UJeremiya 50 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Ilizwi ngeBabiloni

¹ Ilizwi iNkosi eyalikhuluma ngeBabiloni, ngelizwe lamaKaladiya, ngoJeremiya umprofethi, lisithi:

² Memezani phakathi kwezizwe, litshumayele; misani uphawu, litshumayele, lingakufihli, lithi: IBabiloni linqotshiwe, uBali uyangekile, loMerodaki uchithiwe. Izithombe zalo ziyangisiwe, lemifanekiso yalo emibi ichithekile.

³ Ngoba kuzile kulo isizwe esivela enyakatho, esizachitha ilizwe lalo, abantu lenyamazana kuzabaleka, kungabi khona ohlala kulo.

⁴ Ngalezonsuku langalesosikhathi, kutsho iNkosi, abantu bakoIsrayeli labantu bakoJuda bazabuthana ndawonye, bazahamba bekhala, bedinga iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo.

⁵ Bazabuza indlela eya eZiyone, bekhangele ngakulo, bathi: Wozani, sizihlanganise leNkosi ngesivumelwano esingapheliyo esingayikukhohlakala.

⁶ Abantu bami bebeyizimvu ezilahlekileyo; abelusi babo babaduhisile, bebebalusela ezintabeni; besuka entabeni besiya kwenye, bakhohlwa isibaya sabo.

⁷ Bonke ababafumanayo babadla, lezitha zabo zathi: Kasilacala ngoba bonile eNkosini, iNkosi elikhaya labo eliqotho lethemba laboyise.

⁸ Balekani liphume eBabiloni, liphume elizweni lamaKaladiya, libe njengezintondolo phambi komhlambi.

⁹ Ngoba ngivusela iBabiloni ixuku lezizwe ezinkulu; zizavela enyakatho, zehlele ngakulo, zilithathe khona. Imitshoko yazo injengeqhawe elihlakaniphileyo elingabuyi lingelalutho.

¹⁰ IKaladiya lizaphangwa, labaliphangayo bonke bazakwaneliswa, kutsho iNkosi.

¹¹ Lanxa lithokoza, lanxa lijabula, lina baphangi belizwe lami, lanxa liqolotsha njengethokazi elisotshanini, likhale njengamabhiza amaduna,

¹² unyoko uzakuba lenhloni, lowalizalayo ayangeke. IBabiloni lizakuba ngelokucina phakathi kwezizwe, libe yinkangala eyomileyo logwadule.

¹³ Ngenxa yolaka lweNkosi kaliyikuhlalwa muntu, kodwa lizachitheka impela; wonke umuntu odlula eBabiloni uzamangala, ancife ngenxa yazo zonke inhlupheko zalo.

¹⁴ Zihleleleni iBabiloni inxa zonke, lina lonke eligobisa amadandili, lilitshoke, lingatshiyi mtshoko, ngoba lonile eNkosini.

¹⁵ Memezani kulo inxa zonke; selizinikele, inqaba zalo sezidilikile, lemiduli yalo ibhidliziwe; ngoba lokho kuyimpindiselo yeNkosi; phindiselani kulo, lenze kulo njengokwenza kwalo.

¹⁶ Qedani umhlanyeli eBabiloni, kanye laye ophatha isikela ngesikhathi sokuvuna; ngenxa yempi yomchithi, wonke umuntu uzabuyela kwabakibo, wonke umuntu uzabalekela kwelakibo ilizwe.

¹⁷ UIsrayeli uyimvu ezingelwayo, exotshwa yizilwane. Kuqala wadliwa yinkosi yaseAsiriya, emva kwalokho uNebukadineza inkosi yaseBabiloni uqhobile amathambo akhe.

¹⁸ Ngakhoke iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ithi: Ngizayitshaya inkosi yaseBabiloni lelizwe layo, njengalokho ngayitshaya inkosi yaseAsiriya.

¹⁹ Ngizabuyisela uIsrayeli edlelweni lakhe, uzakudla eKarmeli laseBashani, lokufisa kwakhe kukholiswe emaqaqeni akoEfrayimi laseGileyadi.

²⁰ Ngalezonsuku langalesosikhathi, kutsho iNkosi, kuzadingwa ukona koIsrayeli, kodwa kungafunyanwa; kudingwe lesono koJuda, kodwa singafunyanwa; ngoba ngizabathethelela labo abayingcosana engibatshiyayo.

²¹ Hambani liye elizweni laseMerathayimi lilwe lalo, lilwe labakhileyo ePekodi, libabulale, libaqede nya, kutsho iNkosi, lenze konke engililayele khona.

²² Kukhona umsindo wokulwa elizweni, lokuchitheka okukhulu.

²³ Yeka ukufa lokwephuka kwesando somhlaba wonke! Yeka ukwenziwa kweBabiloni into eyesabekayo phakathi kwezizwe!

²⁴ Ngakuthiya ngomjibila, wabanjwa, wena Babiloni, ungakakwazi; wafunyaniswa, wabanjwa, ngoba walwa leNkosi.

