1 Izwi 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.’
3 Ngokuba 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.
5 Bayakubuza indlela yaseSiyoni,ubuso babo bubhekene nalo, bethi:Wozani nizihlanganise noJehovangesivumelwano esiphakade esingenakukhohlakala.
6 “Abantu bami babe yizimvu ezilahlekileyo;abelusi babo babadukisile,babazulazulisa ezintabeni,basuka entabeni, baya egqumeni,bakhohlwa indawo yabo yokuphumula.
7 Bonke 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.
9 Ngokuba bheka, ngiyakuvusa,ngenyusele eBabele ibandla lezizwe ezinkulu,livela ezweni lasenyakatho,lizihlelele lona, linqotshwe lapho;imicibisholo yalo iyakuba njengeyeqhawe eliphumelelayo,elingabuyi ze.
10 IKalideya liyakuba yimpango;bonke abaliphangayo bayakusutha,” usho uJehova.
11 “Noma nithokoza,noma nijabula nina baphangi befa lami,noma nixhuma njengesithokazi etshanini obuluhlaza,niyiyizela njengamahhashi anamandla,
12 unyoko uyakujabha kakhulu,owangizalayo ayangaze;bheka, uyakuba ngesokugcina sezizwe,ihlane, nomhlabathi owomileyo, nogwadule.
13 Ngenxa yentukuthelo kaJehova aliyikuhlalwa muntu,kepha liyakuba yincithakalo lonke;bonke abadlula eBabele bayakumangala,bancimfe ngenxa yazo zonke izinhlupheko zalo.
14 “Zihleleleni iBabele nxazonkenina nonke eninsala umnsalo,nicibishele kulo,ninganqandi imicibisholo,ngokuba lonile kuJehova.
15 Memezani kulo nxazonke;lizinikele, izisekelo zalo ziwile,izingange zalo zidiliziwe,ngokuba kuyimpindiselo kaJehova;phindiselani kulo,nenze kulo njengokwenza kwalo.
16 Nqumani umhlwanyeli eBabelenobamba isikela ngesikhathi sokuvuna;ngenxa yenkemba ecindezelayoyilowo 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.”
18 Ngalokho usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi:“Bheka,ngiyakujezisa inkosi yaseBabele nezwe layo,njengalokho ngijezisile inkosi yase-Asiriya.
19 Ngiyakumbuyisela u-Israyeli ekhaya lakhe,aklabe eKarmeli naseBashani,umphefumulo wakhe waneliswe ezintabenizakwa-Efrayimi nezakwaGileyadi.
20 Ngalezo zinsuku nangaleso sikhathi,” usho uJehova,“kuyakufunwa ukona kuka-Israyeli,akuyikubakho, nezono zakwaJuda,kepha aziyikufunyanwa,ngokuba ngiyakubathethelelaengibashiya ukuba babe yinsali.
21 “Khuphukela ezweni laseMeratayimi,*kulona nakwabakhileyo ePhekodi,*uchithe, uqede nya emva kwabo,” usho uJehova,wenze konke engikuyale ngakho.
22 Kukhona umsindo wokulwa ezweninowencithakalo enkulu.
23 Yeka ukunqunywa nokuchithwa kwesando somhlaba wonke,yeka ukwenziwa kweBabeleincithakalo phakathi kwezizwe!
24 Ngakucupha, wabanjwa, Babele, ungakwazi;wafunyanwa, wabanjwa,ngokuba ulwile noNkulunkulu.
25 UJehova uvulile indlu yakhe yezikhali,ukhiphile izikhali zokufutheka kwakhe,ngokuba iNkosi uJehova Sebawotiinomsebenzi ezweni lamaKaledi.
26 Lifikeleni nivele emkhawulweni,nivule izinqolobane zalo,nilinqwabele libe yizinqwaba,niliqede nya, kungasali lutho kulo.
27 Hlabani zonke izinkunzi zalo;mazehlele ekuhlatshweni; wo kuzona!Ngokuba usuku lwazo lufikile,isikhathi sokuhanjelwa kwazo.
28 Yizwi lababalekayo nabaphunyuka ezweni laseBabeleukuba bamemeze eSiyoniimpindiselo 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.
30 Ngalokho izinsizwa zaloziyakuwa ezitaladini zalo,nawo onke amadoda alo empiayakunqunywa ngalolo suku,” usho uJehova.
31 “Bheka,ngimelene nawe ozikhukhumezileyo,” isho iNkosi uJehova Sebawoti,“ngokuba usuku lwakho lufikile,isikhathi sokuhanjwelwa kwakho.
32 Ozikhukhumezayo uyakukhubeka, awe,angabi naye omvusayo;ngiyakuphemba umlilo emizini yakhe,udle konke okumzungezayo.”
33 Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uthi:“Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli nabantwana bakwaJudabacindezelwe kanyekanye;bonke ababathumbileyo bababamba,abavumi ukuba bahambe.
34 Kepha umkhululi wabo unamandla,nguJehova Sebawoti igama lakhe;uyakumela nokumela indaba yaboukuba aphumuze umhlaba,anyakazise abakhileyo eBabele.
35 “Makufike inkemba phezu kwamaKaledi,” usho uJehova,naphezu kwabakhileyo eBabele,naphezu kwezikhulu zalo,naphezu kwezihlakaniphi zalo.
36 Inkemba ifike phezu kwabaprofethi bamanga,babe yiziwula,inkemba ifike phezu kwamaqhawe alo,aphele amandla.
37 Inkemba ifike phezu kwamahhashi alo,naphezu kwezinqola zalo,naphezu kwayo yonke ingxubevange yabantuephakathi kwalo,babe njengabesifazane;inkemba ifike phezu kwengcebo yalo,ize iphangwe.
38 Makufike ukusha phezu kwamanzi alo,aze ome,ngokuba yizwe elinezithombe ezibaziweyo,bahlanya ngemifanekiso yabo.
39 “Ngalokho izilwane zasehlaneziyakuhlala nezimpungushe,kuhlale khona nezintshe;alisayikuhlalwa kuze kube phakade,lingabe lisakhiwa izizukulwane ngezizukulwane.
40 Njengalokho uNkulunkulu wachitha iSodoma neGomoranemizi yawo eyakheleneyo,” usho uJehova,“kanjalo akuyikuhlala muntu khona,kungagogobali khona indodana yomuntu.
41 “Bheka, kuvela abantu enyakatho,isizwe esikhulu namakhosi amaningi,kuvuswe ekugcineni komhlaba.
42 Babamba umnsalo nomkhonto;banonya, abanamusa;izwi labo liduma njengolwandle;bakhwele amahhashi,behleliwe njengabantu abayakulwa nawendodakazi yaseBabele.
43 Inkosi yaseBabele izwile udumo lwabo,izandla zayo zaba buthakathaka;usizi luyibambile, nemihelo njengeyobelethayo.
44 Bheka,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?”
45 Ngalokho yizwani isiluleko sikaJehovaasinike ngeBabele namaceboawacebe ngezwe lamaKaledi ukuthi:Abancinyane bomhlambi bayakudonswa,basuswe impela,ikhaya labo limangale ngabo.