Isahluko 51
1
Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: “Ngiyakuvusela iBabele nabakhileyo eLebi Khamayi umoya womchithi.
2
Ngiyakuthuma abelayo eBabele, balele, balithulule, ngokuba ngosuku lobubi bayakuba kulo nxazonke.
3
Ocibishelayo uyakunsala umnsalo kogoba umnsalo khona, nakuye oziphakamisa ngebhantshi lakhe lensimbi; ningasindisi izinsizwa zalo, niqede nya impi yalo yonke.
4
Bayakuwa bebulewe ezweni lamaKaledi, begwaziwe ezitaladini zalo.
5
Ngokuba o-Israyeli noJuda abashiywanga nguNkulunkulu wabo, uJehova Sebawoti, noma izwe labo ligcwele icala koNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
6
“Balekani eBabele, yilowo nalowo akhulule ukuphila kwakhe, ninganqunywa ngokona kwalo, ngokuba kuyisikhathi sempindiselo kaJehova, uyakuliphindisela.
7
IBabele beliyindebe yegolide esandleni sikaJehova eyadakisa umhlaba wonke; izizwe zaliphuza iwayini lalo, ngalokho izizwe ziyahlanya.
8
IBabele seliwile ngokuzumayo, lachithwa; hhewulani ngalo, nithathele ubuhlungu balo ibhalisamu; mhlawumbe lingaphiliswa.
9
“Besiyakuliphilisa iBabele, kepha aliphiliswanga; lishiyeni, masihambe siye, kube yilowo nalowo ezweni lakubo, ngokuba ukwahlulelwa kwalo kufinyelela ezulwini, kuphakanyisiwe nasemafwini.
10
“UJehova uvezile imfanelo yethu; wozani silande eSiyoni umsebenzi kaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu.
11
“Lolani imicibisholo, nibambe izihlangu. UJehova uvusile umoya wamakhosi aseMediya, ngokuba icebo lakhe ngeBabele lingukuba alichithe, ngokuba lokhu kuyimpindiselo kaJehova, impindiselo ngethempeli lakhe.
12
Misani ibhanela ngasezingangeni zaseBabele, niqinise umlindo, nimise abalindi, nihlele abaqamekeli, ngokuba uJehova ukuhlosile, futhi wakwenza lokho owakukhuluma kwabakhileyo eBabele.
13
Wena ohlala ngasemanzini amakhulu, nonengcebo eningi, sekufikile ukugcina kwakho, isilinganiso sokuhaha kwakho.
14
UJehova Sebawoti uzifungile wathi: Noma ngikugcwalisile ngabantu njengangezinkumbi, bayakuhalalisa nokho ngawe.
15
“Wawenza umhlaba ngamandla akhe, walimisa izwe ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe, ngokuqonda kwakhe waleneka izulu.
16
Lapho elizwakalisa izwi lakhe, kungukuhlokoma kwamanzi ezulwini; uzikhuphula izinkungu emikhawulweni yomhlaba, enzele imvula unyazi, awukhiphe umoya endlini yengcebo.
17
“Bonke abantu bayiziphukuphuku, abanakwazi, bonke abakhandi bajabhiswa nezithombe zabo ezibaziweyo, ngokuba izithombe zabo ezibunjiweyo zingamanga, nomoya awukho kuzo.
18
Ziyize, zingumsebenzi wenkohliso; ngesikhathi sokuhanjelwa kwabo ziyakubhubha.
19
Oyisabelo sikaJakobe akanjengalezo, ngokuba nguye obumbile konke, yebo, nesizwe sefa lakhe; nguJehova Sebawoti igama lakhe.
20
“Uyizembe lami nezikhali zokulwa; ngiyaphahlaza izizwe ngawe, ngawe ngiyachitha imibuso,
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ngiphahlaze ngawe ihhashi nenkweli yalo, ngiphahlaze ngawe inqola nohamba ngayo;
22
ngiphahlaze ngawe abesilisa nabesifazane, ngiphahlaze ngawe abadala nabasha, ngiphahlaze ngawe izinsizwa nezintombi;
23
ngiphahlaze ngawe umalusi nomhlambi wakhe, ngiphahlaze ngawe umlimi namabhanga akhe, ngiphahlaze ngawe izinduna nababusi.
