UJeremiya
50 Leli yizwi uJehova alikhuluma ngokuphathelene neBhabhiloni, + ngokuphathelene nezwe lamaKhaledi, ngoJeremiya umprofethi:
2 “Kushoni phakathi kwezizwe nikumemezele.
Misani isigxobo njengophawu nikumemezele.
Ningafihli lutho!
Thanini, ‘IBhabhiloni linqotshiwe. +
UBheli uhlazekile. +
UMerodaki wesabe kakhulu.
Imifanekiso yalo ihlazekile.
Izithixo zalo ezinyanyekayo* zesabe kakhulu.’
3 Ngoba isizwe size ukuzomelana nalo sivela enyakatho. +
Senza izwe lalo libe yinto eshaqisayo;
Akuhlali muntu kulo.
Umuntu nesilwane kubalekile;
Kuhambile.”
4 “Ngalezo zinsuku nangaleso sikhathi,” kusho uJehova, “abantu bakwa-Israyeli nabantu bakwaJuda bayoqoqana ndawonye. + Bayohamba bekhala, + ndawonye bayofuna uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo. + 5 Bayobuza indlela eya eZiyoni, ubuso babo bubheke ngakhona, + bethi, ‘Wozani sizihlanganise noJehova esivumelwaneni esimi kuze kube phakade esingeke silitshalwe.’ + 6 Abantu bami babe ngumhlambi wezimvu ezilahlekile. + Abelusi babo bababangele ukuba bahlakazeke. + Babaholele ezintabeni, babenza bazulazula ezintabeni. Bayikhohliwe indawo yabo yokuphumula. 7 Bonke ababatholayo babashwabadelile, + nezitha zabo zithe, ‘Asinacala, ngoba bonile kuJehova, bone indawo yokuhlala yokulunga nethemba lokhokho babo, uJehova.’ ”
8 “Balekani niphume phakathi kweBhabhiloni,
Phumani ezweni lamaKhaledi, +
Nibe njengezilwane eziholayo phambi komhlambi.
9 Ngoba bheka ngivusa futhi ngiletha ngokumelene neBhabhiloni
Isixuku sezizwe ezinkulu ezivela ezweni lasenyakatho. +
Sizoza sizolwa nalo;
Liyonqotshwa lapho.
Imicibisholo yaso injengeyamaqhawe
Yenza ukuba abazali balahlekelwe izingane zabo; +
Ayibuyi ingafezanga lutho.
10 IKhalideya liyophangwa. +
Bonke abaliphangayo bayokwaneliseka ngokugcwele,” + kusho uJehova.
Ngoba nanilokhu nitshakadula njengesithole otshanini,
Niyiyiza njengezinkunzi zamahhashi.
12 Unyoko ube namahloni. +
Yena owanizala udumazekile.
Bheka! Uyisizwe esincane ezizweni,
Ihlane elingenamanzi nogwadule. +
Noma ubani odlula ngaseBhabhiloni, uyoligqolozela eshaqekile
Ashaye ikhwela ngenxa yazo zonke izinhlupho zalo. +
14 Lihlaseleni iBhabhiloni niqhamuke nhlangothi zonke,
Nonke nina enigoba* umnsalo.
15 Memezani njengoba kumenyezwa empini ngokumelene nalo nhlangothi zonke.
Lizinikele.*
Ziphindiseleleni kulo.
Yenzani kulo njengoba nje nalo lenzile. +
16 Bulalani ohlwanyela imbewu eBhabhiloni,
Nophatha isikela ngesikhathi sokuvuna. +
Ngenxa yenkemba enonya, yilowo nalowo uyobuyela kubantu bakubo,
Yilowo nalowo uyobalekela ezweni lakubo. +
17 “Abantu bakwa-Israyeli bayizimvu ezihlakazekile. + Amabhubesi abahlakazile. + Okokuqala inkosi yase-Asiriya ibashwabadelile; + ngemva kwalokho uNebukhadinezari* inkosi yaseBhabhiloni uququde amathambo abo. + 18 Ngakho-ke yilokhu uJehova wamabutho, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, akushoyo: ‘Ngizoyijezisa inkosi yaseBhabhiloni nezwe layo ngendlela engajezisa ngayo inkosi yase-Asiriya. + 19 Ngiyombuyisela edlelweni lakhe u-Israyeli, + uyoklaba eKarmeli naseBhashani, + uyokwaneliseka ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi + nezaseGileyadi.’ ” +
20 “Ngalezo zinsuku nangaleso sikhathi,” kusho uJehova,
“Icala lika-Israyeli liyofunwa,
Kodwa ngeke litholakale,
Nezono zikaJuda ngeke zitholakale,
Ngoba ngiyobathethelela labo engibavumela ukuba basale.” +
21 “Khuphuka umelane nezwe laseMeratayimi kanye nezakhamuzi zasePhekodi. +
Mababulawe bonke babhujiswe ngokuphelele,” kusho uJehova.
“Yenza konke engikuyale ngakho.
22 Kuzwakala umsindo wempi ezweni,
Inhlekelele enkulu.
23 Yeka indlela isando esiphihliza izizwe zomhlaba wonke esiye sanqunywa ngayo nesiphuke ngayo! +
Maye indlela iBhabhiloni elibe yinto eshaqisa ngayo phakathi kwezizwe! +
24 O Bhabhiloni, ngikubekele ugibe* wabanjwa,
Wena ubungazi.
