Babylon Will Be Captured
1 The Lord told me to say:
Announce what will happen
and don't leave anything out.
2 Raise the signal flags;
shout so all nations can hear—
Babylon will be captured!
Marduk, Babylon's god,
will be ashamed and terrified,
and his idols broken.
3 The attack on the Babylonians
will come from the north;
they and their animals will run,
leaving the land empty.
Israel and Judah Will Return to Their Land
4 The Lord said:
People of Israel and Judah,
when these things happen
you will weep, and together
you will return to your land
and worship me,
the Lord your God.
5 You will ask the way to Zion
and then come and join with me
in making an agreement
you won't break or forget.
6 My people, you are lost sheep
abandoned in the mountains
by their shepherds.
You don't even remember
your resting place.
7 I am your true pastureland,
the one who gave hope
to your ancestors.
But you abandoned me,
so when your enemies found you,
they felt no guilt
as they gobbled you up.
8 Escape from Babylonia,
my people.
Get out of that country!
Don't wait for anyone else.
9 In the north I am bringing
great nations together.
They will attack Babylon
and capture it.
The arrows they shoot
are like the best soldiers,
always finding their target.
10 Babylonia will be conquered,
and its enemies will carry off
everything they want.
Babylon Will Be Disgraced
The Lord said:
11 People of Babylonia,
you were glad
to rob my people.
You had a good time,
making more noise
than horses
and jumping around
like calves threshing grain.
12 The city of Babylon
was like a mother to you.
But it will be disgraced
and become nothing
but a barren desert.
13 My anger will destroy Babylon,
and no one will live there.
Everyone who passes by
will be shocked to see
what has happened.
14 Babylon has rebelled against me.
Archers, take your places.
Shoot all your arrows at Babylon.
15 Attack from every side!
Babylon surrenders!
The enemy tears down
its walls and towers.
I am taking my revenge
by doing to Babylon what it did
to other cities.
16 There is no one in Babylonia
to plant or harvest crops.
Even foreigners who lived there
have left for their homelands,
afraid of the enemy armies.
17 Israel is a flock of sheep
scattered by hungry lions.
The king of Assyria
first gobbled Israel up.
Then Nebuchadnezzar,
king of Babylonia,
crunched on Israel's bones.
18 I, the Lord All-Powerful,
the God of Israel,
punished the king of Assyria,
and I will also punish
the king of Babylonia.
19 But I will bring Israel
back to its own land.
The people will be like sheep
eating their fill
on Mount Carmel
and in Bashan,
in the hill country of Ephraim
and in Gilead.
20 I will rescue a few people
from Israel and Judah.
I will forgive them so completely
that their sin and guilt
will disappear,
never to be found.
The Lord's Commands to the Enemies of Babylonia
21 The Lord said:
I have told
the enemies of Babylonia,
“Attack the people of Merathaim
and Pekod.
Kill them all!
Destroy their possessions!”
22 Sounds of war
and the noise of destruction
can be heard.
23 Babylonia was a hammer
pounding every country,
but now it lies broken.
What a shock to the nations
of the world!
24 Babylonia challenged me,
the Lord God All-Powerful,
but that nation doesn't know
it is caught in a trap
that I set.
25 I've brought out my weapons,
and with them I will put a curse
on Babylonia.
26 Come from far away,
you enemies of Babylon!
Pile up the grain
from its storehouses,
and destroy it completely,
along with everything else.
27 Kill the soldiers of Babylonia,
because the time has come
for them to be punished.
28 The Babylonian army
destroyed my temple,
but soon I will take revenge.
Then refugees from Babylon
will tell about it in Zion.
29 Attack Babylon, enemy archers;
set up camp around the city,
and don't let anyone escape.
It challenged me, the holy God,
so do to it
what it did to other cities.
Proud Babylon Will Fall
30 People of Babylon,
I, the Lord, promise
that even your best soldiers
will lie dead in the streets.
31 Babylon, you should be named,
“The Proud One.”
But the time has come when I,
the Lord All-Powerful,
will punish you.
32 You are proud,
but you will stumble and fall,
and no one will help you up.
I will set your villages on fire,
and everything around you
will go up in flames.
33 You Babylonians were cruel
to Israel and Judah.
You took them captive, and now
you refuse to let them go.
34 But I, the Lord All-Powerful,
will rescue and protect them.
I will bring peace to their land
and trouble to yours.
