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.
Babilons di ǃkhōhes
1 Nēs ge ǁnā mîs ǃKhūb ge Babilons ǃoagu tsî Xaldeaǁîn ǃhūb ǃoagu kēbo-aob Jeremiab ǃnâ-u ǃhoasa:
2 “ǁAedi ǃnâ ǂhôa, î ǂanǂan re,
ǃkhauba ǃkhā, î ǂanǂan re,
tā sâu, î mî re:
Babilons ge go ǁnā,
Beli ge go taotaohe,
Merodaxi ge burugâ hâ.
ǁÎs īgu ge taotaohe hâ,
ui-uisa ǁgôa-elogu âs ge burugâ hâ.
3 “ǀApasa xus ǁaesa ǁîs ǃoagu ra hā tsî ǃhūb âsa ra hîkākā amaga. Khoe-i xare-i ge ǁnāpa ǁan tide, khoen tsî ǀgurun tsî xamarin tsîn hoan ge ǁîsa xu nî ǁhâbē.”
Israelǁîn ge ǁkhawa nî oahā
4 “ǁNā tsēdi ǃnâ tsî ǁnā ǁaeb ǃnân ge Israeli khoen tsî Judab khoen tsîna ǀhûpe nî hā, tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî. ǁÎn ge ā ra garu ǃKhūb ǁîn di Eloba nî ôa. 5 ǁÎn ge Sions ǃoa garu daoba nî dî tsî ais âna ǁnāǀî nî unu mîraǃâ: ‘Hā, î da ǃKhūb ǀkha ǀhaoǀhaosen, hâhâ ra ǃgaeǀhao-i, tātsē ǀuruhe tide-i ǀkha.’
6 “Ti ǁaes ge kā hâ gū ge isa; ǃûi-aogu ge ǁîna ge kāǁhapu kai tsî ǁîna ǃhomgu ǃnâ ge kāma kai. ǁÎn ge ǃhomma xu ǃnâub ǃoa gere ǁhapuma tsî ǁîn di ǂhunuma hâǃkhaisa ge ǀuru. 7 ǁÎna ge ǀhao-ūn hoan ge ǁîna ge hapu tsîn ge ǁîn di khākhoena ge mî: ‘Sida ge ǀhapixa tama hâ, ǁîn ge ǁîn di ǃKhūb ǃoagu ge ǁore, ǁîn di ama hâǃkhaib, ǃKhūb, ǁîn aboxagu ge ǂgomǃgâ hâ ib ǃoagu.’
8 “Babilonsa xu ǁhâǂoa, î Xaldeaǁîn di ǃhūba xu ǃkhoeni; ǀgoana ra aimâba pirigu khami du ī re. 9 Tita ge ǂgui ǁaedi di ǂnubisa ǀapasǀkhāb di ǃhūba xu Babilons ǃoagu nî khâikhâiǃnâ. ǁÎdi ge ǁîs ǃoagu ǂhomisen tsî ǁîsa nî ǁnāǂam. ǁÎdi ǂāgu ge ǁkhāǁkhāǂuisa toroǃkhamaob, ǀkhaiǃomse oaǀkhī tamab khami ī. 10 Xaldeab ge nî ǁgūǀhanahe; ǁîba ra ǁgūǀhanan hoan ge ǂâu hâ kōse nî hō,”
tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî.Babilons di ǁnās
11 “Sadu ge ge ǃgâiaǂgao, sadu ge ge dâ, ti ǂhunuma ǁaesa du ge ge ǃnariǀhana. Sadu ge ǃhoroba ra dāǃnâ tsâus khami ge dâ tsî hāgu khami ge ā, 12 xawes ge sadu îsa kaise ge taotaohe. ǁÎs sado ge ǁoras ge taob xa ge hāǂamhe. ǁÎs ge ǃhaodi hoadi ǃnâ nî ǂkhariǃgôahe, ǃū-aisa tsî ǂnâsa ǃgaroǃhūse. 13 ǃKhūb di ǁaib ǃaromas ge ǁîs khoe-i xare-i xa ǁanǃnâhe tide tsî hoaragase nî ǀkhaiǃnâsa. Babilonsa-u ga ǃkharu khoe-i hoa-i ge burugâ tsî nî ǃnabindana ǁîs ǀkha ge ī xūn ǂama.