²⁵ INkosi ivalile indlu yayo yezikhali, yakhupha izikali zolaka lwayo, ngoba iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wamabandla, ilomsebenzi elizweni lamaKaladiya.

²⁶ Lifikeleni, livela inxa zonke, livule iziphala zalo, lilibuthelele njengenqumbi yamabele, liliqede nya, kungasali lutho kulo.

²⁷ Bulalani inkunzi zalo zonke, kazisiwe ekuhlatshweni. Maye kuzo! ngoba usuku lwazo lufikile, isikhathi sokutshaywa kwazo.

²⁸ Zwaninike, ababalekayo labaphunyukayo bavela elizweni laseBabiloni, ukuba bamemeze eZiyone ukuphindisela kweNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, impindisela yethempeli layo.

²⁹ Bizani abaphatha imitshoko, balwe leBabiloni bonke abakwazi ukutshoka; lihanqeni inxa zonke, kungabi khona ophunyukayo, liliphindisele njengezenzo zalo, lenze kulo njengakho konke elikwenzileyo; ngoba liyidelele iNkosi, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli.

³⁰ Ngakhoke insizwa zalo zizakuwa emagumeni alo, lawo wonke amabutho alo azabhujiswa ngalolosuku, kutsho iNkosi.

³¹ Khangela, ngilwa lawe, wena ozikhukhumezayo, kutsho iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wamabandla; ngoba usuku lwakho selufikile, isikhathi sokutshaywa kwakho.

³² Ozikhukhumezayo uzakhubeka awe, kungabi khona omvusayo; ngizaphemba umlilo emizini yakhe ozatshisa konke okuseduze laye.

³³ INkosi yamabandla ithi: Abantu bakoIsrayeli bacindezelwe kanye labantu bakoJuda; bonke ababathumbileyo bababambile, bayala ukubayekela.

³⁴ Kanti umhlengi wabo ulamandla, ubizwa ngokuthi yiNkosi yamabandla. Impela uzamela indaba yabo, ukuba anike umhlaba ukuthula, kodwa anyakazise abakhileyo eBabiloni.

³⁵ Kawufike umkhonto phezu kwamaKaladiya, kutsho iNkosi, laphezu kwabakhileyo eBabiloni, phezu kwezikhulu zalo, labahlakaniphileyo balo.

³⁶ Kawufike umkhonto phezu kwabavumisi ukuba baphenduke iziphukuphuku, laphezu kwamaqhawe ukuze abhujiswe.

³⁷ Kawufike umkhonto phezu kwamabhiza laphezu kwenqola zalo zokulwa, laphezu kwawo wonke amabutho awezizwe aphakathi kwalo, ukuze baphenduke babe ngabesifazana; umkhonto ufike phezu kwenotho yalo, ukuba iphangwe.

³⁸ Kufike ukubalela kwelanga phezu kwamanzi alo ukuba acitshe, ngoba liyilizwe lezithombe, lemifanekiso yabo iyabahlanyisa.

³⁹ Ngakhoke amakhanka lezimpisi lezintshe kuzahlala eBabiloni; kakusayikuhlala abantu khona kuze kube nininini, kakusayikwakhelwa kulo ezizukulwaneni zonke.

⁴⁰ Njengoba uNkulunkulu wachitha iSodoma leGomora lemizi eyakhelene lalo, kutsho iNkosi, ngokunjalo kakusayikusala muntu khona, kakusayikuhamba muntu khona.

⁴¹ Khangela, kuvela abantu enyakatho, isizwe esikhulu lamakhosi amanengi avuka emikhawulweni yomhlaba.

⁴² Baphethe imitshoko lemikhonto, balesihluku, kabalasihawu. Umdumo wabo unjengowolwandle, bagade amabhiza, behleliwe njengabantu bokulwa lawe, Babiloni.

⁴³ Inkosi yaseBabiloni yezwa umbiko ngabo, izandla zayo zaba buthakathaka; usizi lwayibamba, lobuhlungu obunjengowesifazana ohelelwayo.

⁴⁴ Njengesilwane esiphuma ehlathini leJordani sisiya esibayeni sezimvu esiqinileyo, ngizabajuma ngibaxotshe, basuke kulo, ngilibekele lowo engimkhethileyo. Ngoba ngubani ofanana lami? Ngubani ozangibiza na? Nguwuphi umalusi ongema phambi kwami na?

⁴⁵ Ngakhoke zwanini icebo iNkosi elenzayo ngeBabiloni, lemikhumbulo elayo ngelizwe lamaKaladiya ukuthi: Abancinyane bomhlambi bazadonswa basuswe, lendawo yabo imangale ngokuphela kwabo.

⁴⁶ Ngomsindo wokuthunjwa kweBabiloni umhlaba uzathuthumela, lelizwi lokukhala kwalo lizakuzwakala phakathi kwezizwe.