35 I have declared war on you,
your officials, and advisors.
36 This war will prove
that your prophets
are liars and fools.
And it will frighten
your warriors.
37 Then your chariot horses
and the foreigners in your army
will refuse to go into battle,
and the enemy will carry away
everything you treasure.
38 Your rivers and canals
will dry up.
All of this will happen,
because your land
is full of idols,
and they have made fools
of you.
39 Never again will people live
in your land—
only desert animals, jackals,
and unclean birds.
40 I destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah
and the nearby towns,
and I will destroy Babylon
just as completely.
No one will live there again.
Babylonia Is Invaded
The Lord said:
41 Far to the north,
a nation and its allies
have been awakened.
They are powerful
and ready for war.
42 Bows and arrows and swords
are in their hands.
The soldiers are cruel
and show no pity.
The hoofbeats of their horses echo
like ocean waves
crashing against the shore.
The army has lined up for battle
and is coming to attack you,
people of Babylonia!
43 Ever since your king heard
about this army,
he has been weak with fear;
he twists and turns in pain
like a woman giving birth.
44 Babylonia, I will attack you
like a lion from the forest,
attacking sheep in a meadow
along the Jordan.
In a moment the flock runs,
and the land is empty.
Who will I choose to attack you?
I will do it myself!
No one can force me to fight
or chase me away.
45 Listen to my plans for you,
people of Babylonia.
Your children will be dragged off,
and your country destroyed.
46 The sounds of your destruction
will be heard among the nations,
and the earth will shake.
Omahuuriro wotjihuro Babilon
1 Ombuze ya Muhona ndja hungirira otjihuro Babilon novature vatjo notjinyo tjandje oyo ndji:
2 Tjiviseye ombuze koviwaṋa! Zuvariseye yo!
Turikeye erapi rotjiraisiro; nu zuvariseye ombuze!
Amu i undike!
Babilon tja huurwa!
Omukuru watjo Merodak wa hahaurwa!
Oomukuru vovisenginina va Babilon va ṱohoṋi,
oviserekarera vyatjo oviyaukise vya nyanyaurwa!
3 “Otjiwaṋa tji tja zira kokunene kweyuva, tje ya okurwisa ehi ra Babilon, nu matji tjitukisa ro ri rire ongaango. Ovandu mave tupuka novinamuinyo wina, nu kape na umwe ngu ma tura mu ro.”
Omakotokero wotjiwaṋa tja Israel
4 Muhona ma tja nai: “Momayuva ngo otjiwaṋa tja Israel notja Juda mavi ya. Ovyo mavi yende amavi riri, amavi paha ami, Ndjambi wavyo. 5 Ovyo mavi pura ondjira ndji yenda kOsion, tjazumba mavi hungama ngo. Ovyo mavi tjiti omerikutiropamwe omakarere na ami, nu kamaavi ye teya ko.
6 “Otjiwaṋa tjandje tji ri otja ozonḓu nḓa pandjarisiwa i ovarise vazo mozondundu. Otjo aatji ryanga otja ozonḓu okuza kondundu nga kondundu, nu tja zemba onganda kondundu, nu tja zemba onganda yatjo. 7 Otjo tja tura ondjo komurungu wa Muhona, nu ihi eṱe tji twa tjita katja ri posyo. Ooihe mukururume ve riyamekere ku Muhona, nowo oveni wina va sere okukara nouṱakame mu ye.
8 “Vaisrael, taureye mObabilon! Zamoeye mehi! Saneye kozongombe ozondume nḓe hongorera orupanda! 9 Ami me hohiza otjira tjomihoko ominamasa vyokeyuva kokunene, nu me tjiti kutja vi rwise Babilon. Ovyo mavi rirongerere okurwisa ehi nu avi kambura ro. Ovyo oviyeve ovinaunongo, nu vi yumba oviku mbi ha parwisa. 10 Ehi ra Babilon mari pundwa, nu imba mbu mave ri pundu, mave kambura oviṋa avihe mbi mave vanga. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.”