14 “Babilons ǃoagu ǂhomisen, î ǁîsa hoaǀkhāga xu ǃnamiǂgā, sago khādi ǀkha ra ǁkhâugo. ǁÎsa ǁkhâu, tā ǂāga ǀkhomsen, ǁîs ge ǃKhūb ǃoagu ǁore xuige. 15 Ab torob ǃauba ǁîs ǂnamipe ǁnâuhe. ǁÎs ge go māǁnâsen, ǂgō-omgu âs ge go ǁnā, ǂnubiǂgoagu âs ge khôaǁnâhe hâ. Nēb ge ǃKhūb di ǀkhaoba. ǁÎsa ǀkhao, ǁîsa naun ǀkhas ge dīs ǁkhās khami dī-ū. 16 A kha Babilonsa xu ūbēhe, ǁnāb tsoro rab tsî ǁnāb ǃgaoǁaeb ai ra ǃgaob tsîkha hoakha. ǁGâiǀā-aob di gôab ǃaroma i ge mâ-i hoa-e ǁî-i ǁaesa ǃoa nî oa, mâ khoe-i hoa-i ge ǁî-i ǃhūb ǃoa nî ǁhâ.”
Israelǁîn di oahās
17 “Israelǁîn ge xamgu xa sauruǀgaruǀgaruhe hâ gūna. ǂGurose ge ǁîna hapub ge Asiriab gao-aoba tsî ǀunis aib ge Babilons gao-aob Nebukadnesara ǁîn ǂkhōga ge xâu. 18 ǁNā-amagab ge ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixab, Israeli Eloba ra mî: Tita ge Babilons gao-aob tsî ǁîb ǃhūba nî ǁkhara, Asiriab gao-aoba ta ge ǁkhara khami. 19 Xawe Israelsa ta ge ǁîs di ǃû-ais ǃoa nî oaǀkhī-ū tsîs ge Karmelǃhommi ai tsî Basanni ǃnâ nî ǃû. On ge Efraimǃhomgu ai tsî Gileadi ǃnâ ǂâu hâ kōse nî ǁâ. 20 ǁNā tsēdi ǃnâ tsî ǁnā ǁaeb ǃnâ, tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî, ta ge Israels ǃûǂamsa nî ôaǃnâ, xawe i ge xū-i xare-e hâ tide tsî Judab di ǁoreba, xawe i ge xū-i xare-e hōhe tide, tita ge ǁnān hîa ta ge ǃgauna ǀûba xui-ao.
Elob ge Babilonsa nî ǀgoraǃgâ
21 “Merataimmi ǃoagu ǃgûǂoa tsî Pekodi ǁanǂgāsaben ǃoagu. ǁÎna ǃgam, î hoaragase hîkākā, tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî. Tita go mîmā tsin hoana dī. 22 Torob di ǂkhubib ge ǃhūb ǃnâ hâ, kai ǂkhôab ge hâ. 23 Hoaraga ǃhūbaiba gere ǂnauǂkhū hamers ge khôaǃā hâse ǁgoe. Mâtis kha Babilonsa ui-uisa xū kai hâ ǁaedi ǃnâ? 24 Tita ge sasa ǁnoa-e ge ǁguiba tsîs ge ge ǃkhōhe, Babilonse tsîs ge ǂan tama hâ. Sas ge hōhe tsî ge ǃkhōhe, ǃKhūb ǃoagus ge ǃkham amaga. 25 ǃKhūb ge ǁâtanin sâu-ommi âba ǁkhowa-am tsî ǁîb ǀkhaob di ǁâtanina ge ūǂui, ǃKhūb Elob Hoaǀgaixab dīb nî sîsenna Xaldeaǃhūb ǃnâ ūhâ xui-ao. 26 ǁÎb ǃoagu hoa ǀkhāga xu hā, ǃhorob sâuǃnâ-omgu âba khôaǁkhowa-am. ǃHoroǃgaeǀkhādi khami ǁîb dina ǀgabo-aigu, î ǁîba hoaragase hîkākā, tā i xū-i xare-e ǁîba ǃgauba. 27 ǁÎb di ǁgōgu hoaga ǃgam, a gu ǂāhe. Tsūba gu, ǁîgu di tsēs go hā xui-ao, ǁîgu ǁkharab di ǁaeba.”
28 ǃGâ re, mâtin ǃhūsaben, Babilonsa xu ge ûiǂoana Sions ǃnâ hā ra ǂhôasa ǃKhūb sada Elob di ǀkhaob xa, ǁîb di Tempeli ǃaroma.
29 Khāǁkhâu-aoga Babilons ǃoagu ǀhaoǀhao re, ǁnāgu khāsa ǂgaeǃnâ ǁkhāga. ǃĀsa ǃnamiǂgā, tā i khoe-i xare-e ûiǂoa. ǁÎsa dīgu âs ǃoa dīdawa-am; ǁîsa ǁîs ge dī khami dī-ū, ǃKhūb, Israeli di ǃAnub ǃoagus ge ǀgapiǀgapisen xuige. 30 ǁNā-amaga gu ge ǁîs di ǂkham khoega ǃgangu âs ai nî ǁō. ǁÎs di toroǃkhamaogu hoagu ge ǁnātsē nî ǃgamhe, tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî. 31 Mû, tita ge nî mâǃoa si, sa ǀgapiǂâixasa, tib ge ǃKhūb Elob Hoaǀgaixaba ra mî. Sa tsēs ge go hâ, ǁnā ǁaeb ǁîb ai ta nî ǁkhara siba. 32 ǁNās ǀgapiǂâixas ge ǃnôa tsî nî ǁnā tsî khoe-i xare-i ge ǁîsa ūkhâi tide. Tita ge ǀaesa ǁîb ǃādi ǃnâ nî khau tsîs ge ǁnā ǀaesa ǁîs ǂnamipe hân hoana nî ǂhubiǂui.
