Jeremiah 51

1UThixo uthi:

“Khangelani, ngizavusa umoya ochithayo
umelane leBhabhiloni labantu beLebhi Khamayi.
2Ngizathumela abezizweni eBhabhiloni
ukuba bayihlungule njalo batshabalalise lelizwe layo;
bazamelana layo enhlangothini zonke
ngosuku lwencithakalo yayo.
3Lingavumeli mtshoki ebopha idandili lakhe
loba limyekele egqoka isigqoko sakhe sensimbi.
Lingazitshiyi izinsizwa zayo,
liliqede du ibutho layo.
4Bazawela phansi bebulewe eBhabhiloni
belinyazwe okokufa emigwaqweni yayo.
5Ngoba u-Israyeli loJuda kabalahlwanga
nguNkulunkulu wabo, uThixo uSomandla,
lanxa nje ilizwe labo ligcwele ukona
phambi koNgcwele ka-Israyeli.

6Balekani eBhabhiloni!
Sindisani impilo yenu!
Lingabhujiswa ngenxa yezono zayo.
Yisikhathi sokuphindisela kukaThixo;
uzaphindisela kuyo ngokufaneleyo.
7IBhabhiloni yayiyinkezo yegolide esandleni sikaThixo;
yenza umhlaba wonke wadakwa.
Izizwe zanatha iwayini layo;
ngakho khathesi sezihlanya.
8IBhabhiloni izakuwa masinyane idilike.
Ilileleni!
Idingeleni umuthi wokupholisa ubuhlungu bayo;
mhlawumbe ingasila.

9‘IBhabhiloni kade singayelapha
kodwa kayelapheki;
kasiyitshiyeni kuthi lowo lalowo aye elizweni lakibo,
ngoba ukwahlulela kufika emikhathini
kuqonga kuze kufike emayezini.

10 UThixo usebonakalisile ukuthi kasilacala,
wozani sibike eZiyoni
osekwenziwe nguThixo uNkulunkulu wethu.’

11Lolani imitshoko;
thathani amahawu!
UThixo usevuse amakhosi amaMede
ngoba inhloso yakhe yikuchitha iBhabhiloni.
UThixo uzaphindisela,
aphindisele ngenxa yethempeli lakhe.
12Phakamiselani imiduli yaseBhabhiloni uphawu!
Qinisani ukulinda,
bekani abalindayo,
lungiselani ukucathamela!
UThixo uzafeza inhloso yakhe,
isimiso sakhe ngabantu baseBhabhiloni.
13Lina elihlala ngasemanzini amanengi,
njalo lilenotho enengi,
isiphetho senu sesifikile,
isikhathi senu sokuqunywa.
14 UThixo uSomandla usefungile ngayo wathi:
Impela ngizakugcwalisa ngabantu abangangesikhongwane,
njalo bazaklabalala ngamacilongo ngaphezu kwakho.

15Wenza umhlaba ngamandla akhe;
wamisa umhlaba ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe
njalo wendlala lamazulu ngokuqedisisa kwakhe.
16Lapho evungama, amanzi asemazulwini ayahlokoma;
wenza amayezi aphakame evela emikhawulweni yomhlaba.
Uthumela umbane ulezulu njalo
akhuphe umoya eziphaleni zakhe.

17Abantu bonke kabalangqondo njalo kabalalwazi;
wonke umkhandi wegolide uyangiswa yizithombe zakhe.
Izithombe zakhe azenzayo ziyinkohliso;
kazilamphefumulo phakathi kwazo.
18Ziyize, izinto zenhlekisa nje;
lapho ukwahlulelwa kwazo sekufikile, zizabhubha.
19Lowo oyingxenye yesizwe sikaJakhobe kafani lalaba,
ngoba unguMenzi wezinto zonke,
kubalwa labantu belifa lakhe,
ibizo lakhe nguThixo uSomandla.

20Wena uyinduku yami yempi,
isikhali sami sokulwa
ngawe ngitshabalalisa izizwe,
ngawe ngichitha imibuso;
21ngawe ngihlifiza ibhiza lomgadi walo,
ngawe ngihlifiza inqola yempi lomtshayeli wayo,
22ngawe ngihlifiza indoda lomfazi,
ngawe ngihlifiza amaxhegu labatsha,
ngawe ngihlifiza izinsizwa lezintombi,
23ngawe ngihlifiza abelusi lemihlambi,
ngawe ngihlifiza umlimi lenkabi,
ngawe ngihlifiza ababusi lezikhulu.
24Emehlweni enu ngizaphindisela kuyo iBhabhiloni lakubo bonke abahlala kuyo ngenxa yobubi bonke ababenzileyo eZiyoni,” kutsho uThixo.

