UJeremiya 50

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.”

“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.”

“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.