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.
Ehanauno laBabilon nexupifo laJuda tali xunganekwa
1 Ondjovo yOmwene, e i tongifa omuxunganeki Jeremia tai popi Babilon noshilongo shOvakaldea.
2 Di udifileni mokati koiwana, nye mu shiivife; dikeni epandela, vilikileni ovanhu! Inamu holeka, tyeni: Babilon osha teywa! Bel osha fifwa ohoni! Merodak osha haluka! Oikalunga yasho oya lengaifwa. Noihongwakalunga yasho oya tila. 3 Osheshi ovanhu tava di koumbangalanhu, otave shi tondokele, ndele tave shi tokeke, itamu ka fyaala nande omunhu: ovanhu noimuna otai i onhapo tai di mo.
4 Momafiku enya nomefimbo linya, Omwene osho ta ti, ovana vaIsrael otave uya pamwe novana vaJuda, tava ende nokulila, itava mwena, ndele tava kongo Omwene Kalunga kavo. 5 Otava ka pula Sion, mondjila yavo otava ka taalelifa oipala yavo kusho: otave uya. Tava hangana nOmwene nehangano laalushe, olo itali ka dimbuwa.
6 Ovanhu vange ova li ngaashi ongudu yeedi ya kana. Ovafita vavo ve va twala pOminghulo keemhunda di nomapuko, va elaela keemhunda nokoikulundudu, va dimbwa onhele yetulumuko lavo. 7 Aveshe ava ve va hanga, ve va lya po. Ndele ovatondadi vavo ova tya: “Fye itatu pewa oushima, osheshi vo ova nyona kOmwene, onhele youyuki, kOmwene ou a kala eteelelo looxekulu vavo.”
8 Djeni mo onhapo muBabilon, nye mu dje mo medu lOvakaldea, nye mu kwatele komesho ngaashi oikombo i li komesho yongudu youkombwena. 9 Osheshi tala, Ame ohandi ka tukulula nokutondokifila Babilon eengudu doiwana inene medu lokoumbangalanhu, ndele vo otave uya kuye ndele tave shi taalele. Kombinga ei otashi ka tewa. Oikuti yavo oi li ngaashi oikuti yomuladi omufindani ou ita aluka hamakasha. 10 Ndele Kaldea otashi ka ninga oshihakanwa. Aveshe ava tave shi xuula otava ka kuta, Omwene osho ta ti. 11 Heeno, nyakukweni hano heeno, hafeni, onye ovaxuuli vefyuululo lange, heeno, nhukeni nokuhafa, ngaashi ondema tai xu moshipale, nye mu kwene ngaashi eenghambe eemhedi. 12 Nyoko ota ka fifwa ohoni unene, ou e mu dala ota ka lengaifwa. Tala, ye omuxupilela womokati koiwana aishe, ye ombuwa, ofuka yongaho. 13 Molwehandu lOmwene otashi ka kala shihe na nande omunhu, ndelenee ofuka yongaho. Keshe ou ta ende po puBabilon, ota haluka ashike ndele ta shikile oiponga yasho omwilwa.
14 Kondekeni Babilon, onye ovaumbi amushe voikuti, shi umbeni muhe nolwisho loikuti, osheshi osha nyona kOmwene. 15 Shi kalukileni eenghalu keembinga adishe. Osha tewa. Eengudi dasho oda teka po neehotekuma dasho da ngumunwa po. Eshi osho ehandu lOmwene. Shi alulileni owii washo, ngaashi sha ninga, osho shi ningileni yo. 16 Nyonauneni po ovakuni vomapya muBabilon pamwe naava hava kwata oikashulifo peteyo. Otava faduka po eongamukonda tali tu, ndele tava i keshe tuu koshiwana shaye mwene nokoshilongo shaye.
17 Israel ya fa odi ya fadukifwa po keenghoshi. Tete ohamba yaAsiria e i lya po nokwa shikulwa kuNebukadnesar, ohamba yaBabilon, a kunya omakipa ayo. 18 Onghee hano Omwene womatanga ovakwaita, Kalunga kaIsrael, ota ti:
Tala, Ame ohandi handukile ohamba yaBabilon noshilongo shayo, ngaashi nda handukila ohamba yaAsiria. 19 Nohandi ka shunifa Israel moulifilo waye e ke lilife kuKarmel nomoshikandjo Basan nokeemhunda daEfraim ye a kutife ondjala yaye muGilead.