Babilon matji haverwa
11 Muhona ma tja nai: “Vababilon, eṋe mwa punda otjiwaṋa tjandje. Eṋe mu nenyando nondjoroka, nu mamu ryanga tjimuna ozongombe ozonḓenḓu, nḓu maze yata ovikokotwa poo tjimuna oukambe outwezu mbu mau vandara. 12 Nungwari otjihuro tjeṋu otjinene matji ṱisiwa ohoṋi natji yambururwa. Otjiwaṋa tja Babilon matji rire otjiṱiṱi pu avihe; ehi ratjo mari kukuta, nu mari rire okuti onguza ku ku ha kara nomeva. 13 Kape na umwe ngu ma tura motjihuro Babilon mena romazenge wandje; otjo matji sewa etundu, navehe mbu mave kapita pu tjo mave kumwa ave temisiwa i otjiwonga otja ihi.
14 “Vayumbe vouta, rirongereye otjirwa mu rwise Babilon nokutjikovera. Yumbeye oviku vyeṋu avihe kObabilon, orondu otjo tja tura ondjo komurungu wandje, ngu mbi ri Muhona. 15 Posiseye ondavaerero yovita okukondoroka otjihuro atjihe! Nambano Babilon tje riyandja. Orumbo rwatjo rwa haṋewa, noviṱunga vyatjo vya teyewa. Ami me sutisa Ovababilon. Nambano eṋe ve sutiseye, nu tjiteye ku wo otja tjinga ava tjita koviwaṋa vyarwe. 16 Amu yandjere ozondwi kutja ze kunwe mehi ndo novikokotwa kutja vi kondwe. Owozonganda auhe ngwa tura mehi ndo ma tira omunavita ngu me mu rwisa, nu ma taurire kehi rawo.”
Omakotokero wotjiwaṋa tja Israel
17 Muhona ma tja nai: “Otjiwaṋa tja Israel tji ri otja ozonḓu nḓu maze rambwa naze rimbwa i ozongeyama. Rutenga tja rwisiwa i ombara ya Asirie, tjazumba Nebukadnesar, ombara ya Babilon, wa korokoha omaṱupa watjo. 18 Mena roviṋa mbi ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Omunamasaaehe, Ndjambi wa Israel, me vere ombara Nebukadnesar nehi re, otja tji mba verere ombara ya Asirie. 19 Ami me yarura ko otjiwaṋa tja Israel mehi ratjo. Otjo matji ri ovikurya, mbi hapa kondundu Karmel na mehi ra Basan, nu matji ri ovihape avihe mbi matji vanga, mbi hapa mehi rozondundu ra Efraim nora Gilead. 20 Omayuva ngo tji maye ya, kape nouvi mbu mau munika mOisrael, nourunde mOjuda, orondu ami me isire ovandu mba mbu mba yama. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.”
Ombanguriro ya Muhona kObabilon
21 Muhona ma tja nai: “Rwisa Ovamerataim nOvapekod. Ve zepa nu u ve yandeke. Tjita avihe mbi mbe ku rakiza. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire. 22 Ondokohero yotjirwa mai zuvaka mehi, nu mu nomanyoneno omanene. 23 Babilon, indji ongowa ndja nyanyaura ouye auhe, nambano oyo oini ya hahaurwa. Oviwaṋa avihe vya kumisirwe i imbi mbya tjitwa kehi ndo. 24 Babilon, ove we ndji rwisa, nu wa kamburwa i ongwehe, ndji mbe ku twira po, nandarire kutja ove ko tjivirwe otjiṋa hi. 25 Ami mba paturura poṋa pu pe horekwa ovirwise vyandje, nu momazenge wandje e vi pitisa, ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Ndjambi Omunamasaaehe, tjinga ambi noviungura mehi ra Babilon okuungura. 26 Rwiseye ehi ra Babilon okuza komikuma avihe, nu mu paturure omatuwo waro womapwikiro wovirya! Wongereye ovipundwa vyaro kumwe tjimuna ondundu yovirya! Nyoneye ehi! Amu sye mo otjiṋa oparukaze! 27 Zepeye ovarwe varo omitanda wovita avehe. Ve zepeye! Ovababilon va pwa pokuyandekwa. Oruveze rwokuverwa kwawo rweya!”
28 Ovature mave taura mehi ra Babilon nave ya kOjerusalem, nowo mave serekarere imbi Muhona, Ndjambi wetu mbya sutisa Ovababilon mena raimbi mbi va tjitire kondjuwo ye.
