakho, wena Juda,
kulethe lokhu phezu kwakho.
Lokhu kumphumela wobukhohlakali bakho.
Yizwa bona kumunyu kangangani
nabuhlaba ehliziyweni!
19Maye iinsizi zami, iinsizi zami!
Ngisebuhlungwini!
Maye, ukubethela eduze kwehliziywami!
Iye, ihliziywami iyathukuza
angikwazi ukuthula.
Ngizwile ukulila kwepalapala,
ngezwa nengoma yepi.
20Ukubhujiswa phezu kokubhujiswa kuyamenyezelwa;
mbala, inarha yoke itlhifiriziwe.
Amatendami atjhabalaliswe msinyana,
iye, ubusithelo bami ngokuphazima kwelihlo.
21Kuzabe kube nini ngibona iphawu
ngizwe netjhada lepalapala na?
22USomnini uthi:
“Lokhu kwenzeka
ngombana abantu bami ziindlhadlha, abangazi.
Babantwana abanganangqondo
begodu abanalemuko.
Banekghono lokwenza ubumbi,
kodwana abakwazi ukwenza okulungileko.”
23Ngabona inarha,
qala, beyinganabubono, inganabuphilo
ngabona umkayi,
qala, bewunganakukhanya.
24Ngabona iintaba,
qala, bezihlengezela,
yoke imibundu gade iyethezela.
25Ngaqala,
yelela bekunganamuntu
neenyoni zoke zibalekile.
26Godu ngaqala,
yelela, inarha ebeyinothile sele ilirhalawumba;
woke amadorobhayo gade amarubhi
ngebanga lakaSomnini,
iye, ngebanga letukuthelwakhe evuthako.
27Ngambala nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini:
“Yoke inarha izokuba libhudu,
nokho angeze ngalisa ukuyibhubhisa.
28Ngalokho iphasi liyalila
namazulu phezulu ayafiphala.
Ngebanga lokobana ngikhulumile,
ngincamile, ngizakwenza lokho.
Angeze ngazisola,
asoze ngabuyela emuva.”
29Ngetjhada labakhweli beenkarana zepi
nabosomsebe
boke abantu ngedorobheni bayabaleka.
Babalekela eentjhutheni,
banyukela ngemipharwini yamadwala.
Woke amadorobho atjhiyiwe,
akakho ohlala kiwo.
30Uzokwenzani, wena ophelisiweko na?
Nanyana uzembese ngezitlerebede
wafaka nobuphaziphazi begolide,
iye, nanyana uzitjhatjhe ngeemonyongo zamehlo
uzazikghabisela ilize.
Labo abakukhanukako bayakudelela,
bafunana nepilwakho.
31Mbala, ngezwa isililo
inga ngesomfazi onemirhelo,
silisizi njengaloyo obeletha izibulo;
iye, isililo sendodakazi yeZiyoni
elwela ukuphefumula,
yelula izandla isithi:
“Maye mina, ngiyatsirimezeka,
ipilwami inikelwe esandleni sababulali.”
