Babylon Will Be Destroyed
1 I, the Lord, am sending
a wind to destroy
the people of Babylonia
and Babylon, its capital.
2 Foreign soldiers will come
from every direction,
and when the disaster is over,
Babylonia will be empty
and worthless.
3 I will tell these soldiers,
“Attack quickly,
before the Babylonians
can string their bows
or put on their armor.
Kill their best soldiers
and destroy their army!”
4 Their troops will fall wounded
in the streets of Babylon.
5 Everyone in Israel and Judah
is guilty.
But I, the Lord All-Powerful,
their holy God,
have not abandoned them.
6 Get out of Babylon!
Run for your lives!
If you stay, you will be killed
when I take revenge on the city
and punish it for its sins.
7 Babylon was my golden cup,
filled with the wine
of my anger.
The nations of the world
got drunk on this wine
and went insane.
8 But suddenly, Babylon will fall
and be destroyed.
I, the Lord, told the foreigners
who lived there,
“Weep for the city!
Get medicine for its wounds;
maybe they will heal.”
9 The foreigners answered,
“We have already tried
to treat Babylon's wounds,
but they would not heal.
Come on, let's all go home
to our own countries.
Nothing is left in Babylonia;
everything is destroyed.”
10 The people of Israel said,
“Tell everyone in Zion!
The Lord has taken revenge
for what Babylon did to us.”
The Lord Wants Babylon Destroyed
11 I, the Lord,
want Babylon destroyed,
because its army
destroyed my temple.
So, you kings of Media,
sharpen your arrows
and pick up your shields.
12 Raise the signal flag
and attack the city walls.
Post more guards.
Have soldiers watch the city
and set up ambushes.
I have made plans
to destroy Babylon,
and nothing will stop me.
13 People of Babylon, you live
along the Euphrates River
and are surrounded by canals.
You are rich,
but now the time has come
for you to die.
14 I, the Lord All-Powerful,
swear by my own life
that enemy soldiers
will fill your streets
like a swarm of locusts.
They will shout
and celebrate their victory.
A Hymn of Praise
(Jeremiah 10.12-16)15 God used his wisdom and power
to create the earth
and spread out the heavens.
16 The waters in the heavens roar
at his command.
He makes clouds appear;
he sends the wind
from his storehouse
and makes lightning flash
in the rain.
17 People who make idols
are stupid!
They will be disappointed,
because their false gods
cannot breathe.
18 Idols are merely a joke,
and when the time is right,
they will be destroyed.
19 But the Lord, Israel's God,
is all-powerful.
He created everything,
and he chose Israel
to be his very own.
God's Hammer
The Lord said:
20 Babylonia, you were my hammer;
I used you to pound nations
and break kingdoms,
21 to shatter cavalry and chariots,
22 as well as men and women,
young and old,
23 shepherds and their flocks,
farmers and their oxen,
and governors and leaders.
24 But now, my people will watch,
while I repay you
for what you did to Zion.
25 You destroyed the nations
and seem strong as a mountain,
but I am your enemy.
I might even grab you
and roll you off a cliff.
When I am finished,
you'll only be a pile
of scorched bricks.
26 Your stone blocks won't be reused
for cornerstones
or foundations,
and I promise that forever
you will be a desert.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
The Nations Will Attack Babylon
The Lord said:
27 Signal the nations
to get ready to attack.
Raise a flag and blow a trumpet.
Send for the armies of Ararat,
Minni, and Ashkenaz.
Choose a commander;
let the cavalry attack
like a swarm of locusts.
28 Tell the kings and governors,
the leaders and the people
of the kingdoms of the Medes
to prepare for war!
29 The earth twists and turns
in torment,
because I have decided
to make Babylonia a desert
where no one can live,
and I won't change my mind.
30 The Babylonian soldiers
have lost their strength
and courage.
They stay in their fortresses,
unable to fight,
while the enemy breaks through
the city gates,
then sets their homes on fire.
