UJeremiya 51

“Ngiyakuvusela iBabele

nabakhileyo eLebi Khamayi

umoya womchithi.

₂Ngiyakuthuma abelayo eBabele,

balele, balithulule,

ngokuba ngosuku lobubi bayakuba kulo nxazonke.

₃Ocibishelayo uyakunsala umnsalo

kogoba umnsalo khona,

nakuye oziphakamisa ngebhantshi lakhe lensimbi;

ningasindisi izinsizwa zalo,

niqede nya impi yalo yonke.

₄Bayakuwa bebulewe ezweni lamaKaledi,

begwaziwe ezitaladini zalo.

₅Ngokuba o-Israyeli noJuda

abashiywanga nguNkulunkulu wabo, uJehova Sebawoti,

noma izwe labo ligcwele icala

koNgcwele ka-Israyeli.

₆“Balekani eBabele,

yilowo nalowo akhulule ukuphila kwakhe,

ninganqunywa ngokona kwalo,

ngokuba kuyisikhathi sempindiselo kaJehova,

uyakuliphindisela.

₇IBabele beliyindebe yegolide esandleni sikaJehova

eyadakisa umhlaba wonke;

izizwe zaliphuza iwayini lalo,

ngalokho izizwe ziyahlanya.

₈IBabele seliwile ngokuzumayo,

lachithwa;

hhewulani ngalo,

nithathele ubuhlungu balo ibhalisamu;*

mhlawumbe lingaphiliswa.

₉“Besiyakuliphilisa iBabele,

kepha aliphiliswanga;

lishiyeni, masihambe siye,

kube yilowo nalowo ezweni lakubo,

ngokuba ukwahlulelwa kwalo kufinyelela ezulwini,

kuphakanyisiwe nasemafwini.

₁₀“UJehova uvezile imfanelo yethu;

wozani silande eSiyoni umsebenzi

kaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu.

₁₁“Lolani imicibisholo,

nibambe izihlangu.

UJehova uvusile umoya wamakhosi aseMediya,

ngokuba icebo lakhe ngeBabele lingukuba alichithe,

ngokuba lokhu kuyimpindiselo kaJehova,

impindiselo ngethempeli lakhe.

₁₂Misani ibhanela* ngasezingangeni zaseBabele,

niqinise umlindo, nimise abalindi,

nihlele abaqamekeli,

ngokuba uJehova ukuhlosile,

futhi wakwenza lokho owakukhuluma

kwabakhileyo eBabele.

₁₃Wena ohlala ngasemanzini amakhulu,

nonengcebo eningi,

sekufikile ukugcina kwakho,

isilinganiso sokuhaha kwakho.

₁₄UJehova Sebawoti uzifungile wathi:

Noma ngikugcwalisile ngabantu njengangezinkumbi,

bayakuhalalisa nokho ngawe.

₁₅“Wawenza umhlaba ngamandla akhe,

walimisa izwe ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe,

ngokuqonda kwakhe waleneka izulu.

₁₆Lapho elizwakalisa izwi lakhe,

kungukuhlokoma kwamanzi ezulwini;

uzikhuphula izinkungu emikhawulweni yomhlaba,

enzele imvula unyazi,

awukhiphe umoya endlini yengcebo.

₁₇“Bonke abantu bayiziphukuphuku,

abanakwazi,

bonke abakhandi bajabhiswa nezithombe zabo ezibaziweyo,

ngokuba izithombe zabo ezibunjiweyo zingamanga,

nomoya awukho kuzo.

₁₈Ziyize, zingumsebenzi wenkohliso;

ngesikhathi sokuhanjelwa kwabo ziyakubhubha.

₁₉Oyisabelo sikaJakobe akanjengalezo,

ngokuba nguye obumbile konke,

yebo, nesizwe sefa lakhe;

nguJehova Sebawoti igama lakhe.

