Jeremiah 51
1 Thus, saith Yahweh—Behold me! stirring up against Babylon, And against the inhabitants of the centre of them who rise up against me, —A wind that destroyeth;
Itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela ngizavusela iBhabhiloni lalabo abahlala enhliziyweni yalabo abangivukelayo umoya ochithayo.
2 And I will send to Babylon winnowers, And they shall winnow her, And shall empty her land, —For they are against her round about in the day of calamity.
Ngithume eBhabhiloni abelayo, abazakuyela, bathulule ilizwe layo, ngoba bazamelana layo bevela inhlangothi zonke ngosuku lobubi.
3 Let not the archer tread his bow, Nor lift himself up in his coat of mail, —And do not spare her young men, Devote to destruction all her host.
Kakuthi otshokayo agobise idandili lakhe emelene loligobisayo, njalo emelene loziphakamisayo ebhatshini lakhe lensimbi; njalo lingawayekeli amajaha ayo, lilitshabalalise ibutho layo lonke.
4 So shall they fall wounded in the land of Chaldea, —Yea thrust through, in her streets,
Ngokunjalo ababuleweyo bazakuwa elizweni lamaKhaladiya, labagwazwe ezitaladeni zayo.
5 For Israel and Judah have not been widowed Of their God, Of Yahweh of hosts, —But, their land, hath been filled with punishment for guilt from the Holy One of Israel
Ngoba uIsrayeli kayikutshiywa, loJuda nguNkulunkulu wabo, yiNkosi yamabandla, lanxa ilizwe labo ligcwele icala koNgcwele kaIsrayeli.
6 Flee out of the midst of Babylon And deliver ye every man his own life, Be not cut off in her punishment, —For it is Yahweh’s, time of avenging, A recompense, is he repaying unto her.
Balekani liphume phakathi kweBhabhiloni, likhulule ngulowo lalowo umphefumulo wakhe; lingaqunywa esiphambekweni sayo; ngoba lesi yisikhathi sempindiselo yeNkosi, ophindisela impindiselo kuyo.
7 A cup of gold, was Babylon in the hand of Yahweh, Making drunk all the earth, —Of her wine, have the nations drunk, For this cause have the nations been acting as men who are mad.
IBhabhiloni yayiyinkezo yegolide esandleni seNkosi, eyayidakisa umhlaba wonke; izizwe zanatha okwewayini layo; ngenxa yalokho izizwe zahlanya.
8 Suddenly, hath Babylon fallen and been broken, —Howl ye over her Fetch balsam for her pain, Peradventure she shall be healed!
IBhabhiloni yahle yawa, yephuka; qhinqani isililo ngayo, lithathele ubuhlungu bayo ibhalisamu, mhlawumbe ingelatshwa.
9 We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed, Leave her and let us go every one to his own land, —For her judgment, reacheth unto the heavens, And mounteth as far as the skies.
Besingayelapha iBhabhiloni, kodwa kayelaphekanga; itshiyeni, asihambeni ngulowo lalowo aye elizweni lakhe; ngoba isigwebo sayo sifinyelele emazulwini, siphakanyisiwe kwaze kwafika esibhakabhakeni.
10 Yahweh hath brought forth our righteousnesses, —Come and let us relate in Zion the work of Yahweh our God.
INkosi ikhuphe ukulunga kwethu; wozani, silandise eZiyoni umsebenzi weNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu.
11 Polish the arrows, Lay hold of the shields, —Yahweh hath roused the spirit of the kings of the Medes, For against Babylon, his purpose is, to destroy her, —For it is, The avenging of Yahweh, The avenging of his temple.
Lolani imitshoko, liqoqe izihlangu; iNkosi ivusile umoya wamakhosi amaMede; ngoba icebo layo limelene leBhabhiloni ukuyichitha; ngoba lokho kuyimpindiselo yeNkosi, impindiselo yethempeli layo.
12 Against the walls of Babylon, Lift ye up a standard, Strengthen ye the watch, Station the watchmen, Make ready the ambuscades, —For Yahweh hath both planned and also performed that which he had spoken against the inhabitants of Babylon.
Phakamisani isiboniso phezu kwemiduli yeBhabhiloni, liqinise ukulinda, libeke abalindi, lilungise abacathami, ngoba iNkosi isikucebile, futhi izakwenza lokho ekukhulume ngabahlali beBhabhiloni.
