UJeremiya 51 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

INkosi iyahlulela iBabiloni

¹ INkosi ithi: Ngizavusela iBabiloni labakhileyo eKaladiya umoya ochithayo,

² ngithumele eBabiloni abelayo, bazakulela, bathulule ilizwe lalo, lapho betheleka phezu kwalo bevela inxa zonke ngosuku lokuhlupheka.

³ Otshokayo kangawutshoki umtshoko wakhe, kungasukumi muntu ogqoke ibhatshi lakhe lensimbi. Lingaziyekeli insizwa zalo, liyiqede nya impi yalo yonke.

⁴ Bazakuwa befelwe elizweni lamaKaladiya, bagwazwe endleleni zalo.

⁵ Ngoba uIsrayeli loJuda kabalahlwanga nguNkulunkulu wabo, iNkosi yamabandla; kodwa ilizwe lamaKaladiya lilecala koNgcwele kaIsrayeli.

⁶ Balekani eBabiloni, lizisilise lonke. Lingaqedwa ekutshayweni kwalo, ngoba lesi yisikhathi sokuphindisela kweNkosi, iyaliphindisela.

⁷ IBabiloni laliyinkezo yegolide esandleni seNkosi, eyayidakisa umhlaba wonke; izizwe zanatha iwayini lalo, ngakho zahlanya.

⁸ IBabiloni seliwile masinyane, lachitheka; likhaleleni, lilidingele umuthi wezilonda, mhlawumbe lingasila.

⁹ Abezizwe bakhona bathi: Besizakulelapha iBabiloni, kodwa kalelatshwanga; litshiyeni, asihambeni sonke siye emazweni akithi; ngoba ukwahlulelwa kwalo kufinyelele ezulwini, kuphakanyisiwe kwaze kwafika emkhathini.

¹⁰ INkosi isitshengisile ukuba thina siqondile; wozani, silandise eZiyone umsebenzi weNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu.

¹¹ Lolani imitshoko, lithathe izihlangu. INkosi ivusile umoya wamakhosi amaMede, ngoba ilecebo lokulichitha iBabiloni, ngoba lokho kuyimpindiselo yeNkosi, impindiselo yethempeli layo.

¹² Misani uphawu lwempi ngasemidulini yaseBabiloni, liqinise ukulinda, libeke abalindi, licathame, ngoba iNkosi isikumisile, futhi izakukwenza lokho ekukhulume ngabakhileyo eBabiloni.

¹³ Wena muzi ohlala ngasemanzini amanengi, olenotho enengi, ukuphela kwakho sekufikile, kuqunyiwe ukuphila kwakho.

¹⁴ INkosi yamabandla izifungile uqobo yathi: Impela ngizakukugcwalisa ngabantu, babe ngangentethe, bazahlaba umkhosi wokunqoba ngawe.

¹⁵ UNkulunkulu wawenza umhlaba ngamandla akhe, walimisa ilizwe ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe, langokuqedisisa kwakhe walendlala iphezulu.

¹⁶ Lapho ekhupha ilizwi lakhe, amanzi ayahlokoma phezulu, uyakhupha inkungu emikhawulweni yomhlaba, enze imibane iphazime lapho lisina, akhuphe umoya eziphaleni zakhe.

¹⁷ Bonke abantu bayizithutha, kabalakwazi; wonke umkhandi uyangiswa yizithombe zakhe, ngoba izithombe zakhe ziyinkohliso, kazilamphefumulo.

¹⁸ Ziyize nje, zingumsebenzi wenkohliso, ngesikhathi sokutshaywa kwazo zizabhubha.

¹⁹ UNkulunkulu kaJakobe kanjengazo; ngoba yena nguye owadala zonke izinto, isizwe sakoIsrayeli yiso asikhethayo; yiNkosi yamabandla ibizo lakhe.

²⁰ Wena Babiloni uyisando sami lezikhali zami zokulwa; ngizakwephula izizwe ngawe, ngichithe imibuso,

²¹ ngiphahlaze ngawe ibhiza lomgadi walo, lenqola yokulwa lomkhweli wayo,

²² ngiphahlaze ngawe amadoda labesifazana, amaxhegu labatsha, insizwa lezintombi,

²³ ngiphahlaze ngawe umalusi lomhlambi wakhe, umlimi lenkabi zakhe, ababusi lezinduna zempi.

