UJeremiya 51

51 ¹Nakhu okushiwo nguBaba wethu: Ngivusa umoya wombhubhisi ukuba umelane neBhabhiloni nabantu abahlala eLebi-kamayi. ^a a v1 ILebi-kamayi yigama lemfihlo yeKhalediya (iBhabhiloni), elakhiwe ngokuhlehlisa izinhlamvu zalo — indlela efihlekileyo yokubiza umbuso ongaphansi kokwahlulelwa. ²Ngiyakuthuma abeli eBhabhiloni, bayakuyela balichithe izwe layo, ngokuba bayakuyihlasela bevela nhlangothi zonke ngosuku lwenhlekelele. ³Umcibisheli makangawugobisi umnsalo wakhe, angazembathi izivikelo zakhe zempi. Ningazihawukeli izinsizwa zayo; nikelani lonke ibutho layo ekubhujisweni. ⁴Bayakuwa bebulewe ezweni lamaBhabhiloni, begwaziwe ezitaladini zayo.

⁵Ngokuba u-Israyeli noJuda abashiywanga nguBaba wamabutho asezulwini—nakuba izwe labo ligcwele icala ngokumelene noNgcwele ka-Israyeli. ⁶Balekani niphume phakathi kweBhabhiloni; yilowo nalowo makasindise ukuphila kwakhe! Ningabhujiswa ecaleni layo, ngokuba yisikhathi sokwahlulela kukaBaba wethu; uyibuyisela lokho ekwenzileyo. ⁷IBhabhiloni yayiyinkomishi yegolide esandleni sikaBaba wethu, idakisa umhlaba wonke. Izizwe zaliphuza iwayini layo; ngalokho izizwe zahlanya. ⁸Ngokuzumayo iBhabhiloni iwile yaphohlozwa. Lilani ngayo! Lethani ibhalsamu ngobuhlungu bayo; mhlawumbe ingapholiswa. ⁹Sazama ukuyelapha iBhabhiloni, kodwa ayipholiswanga. Yishiyeni, sihambe, yilowo nalowo aye ezweni lakhe, ngokuba ukwahlulelwa kwayo kufinyelela emazulwini kwenyukele esibhakabhakeni. ¹⁰UBaba wethu usivezele ukulunga kwethu; wozani, simemezele eSiyoni umsebenzi kaBaba wethu. ¹¹Lolani imicibisholo! Gcwalisani imigodla! UBaba wethu uvuse umoya wamakhosi amaMede, ngokuba injongo yakhe ngeBhabhiloni ukuyibhubhisa, ngokuba lokhu kungukwahlulela kukaBaba wethu—ukwahlulela ngenxa yethempeli lakhe. ¹²Phakamisani ifulegi ngokumelene nezingange zeBhabhiloni; qinisani ukulinda, mani abalindi, bekani abacathamayo—ngokuba uBaba wethu ukuhlelile wakufeza futhi lokho akukhuluma ngokumelene nabantu baseBhabhiloni. ¹³Wena ohlala ngasemanzini amaningi, onothile ngengcebo, ukuphela kwakho sekufikile, intambo yokuphila kwakho inqunyiwe.

¹⁴UBaba wamabutho asezulwini ufungile ngaye uqobo: “Ngempela ngiyakukugcwalisa ngabantu abaningi njengezinkumbi, bayakuphakamisa umkhosi wempi phezu kwakho.”

¹⁵Wenze umhlaba ngamandla akhe; wamisa izwe ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe, nangokuqonda kwakhe welula amazulu. ¹⁶Lapho eduma, amanzi asemazulwini ayahhoma; wenza inkungu ikhuphuke emikhawulweni yomhlaba. Wenza umbani ngenxa yemvula, akhiphe umoya ezinqolobaneni zakhe. ¹⁷Wonke umuntu uyisiphukuphuku ongenalwazi; wonke umkhandi wegolide uyangiswa yisithombe sakhe, ngokuba izithombe zakhe ezibunjiweyo zingamanga—akukho umoya kuzo. ¹⁸Ziyize, ziyinhlekiso; ngesikhathi sokwahlulelwa kwazo ziyakubhubha. ¹⁹Isabelo sikaJakobe asinjengalezi, ngokuba unguMenzi wezinto zonke, u-Israyeli uyisizwe sefa lakhe; uBaba wamabutho asezulwini yigama lakhe.

²⁰“Wena uyisagila sami sempi, isikhali sami sokulwa: ngawe ngiphohloza izizwe, ngawe ngibhubhisa imibuso, ²¹ngawe ngiphohloza ihhashi nomgibeli walo, ngawe ngiphohloza inqola nomshayeli wayo, ²²ngawe ngiphohloza owesilisa nowesifazane, ngawe ngiphohloza omdala nomncane, ngawe ngiphohloza insizwa nentombi, ²³ngawe ngiphohloza umalusi nomhlambi wakhe, ngawe ngiphohloza umlimi nezinkabi zakhe zokulima, ngawe ngiphohloza ababusi nezikhulu.