24
“Ngiyakuphindisela iBabele nabo bonke abakhileyo eKalideya konke okubi kwabo abakwenzile eSiyoni emehlweni enu,” usho uJehova.
25
“Bheka, ngimelene nawe ntaba echithayo,” usho uJehova, “wena ochitha wonke umhlaba; ngiyakwelulela isandla sami kuwe, ngikugingqe emadwaleni, ngikwenze intaba eshisiweyo.
26
Abayikuthatha kuwe itshe legumbi netshe lesisekelo, ngokuba uyakuba yincithakalo kuze kube phakade,” usho uJehova.
27
“Misani ibhanela ezweni, nibethe amacilongo phakathi kwezizwe, ningcwelise izizwe ukuba zilwe nalo, nilibizele imibuso yase-Ararati, naseMini, nase-Ashikenaze, nibeke phezu kwalo umphathi wempi, nikhuphuke namahhashi anjengezinkumbi ezimahaye.
28
Lingcweliseleni izizwe, amakhosi aseMediya, nezinduna zalo, nababusi balo, nalo lonke izwe elibuswa yibo.
29
Umhlaba uyathuthumela, uqhaqhazele, ngokuba amacebo kaJehova ngeBabele emi okuba enze izwe laseBabele libe yincithakalo, kuze kungabikho ohlala khona.
30
Amaqhawe aseBabele ayekile ukulwa, ahlala ezinqabeni zawo; amandla awo aphelile, anjengabesifazane; izindlu zalo zishisiwe, imigoqo yalo yaphuliwe.
31
Isigijimi siyagijma, sihlangane nesinye, umbiki uhlangana nombiki ukutshela inkosi yaseBabele ukuthi umuzi wayo unqotshiwe nxazonke.
32
Amazibuko avinjiwe, umhlanga ushisiwe ngomlilo, amadoda empi ayesaba.”
33
Ngokuba usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: “Indodakazi yaseBabele injengesibuya ngesikhathi sokunyathelwa kwaso; kuse yisikhashana, sizakufika kuyo isikhathi sokuvuna.”
34
UNebukadinesari, inkosi yaseBabele ungidlile wangiqeda; ungenze isitsha esingenalutho, wangigwinya njengodrako; ugcwalisile isisu sakhe ngokumnandi kwami, wangixosha.
35
“Ubudlova engenzelwe bona mina nabayinyama yami mabube phezu kweBabele,” makasho njalo owakhileyo eSiyoni. “Igazi lami malibe phezu kwabakhileyo eKalideya;” malisho njalo iJerusalema.
36
Ngalokho usho kanje uJehova, uthi: “Bheka, ngiyakumela indaba yakho, ngikuphindisele, ngishise ulwandle lwalo, ngomise umthombo walo.
37
IBabele liyakuba yizinqwaba, nendawo yokuhlala kwamakhanka, nencithakalo, nento encimfelwayo, kungabikho ohlala khona.
38
Bayabhonga kanyekanye njengezingonyama, bakhale njengamabhongo ezingonyama.
39
Sebevuthile, ngiyakubenzela idili, ngibadakise ukuze baquleke, balale ubuthongo obuphakade, bangavuki,” usho uJehova.
40
“Ngiyakubehlisela ekuhlatshweni njengamawundlu, njengezinqama nezimpongo.
41
“Yeka ukunqotshwa kweSheshaki nokubanjwa kwelaliludumo lwawo wonke umhlaba! Yeka ukwenziwa kweBabele isimangaliso phakathi kwezizwe!
42
Ulwandle lukhuphukele iBabele, lisibekelwe ngamaza alo ahlokomayo.
43
Imizi yalo ichithekile; yizwe elomileyo, nehlane, izwe elingahlalwa muntu, kungadluli kulo indodana yomuntu.
44
Ngiyakuhambela uBeli eBabele, ngikhiphe emlonyeni wakhe lokhu akugwinyileyo; izizwe azisayikugobhozela kuye, ugange lwaseBabele luyakuwa.