₂₀“Uyizembe lami nezikhali zokulwa;

ngiyaphahlaza izizwe ngawe,

ngawe ngiyachitha imibuso,

₂₁ngiphahlaze ngawe ihhashi nenkweli yalo,

ngiphahlaze ngawe inqola nohamba ngayo;

₂₂ngiphahlaze ngawe abesilisa nabesifazane,

ngiphahlaze ngawe abadala nabasha,

ngiphahlaze ngawe izinsizwa nezintombi;

₂₃ngiphahlaze ngawe umalusi nomhlambi wakhe,

ngiphahlaze ngawe umlimi namabhanga akhe,

ngiphahlaze ngawe izinduna nababusi.

₂₅“Bheka, ngimelene nawe ntaba echithayo,” usho uJehova,

“wena ochitha wonke umhlaba;

ngiyakwelulela isandla sami kuwe,

ngikugingqe emadwaleni,

ngikwenze intaba eshisiweyo.

₂₆Abayikuthatha kuwe

itshe legumbi netshe lesisekelo,

ngokuba uyakuba yincithakalo kuze kube phakade,” usho uJehova.

₂₇“Misani ibhanela* ezweni,

nibethe amacilongo phakathi kwezizwe,

ningcwelise izizwe ukuba zilwe nalo,

nilibizele imibuso yase-Ararati,

naseMini, nase-Ashikenaze,

nibeke phezu kwalo umphathi wempi,

nikhuphuke namahhashi anjengezinkumbi ezimahaye.

₂₈Lingcweliseleni izizwe,

amakhosi aseMediya,

nezinduna zalo, nababusi balo,

nalo lonke izwe elibuswa yibo.

₂₉Umhlaba uyathuthumela, uqhaqhazele,

ngokuba amacebo kaJehova ngeBabele emi

okuba enze izwe laseBabele libe yincithakalo,

kuze kungabikho ohlala khona.

₃₀Amaqhawe aseBabele ayekile ukulwa,

ahlala ezinqabeni zawo;

amandla awo aphelile, anjengabesifazane;

izindlu zalo zishisiwe,

imigoqo yalo yaphuliwe.

₃₁Isigijimi siyagijma,

sihlangane nesinye,

umbiki uhlangana nombiki

ukutshela inkosi yaseBabele

ukuthi umuzi wayo unqotshiwe nxazonke.

₃₂Amazibuko avinjiwe,

umhlanga ushisiwe ngomlilo,

amadoda empi ayesaba.”

“Indodakazi yaseBabele

injengesibuya

ngesikhathi sokunyathelwa kwaso;

kuse yisikhashana,

sizakufika kuyo isikhathi sokuvuna.”

₃₄UNebukadinesari,

inkosi yaseBabele

ungidlile wangiqeda;

ungenze isitsha esingenalutho,

wangigwinya njengodrako;*

ugcwalisile isisu sakhe ngokumnandi kwami,

wangixosha.

₃₅“Ubudlova engenzelwe bona mina nabayinyama yami

mabube phezu kweBabele,”

makasho njalo owakhileyo eSiyoni.

“Igazi lami malibe phezu kwabakhileyo eKalideya;”

malisho njalo iJerusalema.

“Bheka, ngiyakumela indaba yakho,

ngikuphindisele,

ngishise ulwandle lwalo,

ngomise umthombo walo.

₃₇IBabele liyakuba yizinqwaba,

nendawo yokuhlala kwamakhanka,

nencithakalo, nento encimfelwayo,

kungabikho ohlala khona.

₃₈Bayabhonga kanyekanye njengezingonyama,

bakhale njengamabhongo ezingonyama.

₃₉Sebevuthile, ngiyakubenzela idili,

ngibadakise ukuze baquleke,

balale ubuthongo obuphakade, bangavuki,” usho uJehova.

₄₀“Ngiyakubehlisela ekuhlatshweni njengamawundlu,

njengezinqama nezimpongo.