²⁴ Ngizaliphindisela iBabiloni labo bonke abakhileyo eKaladiya okubi kwabo konke abakwenzileyo eZiyone phambi kwenu, kutsho iNkosi.

²⁵ Ngimelana lawe, wena ntaba echithayo, kutsho iNkosi, echitha wonke umhlaba; ngizaphakamisela isandla sami kuwe, ngikugiqe ezintabeni, ngikwenze ube yintaba etshisiweyo.

²⁶ Kakuyikuthathwa ilitshe kuwe elengonsi, lelitshe lesisekelo; kodwa uzakuba yinkangala kuze kube nininini, kutsho iNkosi.

²⁷ Misani uphawu lwempi emhlabeni, litshaye uphondo phakathi kwezizwe, lilungisele izizwe ukulwa leBabiloni, lilibizele imibuso ukulwa lalo, iArarati leMini leAshikenazi; lilibekele umlawuli wempi, likhuphe amabhiza abe njengomtshitshi wentethe.

²⁸ Lungisani izizwe ukulwa lalo, amakhosi amaMede lezinduna zalo lababusi balo, lalo lonke ilizwe elibuswa yiwo.

²⁹ Ilizwe liyathuthumela, liqhaqhazele, ngoba icebo leNkosi limelana leBabiloni, ukuba yenze ilizwe leBabiloni libe yinkangala engelamuntu.

³⁰ Amaqhawe aseBabiloni ayekele ukulwa, ahlezi enqabeni zawo, amandla awo aphelile, asenjengabesifazana; izindlu zalo ziyatsha, lemigoqo yamasango alo yephukile.

³¹ Isigijimi siyagijima sihlangane lesinye, umbiki wezindaba uhlangana lombiki wezindaba, ukutshela inkosi yaseBabiloni ukuthi umuzi wayo unqotshiwe inxa zonke,

³² amazibuko asethethwe, lezinqaba zitshisiwe ngomlilo, amadoda empi ethukile.

³³ Ngoba iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ithi: IBabiloni linjengesiza sokubhulela ngesikhathi sokunyathelwa kwalo; kuseyisikhatshana nje isikhathi sokuvunwa kwalo sizakufika.

³⁴ UNebukadineza inkosi yaseBabiloni usidlile, usiqedile; wasenza saba yimbiza engelalutho, wasiginya njengomgobho, usuthi ngokumnandi kwethu, wasitsaka.

³⁵ Ububi obukhulu obenziwe kithi bube phezu kweBabiloni, kabatsho njalo abaseZiyone. Ngokuhlupheka kwethu babe lomlandu abaseKaladiya, kabatsho njalo abaseJerusalema.

³⁶ Ngakhoke iNkosi ithi: Ngizayimela indaba yenu, ngiliphindisele; ngizakomisa ulwandle lwalo, ngomise lomthombo walo.

³⁷ IBabiloni lizakuba lunxiwa oludilikileyo, lendawo yamakhanka, into eyesabekayo leyokuncifelwa, kungabi khona ohlala khona.

³⁸ Abantu balo bazabhonga njengezilwane, bakhale njengemidlwane yezilwane.

³⁹ Lapho sebebukhali, ngizabenzela idili, ngibadakise baze baqaleke, balale ubuthongo obungapheliyo, bangaphindi bavuke, kutsho iNkosi.

⁴⁰ Ngizabaletha ekuhlatshweni njengamawundlu, njengezinqama lezimpongo.

⁴¹ Yeka ukubanjwa kweBabiloni elidumileyo emhlabeni wonke! Yeka iBabiloni eseliphenduke laba yinto eyesabekayo phakathi kwezizwe!

⁴² Ulwandle lufikile eBabiloni, lwasibekelwa ngamavinqo alo ahlokomayo.

⁴³ Imizi yalo isingamanxiwa, ilizwe elomileyo lenkangala, ilizwe elingahlalwa muntu, okungadluli kulo umuntu.

⁴⁴ Ngizamtshaya unkulunkulu uBeli eBabiloni, ngikhuphe emlonyeni wakhe lokho akuginyileyo. Izizwe kazisayikubekelela ziye kuye. Umduli waseBabiloni uwile.

