ISambulo 18

₁Emveni kwalokho ngabona enye ingelosi yehla ezulwini, inamandla amakhulu, umhlaba wakhanyiswa yinkazimulo yayo. ₂Yamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, yathi: “Liwile, liwile iBhabhiloni elikhulu, seliphenduke indawo ehlala amadimoni, nejele layo yonke imimoya engcolileyo, nazo zonke izinyoni ezingcolileyo nezinengekayo, nazo zonke izilwane ezingcolile nezinengekayo. ₃Ngokuba zonke izizwe ziliphuzile iwayini lezinkanuko nobufebe balo, amakhosi omhlaba afebe nalo, nabahwebi bomhlaba bacebile ngengcebo yokutamasa kwalo.”

₄Ngase ngizwa elinye izwi livela ezulwini, lithi: “Bantu bami, phumani kulo, ukuze ningahlanganyeli ezonweni zalo, futhi ningehlelwa yizinhlupheko zalo. ₅Ngokuba izono zalo sezifinyelele ezulwini, noNkulunkulu wakhumbula ukungalungi kwalo. ₆Yenza kulo lokho elikwenzile, ukuphindaphinde kabili okwemisebenzi yalo; endebeni ebelixubela kuyo, lixubele ngokuphindiwe; ₇kube ngangalokho elizidumise latamasa ngakho, ligidlabezeni ngokuhlupheka nokulila. Ngokuba enhliziyweni yalo lithi: ‘Ngihleli ngiyindlovukazi, angisiye umfelokazi, futhi angisoze ngakubona ukulila.’

₈“Ngakho-ke kuyakufika ngalusuku lunye izinhlupheko zalo: ukufa, ukulila, nendlala, futhi liyakushiswa ngomlilo lingqongqe, ngokuba iNkosi uNkulunkulu elahlulelayo inamandla.

₉“Amakhosi omhlaba, lawo ayefeba atamasa nalo, ayakukhala alile ngenxa yalo, lapho ebona intuthu yalo lisha. ₁₀Ayomela kude ngenxa yokwesaba ukuhlupheka kwalo, athi: ‘Maye, maye kuwe muzi omkhulu waseBhabhiloni, muzi onamandla, ngokuba ukwehlulelwa kwakho kufike ngehora linye nje!’

₁₁“Nabahwebi bomhlaba bayakhala, bayalililela, ngokuba akusekho muntu othenga impahla yabo: ₁₂impahla yegolide, eyesiliva, eyamatshe ayigugu, amapharele, ilineni elicolekileyo, okubukhwebezane, usilika, okubomvu, imithi yonke enamakha, zonke izitsha zamazinyo endlovu, izitsha zonke zomuthi onenani elikhulu, ezethusi, ezensimbi, ezetshe elimhlophe, ₁₃isinamoni, okunephunga elimnandi, impepho, amafutha okuqhola, inhlaka, iwayini, amafutha omnqumo, impuphu ecolisekileyo, ukolo, izinkomo, izimvu, amahhashi, izinqola, izigqila, imizimba nemiphefumulo yabantu.

₁₄“Izithelo ezazinxanelwa wumphefumulo wakho zimukile kuwe, nakho konke ukutamasa nobukhazikhazi kushabalele kuwe, akusayukuphinde kutholakale kuwe. ₁₅Abahwebi balezi zinto, abaceba ngokuhwebelana nalo, bayakumela kude ngenxa yokwesaba ukuhlupheka kwalo, bekhala, belila, ₁₆bethi: ‘Maye, maye kuwe muzi omkhulu owawembethe ilineni elicolekileyo, okubukhwebezane, nokubomvu, uvunule ngegolide, ngamatshe ayigugu nangamapharele! ₁₇Ngokuba ngehora linye vo, ingcebo engaka isishabalalisiwe.’

“Bonke abashayeli bemikhumbi, bonke abaya noma kuphi ngomkhumbi, amatilosi, nabo bonke abasebenza olwandle bamela kude, ₁₈bekhala lapho bebona intuthu yokusha kwalo, bethi: ‘Yimuphi umuzi ofana nalowo muzi omkhulu na?’

₁₉“Base bezithela ngothuli emakhanda, badazuluka bakhala, balila, bathi: ‘Maye, maye kuwe muzi omkhulu, abaceba ngawe bonke abanemikhumbi olwandle ngenxa yengcebo yakho eningi, ngokuba ngehora elilodwa nje ubhujisiwe! ₂₀Thokoza ngawo wena zulu, nani bangcwele, nani baphostoli, nani baphrofethi, ngokuba uNkulunkulu uwahlulele, waniphindiselela kuwo.’ ”

₂₁Ingelosi enamandla yaqukula itshe lokugaya elikhulu, yaliphonsa olwandle, ithi: “Liyakwenziwa kanjalo iBhabhiloni umuzi omkhulu, liphonswe ngamandla, lingabe lisatholakala nanini. ₂₂Umsindo wababetha ihabhu, owabahlabeleli, owabashaya imitshingo namacilongo, awusophinde futhi uzwakale kuwe. Zonke izingcweti ezenza noma yimiphi imisebenzi azisayukuba bikho kuwe nanini, umsindo wetshe lokusila awusayukuphinde uzwakale kuwe, ₂₃ukukhanya kwesibani akuyukubuye kukhanye kuwe, izwi lomyeni nelomlobokazi alisoze laphinda lizwakale kuwe, ngokuba abahwebi bakho babengabadumile emhlabeni, futhi udukisile izizwe zonke ngokuthakatha kwakho, ₂₄futhi kwatholakala kuwe igazi labaphrofethi, elabangcwele, nelabo bonke ababebulewe emhlabeni.”