29 “Raereye ovayumbe vomauta avehe kutja ve rwise Babilon. Hindeye ngamwa auhe ngu tjiwa okuyumba outa notjiku. Kovereye otjihuro, nu ape ningi umwe ngu ma poṋa. Sutiseye otjihuro hi mena roviṋa avihe mbi tja tjita, nu mu tjite ku tjo otja tji tja tjitire kovandu varwe, orondu otjo tja tjita nai mokuritongamisira ami, ngu mbi ri Omuyapuke wa Israel. 30 Ovarumendu vatjo omitanda otji mave ṱire momivanda vyotjihuro, novarwe vatjo avehe wovita mave yandekwa meyuva ndo. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.
31 “Babilon, ove we ritongamisa tjinene; nami, Muhona Ndjambi Omunamasaaehe, otji me ku sekamene. Omayuva ye ya ami mu me ku vere. 32 Otjiwaṋa tjoye otjihahu matji putara natji u, nu kape na umwe ngu me tji yeura. Ami me nyosa ovihuro vyoye, nu ngamwa atjihe tji tji ri meṋe yavyo matji sesetwa i omuriro mbwi.”
33 Muhona Omunamasaaehe ma tja nai: “Ovaisrael nOvajuda ve ṋiṋikiziwa. Avehe mbe ve kambura, ve ve tjevera noukukutu, nu kamaave ve esa kutja ve yende. 34 Nungwari ingwi ngu meve kutura, eye omunamasa, ena re ‘oMuhona Omunamasaaehe’. Eye omuini ongu ma yeura otjiposa tjawo, nongu ma eta ohange kehi; nungwari ma eta ekurungo kovature va Babilon.”
35 Muhona ma tja nai:
“Onḓiro ngai ye kombanda yehi ra Babilon
na kovature votjihuro Babilon
na kovanane na kovarumendu varo ozonongo!
36 Onḓiro ngai ye kombanda yovaprofete varo ovanavizeze;
owo ngave rire omayova!
Onḓiro ngai ye kombanda yovarwe varo ozombangaṋe;
owo ngave rire ovimumandu!
37 Onḓiro ngai ye kombanda youkambe waro
na komatemba waro wovita
na kovarwe varo wovita mba yazemwa;
owo ngave mumapare!
Omanyoneno ngaye ye kombanda yovihuze vyaro;
ovyo ngavi pundwe!
38 Ourumbu ngau ye mehi ndi
kokutja ozonḓonḓu zaro ze pwire.
Babilon ehi roomukuru ovatirise vovisenginina,
novature va Babilon oveni
va purukisiwa ozondunge i wo.
39 “Motjihuro Babilon otji mamu ryanga ouhwe nozombandje nozombo. Mu tjo kamaamu tura ovandu rukwao, nandarire momayuva ngu maye ya. 40 Otjiṋa tjingetjo tji tja tjitirwa kOsodom na Gomora novirongo vyopopezu na vyo, otjinga ama tji tjitwa kObabilon. Kape na umwe ngu ma tura mu tjo rukwao. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.
41 “Omuhoko mau zu kehi rokeyuva kokunene; otjiwaṋa otjinamasa tjokokure nozombara ozengi; maze rirongerere ovita. 42 Owo va toora omauta nomangaruvyo wawo; owo ovanautwe, nu kave notjari. Ve hwaara tjimuna ozongazona zokuvare, tji mave kavire oukambe wawo; nu ve rirongerera okurwisa Babilon. 43 Ombara ya Babilon tji ya zuva ombuze ndji, omaoko wayo otji ya rira ovitata. Oyo ya kamburwa i omburuma nomuhihamo tjimuna ozongama zomukazendu mombandukiro.
44 “Otja ongeyama, ndji mai zu movihwa ovipote meṋe ya Jordan okuyenda kehi romaryo oruhapo, ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, opunga a meya ne ramba Ovababilon tjimanga motjihuro tjawo. Omunane ngu me toorora, ongu ma honaparere otjiwaṋa. Owaṋi ngu ma sasanekwa na ami? Owaṋi ngu ma roro okundjitwara kombanguriro? Omunane uṋe ngu ma yenene okundjipirukira? 45 Otji mamu sokupuratena kondando, ndji mba tyera otjihuro Babilon, na kondunge, ndji mbe ripurira okutjita kehi ra Babilon. Nandarire ovanatje vawo mave kokozorwa okutwarewa, navehe mave zezerisiwa i imbi mbi mave munu. 46 Babilon tji tja haverwa, mape kara ondokohero onene tjinene, nga ehi arihe tji mari nyinganyinga, nondjuriro yondokohero ndji mai zuvaka moviwaṋa.”
