Jeremiah (50/52)  

1. Ilizwi i Nkosi eyalikhuluma ngeBhabhiloni, ngelizwe lamaKhaladiya, ngoJeremiya umprofethi, lisithi:
2. Memezani phakathi kwezizwe, litshumayele; misani uphawu, litshumayele, lingakufihli, lithi: IBhabhiloni inqotshiwe, uBhali uyangekile, loMerodaki uchithiwe. Izithombe zayo ziyangisiwe, lemifanekiso yayo emibi ichithekile.
3. Ngoba kuzile kuyo isizwe esivela enyakatho, esizachitha ilizwe layo, abantu lenyamazana kuzabaleka, kungabi khona ohlala kuyo.
4. Ngalezonsuku langalesosikhathi, kutsho i Nkosi, abantwana bakoIsrayeli labantwana bakoJuda bazabuthana ndawonye, bazahamba bekhala inyembezi, bedinga i Nkosi uNkulunkulu wabo.
5. Bazabuza indlela eya eZiyoni, bekhangele ngakuyo, bathi: Wozani, sizihlanganise le Nkosi ngesivumelwano esilaphakade esingayikukhohlakala.
6. Abantu bami bebeyizimvu ezilahlekileyo; abelusi babo babaduhisile, bebebelusela ezintabeni; besuka entabeni besiya eqaqeni, bakhohlwa isibaya sabo.
7. Bonke ababatholayo babadla, lezitha zabo zathi: Kasilacala ngoba bonile e Nkosi ni, i Nkosi elikhaya labo eliqotho lethemba laboyise.
8. Balekani liphume eBhabhiloni, liphume elizweni lamaKhaladiya, libe njengezintondolo phambi komhlambi.
9. Ngoba khangela, ngivusela iBhabhiloni ixuku lezizwe ezinkulu; zizavela elizweni lenyakatho, zehlele ngakuyo, ziyithathe khona. Imitshoko yazo injengeqhawe elihlakaniphileyo elingabuyi lingelalutho.
10. IKhaladiya izaphangwa, labayiphangayo bonke bazakweneliswa, kutsho i Nkosi.
11. Ngoba lithokoza, ngoba lijabula, lina baphangi belizwe lami, ngoba liqolotsha njengethokazi elisetshanini, likhale njengamabhiza amaduna,
12. unyoko uzakuba lenhloni, lowalizalayo ayangeke. Khangela, iBhabhiloni izakuba ngeyokucina phakathi kwezizwe, ibe yinkangala eyomileyo legwadule.
13. Ngenxa yolaka lwe Nkosi kayiyikuhlalwa muntu, kodwa izachitheka isibili; wonke umuntu odlula eBhabhiloni uzamangala, ancife ngenxa yazo zonke inhlupheko zayo.
14. Zihleleleni iBhabhiloni inhlangothi zonke, lina lonke eligobisa amadandili, liyitshoke, lingatshiyi mtshoko, ngoba yonile e Nkosi ni.
15. Memezani kuyo inhlangothi zonke; isizinikele, inqaba zayo sezidilikile, lemiduli yayo ibhidliziwe; ngoba lokho kuyimpindiselo ye Nkosi; phindiselani kuyo, lenze kuyo njengokwenza kwayo.
16. Qumani umhlanyeli asuke eBhabhiloni, kanye laye ophatha isikela ngesikhathi sokuvuna; ngenxa yenkemba ecindezelayo, wonke umuntu uzabuyela kwabakibo, wonke umuntu uzabalekela kwelakibo ilizwe.
17. UIsrayeli uyimvu ezingelwayo, exotshwa yizilwane. Kuqala wadliwa yinkosi yeAsiriya, emva kwalokho uNebukadinezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni uqhobile amathambo akhe.
18. Ngakho-ke i Nkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ithi: Khangela, ngizayitshaya inkosi yeBhabhiloni lelizwe layo, njengalokho ngayitshaya inkosi yeAsiriya.
19. Ngizabuyisela uIsrayeli edlelweni lakhe, uzakudla eKharmeli leBashani, lokufisa kwakhe kukholisiswe entabeni yakoEfrayimi leGileyadi.
20. Ngalezonsuku langalesosikhathi, kutsho i Nkosi, kuzadingwa ukona koIsrayeli, kodwa kungatholakali; kudingwe lesono koJuda, kodwa singatholwa; ngoba ngizabathethelela labo engibatshiyayo.
21. Hambani liye elizweni leMerathayimi lilwe lalo, lilwe labakhileyo ePekodi, libabulale, libatshabalalise, kutsho i Nkosi, lenze konke engililayele khona,
22. Kukhona umsindo wempi elizweni, lokuchitheka okukhulu.
23. Yeka ukufa lokwephuka kwesando somhlaba wonke! Yeka ukwenziwa kweBhabhiloni into eyesabekayo phakathi kwezizwe!
24. Ngakuthiya ngomjibila, wabanjwa, wena Bhabhiloni, ungakakwazi; watholwa, wabanjwa, ngoba walwa le Nkosi.
25. I Nkosi ivalile indlu yayo yezikhali, yakhupha izikhali zolaka lwayo, ngoba iNkosi uJehova wamabandla ilomsebenzi elizweni lamaKhaladiya.