31 One messenger after another
announces to the king,
“Babylon has been captured!
32 The enemy now controls
the river crossings!
The marshes are on fire!
Your army has panicked!”
33 I am the Lord All-Powerful,
the God of Israel,
and I make this promise—
“Soon Babylon will be leveled
and packed down
like a threshing place
at harvest time.”
Babylonia Will Pay!
34 The people of Jerusalem say,
“King Nebuchadnezzar
made us panic.
That monster stuffed himself
with us and our treasures,
leaving us empty—
he gobbled up
what he wanted
and spit out the rest.
35 The people of Babylonia
harmed some of us
and killed others.
Now, Lord, make them pay!”
The Lord Will Take Revenge on Babylon
36 My people, I am on your side,
and I will take revenge
on Babylon.
I will cut off its water supply,
and its stream will dry up.
37 Babylon will be a pile of rubble
where only jackals live,
and everyone will be afraid
to walk among the ruins.
38 The Babylonians roar and growl
like young lions.
39 And since they are hungry,
I will give them a banquet.
They will celebrate, get drunk,
then fall asleep,
never to wake up!
40 I will lead them away to die,
like sheep, lambs, and goats
being led to the butcher.
41 All nations now praise Babylon,
but when it is captured,
those same nations
will be horrified.
42 Babylon's enemies will rise
like ocean waves
and flood the city.
43 Horrible destruction will strike
the nearby towns.
The land will become
a barren desert,
where no one can live
or even travel.
44 I will punish Marduk,
the god of Babylon,
and make him vomit out
everything he gobbled up.
Then nations will no longer
bring him gifts,
and Babylon's walls will crumble.
The Lord Offers Hope to His People
45 Get out of Babylon, my people,
and run for your lives,
before I strike the city
in my anger!
46 Don't be afraid or lose hope,
though year after year
there are rumors
of leaders fighting for control
in the city of Babylon.
47 The time will come
when I will punish
Babylon's false gods.
Everyone there will die,
and the whole nation
will be disgraced,
48 when an army attacks
from the north
and brings destruction.
Then the earth and the heavens
and everything in them
will celebrate.
49 Babylon must be overthrown,
because it slaughtered
the people of Israel
and of many other nations.
50 My people, you escaped death
when Jerusalem fell.
Now you live far from home,
but you should trust me
and think about Jerusalem.
Leave Babylon! Don't stay!
51 You feel ashamed and disgraced,
because foreigners have entered
my sacred temple.
52 Soon I will send a war
to punish Babylon's idols
and leave its wounded people
moaning everywhere.
53 Although Babylon's walls
reach to the sky,
the army I send
will destroy that city.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
Babylon Will Be Destroyed
The Lord said:
54 Listen to the cries for help
coming from Babylon.
Everywhere in the country
the sounds of destruction
can be heard.
55 The shouts of the enemy,
like crashing ocean waves,
will drown out Babylon's cries
as I level the city.
56 An enemy will attack
and destroy Babylon.
Its soldiers will be captured
and their weapons broken,
because I am a God
who takes revenge against nations
for what they do.
57 I, the Lord All-Powerful,
the true King, promise
that the officials and advisors,
the governors and leaders,
and the soldiers of Babylon
will get drunk, fall asleep,
and never wake up.
58 The thick walls of that city
will be torn down,
and its huge gates burned.
Everything that nation
worked so hard to gain
will go up in smoke.
Jeremiah Gives Seraiah a Scroll
59 During Zedekiah's fourth year as king of Judah, he went to Babylon. And Baruch's brother Seraiah went along as the officer in charge of arranging for places to stay overnight.
60 Before they left, I wrote on a scroll all the terrible things that would happen to Babylon. 61 I gave the scroll to Seraiah and said:
When you get to Babylon, read this scroll aloud, 62 then pray, “Our Lord, you promised to destroy this place and make it into a desert where no people or animals will ever live.”
