Babylon's Capture
1 This is the message that the Lord gave me about the city of Babylon and its people:
2 “Tell the news to the nations! Proclaim it!
Give the signal and announce the news!
Do not keep it a secret!
Babylon has fallen!
Her god Marduk has been shattered!
Babylon's idols are put to shame;
her disgusting images are crushed!
3 “A nation from the north has come to attack Babylonia and will make it a desert. People and animals will run away, and no one will live there.”
Israel's Return
4 The Lord says, “When that time comes, the people of both Israel and Judah will come weeping, looking for me, their God. 5 They will ask the way to Zion and then go in that direction. They will make an eternal covenant with me and never break it.
6 “My people are like sheep whose shepherds have let them get lost in the mountains. They have wandered like sheep from one mountain to another, and they have forgotten where their home is. 7 They are attacked by all who find them. Their enemies say, ‘They sinned against the Lord, and so what we have done is not wrong. Their ancestors trusted in the Lord, and they themselves should have remained faithful to him.’
8 “People of Israel, run away from Babylonia! Leave the country! Be the first to leave! 9 I am going to stir up a group of strong nations in the north and make them attack Babylonia. They will line up in battle against the country and conquer it. They are skillful hunters, shooting arrows that never miss the mark. 10 Babylonia will be looted, and those who loot it will take everything they want. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Babylon's Fall
11 The Lord says, “People of Babylonia, you plundered my nation. You are happy and glad, going about like a cow threshing grain or like a neighing horse, 12 but your own great city will be humiliated and disgraced. Babylonia will be the least important nation of all; it will become a dry and waterless desert. 13 Because of my anger no one will live in Babylon; it will be left in ruins, and all who pass by will be shocked and amazed.
14 “Archers, line up for battle against Babylon and surround it. Shoot all your arrows at Babylon, because it has sinned against me, the Lord. 15 Raise the war cry all around the city! Now Babylon has surrendered. Its walls have been broken through and torn down. I am taking my revenge on the Babylonians. So take your revenge on them, and treat them as they have treated others. 16 Do not let seeds be planted in that country nor let a harvest be gathered. Every foreigner living there will be afraid of the attacking army and will go back home.”
Israel's Return
17 The Lord says, “The people of Israel are like sheep, chased and scattered by lions. First, they were attacked by the emperor of Assyria, and then King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia gnawed on their bones. 18 Because of this, I, the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, will punish King Nebuchadnezzar and his country, just as I punished the emperor of Assyria. 19 I will restore the people of Israel to their land. They will eat the food that grows on Mount Carmel and in the region of Bashan, and they will eat all they want of the crops that grow in the territories of Ephraim and Gilead. 20 When that time comes, no sin will be found in Israel and no wickedness in Judah, because I will forgive those people whose lives I have spared. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
God's Judgment on Babylonia
21 The Lord says, “Attack the people of Merathaim and of Pekod. Kill and destroy them. Do everything I command you. I, the Lord, have spoken. 22 The noise of battle is heard in the land, and there is great destruction. 23 Babylonia hammered the whole world to pieces, and now that hammer is shattered! All the nations are shocked at what has happened to that country. 24 Babylonia, you fought against me, and you have been caught in the trap I set for you, even though you did not know it. 25 I have opened the place where my weapons are stored, and in my anger I have taken them out, because I, the Sovereign Lord Almighty, have work to do in Babylonia. 26 Attack it from every side and break open the places where its grain is stored! Pile up the loot like piles of grain! Destroy the country! Leave nothing at all! 27 Kill all their soldiers! Slaughter them! The people of Babylonia are doomed! The time has come for them to be punished!”
( 28 Refugees escape from Babylonia and come to Jerusalem, and they tell how the Lord our God took revenge for what the Babylonians had done to his Temple.)
29 “Tell the archers to attack Babylon. Send out everyone who knows how to use the bow and arrow. Surround the city and don't let anyone escape. Pay it back for all it has done, and treat it as it has treated others, because it acted with pride against me, the Holy One of Israel. 30 So its young men will be killed in the city streets, and all its soldiers will be destroyed on that day. I, the Lord, have spoken.
31 “Babylonia, you are filled with pride, so I, the Sovereign Lord Almighty, am against you! The time has come for me to punish you. 32 Your proud nation will stumble and fall, and no one will help you up. I will set your cities on fire, and everything around will be destroyed.”
33 The Lord Almighty says, “The people of Israel and of Judah are oppressed. All who captured them are guarding them closely and will not let them go. 34 But the one who will rescue them is strong—his name is the Lord Almighty. He himself will take up their cause and will bring peace to the earth, but trouble to the people of Babylonia.”
35 The Lord says,
“Death to Babylonia!
Death to its people,
to its rulers, to its people of wisdom.
36 Death to its lying prophets—
what fools they are!
Death to its soldiers—
how terrified they are!
37 Destroy its horses and chariots!
Death to its hired soldiers—
how weak they are!
Destroy its treasures;
plunder and loot.
38 Bring a drought on its land
and dry up its rivers.
Babylonia is a land of terrifying idols
that have made fools of the people.
39 “And so Babylon will be haunted by demons and evil spirits, and by unclean birds. Never again will people live there, not for all time to come. 40 The same thing will happen to Babylon that happened to Sodom and Gomorrah, when I destroyed them and the nearby towns. No one will ever live there again. I, the Lord, have spoken.
41 “People are coming from a country in the north,
a mighty nation far away;
many kings are preparing for war.
42 They have taken their bows and swords;
they are cruel and merciless.
They sound like the roaring sea,
as they ride their horses.
They are ready for battle against Babylonia.
43 The king of Babylonia hears the news,
and his hands hang limp.
He is seized by anguish,
by pain like a woman in labor.
44 “Like a lion coming out of the thick woods along the Jordan up to the green pasture land, I, the Lord, will come and make the Babylonians run away suddenly from their city. Then the leader I choose will rule the nation. Who can be compared to me? Who would dare challenge me? What ruler could oppose me? 45 So listen to the plan that I have made against the city of Babylon and to what I intend to do to its people. Even their children will be dragged off, and everyone will be horrified. 46 When Babylon falls, there will be such a noise that the entire earth will shake, and the cries of alarm will be heard by the other nations.”
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.”
