Jeremiah 51

1UJehova uthi: “Khangelani, ngizavusela iBhabhiloni labantu beLebhi Khamayi umoya womchithi.

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, uJehova uSomandla, lanxa nje ilizwe labo ligcwele ukona phambi koNgcwele ka-Israyeli.

6“Balekani eBhabhiloni! Sindisani impilo yenu! Lingabhujiswa ngenxa yezono zayo. Yisikhathi sokuphindisela kukaJehova; uzaphindisela kuyo ngokufaneleyo.

7IBhabhiloni yayiyinkezo yegolide esandleni sikaJehova; 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“ ‘UJehova usebonakalisile ukuthi kasilacala, wozani sibike eZiyoni osekwenziwe nguJehova uNkulunkulu wethu.’

11“Lolani imitshoko; thathani amahawu! UJehova usevuse amakhosi amaMede ngoba inhloso yakhe yikuchitha iBhabhiloni. UJehova uzaphindisela, aphindisele ngenxa yethempeli lakhe.

12Phakamiselani imiduli yaseBhabhiloni uphawu! Qinisani ukulinda, bekani abalindayo, lungiselani ukucathamela! UJehova uzafeza inhloso yakhe, isimiso sakhe ngabantu baseBhabhiloni.

13Lina elihlala ngasemanzini amanengi, njalo lilenotho enengi, isiphetho senu sesifikile, isikhathi senu sokuqunywa.

14UJehova uSomandla usefungile ngayo wathi: Impela ngizakugcwalisa ngabantu abangangomtshitshi wezintethe, njalo bazaklabalala ngamacilongo ngaphezu kwakho.

15“Wenza umhlaba ngamandla akhe; wamisa umhlaba ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe njalo wendlala lamazulu ngokuqedisisa kwakhe.

16Lapho evungama, amanzi emazulwini ayahlokoma; wenza amayezi aphakame evela emikhawulweni yomhlaba. Uthumela umbane ulezulu, akhuphe umoya eziphaleni zawo.

17“Abantu bonke kabalangqondo njalo kabalalwazi; wonke umkhandi wegolide uyayangiswa yizithombe zakhe. Izifanekiso zakhe ziyinkohliso; akulamphefumulo kuzo.

18Kazisizi lutho, yizinto eziyinhlekisa ekufikeni kokwahlulelwa kwazo, zizabhubha.

19Lowo oyiNgxenye kaJakhobe kanjengalaba, ngoba unguMenzi wezinto zonke, kubalwa lesizwana selifa lakhe – uJehova uSomandla libizo lakhe.

20“Wena 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 lezinkabi, ngawe ngihlifiza ababusi lezikhulu.

24“Emehlweni enu ngizaphindisela kuyo iBhabhiloni lakubo bonke abahlala kuyo ngenxa yobubi bonke ababenzileyo eZiyoni,” kutsho uJehova.

25“Ngimelana lawe, wena ntaba echithayo, wena ochitha umhlaba wonke,” kutsho uJehova. “Ngizakwelulela isandla sami kuwe, ngikugiqe usuka emaweni, ngikwenze ube yintaba eyatshiswayo.

26Akulalitshe elizasuswa kuwe ukuba libe ngelengosi, loba elinye ilitshe ukuba ngelesisekelo ngoba lizachithwa kokuphela,” kutsho uJehova.

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 kaJehova yokumelana leBhabhiloni imi injalo ukuchitha ilizwe leBhabhiloni ukuze kungabi khona ohlala kulo.

30Amabutho aseBhabhiloni aseyekele ukulwa; ahlezi ezinqabeni zawo. Amandla awo asephelile. Asebe njengabesifazana. Izindawo zayo zokuhlala zithungelwe ngomlilo; imigoqo lamasango kwephukile.

31Esinye isigijimi silandela esinye; lesithunywa silandela esinye isithunywa ukuyabika enkosini yaseBhabhiloni ukuthi idolobho lonke selithunjiwe,

32amazibuko emifula athethwe, amaxhaphozi atshiswe ngomlilo lamabutho ethukile.”

33Nanku okutshiwo nguJehova uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli: “Indodakazi yaseBhabhiloni injengesiza sokubhulela ngesikhathi sokunyathelwa kwaso; isikhathi sokuvunwa kwayo sizafika masinyane.”

34“UNebhukhadinezari 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 uJehova 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 uJehova.

40“Ngizabehlisela phansi njengezimvana ekuhlatshweni, njengezinqama lanjengezimbuzi.

41“Yeka ukuthunjwa okuzakwenziwa iSheshaki, ukuzincoma komhlaba wonke kuthunjiwe! Yeka ukutshaqisa iBhabhiloni ezakuba yikho phakathi kwezizwe!

42Ulwandle luzaphakama ngaphezu 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.

45“Bantu bami, phumani eBhabhiloni! Balekelani ukufa! Balekelani ulaka olwesabekayo lukaJehova.

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 uJehova.

49“IBhabhiloni kumele idilike ngenxa yabako-Israyeli ababulawayo njengoba ababulawayo emhlabeni wonke bafa ngenxa yeBhabhiloni.

50Lina eliphephileyo enkembeni, sukani njalo lingalibali! Khumbulani uJehova elizweni elikude licabange langeJerusalema.

51“Siyangekile, ngoba sithukiwe lehlazo lembese ubuso bethu, ngoba abezizweni bangenile ezindaweni ezingcwele zendlu kaJehova.”

52“Kodwa izinsuku ziyeza,” kutsho uJehova, “lapho engizajezisa khona izithombe zayo, njalo elizweni layo lonke abalimeleyo bazabubula.

53Lanxa iBhabhiloni ingafinyelela emkhathini iqinise izinqaba zayo eziphakemeyo, ngizathumela abachithi bayihlasele,” kutsho uJehova.

54“Umsindo wokukhala uvela eBhabhiloni, umsindo wencithakalo enkulu ovela elizweni lamaKhaledi.

55UJehova 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 uJehova unguNkulunkulu wempindiselo; uzaphindisela ngokugcweleyo.

57Ngizadakisa izikhulu zayo lezihlakaniphi zayo, kanye lababusi bayo, lezinduna kanye lamabutho; bazalala kokuphela bangavuki futhi,” kutsho uJehova, obizo lakhe nguJehova uSomandla.

58UJehova 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 uSerayiya indodana kaNeriya, indodana kaMahaseyiya, esesiya eBhabhiloni loZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda ngomnyaka wesine wokubusa kwakhe. 60UJeremiya wayelobe emqulwini ngomonakalo wonke owawuzakwehlela iBhabhiloni – konke okwakubhalwe ngeBhabhiloni 61Wathi kuSerayiya, “Lapho usufikile eBhabhiloni ubowafunda wonke amazwi la ngelizwi eliphakemeyo. 62Ube ususithi, ‘Awu Jehova, 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.