13 O thou who dwellest upon many waters, Who aboundest in treasures, —Come hath thine end! The measure of thine unrighteous gain!
Wena ohlala emanzini amanengi, owande ngamagugu, ukuphela kwakho sekufikile, isilinganiso senzuzo yakho embi.
14 Yahweh of hosts hath sworn, by his own soul: Surely I have filled thee with men as with locusts, And they have answered against thee with a shout.
INkosi yamabandla ifungile ngomphefumulo wayo yathi: Isibili ngizakugcwalisa ngabantu njengamacimbi, njalo bazahlabelela umkhosi ngawe.
15 He that Made the earth in his might, Established the world in his wisdom, —And in his understanding, stretched out the heavens
Wenza umhlaba ngamandla akhe, walimisa ilizwe ngenhlakanipho yakhe, langokuqedisisa kwakhe wendlala amazulu.
16 By the voice that he uttered, there was a tumult of waters in the heavens, And he caused vapours to ascend from the end of the earth, —Lightnings for the rain, made he, And brought forth wind out of his treasures.
Lapho ekhupha ilizwi lakhe, kulokuhlokoma kwamanzi amanengi emazulwini, ukhuphula inkungu ivela emkhawulweni womhlaba, enze imibane kanye lezulu, akhuphe umoya eziphaleni zakhe.
17 Every son of earth had become too brutish to know, —Every goldsmith, hath been put to shame, by a graven image, —For a falsehood, is his molten image Seeing there is no breath in them:
Wonke umuntu uyisiphukuphuku kalalwazi; wonke umkhandi wegolide uyangiswa yisithombe esibaziweyo, ngoba isithombe sakhe esibunjwe ngokuncibilikisa siyinkohliso, njalo kakulamoya kuzo.
18 Vanity, they are, A handiwork of mockeries, —In the time of their visitation, shall they perish.
Ziyize, umsebenzi wezinkohliso; ngesikhathi sokuhanjelwa kwazo zizabhubha.
19 Not like these, is the portion of Jacob, For the fashioner of all things, is he! And the portion of his inheritance, —Yahweh of hosts, is his name.
Isabelo sikaJakobe kasinjengazo; ngoba yena nguye umbumbi wakho konke, loIsrayeli uyintonga yelifa lakhe; iNkosi yamabandla libizo lakhe.
20 A war-club, art thou for me, Weapons of war; Therefore will I Beat down with thee—nations, and Destroy with thee—kingdoms;
Wena uyinduku yami yempi, izikhali zempi; ngoba ngawe ngizaphahlaza izizwe, langawe ngichithe imibuso,
21 and Beat down with thee—the horse and his rider, —and Beat down with thee—the chariot and its rider;
langawe ngiphahlaze ibhiza lomgadi walo, langawe ngiphahlaze inqola lomkhweli wayo,
22 and Beat down with thee—man and woman, and Beat down with thee—elder and youth, and Beat down with thee—young man and virgin;
langawe ngiphahlaze indoda lowesifazana, langawe ngiphahlaze ixhegu lomutsha, langawe ngiphahlaze ijaha lentombi,
23 and Beat down with thee—the shepherd and his flock, and Beat down with thee—the plowman and his yoke; —and Beat down with thee—governors and deputies:
langawe ngiphahlaze umelusi lomhlambi wakhe, langawe ngiphahlaze umlimi lesipani sakhe, langawe ngiphahlaze ababusi lezinduna.
24 So will I recompense to Babylon, And to all the inhabitants of Chaldea, All their wickedness which they have committed against Zion before your eyes, —Declareth Yahweh.
Njalo ngizayiphindisela iBhabhiloni labo bonke abahlali beKhaladiya konke okubi kwabo abakwenzileyo eZiyoni emehlweni enu, itsho iNkosi.
25 Behold me! against thee, O destroying mountain Declareth Yahweh, That destroyest all the earth, —Therefore will I stretch out my hand over thee, And roll thee down from the crags, And make of thee a burning mountain:
Khangela, ngimelana lawe, wena ntaba echithayo, itsho iNkosi, echitha umhlaba wonke; ngizakwelulela isandla sami kuwe, ngikugiqe usuke emadwaleni, ngikwenze ube yintaba yokutshiswa.
26 So shall they not fetch from thee A stone for a corner nor A stone for a foundation, —For desolations age-abiding, shalt thou become Declareth Yahweh.