63 When you finish praying, tie the scroll to a rock and throw it in the Euphrates River. Then say, 64 “This is how Babylon will sink when the Lord destroys it. Everyone in the city will die, and it won't have the strength to rise again.”
The End of Jeremiah's Writing
Jeremiah's writing ends here.
Babilon mari pangurwa komurungu
1 Muhona ma tja nai: “Tara, ami me pendurire ehi ra Babilon novature varo ombepo onyone. 2 Me hindi ovandu wozonganda okukanyona Babilon tjimuna ombepo, ndji mai hingi ovisisiro vyovikokotwa. Eyuva ndo romanyoneno tji re ya, owo mave rwisa ehi okuza kominda avihe, nu mave isa ro ari ri tjo. 3 Amu yandjere ovarwe varo wovita kutja ve yumbe oviku poo kutja ve zare ozombanda zawo zovita. Amu yama ovazandu varo omitanda! Yandekeye otjimbumba tjaro atjihe tjovita! 4 Owo mave tendwa mehi arihe nave ṱire momivanda vyovihuro vyawo. 5 Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, Ndjambi Omunamasaaehe, hiya isa Israel na Juda otja omuhepundu, nandarire kutja owo va tura ondjo komurungu wandje, ngu mbi ri Omuyapuke wa Israel. 6 Tupukeye mu ze mo mObabilon! Tauriseye ominyo vyeṋu! Amu ṱire ouvi wa Babilon. Ami nambano me sutisa ehi ra Babilon, nu me vere ro otja pu ra sokuverwa. 7 Babilon ra ri otja otjinwino otjingoldo meke randje, noro ra purukisa ouye auhe Oviwaṋa vya nwa omavinu waro navi puruka ozondunge. 8 Babilon ra wa tjimanga nari nyanyaurwa! Ririreye ro! Eteye omiti omipange kutja ovirwaro vyaro vi pangwe, novyo ngahino mavi veruka. 9 Ovozonganda mba tura mu ro, va tja nai: ‘Eṱe twa kondja okuvatera Babilon, nungwari tjandje oruveze rwa kapita rukuru. Nambano ngatu ri ese tu yaruke kozoyetu. Ndjambi wa vere Babilon nomasa we aehe, nu wa nyono ro okumana.’ ”
10 Muhona ma tja nai: “Ovandu votjiwaṋa tjandje mave ravaere ave tja: ‘Muhona wa raisa kutja eṱe tu ri osemba. Ngatu yende tu kaserekarerere ovature va Jerusalem imbi Muhona, Ndjambi wetu, mbya tjita.’ ”
11 Muhona wa hohiza ozombara za Medie, tjinga e ritye okunyona ehi ra Babilon. Eye otji ma sutisa ro mena romanyoneno wondjuwo ye.
Ovahongore wovita mave rakiza nai: “Upikeye oviku vyeṋu! Rirongereye notuvao tweṋu! 12 Turikeye erapi rotjihako yokurwisa orumbo rwa Babilon. Zeupariseye ovatjevere! Zikamiseye omatjeverero! Horekeye ovarumendu motutatwa!”
Muhona wa tjita imbi mbya tja ma tjiti kovature va Babilon. 13 Ehi ndi ri nozonḓonḓu ozengi noutumbe wovihuze, nungwari oruveze rwaro rwa kapita, nondjandero yaro ye ya. 14 Muhona Omunamasaaehe wa yana ku ye omuini na tja: “Nandi mbe urisa ove, Babilon, novarumendu ovengi tjimuna ehapu rozombahu, ombimbi yondoṋeno ingee i ri kombanda yoye.”