₄₁“Yeka ukunqotshwa kweSheshaki

nokubanjwa kwelaliludumo lwawo wonke umhlaba!

Yeka ukwenziwa kweBabele

isimangaliso phakathi kwezizwe!

₄₂Ulwandle lukhuphukele iBabele,

lisibekelwe ngamaza alo ahlokomayo.

₄₃Imizi yalo ichithekile;

yizwe elomileyo, nehlane,

izwe elingahlalwa muntu,

kungadluli kulo indodana yomuntu.

₄₄Ngiyakuhambela uBeli eBabele,

ngikhiphe emlonyeni wakhe lokhu akugwinyileyo;

izizwe azisayikugobhozela kuye,

ugange lwaseBabele luyakuwa.

₄₅“Phumani phakathi kwalo,

bantu bami,

nizikhulule, kube yilowo nalowo

ekufuthekeni kwentukuthelo kaJehova.

₄₆Izinhliziyo zenu mazingadangali,

ningesabi imibiko ezwakalayo ezweni,

lapho kufika umbiko othile ngomunye umnyaka,

bese kufika emva kwawo omunye

ngomnyaka olandelayo,

kube ngubudlova ezweni,

umbusi avukele umbusi.

₄₇Ngalokho bheka, izinsuku ziyeza,

lapho ngiyakujezisa izithombe ezibaziweyo zaseBabele,

izwe lonke lalo lijabhe,

bonke ababuleweyo balo bawe phakathi kwalo.

₄₈Bese kuqhumuka izulu nomhlaba,

nakho konke okukukho,

ngokuhlabelela ngeBabele,

ngokuba abachithi bayakumfikela

bevela enyakatho,” usho uJehova.

₄₉“Yebo, neBabele limelwe ukuwa,

nina babuleweyo bakwa-Israyeli,

njengalokho iBabele laliwelwa ngababuleweyo bomhlaba wonke.

₅₀Nina eniphunyukile enkembeni hambani,

ningemi;

khumbulani uJehova nisekude,

iJerusalema lingene ezinhliziyweni zenu.

₅₁“Sijabhile, ngokuba sizwe inhlamba;

amahloni asibekela ubuso bethu,

ngokuba abafokazi bangenile

ezindaweni ezingcwele endlini kaJehova.”

₅₂“Ngalokho bheka, izinsuku ziyeza,” usho uJehova,

“lapho ngiyakuzihambela izithombe zalo ezibaziweyo,

ababulawayo babubule ezweni lonke lalo.

₅₃Noma iBabele likhuphukela ezulwini,

yebo, noma liqinisa inqaba yalo enamandla,

kuyakuvela nokho kimi abachithi, balehlele,” usho uJehova.

₅₄“Ngumsindo wokukhala ovela eBabele,

nowencithakalo enkulu ophuma ezweni lamaKaledi,

₅₅ngokuba uJehova uyalichitha iBabele,

aqede phakathi kwalo umsindo omkhulu;

amaza alo ayahlokoma njengamanzi amakhulu,

nomsindo wokuhlokoma kwawo uyezwakala,

₅₆ngokuba umchithi uyalehlela,

alehlele iBabele,

amaqhawe alo ayabanjwa,

neminsalo yawo iyaphulwa,

ngokuba uJehova unguNkulunkulu wemivuzo,

uyakhokha nokukhokha.

₅₇Ngiyakudakisa izikhulu zalo

nezihlakaniphi zalo,

nezinduna zalo, nababusi balo,

namaqhawe alo;

bayakulala ubuthongo obuphakade,

bangavuki,”

isho iNkosi

egama layo linguJehova Sebawoti.

“Ugange olubanzi lwaseBabele

luyakubhidlizwa nokubhidlizwa,

namasango alo aphakemeyo ayakushiswa ngomlilo;

abantu bakhandlekela ize

nezizwe okomlilo, zikhathale.”