Njalo kabayikuthatha kuwe ilitshe libe ngelengonsi, lelitshe libe ngelezisekelo; ngoba uzakuba ngamanxiwa aphakade, itsho iNkosi.
27 Set ye up an ensign in the earth Blow ye a horn among the nations Hallow against her—nations, Summon against her the kingdoms of Ararat Minni, and Ashkenaz, —Set in charge against her a marshal, Bring up cavalry like hairy locusts:
Phakamisani isiboniso elizweni, livuthele uphondo phakathi kwezizwe, lilungise izizwe ukumelana layo, liyibizele ndawonye imibuso yeArarathi, iMini, leAshikenazi; libeke umlawuli webutho emelene layo, lenyuse amabhiza njengentethe ezimaxhakaxhaka.
28 Hallow against her—nations, With the kings of Media, With her governors and all her deputies, —And with all the land of his dominion:
Lungisani izizwe ukumelana layo, amakhosi amaMede, induna zayo, lababusi bayo bonke, lelizwe lonke lombuso wayo.
29 Then did the land tremble and was in pain, —For the plans of Yahweh, had been established against Babylon, To make the land of Babylon an astonishment, without inhabitant.
Lelizwe lizazamazama libe lobuhlungu, ngoba ngalinye lamacebo eNkosi lima limelene leBhabhiloni, ukwenza ilizwe leBhabhiloni libe yincithakalo engelamhlali.
30 The heroes of Babylon have ceased to fight They have remained in the strongholds, Parched is their might, They have become women, —They have set fire to her habitations, Broken are her bars!
Amaqhawe eBhabhiloni ayekele ukulwa, ahlala ezinqabeni, amandla awo aphelile, sebengabesifazana; bathungele indawo zayo zokuhlala, imigoqo yayo yephukile.
31 Runner to meet runner, shall they run, And teller to meet teller, -To tell the king of Babylon, That captured is his city at the end!
Isigijimi sizagijima ukuhlangana lesigijimi, lombiki ukuhlangana lombiki, ukutshela inkosi yeBhabhiloni ukuthi umuzi wayo uthunjiwe kusukela ekucineni,
32 and The fords, have been seized, and The reeds, have they burned with fire; and The men of war, are dismayed!
lamazibuko abanjiwe, lamaxhaphozi atshiswe ngomlilo, lamadoda empi ethukile.
33 For, thus, saith Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel, The daughter of Babylon, is like a threshing, floor at the time of treading her: Yet a little, and the time of harvest shall overtake her.
Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Indodakazi yeBhabhiloni injengebala lokubhulela; kuyisikhathi sokuyinyathela; kuseyisikhatshana, lesikhathi sesivuno sizafika kuyo.
34 Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon—Hath devoured me Hath vexed me, Hath set me down as an empty vessel, He hath swallowed me like a sea-monster, He hath filled his belly with my dainties, —He hath driven me away!
UNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni ungidlile, ungichobozile; wangibeka ngaba yimbiza engelalutho, wangiginya njengomgobho, wagcwalisa isisu sakhe ngezibondlo zami, wangixotsha.
35 The violence done to me and to my flesh, be upon Babylon! Shall the inhabitress of Zion say, —Yea, my blood, be upon the inhabitant of Chaldea! Shall Jerusalem say.
Udlakela lwami lolwenyama yami kube phezu kweBhabhiloni, utsho umhlalikazi weZiyoni; legazi lami libe phezu kwabahlali beKhaladiya, itsho iJerusalema.
36 Therefore, Thus, saith Yahweh, Behold me! pleading thy cause, So then I will execute the avenging of thee; And will dry up her sea, And make dry her spring:
Ngakho itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela, ngizalumela udaba lwakho, ngiphindisele impindiselo yakho; ngomise ulwandle lwayo, ngenze umthombo wayo wome.
37 Thus shall Babylon become—Heaps A habitation of jackals An astonishment, and A hissing, Without inhabitant.
LeBhabhiloni izakuba ngamadundulu, indawo yokuhlala yemigobho, isesabiso, lento yokuncifelwa, kungelamhlali.
38 Together, like wild lions, shall they roar, —They have growled like lions’ whelps.
Bazabhonga kanyekanye njengamabhongo ezilwane, bahwabhe njengemidlwane yezilwane.
39 When they are heated, I will spread their banquets, And let them drink that they may become uproarious, So shall they sleep an age-abiding sleep and not wake, —Declareth Yahweh.
