50
Ilizwi NgeBhabhiloni
Leli yilizwi uThixo alikhuluma ngoJeremiya umphrofethi mayelana leBhabhiloni lelizwe lamaKhaladiya:
“Memezelani libike phakathi kwezizwe,
phakamisani uphawu lilubike;
lingafihli lutho, kodwa lithi,
‘IBhabhiloni izathunjwa,
iBheli izayangiswa,
iMariduki ibe lokwesaba.
Izifanekiso zayo zizayangiswa,
izithombe zayo zibe lokwesaba.’
Isizwe esivela enyakatho sizayihlasela
sitshabalalise ilizwe layo.
Kakho ozahlala kuyo;
abantu lezinyamazana kuzasuka kubaleke.
 
Ngalezonsuku, ngalesosikhathi,
abantu bako-Israyeli ndawonye labantu bakoJuda
bazahamba bekhala bedinga uThixo uNkulunkulu wabo.
Bazabuza indlela eya eZiyoni
bakhangelise ubuso babo kuyo.
Bazakuza bazibophele kuThixo
ngesivumelwano esingapheliyo
esingayikukhohlakala.
 
Abantu bami bebeyizimvu ezilahlekileyo,
abelusi babo babebadukisile
babenza bazulazula phezu kwezintaba.
Bantula phezu kwezintaba laphezu kwamaqaqa
bakhohlwa indawo yabo yokuphumula.
Loba ngubani owabatholayo wabadla;
izitha zabo zathi, ‘Kasilacala,
ngoba benza okubi kuThixo, idlelo labo eliqotho,
uThixo, ithemba laboyise.’
 
Balekelani ngaphandle kweBhabhiloni;
sukani elizweni lamaKhaladiya,
libe njengembuzi ezikhokhela umhlambi.
Ngoba iBhabhiloni ngizayivusela
umanyano lwezizwe ezinkulu ezivela elizweni lasenyakatho.
Bazaviva ezindaweni zabo bamelane layo.
Njalo izathunjwa kuvelelwa enyakatho.
Imitshoko yabo izakuba njengamabutho alolwazi
angaphenduki engelalutho.
10 Ngakho iBhabhiloni izaphangwa,
bonke abayiphangayo bazasuthiseka,”
kutsho uThixo.
 
11 “Njengoba lithokoza njalo lithabile,
lizaphanga ilifa lami ngoba
liyaqolotsha njengethokazi etshanini,
njalo likhale njengamabhiza amaduna,
12 unyoko uzayangeka kakhulu,
yena owalizalayo uzakuba lenhloni.
Uzakuba ngowokucina phakathi kwezizwe,
inkangala, ilizwe elomileyo, ugwadule.
13 Ngenxa yolaka lukaThixo kayiyikuhlalwa muntu kodwa
izachithwa ngokupheleleyo.
Bonke abadlula eBhabhiloni bazakwesaba
baklolode ngenxa yamanxeba ayo wonke.
 
14 Vivani inhlangothi zonke zeBhabhiloni
lonke lina eliphethe amadandili.
Itshokeni! Lingatshiyi mitshoko
ngoba yonile kuThixo.
15 Klabalalani kuyo ezinhlangothini zonke!
Iyazinikela, imiphotshongo yayo iyawa,
imiduli yayo idilikela phansi.
Njengoba lokhu kuyikuphindisela kukaThixo,
phindiselani kuyo iBhabhiloni;
yenzani kuyo njengalokhu eyakwenza kwabanye.
16 Msuseni eBhabhiloni umhlanyeli,
lomvuni lesikela yakhe ekuvuneni.
Ngenxa yenkemba yomncindezeli,
umuntu wonke kabuyele ebantwini bakibo;
umuntu wonke kabalekele elizweni lakibo.
 
17 U-Israyeli ungumhlambi ohlakazekileyo
oxotshwe yizilwane.
Owaqalayo ukumudla
yinkosi yase-Asiriya;
owacinayo ukuqhoba amathambo akhe
nguNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni.”
18 Ngakho uThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi:
“Ngizayijezisa inkosi yaseBhabhiloni lelizwe layo
njengoba ngajezisa inkosi yase-Asiriya.
19 Kodwa u-Israyeli ngizambuyisela edlelweni lakhe,
uzakudla eKhameli kanye laseBhashani;
inkanuko yakhe izasuthiswa
emaqaqeni ako-Efrayimi kanye leGiliyadi.
20 Ngalezonsuku, ngalesosikhathi,” kutsho uThixo,
“ukona kuka-Israyeli kuzadingwa,
kodwa akuyikuba khona;
kudingwe lezono zikaJuda
kodwa kasikho esizafunyanwa,
ngoba insalela engiyitshiyayo ngizayithethelela.
 
