UJeremiya 48
1 Imelene loMowabi, itsho njalo iNkosi yamabandla, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli: Maye ngeNebo, ngoba ichithiwe; iKiriyathayimi iyangekile, ithunjiwe; indawo ephakemeyo iyangekile, idilikile.
Concerning Moab, this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Woe to Nebo, for it will be devastated. Kiriathaim will be captured and disgraced; the fortress will be shattered and dismantled.
2 Kakusayikuba khona udumo lukaMowabi eHeshiboni; baceba okubi bemelene layo, besithi: Wozani siyiqume ekubeni yisizwe; lawe Madimeni, uzathula, inkemba izakulandela.
There is no longer praise for Moab; in Heshbon they devise evil against her: ‘Come, let us cut her off from nationhood.’ You too, O people of Madmen, will be silenced; the sword will pursue you.
3 Ilizwi lokukhala livela eHoronayimi, incithakalo lokwephuka okukhulu!
A voice cries out from Horonaim: ‘Devastation and great destruction!’
4 UMowabi wephukile; abancinyane bakhe benze ukukhala kuzwakale.
Moab will be shattered; her little ones will cry out.
5 Ngoba ekwenyukeni kweLubithi ukukhala kuzakwenyuka lokukhala, ngoba ekwehleni kweHoronayimi izitha zizwile ukukhala kokuchitheka.
For on the ascent to Luhith they weep bitterly as they go, and on the descent to Horonaim cries of distress resound over the destruction:
6 Balekani, likhulule impilo yenu, libe njengesihlahla esiyize enkangala.
‘Flee! Run for your lives! Become like a juniper in the desert.’
7 Ngoba ngenxa yokuthembela kwakho emisebenzini yakho lemagugwini akho lawe uzathunjwa; loKemoshi uzaphumela ekuthunjweni, abapristi bakhe lezikhulu zakhe kanyekanye.
Because you trust in your works and treasures, you too will be captured, and Chemosh will go into exile with his priests and officials.
8 Lomchithi uzafikela wonke umuzi, njalo kakulamuzi ozaphunyuka; isihotsha laso sizachitheka, legceke liqothulwe, njengokutsho kweNkosi.
The destroyer will move against every city, and not one town will escape. The valley will also be ruined, and the high plain will be destroyed, as the LORD has said.
9 Nikani uMowabi amaphiko, ngoba uzaphapha aphume; lemizi yakhe izakuba lunxiwa, engelamhlali kuyo.
Put salt on Moab, for she will be laid waste; her cities will become desolate, with no one to dwell in them.
10 Uqalekisiwe lowo owenza umsebenzi weNkosi ngokunganakekeli; uqalekisiwe lalowo ogodla inkemba yakhe egazini.
Cursed is the one who is remiss in doing the work of the LORD, and cursed is he who withholds his sword from bloodshed.
11 UMowabi wonwabile kusukela ebutsheni bakhe, uphumule enzeceni zakhe, kathululelwanga esuka embizeni esiya embizeni, kahambanga ekuthunjweni; ngakho-ke ukunambitheka kwakhe kumi kuye, lephunga lakhe kaliphenduki.
Moab has been at ease from youth, settled like wine on its dregs; he has not been poured from vessel to vessel or gone into exile. So his flavor has remained the same, and his aroma is unchanged.
12 Ngakho, khangela, insuku ziyeza, itsho iNkosi, lapho ngizathuma kuye abathambeki abazamthambeka, bathulule imbiza zakhe, babulale izinqayi zabo.
Therefore behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will send to him wanderers, who will pour him out. They will empty his vessels and shatter his jars.
13 Khona uMowabi uzakuba lenhloni ngoKemoshi, njengalokho indlu kaIsrayeli yaba lenhloni ngeBhetheli, ithemba layo.
Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, just as the house of Israel was ashamed when they trusted in Bethel.
14 Lingatsho njani ukuthi: Singamaqhawe lamadoda empi alamandla?
How can you say, ‘We are warriors, mighty men ready for battle’?
15 UMowabi uchithiwe, wenyuka emizini yakhe, lekhethelo lamajaha akhe selehlele ekubulaweni, itsho iNkosi, obizo layo nguJehova wamabandla.
Moab has been destroyed and its towns have been invaded; the best of its young men have gone down in the slaughter, declares the King, whose name is the LORD of Hosts.
16 Inkathazo kaMowabi iseduze ukufika, lobubi bakhe buyaphangisa kakhulu.
Moab’s calamity is at hand, and his affliction is rushing swiftly.
17 Mlileleni, lina lonke elimzingelezeleyo, lani lonke elazi ibizo lakhe; lithi: Yephuke njani induku elamandla, udondolo oluhle!
