The Fall of Babylonia
1 This is a message about a desert beside the sea:
Enemies from a hostile nation
attack like a whirlwind
from the Southern Desert.
2 What a horrible vision
was shown to me—
a vision of betrayal
and destruction.
Tell Elam and Media
to surround and attack
the Babylonians.
The Lord has sworn to end
the suffering they caused.
3 I'm in terrible pain
like a woman giving birth.
I'm shocked and hurt so much
that I can't hear or see.
4 My head spins; I'm horrified!
Early evening, my favorite time,
has become a nightmare.
5 In Babylon the high officials
were having a feast.
They were eating and drinking,
when someone shouted,
“Officers, take your places!
Grab your shields.”
6 The Lord said to me,
“Send guards
to find out
what's going on.
7 When they see cavalry troops
and columns of soldiers
on donkeys and camels,
tell them to be ready!”
8 Then a guard said,
“I have stood day and night
on this watchtower, Lord.
9 Now I see column after column
of cavalry troops.”
At once someone shouted,
“Babylon has fallen!
Every idol in the city
lies broken on the ground.”
10 Then I said, “My people,
you have suffered terribly,
but I have a message for you
from the Lord All-Powerful,
the God of Israel.”
How Much Longer?
11 This is a message about Dumah:
From the country of Seir,
someone shouts to me,
“Guard, how much longer
before daylight?”
12 From my guard post, I answered,
“Morning will soon be here,
but night will return.
If you want to know more,
come back later.”
13 This is a message for Arabs who live in the barren desert in the region of Dedan:
You must order your caravans
14 to bring water for those
who are thirsty.
You people of Tema
must bring food
for the hungry refugees.
15 They are worn out and weary
from being chased by enemies
with swords and arrows.
16 The Lord said to me:
A year from now the glory of the people of Kedar will all come to an end, just as a worker's contract ends after a year. 17 Only a few of their warriors will be left with bows and arrows. This is a promise that I, the Lord God of Israel, have made.
Mbono ye kuwa kwe Bhabhiloni
1 Dama ngekwe tjilambanyika tjipa gungwa.
Se tjampupudze tjitutudza mu Negebu,
tjita tjozha tjidwa mu tjilambanyika,
mu shango inotjisa.
2 Ndalakidziwa mbono yakabangalala,
ntoleli unotapa,
nkolomodzi unokolomola.
Elamu, nginilila nge ngwa,
Mediya, komba nge ngwa,
ndowopedza tjililo tjose tjaakazhisa.
3 Ndizo wali ndamanukigwa mu thunji, zwibhayo zwandinabula se nkadzi ali mu zwibhayo zwe kutshibama,
ndakawoneswa ngekwe tjandinohwa,
ndakanyala moyo ngekwe tjandinobona.
4 Ndotogwa nge dzungu,
ndotetemeswa nge kutja,
madekwana andabe ndakashuba kuabona
azhisa kutetema ne lutjo kundili.
5 Banolulwamisa pabanojila,
bewala thobgwana dzabanogala,
bebe beja beng'wa.
Milikani imwi balauli
muzhodze zwiviko zwenyu mafuta!
6 Ngoti She bakati kundili,
“Yenda unobiga nlindi,
un'dwe alebe tjaanobona.
7 Ati ebona bataswi,
bakataswa mbizi beyenda bakabapa, ne bakataswa madonki, ne bakataswa kamela,
ngaahwilile,
ahwilile kwazo.”
8 Ipapo nlindi kamilidza hwi kati,
“She zhuba ne zhuba ndogala ndima pezhugwi kwe ngadzi,
pa nshingo wangu ndipo pandinoma busiku gose.
9 Ngono bonani, aba bataswi banozha,
bataswi be mbizi baswika bakabapa!”
Kashandula eti,
“Yawa, yawa Bhabhiloni,
ngono midzimu yawo yose ye zwifano
wayi pkhwanyila pasi.”
10 Imwi bathu bangu bakashokogwa, bakawulusiwa,
tjandahwa tjidwa kuna Yahwe Masimbawose,
Ndzimu we Iziraela ndomubudza itjo.
Mbono ngekwe Edomu
11 Dama nge kwe Duma.
Mmwe unondidana kudwa ku Seiri eti,
“Nlindi busiku gwakatini?
Nlindi busiku gwakatini?”
12 Nlindi kadabila eti,
“Mangwanana aswika ne busiku gwaswika.
Ha ungabhuzwa, bhuzwa,
ngono ubuye kakale.”
Mbono ngekwe Arabiya
13 Dama ngekwe Arabiya.
Imwi nlongolongo we koloyi dze Badedani
mokotokela mu zwishakana zwe Arabiya.
14 Muzhile vula bana nyota,
mupe batizhi zojiwa
imwi bagali be Tema.
15 Ngoti bakatizha thumo,
thumo labakamilidziwa
ne dati lakapetiwa,
betizha ngwa yakabangalala.
16 She bakalebeleka nami bakati, “Kowoti mu gole ling'ompela gudzo le Kedari likapela, tibala gole tilizanya nge gole linobaligwa ntapiwa unoshinga. 17 Balume bakasima, bakololo ba Kedari banobhayana nge misebe, bakasala banowobe bali bashomanana, ngoti Yahwe, Ndzimu we Iziraela walebeleka.”