UJeremiya 50

50 ¹Izwi uBaba wethu alikhuluma ngeBabiloni, izwe lamaBabiloni, ngoJeremiya umprofethi:

²Memezelani phakathi kwezizwe nizwakalise; phakamisani ibhanela nikumemezele; ningafihli lutho. Yithini: IBabiloni ithunjiwe; uBheli ulenyanisiwe, uMaraduki uphihliziwe. Izithombe zayo zinamahloni, izithixo zayo ziphihliziwe. ^a a v2 uBheli noMaraduki babengonkulunkulu abakhulu beBabiloni. ³Ngokuba isizwe esivela enyakatho siyenyukela kuyo; sizakwenza izwe layo libe yihlane, kungabikho muntu ohlala kulo. Kokubili abantu nezilwane sebebalekile; sebehambile.

⁴Ngalezo zinsuku nangaleso sikhathi, kusho uBaba wethu, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bayakuza, bona nabantwana bakwaJuda kanyekanye; bahambe bekhala behamba, bamfune uBaba wabo. ⁵Bayakubuza indlela eya eSiyoni, ubuso babo bubheke kuyo: “Wozani, sizihlanganise noBaba wethu ngesivumelwano esiphakade esingasoze sakhohlakala.” ⁶Abantu bami baye baba yizimvu ezilahlekile; abelusi babo babadukisa, bebayekela ezintabeni. Bazulazula besuka entabeni beya egqumeni; bakhohlwa yindawo yabo yokuphumula. ⁷Bonke ababebathola babadla, izitha zabo zathi, “Asinacala, ngokuba bona benza isono kuSimakade, idlelo labo leqiniso, uSimakade, ithemba lawokhokho babo.” ⁸Balekani niphume phakathi kweBabiloni; phumani ezweni lamaBabiloni, nibe njengezimpongo ezihola umhlambi. ⁹Ngokuba bheka, ngivusa ngiletha ngokumelene neBabiloni iviyo lezizwe ezinkulu elivela ezweni lasenyakatho. Ziyakuzihlela ngokumelene nayo, ithunjwe isuka khona lapho. Imicibisholo yazo indiza njengeyeqhawe elinekhono elingabuyi lingaphethe lutho. ¹⁰IBabiloni iyakuphangwa; bonke abayiphangayo bayakwaneliseka, kusho uBaba wethu.

¹¹Ngokuba niyajabula, ngokuba niyathokoza, nina baphangi belifa lami, ngokuba nixhuma njengethokazi elibhula amabele nikhonya njengamahhashi amaduna, ¹²unyoko uyakuba namahloni kakhulu; owakuzalayo uyakuhlazeka. Bheka, uyakuba ngowokugcina wezizwe— ihlane, umhlabathi owomileyo, ugwadule. ¹³Ngenxa yolaka lukaBaba wethu ngeke ihlalwe muntu; iyakuba yincithakalo ephelele. Bonke abadlula eBabiloni bayakwethuka bancife ngenxa yawo onke amanxeba ayo. ¹⁴Zihleleni ngokumelene neBabiloni nhlangothi zonke, nonke nina bacibisholi. Ciba kuyo; ningagodli micibisholo, ngokuba yonile kuBaba wethu. ¹⁵Memezani ngokumelene nayo nhlangothi zonke; isinikele. Imibhoshongo yayo iwile; izindonga zayo zidilikile. Njengoba lokhu kuwukwahlulela kukaBaba wethu, yenzani ukwahlulela ngokumelene nayo; yenzani kuyo njengalokho ekwenzile. ¹⁶Nqumani eBabiloni umhlwanyeli novunayo. Phambi kwenkemba yomcindezeli yilowo nalowo uyakubuyela kubantu bakibo, yilowo nalowo abalekele ezweni lakibo.

¹⁷U-Israyeli ungumhlambi ohlakazekile izingonyama eziwuxoshile. Kuqala inkosi yase-Asiriya yamdla, manje ekugcineni uNebukadinesari inkosi yaseBabiloni uwagwegwedile amathambo akhe.

¹⁸Nakhu okushiwo nguBaba wamabutho asezulwini, uBaba wethu wakwa-Israyeli: Ngiyakujezisa inkosi yaseBabiloni nezwe layo njengalokho ngajezisa inkosi yase-Asiriya. ¹⁹Ngiyakumbuyisela u-Israyeli edlelweni lakhe, adle eKarmeli naseBashani; emagqumeni akwa-Efrayimi naseGileyadi umphefumulo wakhe uyakwaneliseka. ²⁰Ngalezo zinsuku nangaleso sikhathi, kusho uBaba wethu, icala lakwa-Israyeli liyakufunwa kungabibikho; izono zakwaJuda ziyakufunwa kungatholakali lutho, ngokuba ngiyakuxolela insali engiyishiya iphila.

²¹Khuphukelani ezweni laseMerathayimi, nakwabahlala ePhekodi. Babulaleni nibanikele encithakalweni, kusho uBaba wethu; yenzani konke engikuyalile. ²²Umsindo wempi usezweni, nembubhiso enkulu. ²³Yeka ukuba isando somhlaba wonke sinqunyiwe saphulwa! Yeka ukuba iBhabhiloni libe yinto eyesabekayo phakathi kwezizwe! ²⁴Ngakubekela ugibe, Bhabhiloni, wabanjwa ungakakwazi lokho. Watholakala wabanjwa ngokuba uphikisene noBaba wethu.