⁴⁵ Phumani phakathi kwalo, bantu bami, lizikhulule lonke olakeni olwesabekayo lweNkosi.

⁴⁶ Inhliziyo zenu kazingakhathali, lingesabi umbiko ozwakala elizweni, lapho kufika umbiko ngomunye umnyaka, besekufika omunye umbiko ngomnyaka olandelayo, ukuthi kukhona isihluku elizweni, lombusi avukele umbusi.

⁴⁷ Ngalokhoke insuku ziyeza, lapho ngizatshaya izithombe zeBabiloni; ilizwe lonke lalo lizayangeka, bonke ababuleweyo balo bawele phakathi kwalo.

⁴⁸ Kuthike izulu lomhlaba, lakho konke okukukho, kuhlabele ngokuthokoza ngeBabiloni, ngoba abachithi bazalifikela bevela enyakatho, kutsho iNkosi.

⁴⁹ IBabiloni limele ukuwa ngenxa yabafileyo bakoIsrayeli, njengokuba ngeBabiloni abantu babulawa emhlabeni wonke.

⁵⁰ Lina eliphephileyo ekufeni, hambani, lingemi. Khumbulani iNkosi lisekhatshana, leJerusalema libe semkhumbulweni wenu.

⁵¹ Siyangekile ngoba sizwile ihlazo; ubuso bethu bulenhloni, ngoba abezizwe sebefikile ezindaweni ezingcwele zethempeli.

⁵² Ngakhoke insuku ziyeza, kutsho iNkosi, lapho ngizatshaya izithombe zeBabiloni, labagwaziweyo babubule kulo lonke ilizwe lalo.

⁵³ Loba iBabiloni lingaphakamela ezulwini, loba lingaqinisa amadundulu alo aqinileyo, kodwa abachithi balo bazalifikela bevela kimi, kutsho iNkosi.

⁵⁴ Zwanini, ukukhala kuvela eBabiloni, umsindo wokuchitheka okukhulu uvela elizweni lamaKaladiya.

⁵⁵ Ngoba iNkosi iyalichitha iBabiloni, iyalithulisa ilizwi lalo elilamandla. Amavinqo alo ayahlokoma njengamanzi amanengi, lomsindo wokuhlokoma kwawo uyezwakala.

⁵⁶ Ngoba umchithi uyehlela phezu kweBabiloni; amaqhawe alo ayabanjwa, lamadandili awo ayephulwa. Ngoba iNkosi inguNkulunkulu onika umvuzo, izakuwukhokha umvuzo impela.

⁵⁷ Ngizadakisa izikhulu zalo lezihlakaniphi zalo, ababusi balo, lezinduna zamabutho alo, lamaqhawe alo; bazalala ubuthongo obungapheliyo, bangavuki, kutsho iNkosi, eyiNkosi yamabandla.

⁵⁸ INkosi yamabandla ithi: Umduli obanzi waseBabiloni uzabhidlizwa, lamasango alo aphakemeyo atshiswe ngomlilo. Abantu basebenzela ize, lomsebenzi wezizwe uphelela emlilweni.

⁵⁹ Ilizwi likaJeremiya umprofethi alaya ngalo uSeraya indodana kaNeriya, kaMahaseya, ekuhambeni kwakhe loZedekiya inkosi yakoJuda, ukuya eBabiloni emnyakeni wesine wokubusa kwakhe. USeraya wayeyisikhulu sezindawo zokuphumula.

⁶⁰ UJeremiya waloba encwadini konke okubi okuzakwehlela iBabiloni, wonke lamazwi alotshiweyo ngeBabiloni.

⁶¹ UJeremiya wathi kuSeraya: Lapho usufikile eBabiloni, ubone ukuthi uyawafunda wonke lamazwi,

⁶² uthi: Wena Nkosi, ukhulumile ngalindawo ukuthi uzayichitha, ukuze kungabi khona okuhlala kiyo, umuntu loba inyamazana, ibe yinkangala kuze kube nininini.

⁶³ Kuthi lapho usuqedile ukuyifunda lincwadi, ubophele ilitshe kuyo, uyiphosele emfuleni iYufrathi,

⁶⁴ uthi: IBabiloni lizatshona, lingabe lisavela futhi, ngenxa yokubi engizalehlisela khona. Aphelela lapha amazwi kaJeremiya.