1 The word that the LORD spake against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet. 2 Declare ye among the nations, and publish, and set up a standard; publish, and conceal not: say, Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces; her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces. 3 For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein: they shall remove, they shall depart, both man and beast.
4 ¶ In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, and seek the LORD their God. 5 They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying , Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten. 6 My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace. 7 All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers. 8 Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flocks.
9 ¶ For, lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country: and they shall set themselves in array against her; from thence she shall be taken: their arrows shall be as of a mighty expert man; none shall return in vain. 10 And Chaldea shall be a spoil: all that spoil her shall be satisfied, saith the LORD. 11 Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls; 12 Your mother shall be sore confounded; she that bare you shall be ashamed: behold, the hindermost of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land, and a desert. 13 Because of the wrath of the LORD it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly desolate: every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues. 14 Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about: all ye that bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrows: for she hath sinned against the LORD. 15 Shout against her round about: she hath given her hand: her foundations are fallen, her walls are thrown down: for it is the vengeance of the LORD: take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, do unto her. 16 Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest: for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.
17 ¶ Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away: first the king of Assyria hath devoured him; and last this Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones. 18 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria. 19 And I will bring Israel again to his habitation, and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon mount Ephraim and Gilead. 20 In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.
21 ¶ Go up against the land of Merathaim, even against it, and against the inhabitants of Pekod: waste and utterly destroy after them, saith the LORD, and do according to all that I have commanded thee. 22 A sound of battle is in the land, and of great destruction. 23 How is the hammer of the whole earth cut asunder and broken! how is Babylon become a desolation among the nations! 24 I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon, and thou wast not aware: thou art found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against the LORD. 25 The LORD hath opened his armoury, and hath brought forth the weapons of his indignation: for this is the work of the Lord GOD of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans. 26 Come against her from the utmost border, open her storehouses: cast her up as heaps, and destroy her utterly: let nothing of her be left. 27 Slay all her bullocks; let them go down to the slaughter: woe unto them! for their day is come, the time of their visitation. 28 The voice of them that flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, the vengeance of his temple. 29 Call together the archers against Babylon: all ye that bend the bow, camp against it round about; let none thereof escape: recompense her according to her work; according to all that she hath done, do unto her: for she hath been proud against the LORD, against the Holy One of Israel. 30 Therefore shall her young men fall in the streets, and all her men of war shall be cut off in that day, saith the LORD. 31 Behold, I am against thee, O thou most proud, saith the Lord GOD of hosts: for thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee. 32 And the most proud shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up: and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all round about him.
33 ¶ Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go. 34 Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name: he shall throughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.
35 ¶ A sword is upon the Chaldeans, saith the LORD, and upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and upon her princes, and upon her wise men . 36 A sword is upon the liars; and they shall dote: a sword is upon her mighty men; and they shall be dismayed. 37 A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people that are in the midst of her; and they shall become as women: a sword is upon her treasures; and they shall be robbed. 38 A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up: for it is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon their idols. 39 Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell there , and the owls shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation. 40 As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD; so shall no man abide there, neither shall any son of man dwell therein. 41 Behold, a people shall come from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. 42 They shall hold the bow and the lance: they are cruel, and will not shew mercy: their voice shall roar like the sea, and they shall ride upon horses, every one put in array, like a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon. 43 The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble: anguish took hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail. 44 Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of Jordan unto the habitation of the strong: but I will make them suddenly run away from her: and who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? for who is like me? and who will appoint me the time? and who is that shepherd that will stand before me? 45 Therefore hear ye the counsel of the LORD, that he hath taken against Babylon; and his purposes, that he hath purposed against the land of the Chaldeans: Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out: surely he shall make their habitation desolate with them. 46 At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth is moved, and the cry is heard among the nations.
Ndayidzo ngekwe Bhabhiloni
1 Dama lakalebgwa ndi Yahwe ngekwe Bhabhiloni nenge shango ye Bakhaladiya ndi Jeremiya nlebesambeli likati,
2 “Lebani pakati kwe zwitjaba kakale muzibise!
Misani tjilakidzo mulizibise,
musilisumbike ngono muti,
Bhabhiloni yatogwa,
Bheli wabhatisiwa shoni,
Merodaki watemeka mafupa.
3 Ngoti kwadwa itjaba ku bunandzwa tjawon'nginilila,
tjawothukudza shango iye.
Akutjina ungagala muili,
kose bathu ne phuka banowotizha.
4 “Mu mazhuba iyawo, nge tjibaka itjetjo,”
koleba Yahwe,
“bathu be Iziraela ne bathu be Juda banowoshangana,
banowotebula mishodzi kushaka Yahwe Ndzimu wabo.
5 Banowobhuzwa zila inoyenda ku Ziyoni,
ngono bakashanduka bakalinga ku ili.
Banowozha bakazwipa kuna Yahwe,
mu tjidumano tjisingapele,
tjisowofa tjakanganika.
