Isiprofetho ngeBabele
1Izwi uJehova alikhuluma ngeBabele, izwe lamaKaledi, ngesandla sikaJeremiya umprofethi.
2Memezani phakathi kwezizwe, nikuzwakalise, nimise ibhanela*, nikuzwakalise, ningakufihli, nithi: IBabele linqotshiwe, uBeli ujabhile, uMerodaki uphelile amandla; izithombe zalo zijabhile, imifanekiso yalo iphelile amandla.
3Ngokuba kukhuphukela kulo isizwe sivela enyakatho, esiyakwenza izwe lalo libe-yincithakalo, kungabikho ohlala kulo; abantu nezilwane kuyakubaleka, kuhambe.
4Ngalezozinsuku nangalesosikhathi, usho uJehova, bayakufika abantwana bakwaIsrayeli, bona nabantwana bakwaJuda kanyekanye, behamba bekhala, befuna uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo.
5Bayakubuza indlela yaseSiyoni, ubuso babo bubhekene nalo, bethi: Wozani nizihlanganise noJehova ngesivumelwano esiphakade esingenakukhohlakala.
6Abantu bami babeyizimvu ezilahlekileyo; abelusi babo babadukisile, babazulazulisa ezintabeni, basuka entabeni, baya egqumeni, bakhohlwa indawo yabo yokuphumula.
7Bonke ababafumanayo babaqeda; abamelene nabo bathi: Asitholi icala; ngokuba bonile kuJehova, ikhaya lokulunga, ithemba lawoyise, uJehova.
8Balekani eBabele, niphume ezweni lamaKaledi, nibe-njengezimpongo phambi kwezimvu.
9Ngokuba bheka, ngiyakuvusa, ngenyusele eBabele ibandla lezizwe ezinkulu, livela ezweni lasenyakatho, lizihlelele lona, linqotshwe lapho; imicibisholo yalo iyakuba-njengeyeqhawe eliphumelelayo, elingabuyi-ze.
10IKalideya liyakuba-yimpango; bonke abaliphangayo bayakusutha, usho uJehova.
11Noma nithokoza, noma nijabula nina-baphangi befa lami, noma nixhuma njengesithokazi etshanini obuluhlaza, niyiyizela njengamahashi anamandla,
12unyoko uyakujabha kakhulu, owangizalayo ayangaze; bheka, uyakuba-ngesokugcina sezizwe, ihlane, nomhlabathi owomileyo, nogwadule.
13Ngenxa yentukuthelo kaJehova aliyikuhlalwa-muntu, kepha liyakuba-yincithakalo lonke; bonke abadlula eBabele bayakumangala, bancimfe ngenxa yazo zonke izinhlupheko zalo.
14Zihleleleni iBabele nxazonke nina nonke eninsala umnsalo, nicibishele kulo, ninganqandi imicibisholo, ngokuba lonile kuJehova.
15Memezani kulo nxazonke; lizinikele, izisekelo zalo ziwile, izingange zalo zidiliziwe, ngokuba kuyimpindiselo kaJehova; phindiselani kulo, nenze kulo njengokwenza kwalo.
16Nqumani umhlwanyeli eBabele nobamba isikela ngesikhathi sokuvuna; ngenxa yenkemba ecindezelayo yilowo nalowo uyakubheka abantu bakhe, yilowo nalowo abalekele ezweni lakubo.
17UIsrayeli uyimvu ezingelwayo; izingonyama zimxoshile. Kuqala wadliwa yinkosi yaseAsiriya, nangasemuva uNebukadiresari lo, inkosi yaseBabele, ugedlile amathambo akhe.
18Ngalokho usho kanje uJehova-Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, uthi: Bheka, ngiyakujezisa inkosi yaseBabele nezwe layo, njengalokho ngijezisile inkosi yaseAsiriya.
19Ngiyakumbuyisela uIsrayeli ekhaya lakhe, aklabe eKarmeli naseBashani, umphefumulo wakhe waneliswe ezintabeni zakwaEfrayimi nezakwaGileyadi.
20Ngalezozinsuku nangalesosikhathi, usho uJehova, kuyakufunwa ukona kukaIsrayeli, akuyikubakho, nezono zakwaJuda, kepha aziyikufunyanwa, ngokuba ngiyakubathethelela engibashiya ukuba babe-yinsali.
21Khuphukela ezweni laseMeratayimi*, kulona nakwabakhileyo ePhekodi*, uchithe, uqede nya emva kwabo, usho uJehova, wenze konke engikuyalé ngakho.
22Kukhona umsindo wokulwa ezweni nowencithakalo enkulu.
23Yeka ukunqunywa nokuchithwa kwesando somhlaba wonke, yeka ukwenziwa kweBabele incithakalo phakathi kwezizwe!