25“Ngimelana lawe, wena ntaba echithayo,
wena ochitha umhlaba wonke,”
kutsho uThixo.
“Ngizakwelulela isandla sami kuwe,
ngikugiqe usuka emaweni,
ngikwenze ube yintaba eyatshiswayo.
26Akulalitshe elizasuswa kuwe ukuba libe ngelekhoneni,
loba elinye ilitshe ukuba ngelesisekelo
ngoba lizachithwa kokuphela,” kutsho uThixo.

27“Phakamisani uphawu elizweni!
Khalisani icilongo phakathi kwezizwe!
Lungisani izizwe ukuba zilwe layo;
ibizeleni imibuso le:
i-Ararathi leMini kanye le-Ashikhenazi.
Ibekeleni umlawuli wokulwa layo;
lithumele amabhiza anjengomtshitshi wentethe.
28Lungisani izizwe ukuba zilwe layo,
amakhosi amaMede,
ababusi bawo lezikhulu zawo,
kanye lamazwe wonke awabusayo.
29Ilizwe liyaqhaqhazela libhinqike
ngoba inhloso kaThixo yokumelana leBhabhiloni imi injalo
ukuchitha ilizwe leBhabhiloni
ukuze kungabikhona ohlala kulo.
30Amabutho aseBhabhiloni aseyekele ukulwa;
ahlezi ezinqabeni zawo.
Amandla awo asephelile.
Asebe njengabesifazane.
Izindawo zayo zokuhlala zithungelwe ngomlilo;
imigoqo lamasango kwephukile.
31Esinye isithunywa silandela esinye;
lesithunywa silandela esinye isithunywa
ukuyabika enkosini yaseBhabhiloni
ukuthi idolobho lonke selithunjiwe,
32amazibuko emifula athethwe,
amaxhaphozi atshiswe ngomlilo
lamabutho ethukile.”
33Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli:

“Indodakazi yaseBhabhiloni injengesiza sokubhulela
ngesikhathi sokunyathelwa kwaso;
isikhathi sokuvunwa kwayo sizafika masinyane.”

34“UNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni usesidlile,
usesenze saphambana amakhanda,
usesenze saba yimbiza engelalutho.
Usesiginyile njengenyoka,
wagcwalisa isisu sakhe ngezibiliboco zethu,
wasesihlanza futhi.
35Udlakela olwenziwe emizimbeni yethu kalube phezu kweBhabhiloni,”
kutsho abahlala eZiyoni.
“Igazi lethu kalibe phezu kwalabo abahlala eBhabhiloni,”
kutsho iJerusalema.
36Ngakho uThixo uthi:

“Khangelani, imfanelo yenu ngizayivikela,
ngiliphindiselele;
ngizacitsha ulwandle lwayo
ngomise lemithombo yayo.
37IBhabhiloni izakuba yinqumbi yonxiwa,
isikhundla samakhanka,
into yokwesatshwa lokuklolodelwa,
indawo engahlali muntu.
38Abantu bayo bonke bayabhonga njengezilwane ezincane,
bayahwabha njengemidlwane yesilwane.
39Kodwa lapho besesebukhali,
ngizabenzela idili ngibadakise,
ukuze baklabalale ngohleko,
babe sebelala kokuphela bangavuki futhi,”
kutsho uThixo.
40“Ngizabehlisela phansi
njengamawundlu esilaheni,
njengenqama lembuzi.

41Yeka ukuthunjwa okuzakwenziwa iSheshaki,
ukuzincoma komhlaba wonke kuthunjiwe!
Yeka ukutshaqisa iBhabhiloni ezakuba yikho
phakathi kwezizwe!
42Ulwandle luzaphakama phezu kweBhabhiloni;
amagagasi alo ahlokomayo ayisibekele.
43Amadolobho ayo azachitheka,
ilizwe elomileyo
leliyinkangala,
ilizwe okungekho ohlala khona,
okungekho muntu odabula phakathi kwalo.
44Ngizamjezisa uBheli eBhabhiloni
ngimenze akuhlanze lokho akuginyileyo.
Izizwe kazisayikujulukela kuye.
Njalo umduli weBhabhiloni uzakuwa.