²⁴“Kodwa ngiyakubuyisela kuBhabhiloni nakubo bonke abahlala eBhabhiloniya, phambi kwamehlo enu, ngenxa yabo bonke ububi abenzayo eSiyoni,” kusho uBaba wethu. ²⁵“Bheka, ngimelene nawe, ntaba ebhubhisayo,” kusho uBaba wethu, “wena obhubhisa umhlaba wonke. Ngiyakwelula isandla sami ngimelene nawe, ngikugingqele phansi emaweni, ngikwenze intaba eshile. ²⁶Akuyikuthathwa litshe kuwe ukuba libe yitshe legumbi, nalitshe lesisekelo, ngokuba uyakuba yihlane kuze kube phakade,” kusho uBaba wethu.

²⁷Phakamisani ibhandela ezweni! Shayani icilongo phakathi kwezizwe! Hlanganisani izizwe zimelane naye; nibizele kuye imibuso yase-Ararati, naseMini, nase-Ashkenazi. Bekani induna yempi imelane naye; nenyuse amahhashi afana nesikhonyane esiphaphazelayo. ²⁸Hlanganisani izizwe zimelane naye—amakhosi amaMede, nababusi bawo nazo zonke izikhulu zawo, nawo wonke amazwe aphethwe yiwo. ²⁹Umhlaba uyathuthumela ubhinqika, ngokuba izinjongo zikaBaba wethu ezimelene neBabiloni zimi ziqinile—ukwenza izwe laseBabiloni libe yihlane, kungabikho muntu ohlala khona. ³⁰Amaqhawe aseBabiloni aseyekile ukulwa; abuthene ezinqabeni zawo. Amandla awo aphelile; asefana nabesifazane. Izindlu zayo zithungelwe ngomlilo; imigoqo yamasango ayo yephuliwe. ³¹Isigijimi sigijima ukuhlangabeza esinye isigijimi, nesithunywa sihlangabeze esinye isithunywa, ukubikela inkosi yaseBabiloni ukuthi idolobha layo lithathiwe nxazonke, ³²amazibuko emfula abanjiwe, amaxhaphozi ashiswe ngomlilo, namabutho esaba kakhulu.

³³Ngokuba yilokhu akushoyo uBaba wamabutho asezulwini: Indodakazi yaseBabiloni iyisibuya sokubhula ngesikhathi sokunyathela; maduze ukuvuna kwayo kuyeza.

³⁴“UNebukadinezari inkosi yaseBabiloni ungidlile, ungichobozile; ungishiye ngiyisitsha esingenalutho. Ungigwinye njengesilo, wagcwalisa isisu sakhe ngezinto zami eziyigugu, wase engiphimisela ngaphandle. ³⁵Udlame olwenziwe kimi nasenyameni yami malube phezu kweBabiloni,” kusho umhlali waseZiyoni. “Igazi lami malibe phezu kwabahlala eBabiloni,” kusho iJerusalema.

³⁶Ngakho-ke uBaba wethu uthi: Bheka, ngiyakumela icala lakho ngikuphindiselele. Ngiyakwomisa ulwandle lwayo ngomise umthombo wayo. ³⁷IBabiloni iyakuba yinqwaba yezincithakalo, isikhundla sezimpungushe, into yokwesabeka neyokudelelwa, kungabikho muntu ohlala khona. ³⁸Bayabhonga kanyekanye njengamabhongo ezingonyama, begwavuma njengemidlwane yezingonyama. ³⁹Lapho bevutha yiwayini, ngiyakubabekela idili ngibadakise, baze bajabule—bese belala ubuthongo obungapheliyo bangaphinde bavuke, kusho uBaba wethu.

⁴⁰“Ngiyakubehlisela phansi njengamawundlu aya ekuhlatshweni, njengezinqama nezimbuzi. ⁴¹Yeka, iSheshaki selithunjiwe, indumiso yomhlaba wonke ibanjiwe! Yeka ukwesabeka iBabiloni esekuba yikho phakathi kwezizwe! ^b b v41 ISheshaki yigama elifihliwe leBabiloni, okuchaza ukuthi kungani womabili lawa magama evela kulesi sahluko. ⁴²Ulwandle lwenyukile phezu kweBabiloni; isibekelwe ngamagagasi alo ahlokomayo. ⁴³Amadolobha ayo asebe yinto yokwesabeka, izwe elomile neliyihlane, izwe lapho kungahlali muntu khona nokungadluli muntu kulo.