21 Hlaselani ilizwe laseMerathayimi
lalabo abahlala ePhekhodi.
Xotshanani labo libabulale libaqede du,”
kutsho uThixo.
“Yenzani konke engililaye khona.
22 Umsindo wempi uselizweni,
umsindo wencithakalo enkulu!
23 Yeka ukwephuka lokucezuka
kwesando somhlaba wonke!
Yeka ukuchitheka kweBhabhiloni
phakathi kwezizwe!
24 Ngakuthiya ngomjibila, wena Bhabhiloni,
wabanjwa ungakakwazi lokho;
waficwa wathunjwa,
ngoba wamelana loThixo.
25 UThixo usevule indlu yakhe yezikhali
wakhupha izikhali zolaka lwakhe,
ngoba uThixo Wobukhosi, uSomandla
ulomsebenzi okumele awenze
elizweni lamaKhaladiya.
26 Wozani kuyo limelane layo livela kude.
Fohlelani eziphaleni zayo;
liyibuthelele njengezinqumbi zamabele.
Ichitheni okupheleleyo
lingayitshiyeli nsalela.
27 Bulalani zonke inkunzi zayo ezisesengamaguqa;
ziwiseleni phansi ekuhlatshweni!
Maye kubo!
Ngoba usuku lwabo selufikile, isikhathi sabo sokujeziswa.
28 Lalelani ababalekayo labaphephileyo abavela eBhabhiloni
bememezela eZiyoni
ngokuphindisela uThixo uNkulunkulu wethu asekwenzile,
ukuphindisela ngenxa yethempeli lakhe.
 
29 Bizani abemitshoko bahlasele iBhabhiloni,
bonke labo abaphatha amadandili.
Ihanqeni inxa zonke;
kungabikhona ophunyukayo.
Iphindiseleni izenzo zayo;
yenzani kuyo njengekwenzileyo.
Ngoba idelele uThixo,
oNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
30 Ngakho izinsizwa zayo zizakuwa emigwaqweni; ngalolosuku
wonke amabutho ayo azabulawa,”
kutsho uThixo.
31 “Khangela, ngimelane lawe, wena oyisiqholo,”
kutsho uThixo, uThixo uSomandla,
“ngoba usuku lwakho selufikile,
isikhathi sokujeziswa kwakho.
32 Oyisiqholo uzakhubeka awe,
njalo kakho ozamsiza amvuse.
Ngizabasa umlilo emadolobheni akhe
ozaqothula bonke abakhelene laye.”
33 UThixo uSomandla uthi:
“Abantu bako-Israyeli bancindezelwe,
kanye labantu bakoJuda futhi.
Bonke abathumbi babo babagagadlele,
besala ukubadedela bahambe.
34 Kodwa uMhlengi wabo ulamandla;
uThixo uSomandla yilo ibizo lakhe.
Uzavikela imfanelo zabo ngamandla
ukuze alethe ukuthula elizweni labo,
kodwa ukuxokozela kulabo abahlala eBhabhiloni.
 
35 Inkemba imelana lamaKhaladiya,”
kutsho uThixo,
“imelane lalabo abahlala eBhabhiloni
kanye lezikhulu zayo lezihlakaniphi zayo!
36 Inkemba izamelana labaphrofethi balo bamanga!
Bazakuba yizithutha.
Inkemba izamelana lamabutho ayo!
Azakuba lokwesaba okukhulu.
37 Inkemba izamelana lamabhiza ayo lezinqola zempi
labo bonke abezizweni abakuyo!
Bazakuba ngabafazi.
Inkemba izamelana lenotho yayo!
Izaphangwa.
38 Kuzakuba lokoma kwamanzi ayo!
Azacitsha.
Ngoba yilizwe lezithombe,
izithombe ezizahlanya ngenxa yokwesaba.
 
39 Ngakho izidalwa zasenkangala lezimpisi zizahlala khona,
lesikhova sizahlala khona.
Akusayikwakhiwa kuyo lanini
kumbe kuhlalwe kuyo kusukela kusizukulwane kusiya kusizukulwane.
40 Njengalokhu uNkulunkulu wachitha iSodoma leGomora
ndawonye lamadolobho ayeseduzane lawo,”
kutsho uThixo,
“ngokunjalo kakho ozahlala khona;
akulamuntu ozahlala phakathi kwayo.
 
41 Khangelani! Ibutho liyeza livela enyakatho;
isizwe esikhulu lamakhosi amanengi
bayadungwa kusukela emikhawulweni yomhlaba.
42 Bahlome ngamadandili langemikhonto;
balesihluku, kabalasihawu.
Bezwakala njengolwandle oluhlokomayo
lapho begade amabhiza abo;
beza njengabantu abalungele impi ukuba
bakuhlasele, wena Ndodakazi yaseBhabhiloni.
43 INkosi yaseBhabhiloni isiyizwile imibiko ngabo,
njalo izandla zayo zilenga zingelamandla.
Usizi seluyibambile,
ubuhlungu obunjengowesifazane ohelelwayo.
44 Njengesilwane siphuma emahlathini aseJodani sisiya
emadlelweni amahle,
iBhabhiloni ngizayixotsha elizweni layo ngesikhatshana.
Ngubani okhethiweyo engizamkhethela lokhu na?
Ngubani onjengami, ngubani ongamelana lami?
Njalo nguphi umelusi ongajamelana lami na?”
 
45 Ngakho, zwanini lokho uThixo asecebe ukukwenza ngeBhabhiloni,
asemise ukukwenza ngelizwe lamaKhaladiya:
Amazinyane omhlambi azadonselwa le,
amadlelo awo uzawatshabalalisa ngokupheleleyo ngenxa yabo.
46 Ekuzwakaleni komsindo wokuthunjwa kweBhabhiloni umhlaba uzagedezela;
ukukhala kwayo kuzazwakala phakathi kwezizwe.