Di Sifting of Babylon
Babylon na gold cup wey make the whole earth drunk; now dem don winnow am, seize im river crossing, and im warriors dey sleep. We Papa call im own pikin dem make dem comot from inside am before the vex fall. Seraiah read the scroll loud, then sink am inside Euphrates.
51 1Na dis one our Papa talk: See, I dey wake up di spirit of person wey go destroy against Babylon and against di people wey dey live for Leb-kamai. a a v1 Leb-kamai na hidden code-name for Chaldea (Babylon), wey dem form by turning di letters back-back — na hidden way to call di empire wey judgment dey come for am. 2I go send people go Babylon wey go sift am comot, and dem go sift am comot and empty im land, because dem go come against am from every side for di day wey trouble go land. 3No make di person wey dey shoot arrow bend im bow or wear im war-cloth. No spare im young men; put im whole army for destruction. 4Dem go fall dead for di land of di Babylon people, dem go pierce dem for im streets.
5Because di Papa wey be Oga of heaven army no throway Israel and Judah—even as dem land full of guilt against di Holy One of Israel. 6Run comot from inside Babylon; make everybody save im life! No make you die inside im guilt, because na di time for our Papa justice be dis; E dey pay am back for wetin e don do. 7Babylon bin be gold cup for our Papa hand, wey make di whole earth drunk. Di nations drink im wine; na im make di nations craze. 8One time, Babylon don fall and scatter. Cry loud for am! Bring medicine for im pain; maybe e go well. 9We try to heal Babylon, but e no gree heal. Throway am, make we go, everybody to im own land, because im judgment reach up to heaven and climb go di sky. 10Our Papa don clear us; come, make we announce for Zion di work of our Papa. 11Sharpen di arrows! Fill di arrow-bag full! Our Papa don wake up di spirit of di kings of di Medes people, because im plan against Babylon na to destroy am, because na our Papa justice be dis—justice for im temple. 12Raise flag against di walls of Babylon; make di guards strong, put di watchmen, set di ambush—because our Papa don plan and don do wetin e talk against di people of Babylon. 13You wey dey live near plenty water, wey get plenty riches, your end don reach, dem don cut di thread of your life.
14Di Papa wey be Oga of heaven army don swear by imself: “For sure, I go fill you with men wey plenty like locust, and dem go shout war-cry on top you.”
15E make di earth with im power; e set di world for ground with im wisdom, and with im understanding e spread di heavens. 16When e thunder, di waters for heaven dey roar; e dey make di cloud-mist climb up from di ends of di earth. E dey make lightning for di rain and e dey bring out wind from im store. 17Everybody don turn fool, dem no get sense; shame catch every goldsmith because of im idol, because di image wey e mould na lie—no breath dey inside dem. 18Dem no worth anything, na something dem dey laugh; for di time wey dem go settle account, dem go perish. 19Di One wey be Jacob own no be like dem, because na im make everything, and Israel na di tribe wey e own as im inheritance; Di Papa wey be Oga of heaven army na im name.
20“You be my war-club, my weapon for battle: with you I dey scatter nations, with you I dey destroy kingdoms, 21with you I dey scatter horse and di one wey dey ride am, with you I dey scatter chariot and di one wey dey drive am, 22with you I dey scatter man and woman, with you I dey scatter old and young, with you I dey scatter young man and young woman, 23with you I dey scatter shepherd and im flock, with you I dey scatter farmer and im plow animals, with you I dey scatter governors and officials.
24“But I go pay back Babylon and all di people wey dey live for Babylonia, for your very eyes, for all di evil wey dem do for Zion,” na so our Papa talk. 25“See, I dey against you, you mountain wey dey destroy,” na so our Papa talk, “you wey dey destroy di whole earth. I go stretch my hand against you, roll you down from di rock-cliffs, and make you turn mountain wey fire don burn finish. 26Dem no go take any stone from you for cornerstone, no stone for foundation, because you go be empty waste forever,” na so our Papa talk.
27Raise flag for di land! Blow trumpet among di nations! Gather di nations against am; call against am di kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint war-commander against am; bring horses wey plenty like locust wey stand dem body-hair. 28Gather di nations against am—di kings of di Medes people, dem governors and all dem officials, and every land wey dey under dem power. 29Di land dey shake and dey twist for pain, because our Papa plan against Babylon stand strong—to make di land of Babylon empty waste, wey nobody dey live. 30Babylon warriors don stop to fight; dem dey hide inside dem strong-house. Dem power don finish; dem don turn like woman. Dem don set im houses on fire; di bars of im gates don break. 31One runner dey run meet anoda runner, one messenger to meet anoda messenger, to tell di king of Babylon say dem don capture im city from one end reach di oda end, 32dem don seize di places wey people dey cross di river, dem don set di swamp on fire, and fear don catch di soldiers well well.
