Jeremiah (51/52)  

1. I Nkosi ithi: Khangela, ngizavusela iBhabhiloni labakhileyo eKhaladiya umoya ochithayo,
2. ngithume eBhabhiloni abelayo, bazakuyela, bathulule ilizwe layo, lapho betheleka phezu kwayo bevela inhlangothi zonke ngosuku lokuhlupheka.
3. Otshokayo kagobise idandili lakhe, kungasukumi muntu ogqoke ibhatshi lakhe lensimbi. Lingawayekeli amajaha ayo, lilitshabalalise ibutho layo lonke.
4. Bazakuwa befelwe elizweni lamaKhaladiya, bagwazwe endleleni zayo.
5. Ngoba uIsrayeli loJuda kabalahlwanga nguNkulunkulu wabo, i Nkosi yamabandla; kodwa ilizwe lamaKhaladiya lilecala koNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
6. Balekani eBhabhiloni, lizisindise lonke. Lingaqedwa ekutshayweni kwayo, ngoba lesi yisikhathi sempindiselo ye Nkosi, iyayiphindisela.
7. IBhabhiloni yayiyinkezo yegolide esandleni se Nkosi, eyayidakisa umhlaba wonke; izizwe zanatha iwayini layo, ngakho zahlanya.
8. IBhabhiloni isiwile masinyane, yachitheka; ikhaleleni, liyidingele umuthi wezilonda, mhlawumbe ingasila.
9. Abezizwe bakhona bathi: Besizayelapha iBhabhiloni, kodwa kayelatshwanga; itshiyeni, asihambeni sonke siye emazweni akithi; ngoba isigwebo sayo sifinyelele emazulwini, siphakanyisiwe kwaze kwafika emkhathini.
10. I Nkosi isitshengisile ukuthi thina siqondile; wozani, silandise eZiyoni umsebenzi we Nkosi uNkulunkulu wethu.
11. Lolani imitshoko, lithathe izihlangu. I Nkosi ivusile umoya wamakhosi amaMede, ngoba ilecebo lokuyichitha iBhabhiloni, ngoba lokho kuyimpindiselo ye Nkosi, impindiselo yethempeli layo.
12. Misani isiboniso emidulini yeBhabhiloni, liqinise ukulinda, libeke abalindi, licathame, ngoba i Nkosi isikumisile, futhi izakwenza lokho ekukhulume ngabakhileyo eBhabhiloni.
13. Wena muzi ohlala emanzini amanengi, olenotho enengi, ukuphela kwakho sekufikile, isilinganiso somhawu wakho.
14. I Nkosi yamabandla ifungile ngayo uqobo yathi: Isibili ngizakugcwalisa ngabantu, babe ngangentethe, bazahlaba umkhosi wokunqoba ngawe.
15. UNkulunkulu wawenza umhlaba ngamandla akhe, walimisa ilizwe ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe, langokuqedisisa kwakhe wendlala amazulu.
16. Lapho ekhupha ilizwi lakhe, amanzi ayahlokoma emazulwini, uyakhupha inkungu emikhawulweni yomhlaba, enze imibane iphazime lapho lisina, akhuphe umoya eziphaleni zakhe.
17. Bonke abantu bayizithutha, kabalakwazi; wonke umkhandi uyangiswa yizithombe zakhe, ngoba izithombe zakhe ezibunjiweyo ziyinkohliso, kazilamphefumulo.
18. Ziyize nje, zingumsebenzi wenkohliso, ngesikhathi sempindiselo yazo zizabhubha.
19. UNkulunkulu kaJakobe kanjengazo; ngoba yena nguye owadala zonke izinto, uIsrayeli yisizwe asikhethayo; yi Nkosi yamabandla ibizo lakhe.
20. Wena Bhabhiloni uyisando sami lezikhali zami zempi; ngizakwephula izizwe ngawe, ngichithe imibuso,
21. ngiphahlaze ngawe ibhiza lomgadi walo, lenqola lomkhweli wayo,
22. ngiphahlaze ngawe amadoda labesifazana, amaxhegu labatsha, ijaha lentombi emsulwa,
23. ngiphahlaze ngawe umelusi lomhlambi wakhe, umlimi lenkabi zakhe, ababusi lenduna zebutho.