Eimburiro rondangero ku Ndjambi
15 Muhona wa utire ehi momasa we; eye wa utire ouye mounongo we, nu wa tandavarisire omayuru mondjiviro ye. 16 Otja komarakiza we omeva mevaverwa ye ṱuṱuma; eye u eta ovikamba okuza komaandero wehi. Eye u tjenisa orutjeno kutja ombura i roke, nu u hinda ombepo kutja i hinge okuza mozondjuwo ze zomapwikiro. 17 Mokumuna oviṋa mbi omundu auhe u rimuna kutja eye eyova, nu auhe ngu hambura oviserekarera vyovisenginina u ṱisiwa ohoṋi, orondu oviserekarera vyovisenginina mbye ungura, ovyo otjiwova, nu kavi nomuinyo. 18 Ovyo oviporoporo nu vya sokuṋeṋunwa; ovyo mavi yandekwa Muhona tji meya okuvivera. 19 Ndjambi wa Jakob ka sanene ku vyo; eye onguri Ngwi ngwa uta oviṋa avihe. Neye wa toorora Israel okurira otjiwaṋa tje omuini. Ena re oMuhona Omunamasaaehe.
Ongowa ya Muhona
20 Muhona ma tja nai: “Babilon, oove ongowa yandje, otjirwise tjandje tjovita. Ami mbe ku ungurisa kutja u nyanyaure oviwaṋa nomauhona, 21 nokutja u hahaure oukambe novakavire, nomatemba wovita novahinge vawo, 22 nokutja u zepe ovarumendu novakazendu, nokuzepa ovakurundu nomitanda, nokuzepa ovazandu novakazona, nokuzepa ovakurundu nomitanda, nokuzepa ovazandu novakazona, 23 nokutja u zepe ovarise nozonḓu zawo, novataure vehi nozonduwombe zawo, nokunyanyaura ovanane novahongore.”
Omberero ya Babilon
24 Muhona ma tja nai: “Eṋe mamu ndji munu ame sutisa ehi ra Babilon novature varo mena romaurunde aehe ngu va tjita kOjerusalem. 25 Babilon, ove u ri otja ondundu, ndji nyona ouye auhe, nungwari ami, Muhona, owami omunavita na ove. Ami me ku toora, e ku saravareke pehi ne ku esa awa rire ondundu yomutwe. 26 Kape newe nangarire rimwe romaṱunḓu woye, ndi mari ungurisiwa rukwao okutunga na ro. Nungwari ove mo karerere otja okuti onguza. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.
27 “Turikeye erapi rotjihako yokurwa! Posiseye ohiva kutja oviwaṋa vi zuve! Rongeriseye oviwaṋa kutja vi hange ovita kuna Babilon! Raereye ouhona wa Ararat nowa Mini nowa Askenas kutja ye rwe. Toororeye omuhongore ngu ma hongorere otjirwa. Eteye oukambe ouingi tjimuna ehapu rozombahu. 28 Rongeriseye oviwaṋa kutja vi hange ovita kuna Babilon. Raereye ozombara za Medie kutja ze ye, na wina ovanane novahongore vazo, novimbumba avihe vyovita vyomahi aehe nge ri kehi youhona wazo. 29 Ehi mari zezera nokunyinganyinga, Muhona tjinga ama yenenisa omeripuriro we wokutjita kutja otjihuro Babilon tji rire ongaango, moṋa mu mu hi nokutura omundu. 30 Ovarwe va Babilon wovita ozombanḓe va isa okurwa, nu ve ri moviṱunga vyawo uriri. Owo va mumapara nu ve ri otja ovakazendu. Omivero vyotjihuro mavi haṋewa, nozondjuwo maze pi. 31 Ovatumwa mave tupuka povikando pekepeke okukaraera ombara kutja otjihuro tjayo tja taurirwa okuza kominda avihe, 32 nokutja omunavita wa kambura omakondero wonḓonḓu nu wa nyosa oviṱunga, nokutja ovarwe va Babilon wovita va mumapara. 33 Otjihuro tja Babilon tji ri otja otjitondero tji matji tombwa okupamisiwa; nu kombunda yoruveze orusupi indwi oruveze rwomakondero tjandje rweya. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Omunamasaaehe, Ndjambi wa Israel, owami ngu mba hungire.”