⁴⁴“Ngiyakumjezisa uBeli eBabiloni, ngimenze aphimisele lokho akugwinyile. Izizwe azisayikugobhozela kuye, nodonga lwaseBabiloni luyakuwa. ^c c v44 UBeli wayengunkulunkulu omkhulu waseBabiloni. UBaba wethu usiphuca lesi sithombe konke esasithi sikuphethe. ⁴⁵Phumani kuyo, bantwana bami! Yilowo nalowo makasindise ukuphila kwakhe entukuthelweni evuthayo kaBaba wethu! ⁴⁶Ningadangali noma nesabe ngenxa yamahemuhemu azwakala ezweni—kuvela ihemuhemu ngomunye unyaka, kuvele elinye ngonyaka olandelayo, kunodlame ezweni, umbusi emelene nombusi. ⁴⁷Ngakho-ke, bheka, izinsuku ziyeza lapho ngiyakujezisa izithombe zaseBabiloni. Izwe layo lonke liyakujabhiswa, bonke ababuleweyo bayo bayakulala befile phakathi kwayo. ⁴⁸Khona-ke izulu nomhlaba nakho konke okukukho kuyakumemeza ngenjabulo ngenxa yeBabiloni, ngokuba ababhubhisi bayakuza bemelene nayo bevela enyakatho,” kusho uBaba wethu.

⁴⁹IBhabhiloni limelwe ukuwa ngenxa yababuleweyo bakwa-Israyeli, njengoba nababuleweyo bomhlaba wonke bawela ngenxa yeBhabhiloni. ⁵⁰Nina enaphunyuka enkembeni, hambani, ningalibali! Khumbulani uBaba wethu nisekude, neJerusalema ivuke ezinhliziyweni zenu. ⁵¹“Sinamahloni, ngokuba sizwile ukwedeleleka; ihlazo lisibekela ubuso bethu, ngenxa yokuthi abafokazi bangenile ezindaweni ezingcwele zendlu kaBaba wethu.

⁵²Ngakho-ke, bheka, izinsuku ziyeza,” kusho uBaba wethu, “lapho ngiyakujezisa izithombe zalo, kuthi kulo lonke izwe lalo abalimeleyo bababule. ⁵³Noma iBhabhiloni lingakhwela emazulwini, liqinise inqaba yalo ephakeme, abachithi bayakufika bevela kimi beze kulo,” kusho uBaba wethu.

⁵⁴Lalelani—ukukhala kuvela eBhabhiloni, umsindo wokubhujiswa okukhulu uvela ezweni lamaBhabhiloni! ⁵⁵Ngokuba uBaba wethu uchitha iBhabhiloni libe yincithakalo, ethulisa izwi lalo elikhulu. Amagagasi abo ahlokoma njengamanzi amaningi; umsindo wezwi labo uyazwakala. ⁵⁶Ngokuba umchithi ufikile emelene nalo, emelene neBhabhiloni; amaqhawe alo ayathunjwa, iminsalo yabo iphuliwe, ngokuba uBaba wethu uyaphindisela—impela uyakuphindisela ngokugcwele.

⁵⁷“Ngiyakudakisa izikhulu zalo nabahlakaniphileyo, ababusi balo, izinduna, namaqhawe alo; bayakulala ubuthongo obungunaphakade, bangabe besavuka,” kusho iNkosi, ogama lakhe linguBaba wamabutho asezulwini.

⁵⁸Usho kanje uBaba wamabutho asezulwini, uthi: Udonga olubanzi lweBhabhiloni luyakudilizwa lube yize, namasango alo aphakeme ayakushiswa ngomlilo. Abantu basebenzela ize, izizwe zizikhandlela umlilo kuphela.

⁵⁹UJeremiya umprofethi wanika uSeraya indodana kaNeriya, indodana kaMaseya, lelizwi, mhla ehamba noZedekiya inkosi yakwaJuda eya eBhabhiloni ngomnyaka wakhe wesine. USeraya wayeyinduna yezindlela. ⁶⁰UJeremiya wayebhale emqulwini owodwa konke okubi okuyakwehlela iBhabhiloni—onke lawa mazwi abhalwe ngeBhabhiloni. ⁶¹UJeremiya wathi kuSeraya: “Nxa ufika eBhabhiloni, ubone ukuthi uyawafunda ngezwi onke lawa mazwi, ⁶²uthi: ‘Awu Baba wethu, wena ukhulume ngale ndawo—ukuthi uyakuyinquma kungabikho okuhlala kuyo, kungabikho muntu nankomo, kodwa ibe yincithakalo kuze kube phakade.’ ⁶³Lapho usuqedile ukufunda lo mqulu, uwubophele itshe, uwuphonse phakathi kweYufrathe, ⁶⁴uthi: ‘Kanjalo iBhabhiloni liyakucwila lingabe lisavuka, ngenxa yokubi engikwehlisela phezu kwalo; nabantu balo bayakukhathala.’” Agcina lapha amazwi kaJeremiya.