45Bantu bami, phumani kulo iBhabhiloni!
Balekelani ukufa!
Balekelani ulaka olwesabekayo lukaThixo.
46Lingaphelelwa lithemba kumbe lesabe
lapho kuzwakala amahungahunga elizweni;
elinye ihungahunga lifika lonyaka, elinye kozayo,
amahungahunga odlakela elizweni
awombusi evukela umbusi.
47Ngoba isikhathi sizafika impela
lapho ngizajezisa izithombe zaseBhabhiloni;
ilizwe layo lonke lizayangeka
lababuleweyo bayo bonke bazawela phakathi kwayo.
48Lapho-ke izulu lomhlaba lakho konke okukukho
kuzamemezela intokozo ngeBhabhiloni,
ngoba abachithi bazayihlasela
bevelela enyakatho,”
kutsho uThixo.

49“IBhabhiloni kumele idilike ngenxa yabako-Israyeli ababulawayo,
njengokubulawa kwabantu emhlabeni wonke,
batshabalala ngenxa yeBhabhiloni.
50Lina eliphephileyo enkembeni,
sukani njalo lingalibali!
Khumbulani uThixo elizweni elikude,
licabange langeJerusalema.”

51“Siyangekile, ngoba siqalekisiwe,
lehlazo lembese ubuso bethu,
ngoba abezizweni bangene
ezindaweni ezingcwele zendlu kaThixo.”

52 UThixo uthi, “Kodwa insuku ziyeza,
lapho engizajezisa khona izithombe zayo,
njalo elizweni layo lonke
abalimeleyo bazabubula.
53Lanxa iBhabhiloni ingafinyelela emkhathini
iqinise izinqaba zayo eziphakemeyo,
ngizathumela abachithi bayihlasele,”
kutsho uThixo.

54“Umsindo wokukhala uvela eBhabhiloni,
umsindo wencithakalo enkulu
ovela elizweni lamaKhaladiya.
55 UThixo uzayichitha iBhabhiloni;
uzathulisa umsindo wayo wenhlokomo.
Amagagasi ezitha azahlokoma njengamanzi amanengi;
ukuvungama kwamazwi azo kuzazwakala.
56Umchithi uzakuzahlasela iBhabhiloni;
amabutho ayo azathunjwa,
lamadandili awo azakwephuka.
Ngoba uThixo unguNkulunkulu wempindiselo;
uzaphindisela ngokugcweleyo.
57Ngizadakisa izikhulu lezihlakaniphi zayo,
kanye lababusi bayo, lezinduna kanye lamabutho;
bazalala kokuphela bangavuki futhi,”
kutsho uThixo, obizo lakhe nguThixo uSomandla.
58 UThixo uSomandla uthi:

“Umduli oqatha weBhabhiloni uzabhidlizwa
lamasango ayo aphakemeyo athungelwe ngomlilo;
abantu bazidinisela ize,
umsebenzi wezizwe ungamafutha amalangabi nje kuphela.”
59Leli yilizwi uJeremiya umphrofethi alinika induna yamabutho uSeraya indodana kaNeriya, indodana kaMahaseyiya, esesiya eBhabhiloni loZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda ngomnyaka wesine wokubusa kwakhe. 60UJeremiya wayelobe emqulwini ngomonakalo wonke owawuzakwehlela iBhabhiloni lakho konke okwakubhalwe ngeBhabhiloni. 61Wathi kuSeraya, “Lapho usufikile eBhabhiloni ubowafunda wonke amazwi la ngelizwi eliphakemeyo. 62Ube ususithi, ‘Awu Thixo, wathi indawo le uzayichitha ukuze kungabi lamuntu kumbe inyamazana ezahlala kuyo; izaphundleka kuze kube nininini.’ 63Lapho usuqedile ukubala umqulu lo, ubophele ilitshe kuwo uwuphosele kuYufrathe, 64ubususithi, ‘Izatshona kanje iBhabhiloni ingabe isavumbuluka ngenxa yomonakalo engizayehlisela wona. Labantu bayo bazakuwa.’ ”

Amazwi kaJeremiya aphelela lapha.