20 Pomafiku enya nomefimbo tuu olo, Omwene ta ti, okunyona kwaIsrael otaku ka kongwa, ndelenee itaku ka monika vali, netimba laJuda kali wetike vali. Osheshi ohandi dimine po ovo handi va fili po oshixupe. 21 Inda koshilongo shaMerataim sha twa ondubo pavali, ove u shi tondokele u ka lwife oonakukala muPekod. Va taataa ove u va mane po, va yapulila okufya, Omwene osho ta ti. Wanifa ashishe eshi nde shi ku lombwela. 22 Onghuwano tai udika moshilongo, eweelelo lehanauno linene. 23 Hano ongahelipi ohamala ei ya denga ounyuni aushe, ya teywa po noya nyanyaulwa! Hano ongahelipi Babilon sha ninga oshinima shoixuna mokati koiwana? 24 Ame onde ku tela omwiyo, oove Babilon, wa yulwa fimbo wa li uhe shii sha. Ove owa vakelwa wa kwatwa, osheshi ove we litula mokulwifa Omwene. 25 Omwene okwa yeulula elimba loilwifo nokwa kufa mo oiti yehandu laye, osheshi Omwene, Kalunga komatanga ovakwaita ota ka wanifa oshilonga shaye moshilongo shOvakaldea. 26 Shi tondokeleni keembinga adishe! Yeululeni omalimba asho, umbeni mo oipako monduba ngaashi eendudi doilya, shi yapulileni okunyonaunwa po. Inamu fiya po nande sha. 27 Nyoneni po eehove dasho adishe nadi uye okutomwa! Woo ovo! Osheshi efiku lavo ola fika, efiku lokuhandukilwa kwavo!
28 Pwilikina, ovainhapo noonakufaduka po tava di moshilongo shaBabilon, tave uya kuSion va shiivifile onghone yOmwene, Kalunga ketu, heeno, onghone omolwotembeli yaye.
29 Shivileni Babilon, ovaumbi, ava va lukila omauta. Ongeni eenhanda mu shi dingilile, nande aha mone omhito okuya onhapo. Shi handukileni nehandu li fike pokunyona kwasho. Ngaashi sha ninga, osho shi ningileni yo, osheshi sho osha twa ondubo nOmwene, Omuyapuki waIsrael. 30 Onghee ovalumenhu vasho ovamati otava ka fila momapandavanda asho, novakwaita vasho aveshe otava ka dipawa mefiku tuu olo, Omwene ta ti.
31 Tala, Ame ohandi uya kwoove, omulinenepeki oove, Omwene womatanga ovakwaita, osho ta ti; Osheshi efiku loye ola fika, efimbo loku ku handukila. 32 Opo nee omulinenepeki ota punduka nota wile poshi nopehe na ou te mu yambula, noilando yasho ohandi i tema omundilo, ndele tau i mane po naashishe osho shi li popepi. 33 Omwene womatanga ovakwaita ta ti ngaha: Ovana vaIsrael novana vaJuda otava hepekwa novakwati vavo aveshe otave va kalekele moupika, vo tava anye oku va efa. 34 Ndelenee Omukulili wavo Oye omunaenghono, edina laye, Omwene womatanga ovakwaita. Oye te va popile ndele ta eta ombili kombada yedu, ndelenee ta etele oonakukala muBabilon ekakamo.
35 Eongamukonda, totela Ovakaldea, Omwene osho ta ti, noonakukalamo muBabilon, oidale novanongo vasho. 36 Eongamukonda, totela ovapopyaani, va monike omalai! Eongamukonda, totela ovaladi vasho, ve liekelele! 37 Eongamukonda, totela eenghambe dasho nomatemba asho novashakati aveshe ve li mokati kavo, va ninge ovakainhu vongaho! Eongamukonda, totela omamona avo a hakanwe po. 38 Oluteni, totela omeva avo aeshe a pwinine po! Osheshi oshilongo shavo oshoihongwakalunga yongaho. Ndele have lineekele oihongwa yavo ngaashi ovayananghwengu. 39 Onghee hano tashi ka ninga onhele yoixwemi noyoikweni yomoixwa; oyo oonakukala musho, neemho otadi ka kala mo. Itashi ka nangalwa vali kovanhu nofiyo omaludalo nomaludalo itaa ka kala mo. 40 Ngaashi pa kala mefimbo linya Kalunga a hanauna po Sodom naGomorra noilando yomoushiinda, Omwene osho ta ti, nosho yo musho itamu ka kala nande umwe e nonhele yaye, ahowe, nande omona umwe womunhu.
41 Tala, okoumbangalanhu taku di ovanhu, oshiwana shinene sha fikama, neehamba dihapu tadi fikama okominghulo dokokule dedu. 42 Ove nomauta nomaonga, vo ovadudu vehe nonghenda. Oshihomo shavo ngaashi engungumo lefuta, ndele hava londo eenghambe, va djala oiti ngaashi omukwaita, ve ku lidengife, ove omona okakadona Babilon. 43 Ohamba yaBabilon eshi ya uda eenghundana davo tadi va tongo, omaoko aye okwa wa, noumbada owe mu hanga noudjuu, ye ota kakama ngaashi omudali. 44 Tala, ngaashi onghoshi tai shituluka momufitu waJordan, ndele tai uya koulifilo muwa, osho yo Ame ohandi ke va ta mo divadiva. Ndele handi ka nangeka mo ou a hoololwa. Osheshi olyelye a fa nge, nolyelye ta dulu okuhokololifa nge? Nopeni mbela pe nomufita ta dulu okukala ofika koshipala shange? 45 Onghee hano udeni omhangela yOmwene e i pangelela Babilon, nomadiladilo aye e a diladilila oshilongo shOvakaldea. Oshili, vo ove nokukokololwa mo, eedi odo da utama. Oshili oulifilo otau ka haluka nokuhalukilila omolwado. 46 Omolweingido: Babilon sha tewa, edu tali kakama, nekwenauko tali udika moiwana.