45
“Phumani phakathi kwalo, bantu bami, nizikhulule, kube yilowo nalowo ekufuthekeni kwentukuthelo kaJehova.
46
Izinhliziyo zenu mazingadangali, ningesabi imibiko ezwakalayo ezweni, lapho kufika umbiko othile ngomunye umnyaka, bese kufika emva kwawo omunye ngomnyaka olandelayo, kube ngubudlova ezweni, umbusi avukele umbusi.
47
Ngalokho bheka, izinsuku ziyeza, lapho ngiyakujezisa izithombe ezibaziweyo zaseBabele, izwe lonke lalo lijabhe, bonke ababuleweyo balo bawe phakathi kwalo.
48
Bese kuqhumuka izulu nomhlaba, nakho konke okukukho, ngokuhlabelela ngeBabele, ngokuba abachithi bayakumfikela bevela enyakatho,” usho uJehova.
49
“Yebo, neBabele limelwe ukuwa, nina babuleweyo bakwa-Israyeli, njengalokho iBabele laliwelwa ngababuleweyo bomhlaba wonke.
50
Nina eniphunyukile enkembeni hambani, ningemi; khumbulani uJehova nisekude, iJerusalema lingene ezinhliziyweni zenu.
51
“Sijabhile, ngokuba sizwe inhlamba; amahloni asibekela ubuso bethu, ngokuba abafokazi bangenile ezindaweni ezingcwele endlini kaJehova.”
52
“Ngalokho bheka, izinsuku ziyeza,” usho uJehova, “lapho ngiyakuzihambela izithombe zalo ezibaziweyo, ababulawayo babubule ezweni lonke lalo.
53
Noma iBabele likhuphukela ezulwini, yebo, noma liqinisa inqaba yalo enamandla, kuyakuvela nokho kimi abachithi, balehlele,” usho uJehova.
54
“Ngumsindo wokukhala ovela eBabele, nowencithakalo enkulu ophuma ezweni lamaKaledi,
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ngokuba uJehova uyalichitha iBabele, aqede phakathi kwalo umsindo omkhulu; amaza alo ayahlokoma njengamanzi amakhulu, nomsindo wokuhlokoma kwawo uyezwakala,
56
ngokuba umchithi uyalehlela, alehlele iBabele, amaqhawe alo ayabanjwa, neminsalo yawo iyaphulwa, ngokuba uJehova unguNkulunkulu wemivuzo, uyakhokha nokukhokha.
57
Ngiyakudakisa izikhulu zalo nezihlakaniphi zalo, nezinduna zalo, nababusi balo, namaqhawe alo; bayakulala ubuthongo obuphakade, bangavuki,” isho iNkosi egama layo linguJehova Sebawoti.
58
Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uthi: “Ugange olubanzi lwaseBabele luyakubhidlizwa nokubhidlizwa, namasango alo aphakemeyo ayakushiswa ngomlilo; abantu bakhandlekela ize nezizwe okomlilo, zikhathale.”
59
Izwi uJeremiya umprofethi ayala ngalo uSeraya indodana kaNeriya kaMakhaseya ekuhambeni kwakhe noSedekiya inkosi yakwaJuda eya eBabele ngomnyaka wesine wokubusa kwakhe. USeraya wayeyisikhulu sezindawo zokuphumula.
60
UJeremiya waloba encwadini konke okubi obekuyakwehlela iBabele, onke lawa mazwi alotshiwe ngeBabele.
61
UJeremiya wathi kuSeraya: “Ekufikeni kwakho eBabele bhekisisa ukuba ufunde onke lawa mazwi,
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uthi: ‘Jehova, wena ukhulumile ngale ndawo ukuba uyinqume ukuze kungabikho muntu ohlala kuyo, umuntu nasilwane, ngokuba iyakuba yihlane kuze kube phakade.’
63
Lapho usuqedile ukuyifunda le ncwadi, uyakubopha itshe kuyo, uyiphonse e-Ewufrathe,
64
uthi: ‘Kanjalo iBabele liyakushona, lingabe lisavuka ngenxa yokubi engiyakulehlisela khona, lidangale.’ ” Kuphela lapha amazwi kaJeremiya.