Mourn for him, all you who surround him, everyone who knows his name; tell how the mighty scepter is shattered— the glorious staff!
18 Yehla ebukhosini, uhlale ekomeni, wena ndodakazi ohlala eDiboni; ngoba umchithi kaMowabi usenyukele ukumelana lawe, wachitha inqaba zakho.
Come down from your glory; sit on parched ground, O daughter dwelling in Dibon, for the destroyer of Moab has come against you; he has destroyed your fortresses.
19 Mana endleleni, ulinde, mhlalikazi weAroweri, ubuze obalekayo lowesifazana ophunyukileyo, uthi: Kwenzakaleni?
Stand by the road and watch, O dweller of Aroer! Ask the man fleeing or the woman escaping, ‘What has happened?’
20 UMowabi uyangekile, ngoba udilikile; qhinqani isililo likhale; libike eArinoni ukuthi uMowabi uchithiwe.
Moab is put to shame, for it has been shattered. Wail and cry out! Declare by the Arnon that Moab is destroyed.
21 Lesahlulelo sehlele phezu kwelizwe elilamagceke, phezu kweHoloni, laphezu kweJahaza, laphezu kweMefahathi,
Judgment has come upon the high plain— upon Holon, Jahzah, and Mephaath,
22 laphezu kweDiboni, laphezu kweNebo, laphezu kweBeti-Dibilathayimi,
upon Dibon, Nebo, and Beth-diblathaim,
23 laphezu kweKiriyathayimi, laphezu kweBeti-Gamuli, laphezu kweBeti-Meyoni,
upon Kiriathaim, Beth-gamul, and Beth-meon,
24 laphezu kweKeriyothi, laphezu kweBhozira, laphezu kwayo yonke imizi yelizwe lakoMowabi, ekhatshana leseduze.
upon Kerioth, Bozrah, and all the towns of Moab, those far and near.
25 Uphondo lukaMowabi luqunyiwe, lengalo yakhe yephukile, itsho iNkosi.
The horn of Moab has been cut off, and his arm is broken,”
26 Mdakiseni, ngoba ezikhulisile emelene leNkosi; uMowabi uzazibhixa emahlanzweni akhe, abe yinhlekisa, ngitsho yena.
“Make him drunk, because he has magnified himself against the LORD; so Moab will wallow in his own vomit, and he will also become a laughingstock.
27 Ngoba uIsrayeli kabanga yinhlekisa yini kuwe? Watholakala yini phakathi kwamasela? Ngoba kusukela ngesikhathi samazwi akho ngaye wanyikinya ikhanda.
Was not Israel your object of ridicule? Was he ever found among thieves? For whenever you speak of him you shake your head.
28 Tshiyani imizi, lihlale edwaleni, bahlali beMowabi, libe njengejuba elakha isidleke emaceleni omlomo womgodi.
Abandon the towns and settle among the rocks, O dwellers of Moab! Be like a dove that nests at the mouth of a cave.
29 Sizwile ngokuzigqaja kukaMowabi (uyazigqaja kakhulu), ukuziphakamisa kwakhe, lokuzigqaja kwakhe, lokuzikhukhumeza kwakhe, lokuphakama kwenhliziyo yakhe.
We have heard of Moab’s pomposity, his exceeding pride and conceit, his proud arrogance and haughtiness of heart.
30 Mina ngiyayazi, itsho iNkosi, intukuthelo yakhe, kodwa kakuyikuba njalo; ukusoma kwakhe kakungenzi njalo.
I know his insolence,” declares the LORD, “but it is futile. His boasting is as empty as his deeds.
31 Ngalokho-ke ngizaqhinqa isililo ngoMowabi, yebo, ngikhale ngaye wonke uMowabi; bazabubula ngabantu beKiri-Heresi.
Therefore I will wail for Moab; I will cry out for all of Moab; I will moan for the men of Kir-heres.
32 Ngokukhala inyembezi kweJazeri ngizakukhalela inyembezi, wena vini leSibima. Ingatsha zakho zedlula ulwandle, zafinyelela elwandle lweJazeri; umchithi wehlele phezu kwezithelo zakho zehlobo lemavinini akho avuniweyo.
I will weep for you, O vine of Sibmah, more than I weep for Jazer. Your tendrils have extended to the sea; they reach even to Jazer. The destroyer has descended on your summer fruit and grape harvest.
33 Lokuthaba lentokozo kususiwe esivandeni lelizweni lakoMowabi; ngiqedile lewayini ezikhamelweni; kabayikunyathela ngomsindo wentokozo; umsindo wentokozo kawuyikuba ngumsindo wentokozo.