26. Lifikeleni, livela inhlangothi zonke, livule iziphala zayo, liyibuthelele njengenqumbi yamabele, liyitshabalalise, kungasali lutho kuyo.
27. Bulalani amajongosi ayo wonke, kawasiwe ekuhlatshweni. Maye kuwo! Ngoba usuku lwawo lufikile, isikhathi sempindiselo yawo.
28. Zwanini-ke, ababalekayo labaphunyukayo bavela elizweni leBhabhiloni, ukuze bamemeze eZiyoni impindiselo ye Nkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, impindiselo yethempeli layo.
29. Bizani abaphatha imitshoko, balwe leBhabhiloni bonke abagobisa idandili; limise inkamba limelane layo liyihanqe, kungabi khona ophunyukayo, liyiphindisele njengezenzo zayo, lenze kuyo njengakho konke ekwenzileyo; ngoba iyidelele i Nkosi, oNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
30. Ngakho-ke amajaha ayo azakuwa emagumeni ayo, lawo wonke amabutho ayo azabhujiswa ngalolosuku, kutsho i Nkosi.
31. Khangela, ngilwa lawe, wena ozikhukhumezayo, kutsho iNkosi uJehova wamabandla; ngoba usuku lwakho selufikile, isikhathi sokuphindiselwa kwakho.
32. Ozikhukhumezayo uzakhubeka awe. kungabi khona omvusayo; ngizaphemba umlilo emizini yakhe ozatshisa konke okuseduze laye.
33. I Nkosi yamabandla ithi: Abantwana bakoIsrayeli bacindezelwe kanye labantwana bakoJuda; bonke ababathumbileyo bababambile, bayala ukubayekela.
34. Kanti umhlengi wabo ulamandla, ubizwa ngokuthi yi Nkosi yamabandla. Isibili uzamela udaba lwabo, ukuze anike umhlaba ukuthula, kodwa anyakazise abakhileyo eBhabhiloni.
35. Kayifike inkemba phezu kwamaKhaladiya, kutsho i Nkosi, laphezu kwabakhileyo eBhabhiloni, phezu kweziphathamandla zayo, labahlakaniphileyo bayo.
36. Kayifike inkemba phezu kwabavumisi ukuze baphenduke iziphukuphuku, laphezu kwamaqhawe ukuze abhujiswe.
37. Kayifike inkemba phezu kwamabhiza laphezu kwenqola zayo, laphezu kwawo wonke amabutho awezizwe aphakathi kwayo, ukuze baphenduke babe ngabesifazana; inkemba ifike phezu kwenotho yayo, ukuze iphangwe.
38. Kufike ukubalela kwelanga phezu kwamanzi ayo ukuze acitshe, ngoba iyilizwe lezithombe ezibaziweyo, lemifanekiso yabo iyabahlanyisa.
39. Ngakho-ke amakhanka lezimpisi lezintshe kuzahlala eBhabhiloni; kakusayikuhlala abantu khona kuze kube nininini, kakusayikwakhelwa kulo ezizukulwaneni zonke.
40. Njengoba uNkulunkulu wagenqula iSodoma leGomora lemizi eyakhelene layo, kutsho i Nkosi, ngokunjalo kakusayikusala muntu khona, kakusayikuhlala indodana yomuntu khona.
41. Khangela, kuvela abantu enyakatho, isizwe esikhulu lamakhosi amanengi avuka emikhawulweni yomhlaba.
42. Baphethe idandili lomkhonto, balesihluku, kabalasihawu. Umdumo wabo unjengowolwandle, bagade amabhiza, behleliwe njengabantu bempi lawe, Bhabhiloni.
43. Inkosi yeBhabhiloni yezwa umbiko ngabo, izandla zayo zaba buthakathaka; usizi lwayibamba, lobuhlungu obunjengowesifazana ohelelwayo.
44. Khangela, njengesilwane esiphuma ehlathini leJordani sisiya esibayeni sezimvu esiqinileyo, ngokucwayiza kwelihlo ngibaxotshe, basuke kuyo, ngilibekele lowo engimkhethileyo. Ngoba ngubani ofanana lami? Ngubani ozangibiza? Nguwuphi umelusi ongema phambi kwami?
45. Ngakho-ke zwanini icebo i Nkosi elenzayo ngeBhabhiloni, lemikhumbulo elayo ngelizwe lamaKhaladiya ukuthi: Abancinyane bomhlambi bazadonswa basuswe, lendawo yabo imangale ngokuphela kwabo.
46. Ngomsindo wokuthunjwa kweBhabhiloni umhlaba uzathuthumela, lelizwi lokukhala kwayo lizazwakala phakathi kwezizwe.

  Jeremiah (50/52)