33Because na dis one di Papa wey be Oga of heaven army talk: Di daughter of Babylon be like threshing floor for di time wey dem dey step am; small time, im harvest go reach.
34“Nebuchadnezzar di king of Babylon don chop me, e don grind me; e don leave me like empty pot. E swallow me like big monster, e fill im belle with my precious things, then e spit me comot. 35Make di wickedness wey dem do to me and my flesh land for Babylon head,” na so di person wey dey live for Zion talk. “Make my blood land for di people wey dey live for Babylonia head,” na so Jerusalem talk.
36Na why our Papa talk say: See, I go fight your case and take revenge for you. I go dry im sea and dry im spring water. 37Babylon go turn heap of broken things, place wey jackal dey live, something wey go make person fear and laugh, wey nobody dey live. 38Dem all dey roar together like young lion, dey growl like small lion pikin. 39As dem dey hot with wine, I go set feast in front of dem and make dem drunk, so dem go dey enjoy—then dem go sleep sleep wey no dey end and dem no go wake again, na so our Papa talk.
40“I go bring dem down like lamb wey dem dey carry go kill, like ram and goat. 41Ah, see how Sheshach, dem don capture am, di praise of di whole earth, dem don grab am! See how Babylon don turn something wey dey make person fear among di nations! b b v41 Sheshach na coded name for Babylon, na why di two names dey appear for dis chapter. 42Di sea don rise cover Babylon; im roaring waves don cover am. 43Im cities don turn something wey dey make person fear, dry desert land, land wey nobody dey live and nobody dey pass through.
44“I go punish Bel for Babylon and make am spit out wetin e don swallow. Di nations no go dey rush go am again, and di wall of Babylon go fall. c c v44 Bel na di chief god of Babylon. Our Papa collect from dis idol everything wey e claim say e hold. 45Comot from inside am, my pikin dem! Make everybody save im own life from di hot anger of our Papa! 46No make your heart weak or make fear catch you because of di rumor wey dem dey hear for di land—one rumor go come dis year, and anoda one go come next year, with violence for di land and ruler go rise against ruler. 47Na why, see, di days dey come wey I go punish di idols of Babylon. Shame go catch im whole land, and all im people wey dem kill go lie dead inside am. 48Then heaven and earth and everything wey dey inside dem go shout with joy over Babylon, because di destroyers go come against am from di north,” na so our Papa talk.
49Babylon must fall because of di people of Israel wey dem kill, just as di people of di whole earth wey dem kill fall because of Babylon. 50You wey don escape di sword, commot, no waste time! Remember our Papa from far place, and make Jerusalem rise for your heart. 51“Shame don catch us, because we don hear insult; disgrace don cover our face, because strangers don enter di holy places of our Papa house.
52“Na why, see, di days dey come,” na so our Papa talk, “wey I go punish im idols, and for im whole land, di people wey get wound go dey groan. 53Even if Babylon climb reach heaven and build im high strong-house make e strong, destroyers go come from me against am,” na so our Papa talk.
54Listen—cry dey come from Babylon, di sound of big destruction from di land of di Babylon people! 55Because our Papa dey turn Babylon empty and dey close im big voice mouth. Dem waves dey roar like plenty water; di loud noise of dem voice dey ring out. 56Because destroyer don come against am, against Babylon; dem don capture im warriors, dem bows don break, because our Papa dey pay back—for sure e go pay back complete.
57“I go make im officials and wise men drunk, im governors, commanders, and warriors; dem go sleep sleep wey no dey end and dem no go wake again,” na so di King talk, wey im name na di Papa wey be Oga of heaven army.
58Na dis one di Papa wey be Oga of heaven army talk: Dem go pull down Babylon wide wall flat and burn im high gates with fire. Di people dey labour for nothing, di nations dey tire dembody just for fire.
59Jeremiah di prophet give dis message to Seraiah, di son of Neriah, wey be son of Mahseiah, when e go with Zedekiah di king of Judah go Babylon for im fourth year. Seraiah na di one wey dey arrange where people go stay. 60Jeremiah don write for one scroll all di trouble wey dey come for Babylon—all dis words wey dem write about Babylon. 61Jeremiah tell Seraiah say, “When you reach Babylon, make sure say you read all dis words loud, 62and talk say, ‘O our Papa, you don talk about dis place—say you go cut am off so nothing go live inside am, no man, no animal, but e go be empty waste forever.’ 63When you finish read dis scroll, tie stone for am and throw am inside di middle of River Euphrates, 64and talk say, ‘Na so Babylon go sink and e no go rise again, because of di trouble wey I dey bring on top am; and im people go tire.’” Di words of Jeremiah end for here.
