< Isambulo 18 >
1 Emva kwalezizinto-ke ngabona enye ingilosi isehla ivela ezulwini, ilamandla amakhulu; lomhlaba wakhanyiswa yikukhazimula kwayo.
2 Yasimemeza ngamandla, ngelizwi elikhulu isithi: Iwile, iwile iBhabhiloni enkulu, isiyindawo yokuhlala amadimoni, lentolongo yawo wonke umoya ongcolileyo, lezongo layo yonke inyoni engcolileyo lezondekayo.
3 Ngoba izizwe zonke zinathe okwewayini lolaka lobufebe bayo, lamakhosi omhlaba aphingile layo, labathengisi bomhlaba banothile ngamandla okuzitika ngenotho yayo.
4 Ngasengisizwa elinye ilizwi livela ezulwini, lisithi: Phumani kuyo, bantu bami, ukuze lingahlanganyeli kanye lezono zayo, lokuze lingemukeli okwezinhlupheko zayo;
5 ngoba izono zayo zixhumene zize zifike ezulwini, loNkulunkulu ukhumbule ukungalungi kwayo.
6 Phindiselani kuyo njengokuphindisela kwayo kini, liphinde kabili kuyo njengokwemisebenzi yayo; enkezweni eyixubanisileyo, xubanisani kiyo kabili.
7 Njengokuzidumisa kwayo okungaka, izitika enothweni, ngokunjalo kupheni yona ubuhlungu lokulila okungaka; ngoba ithi enhliziyweni yayo: Ngihlezi ngiyindlovukazi, njalo kangisuye umfelokazi, futhi kangisoze ngabona ukulila.
8 Ngakho zizafika ngosuku lunye izinhlupheko zayo, ukufa lokulila lendlala, futhi izatshiswa ngomlilo; ngoba ilamandla iNkosi uNkulunkulu eyigwebayo.
9 Lamakhosi omhlaba aphinga layo ezitika enothweni azayikhalela alile ngenxa yayo, lapho ebona intuthu yokutsha kwayo,
10 esima khatshana ngokwesaba kobuhlungu bayo, esithi: Maye, maye, umuzi omkhulu, iBhabhiloni, umuzi olamandla, ngoba ngehola elilodwa isigwebo sakho sifikile!
11 Labathengisi bomhlaba bazayikhalela bayililele, ngoba kakulamuntu othenga impahla yabo futhi;
12 impahla yegolide, leyesiliva, leyelitshe eliligugu, leyepharele, leyelembu elicolekileyo kakhulu, leyibubende, leyesilika, leyokubomvu; laso sonke isihlahla esilephunga, laso sonke isitsha sempondo zendlovu, laso sonke isitsha sesihlahla esiligugu elikhulukazi, leyethusi, leyensimbi, leyelitshe elimhlophe;
13 lekinamoni, lokulephunga elimnandi, lenhlaka, lempepha, lewayini, lamafutha, lempuphu ecolekileyo, lengqoloyi, lezifuyo, lezimvu, lamabhiza, lezinqola, lemizimba, lemiphefumulo yabantu.
14 Lezithelo zesifiso somphefumulo wakho zisukile kuwe, lazo zonke izinto ezinonileyo lezikhazimulayo zisukile kuwe, kawusoze ubuye uzithole.
15 Abathengisi balezizinto, abanothe ngayo, bazakuma khatshana ngokwesabeka kobuhlungu bayo, bekhala belila,
16 njalo besithi: Maye, maye, lo umuzi omkhulu, owawembathiswe ngelembu elicolekileyo kakhulu lokuyibubende lokubomvu, uceciswe ngegolide lelitshe eliligugu lamapharele!
17 Ngoba ngehola elilodwa inotho engaka ichithiwe. Layo yonke induna yomkhumbi, lalo lonke ixuku emikhunjini, labomkhumbi, labo bonke abasebenza olwandle bema khatshana,
18 basebekhala bebona intuthu yokutsha kwayo, besithi: Yiwuphi ofanana lawo umuzi omkhulu?
19 Basebethela uthuli emakhanda abo, bememeza bekhala belila, besithi: Maye, maye, umuzi omkhulu, khona lapho bonke ababelemikhumbi olwandle banothe ngawo ngenotho yawo; ngoba ngehola elilodwa uchithiwe!
20 Thokoza ngawo, zulu, lani baphostoli abangcwele labaprofethi; ngoba uNkulunkulu ugwebe isigwebo senu kuwo.
21 Lengilosi eyamandla yaphakamisa ilitshe elinjengelitshe lokuchola elikhulu, yasiliphosela olwandle, isithi: Ngokunjalo ngodlakela iBhabhiloni umuzi omkhulu izaphoswa, njalo ingabe isaficwa lakanye.
22 Lomsindo wabatshaya amachacho lowabahlabeleli lowabatshaya imihlanga lowabatshaya izimpondo, kawusoze uphinde uzwakale phakathi kwakho, layo yonke ingcwethi loba eyawuphi umunwe kayisayikuficwa phakathi kwakho lakanye, lomsindo welitshe lokuchola kawusoze uphinde uzwakale phakathi kwakho,
23 lokukhanya kwesibane kakusoze kusakhanya phakathi kwakho, lelizwi lomyeni lomakoti kalisayikuzwakala phakathi kwakho lakanye; ngoba abathengisi bakho bebeyizikhulu zomhlaba; ngoba ngokuthakatha kwakho izizwe zonke zikhohlisiwe,
24 futhi kuyo kwaficwa igazi labaprofethi lelabangcwele, lelabo bonke ababebulewe emhlabeni.