6 “Bathu bangu babe bali pkhwizi dzakalashika,
balisi badzo bakadzitungamilila ntome,
bedzishandusa kulimwe dombo bedziyisa kulimwe,
dzakapungayila kudwa mulimwe dombo kunoti ku matuthu,
dzakakangang'wa danga ladzo.
7 Bose bakadziwana bakadzija,
zwita zwabo zwakati, ‘Atina nlandu,
ngoti bakatjinyila Yahwe, bugalo gwabo gwe lebeswa,
Yahwe ibo kugalabgwe kwa bobatategulu babo.’
8 “Tizhani mudwe mu Bhabhiloni,
bhudani mu shango ye Bakhaladiya,
munge mbudzi ndume dzakatungamila ngubi.
9 Bonani ndowodzonga azhisa nshanganyila
we zwitjaba zwikulu kudwa ku shango ye bunandzwa,
kuwobhayana ne Bhabhiloni.
Banowomazubuyanana nge magalo abo kubhayana nayo,
zowodwa ku bunandzwa ngono zowoitola.
Misebe yabo inowobe inga nyambi dze babhayani,
basingabgwilile bakalembedza maboko.
10 Ndizo Khaladiya inowotolegwa,
bose banoitolela banowotola bakagutshika,”
koleba Yahwe.11 “Nenguba mungashatha, nenguba mungapululudza,
imwi munotola thaka yangu,
nenguba mungatamba tamba se phulu mu bushwa,
mukafula se mbizi ndume,
12 mme benyu banowobhakhwa nge shoni kwazo,
iye wakamuzwala unowolengudzika.
Unowobe ntukununu mu zwitjaba,
kabe ikaka, shango yakawomelela, tjilambanyika.
13 Ngekwe bushongola gwa Yahwe aitowogagwa,
koga inowobe yakathukudzika kwazo.
Bose banopinda paili banowokaabala,
bakazunguza misholo ngekwe mabanga ayo wose.
14 “Imani zubuyanana kupoteleka Bhabhiloni,
imwi mose makabhata matati.
Muipose! Musitjibe misebe,
ngoti yakatjinyila Yahwe.
15 Muipose kudwa mbizho dzose,
yamilidza maboko,
matizhilo ayo awa,
makuma ayo apkhwanyika.
Ngoti ikoko ndiko kuzwibgwilizila kwa Yahwe,
muibgwilizile,
muithamile tjayakathama ku bamwe.
16 Peleledzani badzwali be Bhabhiloni,
ne ntjeli wakabhata sikili mu nsi we kuvuna.
Ngekwe thumo le ntshambilidzi,
mmwe ne mmwe ngaabgwilile ku bathu bakanyi kukwe,
mmwe ne mmwe ngaatizhile ku shango iye.
17 “Iziraela i ngubi yakapalala,
iyo yakatatiwa ne shumba.
We kutanga kuija,
yakabe ili mambo we Asiriya,
we bupelo kupupuna mafupa ayo,
yakabe ili Nebukadineza mambo we Bhabhiloni.”
18 Ndizo Yahwe Masimbawose, Ndzimu we Iziraela bakati,
“Ndowoloba shamu mambo we Bhabhiloni ne shango iye,
koga sekwa ndakaloba shamu mambo we Asiriya.
19 Koga ndowobgwiliza Iziraela ku mafulo ayo,
unowofula mu Karimeli ne Bhashani,
Yemula iye inowogutshika,
mu matombo e Ifureimi ne Giliyadi.
20 Mu mazhuba iyawo, nge tjibaka itjetjo,”
koleba Yahwe.
“Kowoshakiwa nlandu we Iziraela,
ngono unowosheteka,
ngekwe tjibi tje Juda,
akuna tjinowowanika,
ngoti ndowozwiibhatigwa iye wandinosiya ali limbelimbe.
21 “Nginililani shango ye Merathayimu,
na ibabo banogala mu Pekodi.
Ubabhaye, ubapeleledze tjose,
kojalo Yahwe.Thama tjimwe ne tjimwe tjandakudwa.
22 Nsindo we ngwa umu shango,
ne golomodzo gulugulu!
23 Yavunika kakale yathubugwa seni,
hamuli ye shango yose!
Bhabhiloni yathukudzika seni,
pakati kwe zwitjaba!
24 Ndakakubigila bhuzhu iwe Bhabhiloni,
ngono wakabhatshigwa usathu waziba,
wakang'wa ukasungwa,
ngoti wakanyanyayidzana na Yahwe.
25 Yahwe bazhula ng'umba ye babulayi babo,
badusa zwibhayano zwe kugwadzamoyo kwabo,
ngoti She Yahwe Masimbawose bana nshingo wabakafanila kuwoshinga,
mu shango ye Bakhaladiya.
26 Mun'kubunganile kudwa mbizho dzose,
Pkhwanyani muzhule matula ayo,
muakubunganye muthame matuluthulu e mathunde.