24. Ngizayiphindisela iBhabhiloni labo bonke abakhileyo eKhaladiya okubi kwabo konke abakwenzileyo eZiyoni phambi kwenu, kutsho i Nkosi.
25. Khangela, ngimelana lawe, wena ntaba echithayo, kutsho i Nkosi, echitha umhlaba wonke; ngizaphakamisela isandla sami kuwe, ngikugiqe ezintabeni, ngikwenze ube yintaba etshisiweyo.
26. Kakuyikuthathwa ilitshe kuwe elengonsi, lelitshe lesisekelo; kodwa uzakuba yinkangala kuze kube nininini, kutsho i Nkosi.
27. Misani isiboniso emhlabeni, livuthele uphondo phakathi kwezizwe, lilungisele izizwe ukumelana leBhabhiloni, liyibizele imibuso ukumelana layo, iArarathi leMini leAshikenazi; liyibekele umlawuli wempi, likhuphe amabhiza abe njengomtshitshi wentethe.
28. Lungisani izizwe ukumelana layo, amakhosi amaMede lenduna zayo lababusi bayo, lelizwe lonke elibuswa yiwo.
29. Ilizwe liyathuthumela, liqhaqhazele, ngoba icebo le Nkosi limelana leBhabhiloni, ukuze yenze ilizwe leBhabhiloni libe yinkangala engelamuntu.
30. Amaqhawe eBhabhiloni ayekele ukulwa, ahlezi enqabeni zawo, amandla awo aphelile, asenjengabesifazana; indlu zayo ziyatsha, lemigoqo yamasango ayo yephukile.
31. Isigijimi siyagijima sihlangane lesinye, umbiki uhlangana lombiki, ukutshela inkosi yeBhabhiloni ukuthi umuzi wayo unqotshiwe inhlangothi zonke,
32. amazibuko asethethwe, lezinqaba zitshisiwe ngomlilo, amadoda empi ethukile.
33. Ngoba i Nkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ithi: IBhabhiloni injengebala lokubhulela ngesikhathi sokunyathelwa kwayo; kuseyisikhatshana nje isikhathi sokuvunwa kwayo sizafika.
34. UNebukadinezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni usidlile, usiqedile; wasenza saba yimbiza engelalutho, wasiginya njengomgobho, usuthi ngokumnandi kwethu, wasitsaka.
35. Ububi obukhulu obenziwe kimi lenyameni yami bube phezu kweBhabhiloni, kabatsho njalo abeZiyoni. Ngokuhlupheka kwethu babe lomlandu abeKhaladiya, kabatsho njalo abeJerusalema.
36. Ngakho-ke i Nkosi ithi: Khangela, ngizalumela udaba lwenu, ngiliphindisele; ngizakomisa ulwandle lwayo, ngomise lomthombo wayo.
37. IBhabhiloni izakuba lunxiwa oludilikileyo, lendawo yamakhanka, into eyesabekayo leyokuncifelwa, kungabi khona ohlala khona.
38. Abantu bayo bazabhonga njengamabhongo ezilwane, bakhale njengemidlwane yezilwane.
39. Lapho sebebukhali, ngizabenzela idili, ngibadakise baze baqaleke, balale ubuthongo obulaphakade, bangaphindi bavuke, kutsho i Nkosi.
40. Ngizabaletha ekuhlatshweni njengamawundlu, njengezinqama lezimpongo.
41. Yeka ukubanjwa kweBhabhiloni edumileyo emhlabeni wonke! Yeka iBhabhiloni esiphenduke yaba yinto eyesabekayo phakathi kwezizwe!
42. Ulwandle lufikile eBhabhiloni, yasibekelwa ngamagagasi alo ahlokomayo.
43. Imizi yayo isingamanxiwa, ilizwe elomileyo lenkangala, ilizwe elingahlalwa muntu, okungadluli kulo indodana yomuntu.
44. Ngizamtshaya unkulunkulu uBeli eBhabhiloni, ngikhuphe emlonyeni wakhe lokho akuginyileyo. Izizwe kazisayikubekelela ziye kuye. Umduli weBhabhiloni uwile.
