Further Judgment on Babylonia
1 The Lord says, “I am bringing a destructive wind against Babylonia and its people. 2 I will send foreigners to destroy Babylonia like a wind that blows straw away. When that day of destruction comes, they will attack from every side and leave the land bare. 3 Don't give its soldiers time to shoot their arrows or to put on their armor. Do not spare the young men! Destroy the whole army! 4 They will be wounded and die in the streets of their cities. 5 I, the Lord God Almighty, have not abandoned Israel and Judah, even though they have sinned against me, the Holy One of Israel. 6 Run away from Babylonia! Run for your lives! Do not be killed because of Babylonia's sin. I am now taking my revenge and punishing it as it deserves. 7 Babylonia was like a gold cup in my hand, making the whole world drunk. The nations drank its wine and went out of their minds. 8 Babylonia has suddenly fallen and is destroyed! Mourn over it! Get medicine for its wounds, and maybe it can be healed. 9 Foreigners living there said, ‘We tried to help Babylonia, but it was too late. Let's leave now and go back home. God has punished Babylonia with all his might and has destroyed it completely.’”
10 The Lord says, “My people shout, ‘The Lord has shown that we are in the right. Let's go and tell the people in Jerusalem what the Lord our God has done.’”
11 The Lord has stirred up the kings of Media, because he intends to destroy Babylonia. That is how he will take revenge for the destruction of his Temple.
The attacking officers command, “Sharpen your arrows! Get your shields ready! 12 Give the signal to attack Babylon's walls. Strengthen the guard! Post the sentries! Place troops in ambush!”
The Lord has done what he said he would do to the people of Babylonia. 13 That country has many rivers and rich treasures, but its time is up, and its thread of life is cut. 14 The Lord Almighty has sworn by his own life that he will bring many men to attack Babylonia like a swarm of locusts, and they will shout with victory.
A Hymn of Praise to God
15 The Lord made the earth by his power;
by his wisdom he created the world
and stretched out the heavens.
16 At his command the waters above the sky roar;
he brings clouds from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning flash in the rain
and sends the wind from his storeroom.
17 At the sight of this, people feel stupid and senseless;
those who make idols are disillusioned
because the gods they make are false and lifeless.
18 They are worthless and should be despised;
they will be destroyed when the Lord comes to deal with them.
19 The God of Jacob is not like them;
he is the one who made everything,
and he has chosen Israel to be his very own people.
The Lord Almighty is his name.
The Lord's Hammer
20 The Lord says,
“Babylonia, you are my hammer, my weapon of war.
I used you to crush nations and kingdoms,
21 to shatter horses and riders,
to shatter chariots and their drivers,
22 to kill men and women,
to slay old and young,
to kill boys and girls,
23 to slaughter shepherds and their flocks,
to slaughter farmers and their plow horses,
to crush rulers and high officials.”
Babylonia's Punishment
24 The Lord says, “You will see me repay Babylonia and its people for all the evil they did to Jerusalem. 25 Babylonia, you are like a mountain that destroys the whole world, but I, the Lord, am your enemy. I will take hold of you, level you to the ground, and leave you in ashes. 26 None of the stones from your ruins will ever be used again for building. You will be like a desert forever. I, the Lord, have spoken.
27 “Give the signal to attack! Blow the trumpet so that the nations can hear! Prepare the nations for war against Babylonia! Tell the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz to attack. Appoint an officer to lead the attack. Bring up the horses like a swarm of locusts. 28 Prepare the nations for war against Babylonia. Send for the kings of Media, their leaders and officials, and the armies of all the countries they control. 29 The earth trembles and shakes because the Lord is carrying out his plan to make Babylonia a desert, where no one lives. 30 The Babylonian soldiers have stopped fighting and remain in their forts. They have lost their courage and have become helpless. The city gates are broken down, and the houses are on fire. 31 Messenger after messenger runs to tell the king of Babylonia that his city has been broken into from every side. 32 The enemy have captured the river crossing and have set the fortresses on fire. The Babylonian soldiers have panicked. 33 Soon the enemy will cut them down and trample them like grain on a threshing place. I, the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, have spoken.”