Muikolomole tjoselele,
musiisiyile ndodwa ne limbelimbe.
27 Bulayani mikono yayo,
ngaiyende kunobhayiwa!
Yee mme wee bapalala ngoti zhuba lazha,
tjibaka tjabo kuti balobgwe shamu.
28 Hwililani batizhi ne basiya kudwa mu Bhabhiloni,
bazha ku Ziyoni banobika beti,
‘Yahwe Ndzimu wedu babgwilizila,
babgwilizila ngekwe Ng'umba yabo.’
29 “Danani babhayani be misebe bapose Bhabhiloni,
ibabo banopeta matati.
Ikombeni yose,
kushete wapudzumuka.
Ngailipile mishingo yayo,
muithame koga sekwa yakathama.
Ngoti yakazwikudza mbeli kwa Yahwe,
Nyengemali we Iziraela.
30 Ndizo bazhuzha bayo banowowa mu dzizila,
babhayani bayo bose banowolobesiwa mu zhuba ilelo,”
kojalo Yahwe.31 Bona ndobhayana nawe, iwe unozwikudza,
kojalo She Yahwe Masimbawose,
ngoti zhuba ilelo lazha,
zhuba landinowokuloba shamu.
32 Unozwikudza unowokuthiwa kawa,
kukasheta ungammilidza,
ndowobhatidza moto mu mizi iye mikulu,
ngono unowoja kose kwakaipoteleka.
33 “Yahwe Masimbawose bakati,
“Bathu be Iziraela bakatshambilidziwa,
kose ne bathu be Juda bo,
bose bakabatola bakabasunga,
banolamba kubaletja bakayenda.
34 Koga Ndzutunuli wabo nde wakasima,
Yahwe Masimbawose ndilo zina labo.
Nge malebeswa unowobalebelekela,
kuti ndizo azhise kunyaluluka mu shango yabo,
koga azhise kusanyaluluka ku bagali be Bhabhiloni.
35 “Thumo ngali bhayane ne Bakhaladiya,”
kojalo Yahwe,
“Libhayane ne bagali be Bhabhiloni,
libhayane ne makulukota ne balume bayo bakatjenjela!
36 Thumo ngalibhayane ne balebesambeli bayo be manyepkhwa,
kuti ndizo babe zwilengwe.
Thumo ngalibhayane ne babhayani bayo,
kuti ndizo babulawe!
37 Thumo ngalibhayane ne mbizi nenge koloyi dzayo dze mbizi,
ngalibhayane ne be njudzi dzipoga pakati kwayo,
kuti ndizo basale benga bakadzi,
Thumo ngalibhayane ne thundu yayo,
kuti ndizo itogwe.
38 Kuwomelela kube mu vula dzidze,
kuti ndizo dzipkhwe!
Ngoti i shango ye zwifano,
banoshanganyiwa misholo ne midzimu yakabezhiwa.
39 “Ndizo phuka dze shango ne phele dzowogala ko,
fukumudzi dzowogala muili,
Akutjowofa kwabe ne nthu nge kusingapele,
tjizekugwana kuyenda ku tjizekugwana akuna unowogala ko.
40 Kowonga tjibaka Ndzimu pawakakolomola Sodoma ne Gomora,
kose nenge mizi mikulu yakabe yakabapoteleka,”
koleba Yahwe.41 “Bonani, bathu banodwa ku bunandzwa,
itjaba tjikulu na bomambo banjinji,
badzongeka mikumbulo kudwa ku phelelo dze shango.
42 Bamile zubuyanana nge matati ne makanu,
bakasima mimoyo abana ngoni.
Nsindo wabo unonga kusuma kwe gungwa,
bakatatha mbizi,
banozha se balume bakazwilulwamisila ngwa,
kubhayana nawe, iwe nkololokadzi we Bhabhiloni!
43 Mambo we Bhabhiloni wahwa mbiko ngekwabo,
ngono watemeka mafupa,
kupaluka moyo kwan'kulila,
zogwadza zwinonga zwe nkadzi ali mu zwibhayo zwe kutshibama.
44 “Bonani koga se shumba idwa mu ishaka tje Jorodani,
izha kuwobhata pkhwizi mu danga lakasima,
ndowotata Bhabhiloni mu shango yayo tjinyolotjo.
Ndiani wakashalugwa wandingabigila ikoku kene?
Ndiani unonga imi kakale ndiani ungalingisana nami kene?
Nlisi ndiani ungama kalingisana nami kene?
45 Ndizo ke ihwani Yahwe tjabalongolosela Bhabhiloni,
tjabaalakana kutjithamila shango ye Bakhaladiya,
Zwitjetjana zwe mbudzi ne pkhwizi zowotogwa,
unowothukudza mafulo abo ngekwabo.
46 Nge nsindo wekuwa kwe Bhabhiloni shango inowotetema,
tjililo tjayo tjowohwika pakati kwe zwitjaba.”