UJeremiya
50 Nanti ilizwi uJehova alikhuluma ngomphrofethi uJeremiya mayelana leBhabhiloni,+ ilizwe lamaKhaledi:
2 “Khulumani ngakho phakathi kwezizwe, likumemezele kuzo.
Phakamisani uphawu likumemezele.
Lingafihli lutho!
Kumele lithi, ‘IBhabhiloni isinqotshiwe.+
UBheli useyangisiwe.+
UMerodakhi usesesaba.
Izithombe zeBhabhiloni ziyangisiwe,
Izithombe zayo ezenyanyekayo* sezisesaba.’
3 Ihlaselwe yisizwe esivela enyakatho.+
Senze ilizwe layo laba ngamanxiwa esabekayo,
Akulamuntu ohlala kulo.
Abantu babalekile lezinyamazana zabaleka,
Basukile kulo.”
4 UJehova uthi, “Ngalezonsuku langalesosikhathi abantu bako-Israyeli labakoJuda bazahlangana.+ Bazahamba bekhala+ njalo bazadinga uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo bendawonye.+ 5 Bazabuza indlela eya eZiyoni bekhangele kuyo.+ Bazakuthi, ‘Wozani simanyane loJehova senze laye isivumelwano esingapheliyo esizahlala sikhunjulwa.’+ 6 Abantu bami sebengumhlambi wezimvu ezilahlekileyo.+ Abelusi babo babenze bahlanhlatha.+ Babahambise ezintabeni, benza bazulazula ezintabeni lasemaqaqeni. Sebeyikhohliwe indawo yabo yokuphumula. 7 Loba ngubani obatholileyo ubahlasele,+ njalo izitha zabo zithi, ‘Asilacala ngoba bonele uJehova njalo benze okubi phambi kukaJehova, indawo yokulunga lethemba labokhokho babo.’”
8 “Balekani liphume eBhabhiloni,
Phumani elizweni lamaKhaledi,+
Libe njengezifuyo ezikhokhela umhlambi.
9 Phela ngizavusela iBhabhiloni ixuku lezizwe ezinkulu,
Ngizaziletha zivela elizweni elisenyakatho.+
Zizahlela amabutho azo ziyihlasele.
Yikho lapho ezanqotshwa khona.
Imitshoko yazo injengemitshoko yeqhawe,
Etshiya abazali bengelabantwana.+
Ayikhuthi lapho okumele itshaye khona.
10 Ilizwe lamaKhaledi lizathunjwa.+
Bonke abazathumba impahla yalo bazanotha,”+ kutsho uJehova.
Waqhubeka uqolotsha njengethokazi liqolotsha etshanini,
Njalo wawulokhu ukhonya njengamabhiza.
12 Unyoko uyangisiwe.+
Yena owakuzalayo udanile.
Unyoko mncinyane phakathi kwezizwe,
Unjengogwadule lenkangala engelamanzi.+
Loba ngubani odlula kuyo uzayikhangela ethuke,
Atshaye umlozwi ngenxa yenhlupho eziyehleleyo.+
14 Thutshani ndawo zonke lizohlasela iBhabhiloni,
Lonke lina eligobisa idandili.*
15 Memezelani impi, liyihlasele macele wonke iBhabhiloni.
Isizinikele ezitheni zayo.
Phindiselani kuyo,
Lenze kuyo lokho ekwenze kwabanye.+
16 Bulala umhlanyeli eBhabhiloni,
Lalowo othwala isikela ngesikhathi sokuvuna.+
Ngamunye uzabuyela ebantwini bakibo ngenxa yenkemba elesihluku,
Uzabaleka aye elizweni lakibo.+
17 “Abantu bako-Israyeli banjengezimvu ezichitheke zagcwala indawo yonke.+ Izilwane zibenze basabalala.+ Inkosi yase-Asiriya yiyo eyaqalisa ukubadla,+ uNebhukhadinezari* inkosi yeBhabhiloni waseqhoba amathambo abo.+ 18 Ngakho uJehova wamabutho uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: ‘Ngizakwenza enkosini yeBhabhiloni laselizweni layo lokho engakwenza enkosini yase-Asiriya.+ 19 Ngizaphendukisa u-Israyeli emadlelweni akhe+ futhi uzakudla eKhameli laseBhashani.+ Uzakudla asuthe ezintabeni zako-Efrayimi+ lezaseGiliyadi.’”+
20 UJehova uthi, “Ngalezonsuku langalesosikhathi,
Icala labako-Israyeli lizadingwa
Kodwa alisoze litholakale,
Lezono zabakoJuda azisoze zitholakale
Ngoba ngizabathethelela labo engivumele ukuthi basale.”+
21 “Hambani liyehlasela ilizwe laseMerathayimi lalabo abahlala ePhekhodi.+
Babulaleni libaqede libatshabalalise,” kutsho uJehova.
“Yenzani konke engilitshele khona.
22 Kuzwakala umsindo wempi elizweni,
Kulomonakalo omkhulu.
23 Isando esikhulu esicobodisa izizwe zomhlaba sephuliwe saqanyulwa!+
IBhabhiloni isitshabalele phakathi kwezizwe!+
24 Ngikufakele umjibila wena Bhabhiloni, wabanjwa,
Ubungazi lutho ngakho.
Utholakele wathunjwa,+
Ngoba uphikisane loJehova.