24Ngakucupha, wabanjwa, Babele, ungakwazi; wafunyanwa, wabanjwa, ngokuba ulwile noNkulunkulu.
25UJehova uvulile indlu yakhe yezikhali, ukhiphile izikhali zokufutheka kwakhe, ngokuba iNkosi uJehova-Sebawoti inomsebenzi ezweni lamaKaledi.
26Lifikeleni nivele emkhawulweni, nivule izinqolobane zalo, nilinqwabele libeyizinqwaba, niliqede nya, kungasali-lutho kulo.
27Hlabani zonke izinkunzi zalo; mazehlele ekuhlatshweni; wo kuzona! Ngokuba usuku lwazo lufikile, isikhathi sokuhanjelwa kwazo.
28Yizwi lababalekayo nabaphunyuka ezweni laseBabele ukuba bamemeze eSiyoni impindiselo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu, impindiselo ngethempeli lakhe!
29Bizani abacibishelayo, balwe neBabele, bonke abansala umnsalo, nimise nxazonke zalo, lingabi-nophunyukayo, niliphindisele njengezenzo zalo, nenze kulo njengakho konke elikwenzileyo, ngokuba lizikhukhumezile kuJehova, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
30Ngalokho izinsizwa zalo ziyakuwa ezitaladini zalo, nawo onke amadoda alo empi ayakunqunywa ngalolosuku, usho uJehova.
31Bheka, ngimelene nawe ozikhukhumezileyo, isho iNkosi uJehova-Sebawoti, ngokuba usuku lwakho lufikile, isikhathi sokuhanjelwa kwakho.
32Ozikhukhumezayo uyakukhubeka, awe, angabi-naye omvusayo; ngiyakuphemba umlilo emizini yakhe, udle konke okumzungezayo.
33Usho kanje uJehova-Sebawoti, uthi: Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli nabantwana bakwaJuda bacindezelwe kanye-kanye; bonke ababathumbileyo bababamba, abavumi ukuba bahambe.
34Kepha umkhululi wabo unamandla, nguJehova-Sebawoti igama lakhe; uyakumela nokumela indaba yabo ukuba aphumuze umhlaba, anyakazise abakhileyo eBabele.
35Makufike inkemba phezu kwamaKaledi, usho uJehova, naphezu kwabakhileyo eBabele, naphezu kwezikhulu zalo, naphezu kwezihlakaniphi zalo.
36Inkemba ifike phezu kwabaprofethi bamanga, babe-yiziwula, inkemba ifike phezu kwamaqhawe alo, aphele amandla.
37Inkemba ifike phezu kwamahashi alo, naphezu kwezinqola zalo, naphezu kwayo yonke ingxubevange yabantu ephakathi kwalo, babe-njengabesifazane; inkemba ifike phezu kwengcebo yalo, ize iphangwe.
38Makufike ukusha phezu kwamanzi alo, aze ome, ngokuba yizwe elinezithombe ezibaziweyo, bahlanya ngemifanekiso yabo.
39Ngalokho izilwane zasehlane ziyakuhlala nezimpungushe, kuhlale khona nezintshe; alisayikuhlalwa kuze kube-phakade, lingabe lisakhiwa izizukulwane ngezizukulwane.
40Njengalokho uNkulunkulu wachitha iSodoma neGomora nemizi yawo eyakheleneyo, usho uJehova, kanjalo akuyikuhlala-muntu khona, kungagogobali khona indodana yomuntu.
41Bheka, kuvela abantu enyakatho, isizwe esikhulu namakhosi amaningi, kuvuswe ekugcineni komhlaba.
42Babamba umnsalo nomkhonto; banonya, abanamusa; izwi labo liduma njengolwandle; bakhwele amahashi, behleliwe njengabantu abayakulwa nawe-ndodakazi yaseBabele.
43Inkosi yaseBabele izwile udumo lwabo, izandla zayo zaba-buthakathaka; usizi luyibambile, nemihelo njengeyobelethayo.
44Bheka, njengengonyama ekhuphuka ezihlahleni zaseJordani, iye endaweni eyinqaba, ngiyakubazuma, ngibagijimise, basuke kuyo; nobani okhethwayo ngiyakumbeka phezu kwabo, ngokuba ngubani onjengami, ngubani onginqumelayo, ngumuphi umalusi oyakuma phambi kwami, na?
45Ngalokho yizwani isiluleko sikaJehova asiniké ngeBabele namacebo awacebé ngezwe lamaKaledi ukuthi: Abancinyane bomhlambi bayakudonswa, basuswe impela, ikhaya labo limangale ngabo.
46Ngomsindo wokuthathwa kweBabele umhlaba uyazamazama, ukukhala kuzwakale phakathi kwezizwe.
