Jeremiah 50

1Leli yilizwi uJehova alikhuluma ngoJeremiya umphrofethi mayelana leBhabhiloni lelizwe lamaKhaledi:

2“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.

3Isizwe esivela enyakatho sizayihlasela sitshabalalise ilizwe layo. Kakho ozahlala kuyo; abantu lezinyamazana kuzasuka kubaleke.

4“Ngalezozinsuku, ngalesosikhathi,” kutsho uJehova, “abantu bako-Israyeli ndawonye labantu bakoJuda bazahamba bekhala bedinga uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo.

5Bazabuza indlela eya eZiyoni bakhangelise ubuso babo kuyo. Bazakuza bazibophele kuJehova ngesivumelwano esingapheliyo esingayikukhohlakala.

6“Abantu bami bebeyizimvu ezilahlekileyo, abelusi babo babebadukisile babenza bazulazula phezu kwezintaba. Bantula phezu kwezintaba laphezu kwamaqaqa bakhohlwa indawo yabo yokuphumula.

7Loba ngubani owabatholayo wabadla; izitha zabo zathi, ‘Kasilacala, ngoba benza okubi kuJehova, idlelo labo eliqotho, uJehova, ithemba laboyise.’

8“Balekelani ngaphandle kweBhabhiloni; sukani elizweni lamaKhaledi, libe njengezimbuzi ezikhokhela umhlambi.

9Ngoba iBhabhiloni ngizayivusela umanyano lwezizwe ezinkulu ezivela elizweni lasenyakatho. Bazaviva ezindaweni zabo bamelane layo. Njalo izathunjwa kuvelelwa enyakatho. Imitshoko yabo izakuba njengamabutho alolwazi angaphenduki engelalutho.

10Ngakho iBhabhiloni izaphangwa, bonke abayiphangayo bazasuthiseka,” kutsho uJehova.

11“Njengoba lithokoza njalo lithabile, lizaphanga ilifa lami ngoba liyaqolotsha njengethokazi etshanini, njalo likhale njengamabhiza amaduna,

12unyoko uzayangeka kakhulu, yena owalizalayo uzakuba lenhloni. Uzakuba ngowokucina phakathi kwezizwe – inkangala, ilizwe elomileyo, ugwadule.

13Ngenxa yolaka lukaJehova kayiyikuhlalwa muntu kodwa izachithwa ngokupheleleyo. Bonke abadlula eBhabhiloni bazakwesaba baklolode ngenxa yamanxeba ayo wonke.

14“Vivani izinhlangothi zonke zeBhabhiloni lonke lina eliphethe amadandili. Itshokeni! Lingatshiyi mitshoko ngoba yonile kuJehova.

15Klabalalani kuyo ezinhlangothini zonke! Iyazinikela, imiphotshongo yayo iyawa, imiduli yayo idilikela phansi. Njengoba lokhu kuyikuphindisela kukaJehova, phindiselani kuyo iBhabhiloni; yenzani kuyo njengalokhu eyakwenza kwabanye.

16Msuseni eBhabhiloni umhlanyeli, lomvuni lesikela yakhe ekuvuneni. Ngenxa yenkemba yomcindezeli, 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 nguNebhukhadinezari inkosi yaseBhabhiloni.”

18Ngakho uJehova uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: “Ngizayijezisa inkosi yaseBhabhiloni lelizwe layo njengoba ngajezisa inkosi yase-Asiriya.

19Kodwa u-Israyeli ngizambuyisela edlelweni lakhe, uzakudla eKhameli kanye laseBhashani; inkanuko yakhe izasuthiswa emaqaqeni ako-Efrayimi kanye leGileyadi.

20Ngalezozinsuku, ngalesosikhathi,” kutsho uJehova, “ukona kuka-Israyeli kuzadingwa, kodwa akuyikuba khona; kudingwe lezono zikaJuda kodwa kasikho esizafunyanwa, ngoba insalela engiyitshiyayo ngizayithethelela.

21Hlaselani ilizwe laseMerathayimi lalabo abahlala ePhekhodi. Xotshanani labo libabulale libaqede du,’ kutsho uJehova. “Yenzani konke engililaye khona.

22Umsindo wempi uselizweni, umsindo wencithakalo enkulu!

23Yeka ukwephuka lokucezuka kwesando somhlaba wonke! Yeka ukuchitheka kweBhabhiloni phakathi kwezizwe!

24Ngakuthiya ngomjibila, wena Bhabhiloni, wabanjwa ungakakwazi lokho; waficwa wathunjwa, ngoba wamelana loJehova.