33 Nētib ge ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixaba ra mî: “Israelǁaes ge ǁgâiǀāhe hâ tsî Judab khoen tsîn ge ǁgâiǀāb ǃnâ hâ. ǁÎna ge ǃkhōsis ǃnâ ūn hoan ge ǁîna ǃkhōsabese ūǀgara hâ tsî ǁîna ǁnāxū ǂgao tama hâ. 34 Xawe ǁîn di Ore-aob ge a ǀgaisa; ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixab tib ge ǁîba ǀon hâ. ǁÎb ge ǁîna nî ǂnoaguba tsî ǂkhîba ǃhūb ǃnâ nî hā-ū, xawe sâoǃnâsiba Babilons ǁanǂgāsaben ǃnâ.”
35 Nētib ra ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixaba mî:
Gôaba Xaldeaǁîn ǃoagu
tsî Babilons ǁanǂgāsaben ǃoagu
tsî ǁîn ǂamkhoegu tsî gā-aigu ǃoagu.
36 Gôaba ǁîn di ǂhumi kēbo-aogu ǃoagu,
î gu gâre.
Gôaba ǁîn di toroǃkham-aogu ǃoagu,
î gu hîkākāhe.
37 Gôaba ǁîn hān tsî torokunidi ǃoagu
tsî ǁîn di ǃhao toroǃkhamaogu ǃoagu,
î gu tarekhoedi khami ī.
Gôaba ǁîn di ǁuigu ǃaogu,
î gu ǃnariǂuihe.
38 ǀKhuruba ǁîn ǁgamgu ǂama,
î gu ǂnâ.
ǁÎb a ǃgaohesa īgu di ǃhū,
tsîn ǁîna ǁîgu ǂama ǃkhausa xuige.
39 “ǁNā-amagan ge ǂhiran tsî ǀgirin tsîna Babilons ǃnâ nî ǁan tsî ǀamin ge ǁîs ǃnâ nî hâ. ǁÎs ge ǁkhawa khoe-i xare-i xa ǁanǃnâhe tide, khoe-i xare-i ge tātsē ǃgoaxaǁaeb ǃnâs tsîna ǁîs ǃnâ ǁan tide. 40 Elob ge Sodoms tsî Gomoras tsî ǁîra ǀgūse ǂnôa ǃāde hîkākā khami, tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî, ǁnāti i ge khoe-i xare-e Babilons ǃnâ ǁan tide, khoe-i xare-i ge ǁnāpa hâ tide.
41 “ǁAes ge ǀapasǀkhāba xu nî hā,
kai ǁaes tsî ǂgui gao-aogu
tsîn ge ǃhūbaib ǀkhâuǀamde xu ra hā.
42 ǁÎn ge khās tsî ǁhâigôab tsîna ūhâ,
ǁîn ge ǁkhō tsî ǀkhomoǃnâ.
ǁÎn ge ǁaixa hurib khami ra ǀō,
hāgu ain ra ǃgapio.
ǁÎn ge toroǃkhamaob khami ǂhomisen hâ,
sas ǃoagu Babilonse.
43 Babilons gao-aob ge gommi âna ǁnâu,
o kha ge ǃomkha âba ge ǂkhabu.
ǂŌǂōsib xab ge ge ǃnamiǂgāhe,
ǁoratsûb ǃnâ hâ taras di tsûb khami.
44 “Jordanni haiǀgomsa xu ǃam ǃû-ais ǃoa ra ǂoaxa xammi khami ta ge tita ǁîna ǃnapetamase Babilonsa xu nî ǃkhoeni kai. Tsî ta ge ǁhûiǂui ta ga khoe-e ǁîb ǂama nî mâi. Tari-e tita khami ī? Tari-e tita nî ǂgaoǀkhā? Mâ ǃûi-aoba tita nî mâǃoa ǁkhā? 45 ǁNā-amaga ǁnâu ǃKhūb di ǀapes Babilons ǂamab ūhâsa tsî tare-eb Xaldeaǁîn di ǃhūb ǃoagu ǂâibasen hâsa: ǁÎn di ǂkhamron tsîn ge nî ǃkharabēhe, ǁîn di hâǃkhais tsîn ge ǁîn di ǂhunuma dīgu ǃaroma nî hîkākāhe. 46 ǃHūbaib ge Babilons ǁnās di ǀōb xa nî ǂgubi tsî ǁîn huiǂgais ge ǁaedi ǃnâ nî ǁnâusen.”
