Verse 1: Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: “Ngiyakuvusela iBabele nabakhileyo eLebi Khamayi umoya womchithi.
Verse 2: Ngiyakuthuma abelayo eBabele, balele, balithulule, ngokuba ngosuku lobubi bayakuba kulo nxazonke.
Verse 3: Ocibishelayo uyakunsala umnsalo kogoba umnsalo khona, nakuye oziphakamisa ngebhantshi lakhe lensimbi; ningasindisi izinsizwa zalo, niqede nya impi yalo yonke.
Verse 4: Bayakuwa bebulewe ezweni lamaKaledi, begwaziwe ezitaladini zalo.
Verse 5: Ngokuba o-Israyeli noJuda abashiywanga nguNkulunkulu wabo, uJehova Sebawoti, noma izwe labo ligcwele icala koNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
Verse 6: “Balekani eBabele, yilowo nalowo akhulule ukuphila kwakhe, ninganqunywa ngokona kwalo, ngokuba kuyisikhathi sempindiselo kaJehova, uyakuliphindisela.
Verse 7: IBabele beliyindebe yegolide esandleni sikaJehova eyadakisa umhlaba wonke; izizwe zaliphuza iwayini lalo, ngalokho izizwe ziyahlanya.
Verse 8: IBabele seliwile ngokuzumayo, lachithwa; hhewulani ngalo, nithathele ubuhlungu balo ibhalisamu; mhlawumbe lingaphiliswa.
Verse 9: “Besiyakuliphilisa iBabele, kepha aliphiliswanga; lishiyeni, masihambe siye, kube yilowo nalowo ezweni lakubo, ngokuba ukwahlulelwa kwalo kufinyelela ezulwini, kuphakanyisiwe nasemafwini.
Verse 10: “UJehova uvezile imfanelo yethu; wozani silande eSiyoni umsebenzi kaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu.
Verse 11: “Lolani imicibisholo, nibambe izihlangu. UJehova uvusile umoya wamakhosi aseMediya, ngokuba icebo lakhe ngeBabele lingukuba alichithe, ngokuba lokhu kuyimpindiselo kaJehova, impindiselo ngethempeli lakhe.
Verse 12: Misani ibhanela ngasezingangeni zaseBabele, niqinise umlindo, nimise abalindi, nihlele abaqamekeli, ngokuba uJehova ukuhlosile, futhi wakwenza lokho owakukhuluma kwabakhileyo eBabele.
Verse 13: Wena ohlala ngasemanzini amakhulu, nonengcebo eningi, sekufikile ukugcina kwakho, isilinganiso sokuhaha kwakho.
Verse 14: UJehova Sebawoti uzifungile wathi: Noma ngikugcwalisile ngabantu njengangezinkumbi, bayakuhalalisa nokho ngawe.
Verse 15: “Wawenza umhlaba ngamandla akhe, walimisa izwe ngokuhlakanipha kwakhe, ngokuqonda kwakhe waleneka izulu.
Verse 16: Lapho elizwakalisa izwi lakhe, kungukuhlokoma kwamanzi ezulwini; uzikhuphula izinkungu emikhawulweni yomhlaba, enzele imvula unyazi, awukhiphe umoya endlini yengcebo.
Verse 17: “Bonke abantu bayiziphukuphuku, abanakwazi, bonke abakhandi bajabhiswa nezithombe zabo ezibaziweyo, ngokuba izithombe zabo ezibunjiweyo zingamanga, nomoya awukho kuzo.
Verse 18: Ziyize, zingumsebenzi wenkohliso; ngesikhathi sokuhanjelwa kwabo ziyakubhubha.
Verse 19: Oyisabelo sikaJakobe akanjengalezo, ngokuba nguye obumbile konke, yebo, nesizwe sefa lakhe; nguJehova Sebawoti igama lakhe.
Verse 20: “Uyizembe lami nezikhali zokulwa; ngiyaphahlaza izizwe ngawe, ngawe ngiyachitha imibuso,
Verse 21: ngiphahlaze ngawe ihhashi nenkweli yalo, ngiphahlaze ngawe inqola nohamba ngayo;
Verse 22: ngiphahlaze ngawe abesilisa nabesifazane, ngiphahlaze ngawe abadala nabasha, ngiphahlaze ngawe izinsizwa nezintombi;
Verse 23: ngiphahlaze ngawe umalusi nomhlambi wakhe, ngiphahlaze ngawe umlimi namabhanga akhe, ngiphahlaze ngawe izinduna nababusi.