²⁵UBaba wethu uvule indlu yakhe yezikhali wakhipha izikhali zolaka lwakhe, ngokuba uBaba wamabutho asezulwini unomsebenzi okumele awenze ezweni lamaBhabhiloni. ²⁶Mhlaseleni nivela kuzo zonke izinhlangothi; vulani izinqolobane zakhe; mnqwabeleni njengezinqwaba zamabele. Mnikeleni ekubhujisweni; kungasali lutho kuye. ²⁷Bulalani zonke izinkunzi zakhe ezincane; zehlele ekuhlatshweni. Maye kuzo, ngokuba usuku lwazo lufikile, isikhathi sokujeziswa kwazo. ²⁸Lalelani—ababalekayo nababaleki abavela ezweni laseBhabhiloni, beza eZiyoni ukuzomemezela ubulungiswa bukaBaba wethu, ubulungiswa bakhe ngenxa yethempeli lakhe. ²⁹Bizani abacibisheli ukuba balwe neBhabhiloni, bonke abagoba umnsalo. Misani amakamu nimzungeze nganxazonke; makungaphunyuki noyedwa. Mphindiseleni njengezenzo zakhe; menzeni konke akwenzileyo. Ngokuba uziphakamisile phezu kukaBaba wethu, phezu koNgcwele ka-Israyeli.

³⁰Ngakho-ke izinsizwa zakhe ziyawa ezitaladini zakhe, nawo onke amabutho akhe ayathuliswa ngalolo suku, kusho uBaba wethu. ³¹Bheka, ngimelene nawe, wena oziqhenyayo, kusho uBaba wamabutho asezulwini, ngokuba usuku lwakho lufikile, isikhathi engizakukujezisa ngaso. ³²Oziqhenyayo uyakukhubeka awe, kungabikho omvusayo. Ngiyakuphemba umlilo emizini yakhe, uyakushwabadela konke okumzungezile. ³³Usho kanje uBaba wamabutho asezulwini, uthi: Abantwana baka-Israyeli bayacindezelwa, kanye nabantwana bakwaJuda. Bonke ababathumbayo babababambe baqinisa; bayala ukubayeka bahambe.

³⁴UMhlengi wabo unamandla; uBaba wamabutho asezulwini yigama lakhe. Uyakubamela impela ecaleni labo, ukuze alethe ukuphumula emhlabeni kodwa ukungaphumuli kulabo abahlala eBhabhiloni.

³⁵Inkemba imelene namaBhabhiloni, kusho uBaba wethu, nalabo abahlala eBhabhiloni, nezikhulu zakhe nezihlakaniphi zakhe! ³⁶Inkemba imelene nabaprofethi bamanga, bayakuphenduka iziwula! Inkemba imelene namaqhawe akhe, ayakwephulwa aphihlizeke! ³⁷Inkemba imelene namahhashi akhe nezinqola zakhe, nawo onke amabutho ezizwe aphakathi kwakhe, ayakuba njengabesifazane! Inkemba imelene namagugu akhe, ayakuphangwa! ³⁸Imbalela imelene namanzi akhe, ayakoma! Ngokuba liyizwe lezithombe, bahlanya ngenxa yezithombe zabo ezesabekayo. ³⁹Ngakho-ke izilwane zasehlane nezimpisi ziyakuhlala khona, nezintshe ziyakuhlala kuyo. Ayisayikuphinde ihlalwe noma ibe nabantu kuzo zonke izizukulwane. ⁴⁰Njengalokhu uBaba wethu wachitha iSodoma neGomora nemizi eyayakhelene nazo, kusho uBaba wethu, ngakho akuyikuhlala muntu khona; kakho umuntu oyakuhlala kuyo. ⁴¹Bheka, ibutho liyeza livela enyakatho; isizwe esikhulu namakhosi amaningi ayavuswa avela emikhawulweni yomhlaba. ⁴²Baphethe umnsalo nomkhonto; banonya futhi abanamusa. Umsindo wabo uduma njengolwandle lapho begibele amahhashi, behlelekile njengendoda eya empini ukuba balwe nawe, Ndodakazi yaseBhabhiloni. ⁴³Inkosi yaseBhabhiloni izwile umbiko wabo, izandla zayo zidangele. Usizi lumbambile, ubuhlungu obufana nobowesifazane osezinhlungwini zokubeletha. ⁴⁴Bhekani, njengebhubesi elikhuphuka emahlathini aseJordani liya edlelweni elizinzile, ngomzuzwana ngiyakuyixosha iBabiloni ezweni layo, futhi ngiyakubeka phezu kwayo lowo engimkhethayo. Ngokuba ngubani onjengami? Ngubani ongangibiza? Yimuphi umalusi ongama phambi kwami?

⁴⁵Ngakho-ke zwanini icebo uBaba wethu alenze ngokumelene neBabiloni nezinhloso azenze ngokumelene nezwe lamaBabiloni: Ngempela amazinyane omhlambi wabo ayakuhudulelwa kude; ngempela idlelo labo liyakwethuka ngenxa yesiphetho sabo. ⁴⁶Ngomsindo wokuthunjwa kweBabiloni umhlaba uyakuzamazama, nokukhala kwayo kuyakuzwakala phakathi kwezizwe.