Ekutshisekeni kwabo ngizabenzela amadili, ngibadakise ukuze bathokoze, balale ubuthongo obulaphakade, bangavuki, itsho iNkosi.
40 I will bring them down As fat lambs to slaughter, —As rams with he-goats.
Ngizabehlisa njengamawundlu ekuhlatshweni, njengezinqama kanye lezimpongo.
41 How hath Sheshach, been captured! How hath the praise of all the earth been seized! How hath Babylon become an astonishment among the nations!
Ithunjwe njani iSheshaki; yebo, lubanjiwe udumo lomhlaba wonke! IBhabhiloni isibe njani yisesabiso phakathi kwezizwe!
42 The sea, hath gone up over Babylon, —With the multitude of its rolling waves, is she covered.
Ulwandle lukhukhumele phezu kweBhabhiloni, isibekelwe ngobunengi bamagagasi alo.
43 Her cities have become, an astonishment, A land parched up, and a waste plain, —A land wherein shall no man dwell, Nor pass through them a son of the earth-born!
Imizi yayo isingamanxiwa, ilizwe elomileyo, lenkangala, ilizwe okungahlali muntu kulo, okungadluli kulo indodana yomuntu.
44 So will I bring punishment upon Bel in Babylon, And will bring forth what he hath swallowed out of his mouth, And the nations shall stream unto him no more, —Even the wall of Babylon hath fallen!
Njalo ngizajezisa uBheli eBhabhiloni, ngikhuphe emlonyeni wakhe lokho akuginyileyo; lezizwe kazisayikujulukela kuyo; yebo, umduli weBhabhiloni uwile.
45 Come ye forth out of her midst O my people, And deliver ye every man his own life, —Because of the glow of the anger of Yahweh.
Phumani phakathi kwayo, bantu bami, likhulule ngulowo lalowo umphefumulo wakhe ekuvutheni kolaka lweNkosi.
46 And let not your heart be timid, nor be ye afraid, Because of the report that is reported in the earth When there shall come in one year, the report And after that in another year, the report, With violence in the earth, and ruler upon ruler.
Njalo hlezi inhliziyo yenu ibe buthakathaka, lesabe ngombiko ozwakala elizweni; ngoba kuzafika umbiko ngomunye umnyaka, lemva kwalokho umbiko ngomnyaka olandelayo, lodlakela elizweni, lombusi avukele umbusi.
47 Therefore, lo! days coming when I will bring punishment upon the images of Babylon, And all her land, shall turn pale, —Yea, all her wounded, shall fall in her midst.
Ngakho khangela, insuku ziyeza lapho engizahambela izithombe ezibaziweyo zeBhabhiloni; lelizwe lonke layo lizayangeka, lababuleweyo bayo bonke bawele phakathi kwayo.
48 Then shall shout over Babylon—heavens and earth and all who are therein, —For out of the North, shall come to her the spoilers Declareth Yahweh.
Kuzakuthi-ke amazulu lomhlaba lakho konke okukukho kuhlabelele ngeBhabhiloni, ngoba abachithi bazayifikela bevela enyakatho, itsho iNkosi.
49 Not only hath Babylon, caused the fall of the slain of Israel, —By Babylon, also have fallen the slain of all the earth.
Njengalokhu iBhabhiloni yenza bawe ababuleweyo bakoIsrayeli, ngokunjalo ababuleweyo bomhlaba wonke bazakuwa eBhabhiloni.
50 Ye that have escaped the sword, depart do not stand still, —Remember, from afar Yahweh, Let, Jerusalem, come up on your heart: -
Lina eliphunyukileyo enkembeni, hambani, lingemi; khumbulani iNkosi lisekhatshana, leJerusalema ivele enhliziyweni yenu.
51 We have turned pale for we have heard a reproach, Confusion, hath covered our faces, —For aliens have entered upon the hallowed places of the house of Yahweh!
Siyangekile ngoba sizwile ihlazo; inhloni zisibekele ubuso bethu, ngoba abezizwe sebefikile ezindaweni ezingcwele zendlu yeNkosi.
52 Therefore, lo! days are coming, Declareth Yahweh, When I will bring punishment upon her images; And throughout all her land, shall the pierced one groan.
Ngakho khangela, insuku ziyeza, itsho iNkosi, lapho engizahambela izithombe zayo ezibaziweyo; lakulo lonke ilizwe layo kuzabubula ogwaziweyo.