Verse 24: “Ngiyakuphindisela iBabele nabo bonke abakhileyo eKalideya konke okubi kwabo abakwenzile eSiyoni emehlweni enu,” usho uJehova.
Verse 25: “Bheka, ngimelene nawe ntaba echithayo,” usho uJehova, “wena ochitha wonke umhlaba; ngiyakwelulela isandla sami kuwe, ngikugingqe emadwaleni, ngikwenze intaba eshisiweyo.
Verse 26: Abayikuthatha kuwe itshe legumbi netshe lesisekelo, ngokuba uyakuba yincithakalo kuze kube phakade,” usho uJehova.
Verse 27: “Misani ibhanela ezweni, nibethe amacilongo phakathi kwezizwe, ningcwelise izizwe ukuba zilwe nalo, nilibizele imibuso yase-Ararati, naseMini, nase-Ashikenaze, nibeke phezu kwalo umphathi wempi, nikhuphuke namahhashi anjengezinkumbi ezimahaye.
Verse 28: Lingcweliseleni izizwe, amakhosi aseMediya, nezinduna zalo, nababusi balo, nalo lonke izwe elibuswa yibo.
Verse 29: Umhlaba uyathuthumela, uqhaqhazele, ngokuba amacebo kaJehova ngeBabele emi okuba enze izwe laseBabele libe yincithakalo, kuze kungabikho ohlala khona.
Verse 30: Amaqhawe aseBabele ayekile ukulwa, ahlala ezinqabeni zawo; amandla awo aphelile, anjengabesifazane; izindlu zalo zishisiwe, imigoqo yalo yaphuliwe.
Verse 31: Isigijimi siyagijma, sihlangane nesinye, umbiki uhlangana nombiki ukutshela inkosi yaseBabele ukuthi umuzi wayo unqotshiwe nxazonke.
Verse 32: Amazibuko avinjiwe, umhlanga ushisiwe ngomlilo, amadoda empi ayesaba.”
Verse 33: Ngokuba usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: “Indodakazi yaseBabele injengesibuya ngesikhathi sokunyathelwa kwaso; kuse yisikhashana, sizakufika kuyo isikhathi sokuvuna.”
Verse 34: UNebukadinesari, inkosi yaseBabele ungidlile wangiqeda; ungenze isitsha esingenalutho, wangigwinya njengodrako; ugcwalisile isisu sakhe ngokumnandi kwami, wangixosha.
Verse 35: “Ubudlova engenzelwe bona mina nabayinyama yami mabube phezu kweBabele,” makasho njalo owakhileyo eSiyoni. “Igazi lami malibe phezu kwabakhileyo eKalideya;” malisho njalo iJerusalema.
Verse 36: Ngalokho usho kanje uJehova, uthi: “Bheka, ngiyakumela indaba yakho, ngikuphindisele, ngishise ulwandle lwalo, ngomise umthombo walo.
Verse 37: IBabele liyakuba yizinqwaba, nendawo yokuhlala kwamakhanka, nencithakalo, nento encimfelwayo, kungabikho ohlala khona.
Verse 38: Bayabhonga kanyekanye njengezingonyama, bakhale njengamabhongo ezingonyama.
Verse 39: Sebevuthile, ngiyakubenzela idili, ngibadakise ukuze baquleke, balale ubuthongo obuphakade, bangavuki,” usho uJehova.
Verse 40: “Ngiyakubehlisela ekuhlatshweni njengamawundlu, njengezinqama nezimpongo.
Verse 41: “Yeka ukunqotshwa kweSheshaki nokubanjwa kwelaliludumo lwawo wonke umhlaba! Yeka ukwenziwa kweBabele isimangaliso phakathi kwezizwe!
Verse 42: Ulwandle lukhuphukele iBabele, lisibekelwe ngamaza alo ahlokomayo.
Verse 43: Imizi yalo ichithekile; yizwe elomileyo, nehlane, izwe elingahlalwa muntu, kungadluli kulo indodana yomuntu.
Verse 44: Ngiyakuhambela uBeli eBabele, ngikhiphe emlonyeni wakhe lokhu akugwinyileyo; izizwe azisayikugobhozela kuye, ugange lwaseBabele luyakuwa.
