Judgment on Babylon

¹Izwi uJehova alikhuluma ngeBabele, izwe lamaKaledi, ngesandla sikaJeremiya umprofethi.

²“Memezani phakathi kwezizwe, nikuzwakalise, nimise ibhanela, nikuzwakalise, ningakufihli, nithi: ‘IBabele linqotshiwe, uBeli ujabhile, uMerodaki uphelile amandla; izithombe zalo zijabhile, imifanekiso yalo iphelile amandla.’

³Ngokuba kukhuphukela kulo isizwe sivela enyakatho, esiyakwenza izwe lalo libe yincithakalo, kungabikho ohlala kulo; abantu nezilwane kuyakubaleka, kuhambe.

⁴“Ngalezo zinsuku nangaleso sikhathi,” usho uJehova, “bayakufika abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, bona nabantwana bakwaJuda kanyekanye, behamba bekhala, befuna uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo.

⁵Bayakubuza indlela yaseSiyoni, ubuso babo bubhekene nalo, bethi: Wozani nizihlanganise noJehova ngesivumelwano esiphakade esingenakukhohlakala.

⁶“Abantu bami babe yizimvu ezilahlekileyo; abelusi babo babadukisile, babazulazulisa ezintabeni, basuka entabeni, baya egqumeni, bakhohlwa indawo yabo yokuphumula.

⁷Bonke ababafumanayo babaqeda; abamelene nabo bathi: ‘Asitholi icala; ngokuba bonile kuJehova, ikhaya lokulunga, ithemba lawoyise, uJehova.’

⁸“Balekani eBabele, niphume ezweni lamaKaledi, nibe njengezimpongo phambi kwezimvu.

⁹Ngokuba bheka, ngiyakuvusa, ngenyusele eBabele ibandla lezizwe ezinkulu, livela ezweni lasenyakatho, lizihlelele lona, linqotshwe lapho; imicibisholo yalo iyakuba njengeyeqhawe eliphumelelayo, elingabuyi ze.

¹⁰IKalideya liyakuba yimpango; bonke abaliphangayo bayakusutha,” usho uJehova.

¹¹“Noma nithokoza, noma nijabula nina baphangi befa lami, noma nixhuma njengesithokazi etshanini obuluhlaza, niyiyizela njengamahhashi anamandla,

¹²unyoko uyakujabha kakhulu, owangizalayo ayangaze; bheka, uyakuba ngesokugcina sezizwe, ihlane, nomhlabathi owomileyo, nogwadule.

¹³Ngenxa yentukuthelo kaJehova aliyikuhlalwa muntu, kepha liyakuba yincithakalo lonke; bonke abadlula eBabele bayakumangala, bancimfe ngenxa yazo zonke izinhlupheko zalo.

¹⁴“Zihleleleni iBabele nxazonke nina nonke eninsala umnsalo, nicibishele kulo, ninganqandi imicibisholo, ngokuba lonile kuJehova.

¹⁵Memezani kulo nxazonke; lizinikele, izisekelo zalo ziwile, izingange zalo zidiliziwe, ngokuba kuyimpindiselo kaJehova; phindiselani kulo, nenze kulo njengokwenza kwalo.

¹⁶Nqumani umhlwanyeli eBabele nobamba isikela ngesikhathi sokuvuna; ngenxa yenkemba ecindezelayo yilowo nalowo uyakubheka abantu bakhe, yilowo nalowo abalekele ezweni lakubo.

¹⁷“U-Israyeli uyimvu ezingelwayo; izingonyama zimxoshile. Kuqala wadliwa yinkosi yase-Asiriya, nangasemuva uNebukadinesari lo, inkosi yaseBabele, ugedlile amathambo akhe.”

¹⁸Ngalokho usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: “Bheka, ngiyakujezisa inkosi yaseBabele nezwe layo, njengalokho ngijezisile inkosi yase-Asiriya.

¹⁹Ngiyakumbuyisela u-Israyeli ekhaya lakhe, aklabe eKarmeli naseBashani, umphefumulo wakhe waneliswe ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi nezakwaGileyadi.

²⁰Ngalezo zinsuku nangaleso sikhathi,” usho uJehova, “kuyakufunwa ukona kuka-Israyeli, akuyikubakho, nezono zakwaJuda, kepha aziyikufunyanwa, ngokuba ngiyakubathethelela engibashiya ukuba babe yinsali.

²¹“Khuphukela ezweni laseMeratayimi, kulona nakwabakhileyo ePhekodi, uchithe, uqede nya emva kwabo,” usho uJehova, wenze konke engikuyale ngakho.

²²Kukhona umsindo wokulwa ezweni nowencithakalo enkulu.

²³Yeka ukunqunywa nokuchithwa kwesando somhlaba wonke, yeka ukwenziwa kweBabele incithakalo phakathi kwezizwe!