34 Nebukadnesar, ombara ya Babilon, wa nyondorora Jerusalem narire tje tji ri. Eye wa kareka otjihuro uriri tjimuna eho ndi ri tjo; nu we tji ṋiṋa tjimuna ohwa tji i ṋiṋa oviṋa. Eye wa toora imbi mbya vanga, na imbirahi imbi mbya sewa po. 35 Ovature va Sion ngave tje nai: “Ehi ra Babilon ondi nomerizirira woutwe mbwa tjitwa ku eṱe!” Ovature va Jerusalem ngave tje nai: “Babilon ondi nomerizirira womahihamisiro wetu.”
Muhona ma vatere Ovaisrael
36 Muhona otji ma tja nai kovature va Jerusalem: “Tareye, ami me yeura otjiposa tjeṋu, nu me sutisa ovanavita na eṋe mena raimbi mbi va tjita ku eṋe. Ami me kahisa ozombu zomeva za Babilon, nu me pwirisa ozonḓonḓu zaro. 37 Ehi ndi mari rire etundu mu mamu tura ovipuka vyokuti. Mari rire ombunikiro ondirise, kape na umwe ngu ma tura mu ro navehe mbu mave munu oviṋa mbi mave kumwa. 38 Ovababilon avehe mave tye ovimboro tjimuna ozongeyama, nu mave wenene tjimuna oungeyamona. 39 Owo ve neraru are? Ami meve zepere omukandi nu meve purukisa nomavinu ne ve vorokisa. Owo mave karara, nu kamaave penduka rukwao. 40 Ami meve twara ve kaṱe tjimuna ozondjona, tjimuna ozondwezu zozonḓu nozozongombo. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.”
Oumba wa Babilon
41 Muhona ma hungirire Babilon nai: “Otjihuro hi tji tji hiwa i ouye auhe, tja kamburwa! Tjiri, Babilon tja rira ombunikiro ondirise koviwaṋa! 42 Ozongazona zokuvare za pupira kombanda ya Babilon atjihe naze tji vandeke ngunda amaze hwaara. 43 Ovirongo vya rira ombunikiro ondirise, nu vi ri otja okuti onguza ku ku hi nomeva, moṋa mu mu ha tura omundu poo mu mu ha ryanga omundu. 44 Ami me vere Bel, omukuru wotjisenginina wa Babilon, nu me mu imbirahisa oviṋa imbi eye mbya vaka; oviwaṋa kamaavi rikotamene ku ye rukwao.
“Orumbo rwa Babilon rwa u. 45 Vaisrael, tupukeye mu ze po mba! Tauriseye ominyo vyeṋu komazenge wandje omanene. 46 Amu rihahiza nu amu tira mena rOmbuze, ndji mai handjauka mehi. Ombura aihe pe handjauka ombuze yarwe peke, ombuze yozondjito zoutwe mehi na indji yozombara nḓe rwisasana. 47 Tara, omayuva maye ya ami mu me vere oomukuru vovisenginina va Babilon. Ehi arihe mari ṱisiwa ohoṋi, novandu varo avehe mave ṱu. 48 Neyuru nehi na avihe mbi ri mu vyo mavi tono otukwise, ehi ra Babilon tji mari haverwa i ovandu mbu mave zu komukuma wokokunene kweyuva okuyekunyona ro. 49 Babilon ra zepaisisa ovandu mouye auhe, nambano mari u, tjinga ara zepaisisa Ovaisrael ovengi nai. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.”