Verse 45: “Phumani phakathi kwalo, bantu bami, nizikhulule, kube yilowo nalowo ekufuthekeni kwentukuthelo kaJehova.
Verse 46: Izinhliziyo zenu mazingadangali, ningesabi imibiko ezwakalayo ezweni, lapho kufika umbiko othile ngomunye umnyaka, bese kufika emva kwawo omunye ngomnyaka olandelayo, kube ngubudlova ezweni, umbusi avukele umbusi.
Verse 47: Ngalokho bheka, izinsuku ziyeza, lapho ngiyakujezisa izithombe ezibaziweyo zaseBabele, izwe lonke lalo lijabhe, bonke ababuleweyo balo bawe phakathi kwalo.
Verse 48: Bese kuqhumuka izulu nomhlaba, nakho konke okukukho, ngokuhlabelela ngeBabele, ngokuba abachithi bayakumfikela bevela enyakatho,” usho uJehova.
Verse 49: “Yebo, neBabele limelwe ukuwa, nina babuleweyo bakwa-Israyeli, njengalokho iBabele laliwelwa ngababuleweyo bomhlaba wonke.
Verse 50: Nina eniphunyukile enkembeni hambani, ningemi; khumbulani uJehova nisekude, iJerusalema lingene ezinhliziyweni zenu.
Verse 51: “Sijabhile, ngokuba sizwe inhlamba; amahloni asibekela ubuso bethu, ngokuba abafokazi bangenile ezindaweni ezingcwele endlini kaJehova.”
Verse 52: “Ngalokho bheka, izinsuku ziyeza,” usho uJehova, “lapho ngiyakuzihambela izithombe zalo ezibaziweyo, ababulawayo babubule ezweni lonke lalo.
Verse 53: Noma iBabele likhuphukela ezulwini, yebo, noma liqinisa inqaba yalo enamandla, kuyakuvela nokho kimi abachithi, balehlele,” usho uJehova.
Verse 54: “Ngumsindo wokukhala ovela eBabele, nowencithakalo enkulu ophuma ezweni lamaKaledi,
Verse 55: ngokuba uJehova uyalichitha iBabele, aqede phakathi kwalo umsindo omkhulu; amaza alo ayahlokoma njengamanzi amakhulu, nomsindo wokuhlokoma kwawo uyezwakala,
Verse 56: ngokuba umchithi uyalehlela, alehlele iBabele, amaqhawe alo ayabanjwa, neminsalo yawo iyaphulwa, ngokuba uJehova unguNkulunkulu wemivuzo, uyakhokha nokukhokha.
Verse 57: Ngiyakudakisa izikhulu zalo nezihlakaniphi zalo, nezinduna zalo, nababusi balo, namaqhawe alo; bayakulala ubuthongo obuphakade, bangavuki,” isho iNkosi egama layo linguJehova Sebawoti.
Verse 58: Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uthi: “Ugange olubanzi lwaseBabele luyakubhidlizwa nokubhidlizwa, namasango alo aphakemeyo ayakushiswa ngomlilo; abantu bakhandlekela ize nezizwe okomlilo, zikhathale.”
Verse 59: Izwi uJeremiya umprofethi ayala ngalo uSeraya indodana kaNeriya kaMakhaseya ekuhambeni kwakhe noSedekiya inkosi yakwaJuda eya eBabele ngomnyaka wesine wokubusa kwakhe. USeraya wayeyisikhulu sezindawo zokuphumula.
Verse 60: UJeremiya waloba encwadini konke okubi obekuyakwehlela iBabele, onke lawa mazwi alotshiwe ngeBabele.
Verse 61: UJeremiya wathi kuSeraya: “Ekufikeni kwakho eBabele bhekisisa ukuba ufunde onke lawa mazwi,
Verse 62: uthi: ‘Jehova, wena ukhulumile ngale ndawo ukuba uyinqume ukuze kungabikho muntu ohlala kuyo, umuntu nasilwane, ngokuba iyakuba yihlane kuze kube phakade.’
Verse 63: Lapho usuqedile ukuyifunda le ncwadi, uyakubopha itshe kuyo, uyiphonse e-Ewufrathe,
Verse 64: uthi: ‘Kanjalo iBabele liyakushona, lingabe lisavuka ngenxa yokubi engiyakulehlisela khona, lidangale.’ ” Kuphela lapha amazwi kaJeremiya.