< Isaaya 13 >

1 Obubaka bwa Babulooni Isaaya mutabani wa Amozi bwe yalaba.
[I], Isaiah, the son of Amoz, received [from Yahweh] this message about Babylon [city]:
2 Muwanike bbendera ku lusozi olutaliiko bantu, mubakaabirire mubawenye bayingire mu miryango gy’abakungu.
Lift up a flag on the bare [top of a] hill, to signal [that an army should come to attack Babylon]. Shout to them and wave your hand [to signal to them] that they should march through the city gates into the palaces of the proud [rulers of Babylon]!
3 Nze Mukama ndagidde abatukuvu bange mpise abalwanyi bange ab’amaanyi, babonereze abo abeeyisaawo abeemanyi.
[Yahweh says], “I have commanded those soldiers to do that; I have summoned the warriors whom I have chosen to punish [the people of Babylon] because of my being very angry with them, and those soldiers will be very proud [when they do that].”
4 Muwulirize oluyoogaano lw’ekibiina ku nsozi, nga luwulikika ng’olw’ogubiina ogunene! Wuliriza, oluyoogaano lw’obwakabaka, olw’amawanga ag’ekuŋŋaanyizza awamu! Mukama Katonda ow’Eggye ateekateeka eggye lye okulwana.
Listen to the noise on the mountains, which is the noise of a huge army marching! It is the noise made by people of many people-groups shouting. The Commander of the armies of angels has summoned this army to gather together.
5 Bava wala mu nsi ezeewala ennya okuva ku nkomerero y’eggulu. Mu busungu bwe Mukama Katonda aleese ebyokulwanyisa eby’okuzikiriza ensi yonna.
They come from countries that are far away, from the most remote places [IDM] on the earth. They are [like] [SIM] weapons that Yahweh will use [to punish the people with whom] he is very angry, and to destroy the entire country [of Babylonia].
6 Mukungubage, kubanga olunaku lwa Mukama luli kumpi, lulijja ng’okuzikirira okuva eri Mukama Katonda bwe kuba!
[You people of Babylon] will scream because you will be terrified, because it will be the time that Yahweh [has determined/chosen], the time for the all-powerful [God] to destroy [your city].
7 Emikono gyonna kyegiriva giggwaamu amaanyi, na buli mutima gwa muntu gulisaanuuka;
All of your people will be very afraid [DOU], with the result that they will be unable even to lift their arms.
8 era bakeŋŋentererwe n’okubalagala kulibakwata, balyoke balumwe ng’omukazi alumwa okuzaala. Balitunulaganako nga bawuniikiridde amaaso gaabwe nga gatangaalirira.
All of you will be terrified. You will have [PRS] severe pains like [SIM] a woman has when she is giving birth to a baby. You will look at each other helplessly, and it will show on your faces that you feel horror.
9 Laba olunaku lwa Mukama lujja, olunaku olubi ennyo olw’ekiruyi n’obusungu obubuubuuka okufuula ensi amatongo, n’okuzikiriza abakozi b’ebibi okubamalamu.
Listen to this: The day that Yahweh has appointed/chosen is near, the day that he will furiously and fiercely [punish you] because he is very angry [with you]. He will cause your land [of Babylonia] to be desolate/barren, and he will destroy [all] the sinners in it.
10 Kubanga emmunyeenye ez’omu ggulu n’ebibiina byazo tebiryaka; enjuba nayo teryaka nga bw’ekola bulijjo, n’omwezi nagwo tegulyaka.
[When that happens], none of the stars will shine. When the sun rises, it will be dark, and there will be no light from the moon [at night].
11 Ndibonereza ensi olw’okwonoona kw’ayo, n’abakozi b’ebibi olw’ebyonoono byabwe. Era ndimalawo okweyisa kw’ab’amalala era nzikakkanya okwenyumiriza kw’abo abakambwe.
[Yahweh says], “I will punish [everyone in] the world for the evil things that they do; I will punish the wicked people for the sins that they have committed. I will stop arrogant/proud people from being proud, and I will stop ruthless people from acting cruelly.