Ombuze ya Muhona kOvaisrael mObabilon
50 Muhona ma tja nai kotjiwaṋa tje mehi ra Babilon: “Eṋe mwa taura onḓiro! Nambano twendeye! Amu wombo! Nandarire kutja mu ri kokure nozonganda zeṋu, ripureye na ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona weṋu, nu mu zemburuke Jerusalem. 51 Eṋe mu tja nai: ‘Eṱe twa yambururwa, nu twa ṱisiwa ohoṋi; kaatu tjiwa oparukaze kutja ngatu tjite vi, ovandu wozonganda tjinga ava taurira moṋa momuyapuke mondjuwo ya Muhona.’ 52 Otji me tja omayuva yeya ami mu me vere oomukuru vovisenginina va Babilon, nu imba ozondjahe mave pose omunono mehi arihe. 53 Nandarire kutja otjihuro tja Babilon itjatji rondo kombanda mevaverwa natji katunga otjiṱunga otjinamasa koṋa ngo, ami ingee etje hinda ovandu okuketjinyona. Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona, owami ngu mba hungire.”
Babilon matji nyonwa komurungu
54 Muhona ma tja nai:
“Purateneye kombosiro yomaririro motjihuro tja Babilon
na ku indji yoruhoze mena romanyoneno mehi ra Babilon.
55 Ami me nyono Babilon,
nu me mwinisa indji ondokohero onene.
Ovimbumba vyovita mavi taurire mu tjo
tjimuna ozongazona nḓu maze hwaara,
nu mavi rwisa otjihuro nondokohero onene.
56 Ovyo vye ya okunyona Babilon;
ovarwe vatjo wovita ozombangaṋe va huurwa,
nomauta wawo ya teyewa.
Ami, owami Ndjambi, ngu mbi vera ouvi,
nami, tjiri, me sutisa Babilon.
57 Ami me purukisa ovahongore vatjo nomavinu,
okutja imba ovarumendu ozonongo novanane,
novarwe wovita ozombangaṋe.
Owo mave karara ozomboṱu ozonḓeu
nu ave ha penduka rukwao.
Ami, ngu mbi ri Ombara,
owami ngu mba hungire.
Ena randje owami Muhona Omunamasaaehe.
58 “Orumbo rwotjihuro otjinamasa Babilon maru teyerwa pehi,
nomivero vyatjo omitonga mavi nyosiwa.
Oviungura vyoviwaṋa avihe opouriri;
ongondjero yavyo mai zengi owandja pi motururumo twomuriro.
Ami, ngu mbi ri Muhona Omunamasaaehe,
owami ngu mba hungire.”
Ombuze ya Jeremia mai hindwa kObabilon
59 Omunane omunene wokehi yombara Sidkija wa ri Seraja, omuzandu wa Nerija, omuzandu wa Makseja. Mombura oitjaine youhona wa Sidkija, ombara ya Juda, Seraja wa ya kObabilon puna Sidkija, nami mbe mu pa omaraerero tjiva. 60 Ami, Jeremia, mba tjangere membo emangwa imbi oviwonga avihe mbya sere okuya kombanda ya Babilon, na wina omambo aehe warwe, nga hungirirwa Babilon. 61 Ami mba tja nai ku Seraja: “Tji wa kavaza kObabilon, kerizemburuke nawa kutja u karese omambo nga aehe neraka enene. 62 Tjazumba kumba nai: ‘Muhona, ove wa tanda okunyona otjirongo hi, kokutja amu ha kara otjiutwa mu tjo, omundu poo otjipuka, nungwari otjo matji rire okuti onguza nga aruhe.’ 63 Seraja, tji wa mana okuresera otjiwaṋa embo emangwa ndi, kuta ro kewe, nu i yumbe monḓonḓu Eufrat, 64 amo tja: ‘Ihi otji matji tjitwa kotjihuro Babilon, otjo matji ṱomwine nu kamaatji ya kombanda rukwao mena rotjiwonga Muhona tji ma eta kehi ndi arihe.’ ”
Omambo wa Jeremia otji ya yandera mba.