53 Though Babylon should mount the heavens, And though she should fortify her strong high-place, From me, should come spoilers unto her Declareth Yahweh.
Loba iBhabhiloni ingaphakamela emazulwini, njalo loba ingaqinisa ukuphakama kwamandla ayo, kube kanti abachithi bazayifikela bevela kimi, itsho iNkosi.
54 A voice of outcry from Babylon! And a great crash from the land of the Chaldeans!
Kulomsindo wokukhala ovela eBhabhiloni, lokufohlela okukhulu elizweni lamaKhaladiya.
55 For, Yahweh, is spoiling Babylon, And will destroy out of her the loud voice, —Though their waves have roared like many waters, Been uttered the loud boast of their voice.
Ngoba iNkosi ichithile iBhabhiloni, yabhubhisa kuyo ilizwi elikhulu. Lapho amagagasi abo ahlokoma njengamanzi amanengi, umsindo wawo uzakhupha ilizwi.
56 For there hath come upon her—upon Babylon—a spoiler, And captured are their heroes And broken are their bows, —For, a GOD of recompenses, is Yahweh, He will surely repay.
Ngoba umchithi wehlela phezu kwayo, phezu kweBhabhiloni, amaqhawe ayo azathunjwa, amadandili awo ephukile; ngoba iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wezimpindiselo, uzayivuza sibili.
57 Then will I make drunk—Her princes and her wise men, Her governors, and her deputies and her heroes, And they shall sleep an age-abiding sleep, and not wake, —Declareth the King, Yahweh of hosts, is his name.
Ngizadakisa-ke iziphathamandla zayo, lezihlakaniphi zayo, ababusi bayo, lenduna zayo, lamaqhawe ayo; njalo bazalala ubuthongo obulaphakade, bangavuki, itsho iNkosi, obizo layo nguJehova wamabandla.
58 Thus, saith Yahweh of hosts—The broad walls of Babylon, shall be laid utterly bare, And, her lofty gates, with fire, shall be burned, —And peoples shall labour for emptiness, And populations, for the fire, shall weary themselves.
Itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla: Imiduli ebanzi yeBhabhiloni izadilizwa ngokupheleleyo, lamasango ayo aphakemeyo athungelwe ngomlilo, labantu batshikatshikele ize, lezizwe zitshikatshikele umlilo, zikhathale.
59 The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah king of Judah into Babylon, in the fourth year of his reign, —now Seraiah, was travelling-marshal.
Ilizwi uJeremiya umprofethi alilaya uSeraya indodana kaNeriya, indodana kaMahaseya, ekuhambeni kwakhe loZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda ukuya eBhabhiloni emnyakeni wesine wokubusa kwakhe. Njalo uSeraya wayeyisiphathamandla sokuthula.
60 So Jeremiah wrote all the calamity which was to come unto Babylon in one scroll; even all these words which have been written against Babylon.
UJeremiya wasebhala egwalweni konke okubi okuzakwehlela iBhabhiloni, wonke lamazwi abhaliweyo emelene leBhabhiloni.
61 Then said Jeremiah unto Seraiah, —When thou comest into Babylon, then shalt thou look out and read all these words;
UJeremiya wasesithi kuSeraya: Lapho usufikile eBhabhiloni, ubone ufunde wonke lamazwi.
62 and thou shalt say—O Yahweh! thou, thyself, hast spoken against this place to cut it off, That there be in it no inhabitant Neither man nor beast, —But desolations age-abiding, shall it become!
Ubususithi: Nkosi, wena ukhulumile ngalindawo ukuthi uzayiquma, ukuze kungabi khona umhlali kiyo, kusukela emuntwini kusiya enyamazaneni, kodwa ibe zincithakalo phakade.
63 And it shall be when thou hast made an end of reading this scroll, that thou shalt bind thereunto a stone, and cast it in the midst of the Euphrates,
Kuzakuthi-ke usuqedile ukulufunda lolugwalo, ubophele ilitshe kulo, uluphosele phakathi kweYufrathi,
64 Then shalt thou say, —In like manner, shall Babylon sink and not rise Because of the calamity which I am about to bring thereupon: So shall they perish. Thus far, are, the words of Jeremiah.
ubususithi: Ngokunjalo iBhabhiloni izatshona, ingabe isavumbuluka, ngenxa yobubi engizayehlisela bona; njalo bazadinwa. Kuze kube lapha ngamazwi kaJeremiya.