25UJehova usevule indlu yakhe yezikhali wakhupha izikhali zolaka lwakhe, ngoba uNkulunkulu Wobukhosi, uSomandla ulomsebenzi okumele awenze elizweni lamaKhaledi.

26Wozani kuyo limelane layo livela kude. Fohlelani eziphaleni zayo; liyibuthelele njengezinqumbi zamabele. Ichitheni okupheleleyo lingayitshiyeli nsalela.

27Bulalani zonke izinkunzi zayo ezisesengamaguqa; ziwiseleni phansi ekuhlatshweni! Maye kubo! Ngoba usuku lwabo selufikile, isikhathi sabo sokujeziswa.

28Lalelani ababalekayo labaphephileyo abavela eBhabhiloni bememezela eZiyoni ngokuphindisela uJehova uNkulunkulu asekwenzile, ukuphindisela ngenxa yethempeli lakhe.

29“Bizani abemitshoko bahlasele iBhabhiloni, bonke labo abaphatha amadandili. Ihanqeni inxa zonke; kungabi khona ophunyukayo. Iphindiseleni izenzo zayo; yenzani kuyo njengekwenzileyo. Ngoba idelele uJehova, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli.

30Ngakho izinsizwa zayo zizakuwa emigwaqweni; ngalolosuku wonke amabutho ayo azabulawa,” kutsho uJehova.

31“Khangela, ngimelane lawe, wena oyisiqholo,” kutsho uJehova, uJehova uSomandla, ‘ngoba usuku lwakho selufikile, isikhathi sokujeziswa kwakho.

32Oyisiqholo uzakhubeka awe, njalo kakho ozamsiza amvuse. Ngizabasa umlilo emadolobheni akhe ozaqothula bonke abakhelene laye.”

33UJehova uSomandla uthi: “Abantu bako-Israyeli bacindezelwe, kanye labantu bakoJuda futhi. Bonke abathumbi babo babagagadlele, besala ukubadedela bahambe.

34Kodwa uMhlengi wabo ulamandla; uJehova uSomandla yilo ibizo lakhe. Uzavikela izimfanelo zabo ngamandla ukuze alethe ukuthula elizweni labo, kodwa ukuxokozela kulabo abahlala eBhabhiloni.

35“Inkemba imelana lamaKhaledi,” kutsho uJehova, “imelane lalabo abahlala eBhabhiloni kanye lezikhulu zayo lezihlakaniphi zayo!

36Inkemba izamelana labaphrofethi balo bamanga! Bazakuba yizithutha. Inkemba izamelana lamabutho ayo! Azakuba lokwesaba okukhulu.

37Inkemba izamelana lamabhiza ayo lezinqola zempi labo bonke abezizweni abakuyo! Bazakuba ngabafazi. Inkemba izamelana lenotho yayo! Izaphangwa.

38Kuzakuba 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.

40Njengalokhu uNkulunkulu wachitha iSodoma leGomora ndawonye lamadolobho ayeseduzane lawo,” kutsho uJehova; “ngokunjalo kakho ozahlala khona; akulamuntu ozahlala phakathi kwayo.

41“Khangelani! Ibutho liyeza livela enyakatho; isizwe esikhulu lamakhosi amanengi bayadungwa kusukela emikhawulweni yomhlaba.

42Bahlome ngamadandili langemikhonto; balesihluku, kabalasihawu. Bahuba njengolwandle oluhlokomayo begade amabhiza abo; beza njengabantu abalungele impi ukuba bakuhlasele, wena Ndodakazi yaseBhabhiloni.

43INkosi yaseBhabhiloni isiyizwile imibiko ngabo, njalo izandla zayo zilenga zingelamandla. Usizi seluyibambile, ubuhlungu obunjengowesifazana ohelelwayo.

44Njengesilwane siphuma emahlathini aseJodani sisiya emadlelweni amahle, iBhabhiloni ngizayixotsha elizweni layo ngesikhatshana. Ngubani okhethiweyo engizammisela lokhu? Ngubani onjengami, ngubani ongaqhudelana lami? Njalo nguwuphi umalusi ongamelana lami?”

45Ngakho, zwanini uJehova asekucebe ngeBhabhiloni, asemise ukukwenza ngelizwe lamaKhaledi: Amazinyane omhlambi azadonselwa le, idlelo labo uzalichitha ngokupheleleyo ngenxa yabo.

46Ekuzwakaleni komsindo wokuthunjwa kweBhabhiloni umhlaba uzagedezela; ukukhala kwayo kuzazwakala phakathi kwezizwe.