12 Abantu ndibafuula abebbula okusinga zaabu ennongoose eya ofiri.
[And because I will cause most people to die], people will be harder to find than gold, harder to find than fine gold from Ophir [in Arabia].
13 Noolwekyo ndikankanya eggulu, era n’ensi ngiyuuguumye okuva mu kifo kyayo, olw’obusungu bwa Mukama Katonda ow’Eggye, ku lunaku lw’obusungu bwe obungi.
I will shake the sky, and the earth will [also] move out of its place. That will happen when [I], the Commander of the armies of angels, punish [wicked people], when [I show them that] I am extremely angry [with them].
14 Era ng’empeewo eyiggibwa, ng’endiga eteriiko agirunda, buli muntu aliddukira eri abantu be buli muntu aliddukira mu nsi y’ewaabwe.
And all [the foreigners in Babylon will run around] like [SIM] deer that are being hunted, like sheep that do not have a shepherd. They will try to find other people from their countries, and [then] they will escape [from Babylon] and return to their own countries.
15 Buli anaalabwangako ng’ekitala kimuyitamu, buli gwe banaakwatangako ng’attibwa n’ekitala.
Anyone who is captured [in Babylon] will be killed by [their enemies’] swords [DOU].
16 N’abaana baabwe abawere banabetenterwanga mu maaso gaabwe nga balaba; ennyumba zaabwe zinyagibwe, n’abakazi baabwe bakwatibwe olw’empaka.
Their little children will be dashed to pieces on the rocks while [their parents] watch; [their enemies] will steal everything valuable from their houses and will rape their wives.
17 Laba, ndibayimbulira Abameedi, abatafa ku ffeeza era abateeguya zaabu.
Look! I am going to incite the people of Media to attack Babylon. The [army of Media] will attack Babylon, even if they are offered [DOU] silver or gold [if they promise to not attack it].
18 Emitego gyabwe girikuba abavubuka era tebaliba na kisa eri abawere. Amaaso gaabwe tegalisaasira baana bato.
[With] their arrows, the [soldiers of Media] will shoot the young men [of Babylon]; they will not [even] act mercifully [DOU] toward infants or children!”
19 Ne Babulooni, ekitiibwa eky’obwakabaka, obulungi obw’okwemanya kw’Abakaludaaya, kiriba nga Sodomu ne Ggomola Katonda bye yawamba.
Babylon has been a very beautiful [MTY] city; [all] the people of Babylonia have been very proud of Babylon, [their capital city]; [but] God will destroy Babylon, like [SIM] he destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 Tekiriddamu kusulwamu ennaku zonna, so tekiribeerwamu emirembe n’emirembe, so teri Muwalabu alisimbayo weema ye, teri musumba aligalamizaayo ggana lye kuwummulirayo.
No one will ever live in Babylon again. It will be deserted forever. (Nomads/People who travel from place to place to live) will refuse to set up their tents there; shepherds will not bring their flocks of sheep to rest there.
21 Naye ensolo enkambwe ez’omu ddungu ze zinaagalamirangayo; ennyumba zijjule ebintu ebiwoowoola; bammaaya banaabeeranga eyo, n’ebikulekule bibuukire eyo.
Instead, animals that live in the desert will be there; jackals/wolves will live in [the ruins of] the houses. Owls (OR, Ostriches) will live in [the ruins], and wild goats will romp/jump around [there].
22 N’empisi zinaakaabiranga mu bigulumu by’ebigo byabwe, ebibe bikaabire mu mbiri zaabwe ezitemagana. Ekiseera kyakyo kinaatera okutuuka, ennaku ze teziryongerwako.
Hyenas will howl in the [ruined] towers, and jackals/wolves will make their dens in [the ruins of] the palaces that [were previously] very beautiful. The time when [Babylon will be destroyed] is very near; Babylon will not exist much longer.

< Isaaya 13 >