34 The king of Babylonia cut Jerusalem up
and ate it.
He emptied the city like a jar;
like a monster he swallowed it.
He took what he wanted
and threw the rest away.
35 Let the people of Zion say,
“May Babylonia be held responsible
for the violence done to us!”
Let the people of Jerusalem say,
“May Babylonia be held responsible
for what we have suffered!”
The Lord Will Help Israel
36 And so the Lord said to the people of Jerusalem, “I will take up your cause and will make your enemies pay for what they did to you. I will dry up the source of Babylonia's water and make its rivers go dry. 37 That country will become a pile of ruins where wild animals live. It will be a horrible sight; no one will live there, and all who see it will be terrified. 38 The Babylonians all roar like lions and growl like lion cubs. 39 Are they greedy? I will prepare them a feast and make them drunk and happy. They will go to sleep and never wake up. 40 I will take them to be slaughtered, like lambs, goats, and rams. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Babylon's Fate
41 The Lord says about Babylon: “The city that the whole world praised has been captured! What a horrifying sight Babylon has become to the nations! 42 The sea has rolled over Babylon and covered it with roaring waves. 43 The towns have become a horrifying sight and are like a waterless desert, where no one lives or even travels. 44 I will punish Bel, the god of Babylonia, and make him give up his stolen goods; the nations will not worship him any more.
“Babylon's walls have fallen. 45 People of Israel, run away from there! Run for your life from my fierce anger. 46 Do not lose courage or be afraid because of the rumors you hear. Every year a different rumor spreads—rumors of violence in the land and of one king fighting another. 47 And so the time is coming when I will deal with Babylonia's idols. The whole country will be put to shame, and all its people will be killed. 48 Everything on earth and in the sky will shout for joy when Babylonia falls to the people who come from the north to destroy it. 49 Babylonia caused the death of people all over the world, and now Babylonia will fall because it caused the death of so many Israelites. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
God's Message to the Israelites in Babylonia
50 The Lord says to his people in Babylonia: “You have escaped death! Now go! Don't wait! Though you are far from home, think about me, your Lord, and remember Jerusalem. 51 You say, ‘We've been disgraced and made ashamed; we feel completely helpless because foreigners have taken over the holy places in the Temple.’ 52 So then, I say that the time is coming when I will deal with Babylon's idols, and the wounded will groan throughout the country. 53 Even if Babylon could climb to the sky and build a strong fortress there, I would still send people to destroy it. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Further Destruction on Babylon
54 The Lord says,
“Listen to the sound of crying in Babylon,
of mourning for the destruction in the land.
55 I am destroying Babylon
and putting it to silence.
The armies rush in like roaring waves
and attack with noisy shouts.
56 They have come to destroy Babylon;
its soldiers are captured,
and their bows are broken.
I am a God who punishes evil,
and I will treat Babylon as it deserves.
57 I will make its rulers drunk—
men of wisdom, leaders, and soldiers.
They will go to sleep and never wake up.
I, the king, have spoken;
I am the Lord Almighty.
58 The walls of mighty Babylon will be thrown to the ground,
and its towering gates burned down.
The work of the nations is all for nothing;
their efforts go up in flames.
I, the Lord Almighty, have spoken.”
Jeremiah's Message Is Sent to Babylonia
59 King Zedekiah's personal attendant was Seraiah, the son of Neriah and grandson of Mahseiah. In the fourth year that Zedekiah was king of Judah, Seraiah was going to Babylonia with him, and I gave him some instructions. 60 I wrote in a book an account of all the destruction that would come on Babylonia, as well as all these other things about Babylonia. 61 I told Seraiah, “When you get to Babylon, be sure to read aloud to the people everything that is written here. 62 Then pray, ‘Lord, you have said that you would destroy this place, so that there would be no living creatures in it, neither people nor animals, and it would be like a desert forever.’ 63 Seraiah, when you finish reading this book to the people, then tie it to a rock and throw it into the Euphrates River 64 and say, ‘This is what will happen to Babylonia—it will sink and never rise again because of the destruction that the Lord is going to bring on it.’”
The words of Jeremiah end 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.