25 UJehova uvule isiphala sakhe
Wakhipha izikhali zakhe ngoba uthukuthele.+
INkosi Enkulu uJehova wamabutho ilomsebenzi okumele iwenze
Elizweni lamaKhaledi.
26 Buyani livela ezindaweni ezikhatshana lizohlasela iBhabhiloni.+
Vulani iziphala zayo.+
Buthelelani impahla yayo ibe njengenqumbi yamabele.
Yitshabalaliseni ngokupheleleyo.+
Akungabi lomuntu osala kuyo.
27 Bulalani wonke amajongosi ayo,+
Ahambiseni lapho azabulawelwa khona.
Maye kubo ngoba ilanga labo selifikile,
Sesifikile isikhathi sokujeziswa kwabo!
28 Kuzwakala umsindo wabantu ababalekayo,
Ababaleka besuka elizweni leBhabhiloni,
Besiyamemezela eZiyoni ukuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu wethu usephindisele,
Ephindiselela ithempeli lakhe.+
29 Bizani abatshoka imitshoko bazohlasela iBhabhiloni,
Bonke abagobisa idandili.+
Misani izinkamba liyigombolozele; akungabi lomuntu ophunyukayo.
Phindiselani kuyo lokho ebikwenza.+
Lenze kuyo lokho ekwenze kwabanye.+
Phela izikhukhumezile phambi kukaJehova,
Phambi koNgcwele ka-Israyeli.+
31 “Ngizakujezisa+ wena oyisiqholo,”+ kutsho iNkosi Enkulu uJehova wamabutho,
“Ilanga lakho lizafika, sizafika isikhathi sokuthi ngikujezise.
32 Wena oyisiqholo uzakhubeka uwe,
Kungabi lomuntu ozakuvusa.+
Ngizathungela amadolobho akho ngomlilo,
Ulobise konke okuseduze kwakho.”
33 UJehova wamabutho uthi:
“Abantu bako-Israyeli labakoJuda bayacindezelwa,
Bonke ababathumbileyo abafuni ukubayekela,+
Bayala ukubakhulula.+
34 Kodwa uMhlengi wabo ulamandla.+
Ibizo lakhe nguJehova wamabutho.+
Loba sekutheni uzalumela udaba lwabo,+
Ukuze alethe ukuthula elizweni,+
Enze abantu baseBhabhiloni behlelwe yikwesaba okukhulu.”+
35 “AmaKhaledi azahlaselwa ngenkemba,” kutsho uJehova,
“Izabulala abantu abahlala eBhabhiloni lezikhulu zayo kanye labahlakaniphileyo bayo.+
36 Abantu abakhuluma amanga* bazahlaselwa ngenkemba babe yiziphukuphuku.
Inkemba izabulala amabutho ayo njalo azakwehlelwa yikwesaba.+
37 Inkemba izaqeda amabhiza lezinqola zabo zempi,
Iqede labo bonke abantu bezinye izizwe abaphakathi kweBhabhiloni,
Bazakuba njengabesifazana.+
Inkemba izaqeda inotho yayo, izathathwa yonke.+
38 Maye ngamanzi ayo ngoba azakutsha.+
IBhabhiloni lilizwe eligcwele izithombe,+
Abantu bayo baqhubeka besenza angathi bayahlanya ngenxa yemibono yabo eyethusayo.
IBhabhiloni ayisoze iphinde ihlalwe ngabantu,
Akulamuntu ozahlala kuyo kuzo zonke izizukulwane.”+
40 “Njengoba nje uNkulunkulu watshabalalisa idolobho leSodoma leleGomora+ kanye lamadolobho ayeseduze kwawo,+ akulamuntu ozahlala eBhabhiloni futhi kakho ozakwakha khona,”+ kutsho uJehova.
41 Khangela! Kulabantu abathutsha bevela enyakatho.
Kuzabizwa isizwe esikhulu esilamakhosi amakhulu,+
Sizabizwa sivela ezindaweni ezikhatshana zomhlaba.+
42 Amabutho aso athwele imitshoko lemikhonto.*+
Alesihluku, awalasihawu ngitsho.+
Nxa egade amabhiza awo
Umsindo wawo ungathi ngumdumo wamanzi olwandle.+
Ahlasela indodakazi yaseBhabhiloni emanyene angathi ngumuntu oyedwa.+
Izwa ubuhlungu obukhulu,
Ubuhlungu obunjengemihelo yowesifazana obelethayo.
44 “Njengesilwane siphuma ezixukwini eziseceleni komfula uJodani, kulomuntu ozahlasela amadlelo avikelekileyo. Kodwa ngesikhatshana nje ngizabenza babaleke elizweni labo, besengibeka lowo engimkhethileyo ukuthi alibuse.+ Ngubani onjengami? Ngubani ongamelana lami? Ukhona yini umelusi ongama phambi kwami?+ 45 Ngakho zwanini lina bantu lokho uJehova asekhethe ukukwenza ngeBhabhiloni+ lalokho asekucabangile ngabantu abahlala elizweni lamaKhaledi.
Abancane emhlambini bazahudulwa loba sekutheni.
Indawo yabo yokuhlala izasala ingamanxiwa ngenxa yezenzo zabo.+
46 Umsindo wokunqotshwa kweBhabhiloni uzenza umhlaba uzamazame,
Kuzazwakala isililo esikhulu phakathi kwezizwe.”+