²⁴Ngakucupha, wabanjwa, Babele, ungakwazi; wafunyanwa, wabanjwa, ngokuba ulwile noNkulunkulu.

²⁵UJehova uvulile indlu yakhe yezikhali, ukhiphile izikhali zokufutheka kwakhe, ngokuba iNkosi uJehova Sebawoti inomsebenzi ezweni lamaKaledi.

²⁶Lifikeleni nivele emkhawulweni, nivule izinqolobane zalo, nilinqwabele libe yizinqwaba, niliqede nya, kungasali lutho kulo.

²⁷Hlabani zonke izinkunzi zalo; mazehlele ekuhlatshweni; wo kuzona! Ngokuba usuku lwazo lufikile, isikhathi sokuhanjelwa kwazo.

²⁸Yizwi lababalekayo nabaphunyuka ezweni laseBabele ukuba bamemeze eSiyoni impindiselo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu, impindiselo ngethempeli lakhe!

²⁹“Bizani abacibishelayo, balwe neBabele, bonke abansala umnsalo, nimise nxazonke zalo, lingabi nophunyukayo, niliphindisele njengezenzo zalo, nenze kulo njengakho konke elikwenzileyo, ngokuba lizikhukhumezile kuJehova, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli.

³⁰Ngalokho izinsizwa zalo ziyakuwa ezitaladini zalo, nawo onke amadoda alo empi ayakunqunywa ngalolo suku,” usho uJehova.

³¹“Bheka, ngimelene nawe ozikhukhumezileyo,” isho iNkosi uJehova Sebawoti, “ngokuba usuku lwakho lufikile, isikhathi sokuhanjwelwa kwakho.

³²Ozikhukhumezayo uyakukhubeka, awe, angabi naye omvusayo; ngiyakuphemba umlilo emizini yakhe, udle konke okumzungezayo.”

³³Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uthi: “Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli nabantwana bakwaJuda bacindezelwe kanyekanye; bonke ababathumbileyo bababamba, abavumi ukuba bahambe.

³⁴Kepha umkhululi wabo unamandla, nguJehova Sebawoti igama lakhe; uyakumela nokumela indaba yabo ukuba aphumuze umhlaba, anyakazise abakhileyo eBabele.

³⁵“Makufike inkemba phezu kwamaKaledi,” usho uJehova, naphezu kwabakhileyo eBabele, naphezu kwezikhulu zalo, naphezu kwezihlakaniphi zalo.

³⁶Inkemba ifike phezu kwabaprofethi bamanga, babe yiziwula, inkemba ifike phezu kwamaqhawe alo, aphele amandla.

³⁷Inkemba ifike phezu kwamahhashi alo, naphezu kwezinqola zalo, naphezu kwayo yonke ingxubevange yabantu ephakathi kwalo, babe njengabesifazane; inkemba ifike phezu kwengcebo yalo, ize iphangwe.

³⁸Makufike ukusha phezu kwamanzi alo, aze ome, ngokuba yizwe elinezithombe ezibaziweyo, bahlanya ngemifanekiso yabo.

³⁹“Ngalokho izilwane zasehlane ziyakuhlala nezimpungushe, kuhlale khona nezintshe; alisayikuhlalwa kuze kube phakade, lingabe lisakhiwa izizukulwane ngezizukulwane.

⁴⁰Njengalokho uNkulunkulu wachitha iSodoma neGomora nemizi yawo eyakheleneyo,” usho uJehova, “kanjalo akuyikuhlala muntu khona, kungagogobali khona indodana yomuntu.

⁴¹“Bheka, kuvela abantu enyakatho, isizwe esikhulu namakhosi amaningi, kuvuswe ekugcineni komhlaba.

⁴²Babamba umnsalo nomkhonto; banonya, abanamusa; izwi labo liduma njengolwandle; bakhwele amahhashi, behleliwe njengabantu abayakulwa nawe ndodakazi yaseBabele.

⁴³Inkosi yaseBabele izwile udumo lwabo, izandla zayo zaba buthakathaka; usizi luyibambile, nemihelo njengeyobelethayo.

⁴⁴Bheka, njengengonyama ekhuphuka ezihlahleni zaseJordani, iye endaweni eyinqaba, ngiyakubazuma, ngibagijimise, basuke kuyo; nobani okhethwayo ngiyakumbeka phezu kwabo, ngokuba ngubani onjengami, ngubani onginqumelayo, ngumuphi umalusi oyakuma phambi kwami, na?”

⁴⁵Ngalokho yizwani isiluleko sikaJehova asinike ngeBabele namacebo awacebe ngezwe lamaKaledi ukuthi: Abancinyane bomhlambi bayakudonswa, basuswe impela, ikhaya labo limangale ngabo.

⁴⁶Ngomsindo wokuthathwa kweBabele umhlaba uyazamazama, ukukhala kuzwakale phakathi kwezizwe.