Utholakele wabanjwa, +
Ngoba waphikisa uJehova.
25 UJehova uvule inqolobane yakhe,
Ukhipha izikhali zentukuthelo yakhe. +
Ngoba iNkosi EnguMbusi, uJehova wamabutho, inomsebenzi ezowenza
Ezweni lamaKhaledi.
26 Lihlaseleni nivela kude. +
Vulani izinqolobane zalo. +
Linqwabelaniseni njengenqwaba yokudla okusanhlamvu.
Libhubhiseni ngokuphelele. +
Makungasali muntu kulo.
27 Bulalani zonke izinkunzi zalo; +
Mazihlatshwe.
Maye kuzo, ngoba usuku lwazo lufikile,
Isikhathi sokujeziswa kwazo!
28 Kuzwakala umsindo wababalekayo,
Labo abaphunyuka ezweni laseBhabhiloni,
Ukuze bamemezele eZiyoni impindiselo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu,
Impindiselo ngenxa yethempeli lakhe. +
Kanisani nxazonke zalo; ningavumeli muntu aphunyuke.
Libuyiseleni ngokwezenzo zalo. +
Yenzani kulo njengoba nje lenzile. +
Ngoba lizikhukhumezile phambi kukaJehova,
Phambi koNgcwele ka-Israyeli. +
30 Ngakho izinsizwa zalo ziyofela ezigcawini zalo, +
Nawo wonke amasosha alo ayoshabalala* ngalolo suku,” kusho uJehova.
31 “Bheka! Ngizokujezisa, + wena ozikhukhumezayo,” + kusho iNkosi EnguMbusi, uJehova wamabutho,
“Ngoba usuku lwakho luzofika, isikhathi engizokujezisa ngaso.
32 Wena ozikhukhumezayo uyokhubeka uwe,
Akukho muntu ozokuvusa. +
Amadolobha akho ngizowashisa ngomlilo,
Umlilo uzoshisa yonke into ekuzungezile.”
33 Yilokhu uJehova wamabutho akushoyo:
“Abantu bakwa-Israyeli nabakwaJuda bacindezelwe,
Bonke labo ababathumbile bababambile. +
Benqabile ukubadedela. +
34 Kodwa uMhlengi wabo unamandla. +
NguJehova wamabutho igama lakhe. +
Uyolisingatha icala labo lomthetho, +
Ukuze enze izwe libe nokuthula +
Nokuba aphithizelise izakhamuzi zaseBhabhiloni.” +
35 “Inkemba izowaqothula amaKhaledi,” kusho uJehova,
“Izoqothula izakhamuzi zaseBhabhiloni nezikhulu zakhona nabahlakaniphile bakhona. +
36 Inkemba izoqothula abaprofethi bamanga,* ngeke bazi ukuthi benzeni.
Inkemba izoqothula amaqhawe alo, ayokwesaba kakhulu. +
37 Inkemba izoqothula amahhashi alo nezinqola zalo zempi,
Iqothule nazo zonke izinhlanga zabantu ezihlala khona,
Ziyoba njengabesifazane. +
Inkemba izoqothula ingcebo yalo, liyophangwa. +
38 Kukhona umonakalo ozokwehlela amanzi alo, azokoma. +
Ngoba liyizwe lezithombe ezibaziwe, +
Ngenxa yemibono yabo ethusayo baqhubeka beziphathisa okwabantu abasangene.
39 Ngakho-ke, izilwane zasogwadule ziyohlala kanye nezilwane ezihewulayo,
Izintshe ziyohlala kulo. +
Akukho muntu oyophinde ahlale kulo,
Ngeke kuhlale muntu kuzo zonke izizukulwane.” +
40 “Njengoba nje uNkulunkulu agumbuqela iSodoma neGomora + namadolobhana akhelene nawo,” + kusho uJehova, “akukho muntu oyohlala khona, akukho muntu oyokwakha khona. +
41 Bheka! Kuza isizwe sivela enyakatho;
Isizwe esikhulu namakhosi amakhulu + ayovuswa
Evela ezindaweni ezikude kakhulu zomhlaba. +
42 Sihlome ngomnsalo nomkhonto. +
Sinesihluku futhi ngeke sibonise isihe. +
Umsindo waso unjengomsindo wolwandle oluhlokomayo, +
Njengoba sigibele amahhashi.
Size ukuzokuhlasela sibumbene, ndodakazi yaseBhabhiloni. +
Usizi luyibambile,
Izinhlungu ezinjengezowesifazane obelethayo.
44 “Bheka! Othile uyokhuphuka njengebhubesi liphuma ehlathini eligudle iJordani, ahlasele amadlelo aseBhabhiloni, kodwa ngomzuzwana ngiyobenza* babaleke basuke kulo. Ngiyomisa okhethiwe phezu kwalo. + Ngoba ngubani onjengami, ngubani ongangibekela inselele? Yimuphi umalusi ongama phambi kwami? + 45 Ngakho-ke yizwani madoda, isinqumo* uJehova asenzile ngokumelene neBhabhiloni, + nalokho akucabangile ngokumelene nezwe lamaKhaledi.
Nakanjani amawundlu omhlambi ayohudulwa.
Uyokwenza indawo yawo yokuhlala ibe yincithakalo ngenxa yabo. +
46 Lapho kuzwakala umsindo wokunqotshwa kweBhabhiloni, umhlaba uyozamazama,
Kuyozwakala isililo phakathi kwezizwe.” +