45. Phumani phakathi kwayo, bantu bami, lizikhulule lonke elakeni olwesabekayo lwe Nkosi.
46. Inhliziyo zenu kazingakhathali, lingesabi umbiko ozwakala elizweni, ngoba kufika umbiko ngomunye umnyaka, besekufika omunye umbiko ngomnyaka olandelayo, ukuthi kukhona isihluku elizweni, lombusi avukele umbusi.
47. Ngalokho-ke khangela, insuku ziyeza, lapho ngizakwenza isigwebo phezu kwezithombe ezibaziweyo zeBhabhiloni; ilizwe lonke layo lizayangeka, bonke ababuleweyo baye bawele phakathi kwayo.
48. Kuthi-ke amazulu lomhlaba, lakho konke okukukho, kuhlabele ngentokozo ngeBhabhiloni, ngoba abachithi bazayifikela bevela enyakatho, kutsho i Nkosi.
49. IBhabhiloni imele ukuwa ngenxa yabafileyo bakoIsrayeli, njengoba ngeBhabhiloni abantu babulawa emhlabeni wonke.
50. Lina eliphephileyo ekufeni, hambani, lingemi. Khumbulani i Nkosi lisekhatshana, leJerusalema ibe semkhumbulweni wenu.
51. Siyangekile ngoba sizwile ihlazo; ubuso bethu bulenhloni, ngoba abezizwe sebefikile ezindaweni ezingcwele zethempeli.
52. Ngakho khangela, insuku ziyeza, kutsho i Nkosi, lapho ngizakwenza isigwebo phezu kwezithombe ezibaziweyo zeBhabhiloni, labagwaziweyo babubule elizweni layo lonke.
53. Loba iBhabhiloni ingaphakamela emazulwini, loba ingaqinisa amadundulu ayo aqinileyo, kodwa abachithi bayo bazayifikela bevela kimi, kutsho i Nkosi.
54. Zwanini, ukukhala kuvela eBhabhiloni, umsindo wokuchitheka okukhulu uvela elizweni lamaKhaladiya.
55. Ngoba i Nkosi iyayichitha iBhabhiloni, iyayithulisa ilizwi layo elilamandla. Amagagasi ayo ayahlokoma njengamanzi amanengi, lomsindo wokuhlokoma kwawo uyezwakala.
56. Ngoba umchithi uyehlela phezu kweBhabhiloni; amaqhawe ayo ayabanjwa, lamadandili awo ayephulwa. Ngoba i Nkosi inguNkulunkulu onika umvuzo, izawukhokha umvuzo isibili.
57. Ngizadakisa iziphathamandla zayo lezihlakaniphi zayo, ababusi bayo, lenduna zamabutho ayo, lamaqhawe ayo; bazalala ubuthongo obulaphakade, bangavuki, kutsho iNkosi, eyi Nkosi yamabandla.
58. I Nkosi yamabandla ithi: Umduli obanzi weBhabhiloni uzabhidlizwa, lamasango ayo aphakemeyo atshiswe ngomlilo. Abantu basebenzela ize, lomsebenzi wezizwe uphelela emlilweni.
59. Ilizwi likaJeremiya umprofethi alaya ngalo uSeraya indodana kaNeriya, kaMahaseya, ekuhambeni kwakhe loZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda, ukuya eBhabhiloni emnyakeni wesine wokubusa kwakhe. USeraya wayeyisikhulu sezindawo zokuphumula.
60. UJeremiya wabhala encwadini konke okubi okuzakwehlela iBhabhiloni, wonke lamazwi abhaliweyo ngeBhabhiloni.
61. UJeremiya wathi kuSeraya: Lapho usufikile eBhabhiloni, ubone ukuthi uyawafunda wonke lamazwi,
62. uthi: Wena Nkosi, ukhulumile ngalindawo ukuthi uzayichitha, ukuze kungabi khona okuhlala kiyo, umuntu loba inyamazana, ibe yinkangala kuze kube nininini.
63. Kuthi lapho usuqedile ukuyifunda lincwadi, ubophele ilitshe kuyo, uyiphosele emfuleni iYufrathi,
64. uthi: IBhabhiloni izatshona, ingabe isavela futhi, ngenxa yokubi, engizayehlisela khona. Aphelela lapha amazwi kaJeremiya.

  Jeremiah (51/52)