Joy and gladness are removed from the orchard and from the fields of Moab. I have stopped the flow of wine from the presses; no one treads them with shouts of joy; their shouts are not for joy.
34 Ngenxa yokukhala kweHeshiboni, kuze kube seEleyale, kuze kube seJahazi, bakhupha ilizwi labo, kusukela eZowari kuze kufike eJoronayimi, ithokazi leminyaka emithathu; ngoba lamanzi eNimirimi azakuba yincithakalo.
There is a cry from Heshbon to Elealeh; they raise their voices to Jahaz, from Zoar to Horonaim and Eglath-shelishiyah; for even the waters of Nimrim have dried up.
35 Njalo ngizaqeda koMowabi, itsho iNkosi, lowo onikela endaweni ephakemeyo, lotshisela onkulunkulu bakhe impepha.
In Moab, declares the LORD, I will bring an end to those who make offerings on the high places and burn incense to their gods.
36 Ngenxa yalokho inhliziyo yami izakhalela uMowabi njengemihubhe, lenhliziyo yami izakhala njengemihubhe ngabantu beKiri-Heresi; ngoba inotho ababeyizuzile ichithekile.
Therefore My heart laments like a flute for Moab; it laments like a flute for the men of Kir-heres, because the wealth they acquired has perished.
37 Ngoba lonke ikhanda liyimpabanga, lazo zonke indevu zigeliwe; izandla zonke zisikiwe, lokhalweni kulesaka.
For every head is shaved and every beard is clipped; on every hand is a gash, and around every waist is sackcloth.
38 Phezu kwazo zonke impahla zezindlu zakoMowabi lezitaladeni zakhe yonke indawo kulokuqhinqa isililo, ngoba ngimphahlazile uMowabi njengembiza engathokozelwayo, itsho iNkosi.
On all the rooftops of Moab and in the public squares, everyone is mourning; for I have shattered Moab like an unwanted jar,”
39 Bazaqhinqa isililo besithi: Udilike njani! UMowabi uphendule njani umhlana elenhloni! Ngakho uMowabi waba yinhlekisa lesesabiso kuye wonke omzingelezeleyo.
“How shattered it is! How they wail! How Moab has turned his back in shame! Moab has become an object of ridicule and horror to all those around him.”
40 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi: Khangela, uzaphapha ngesiqubu njengokhozi, elulele impiko zakhe phezu kukaMowabi.
For this is what the LORD says: “Behold, an eagle swoops down and spreads his wings against Moab.
41 Imizi ithunjiwe, lezinqaba zibanjiwe, lenhliziyo yamaqhawe akoMowabi ngalolosuku ibe njengenhliziyo yowesifazana ohelelwayo.
Kirioth has been taken, and the strongholds seized. In that day the heart of Moab’s warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor.
42 LoMowabi uzachithwa angabi yisizwe, ngoba wazikhulisa emelene leNkosi.
Moab will be destroyed as a nation because he vaunted himself against the LORD.
43 Ukwesaba lomgodi lomjibila kuphezu kwakho, mhlali wakoMowabi, itsho iNkosi.
Terror and pit and snare await you, O dweller of Moab,”
44 Obalekela ukwesaba uzawela emgodini, lowenyuka ephuma emgodini uzabanjwa ngumjibila; ngoba ngizakwehlisela phezu kwakhe, phezu kukaMowabi, umnyaka wempindiselo yabo, itsho iNkosi.
“Whoever flees the panic will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs from the pit will be caught in the snare. For I will bring upon Moab the year of their punishment,”
45 Emthunzini weHeshiboni ababalekayo bayema bengelamandla, ngoba umlilo uphumile eHeshiboni, lelangabi livela phakathi kukaSihoni, njalo kudlile ingonsi yakoMowabi, lenkanda yabantwana besiphithiphithi.
“Those who flee will stand helpless in Heshbon’s shadow, because fire has gone forth from Heshbon and a flame from within Sihon. It devours the foreheads of Moab and the skulls of the sons of tumult.
46 Maye kuwe, Mowabi! Abantu bakaKemoshi baphelile, ngoba amadodana akho athethwe asiwa ekuthunjweni, lamadodakazi akho ekuthunjweni.
Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh have perished; for your sons have been taken into exile and your daughters have gone into captivity.
47 Kodwa ngizabuyisa ukuthunjwa kukaMowabi ekucineni kwezinsuku, itsho iNkosi. Kuze kube lapha kuyisehlulelo sakoMowabi.
Yet in the latter days I will restore Moab from captivity,” declares the LORD. Here ends the judgment on Moab.
