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.”
Babilon tashi teka po
1 Ndika olyo elaka ndyoka Omuwa e li pe ndje tali popi oshilando Babilon naantu yasho.
2 “Hokololeleni iigwana onkundana! Yi uvitheni!
Yelutheni ombaaneli, mu tomone onkundana!
Inamu yi holeka nando!
Babilon osha teka po!
Kalunga kasho Merodak okwa nyankulwa po!
Iimenka yaBabilon oya sithwa ohoni,
iiyelekela yasho iinyanyalithi ya singulwa po!
3 “Oshigwana tashi zi kuumbangalantu, otashi ya okuponokela Babilonia notashi shi ningi ombuga. Aantu niinamwenyo otayi yi ontuku, nokape na ngoka ta kala mo.”
Egaluko lyaIsrael
4 Omuwa ota ti: “Ethimbo otali ya, uuna Aaisraeli nAajuda ayehe taa ke ya taa lili, taa kongo ndje, Kalunga kawo. 5 Otaa ka pula ondjila yu uka kuSion notaye yi landula. Otaa ka hangana nangame ehangano lyaaluhe noitaye li yono we.
6 “Aantu yandje oya fa oonzi ndhoka omusita e dhi kanithile moondundu. Oye endaenda ya fa oonzi tadhi londakana oondundu, noya dhimbwa kaandjawo. 7 Oya ponokelwa kwaayehe ye ya mono. Aatondi yawo otaa ti: ‘Oya yono kOmuwa, onkee shoka twa ningi, oshi li mondjila. Oohekulu oyi inekele Omuwa, nayo yene oya li ye na oku mu inekela.’
8 “Aaisraeli ne, zii mo muBabilonia! Shi thigii po! Ningeni shanamutango oku shi thiga po! 9 Otandi ka sikumudha engathithi lyiigwana muumbangalantu noku yi ponokelitha Babilonia. Otaa ka tsa ompola molugodhi, ya kondjithe oshilongo noku shi lala. Oyo oondjumbeta oonkulungu, aashoneki yiikuti ihaayi palutha. 10 Babilonia otashi ka luwa po, naamboka taye shi lu po, otaa ka kagunyuna po ashihe ye shi hala. Ongame, Omuwa, nda popi.”
Etekopo lyaBabilon
11 Omuwa ota ti: “Aababilonia ne, omwa yugu oshigwana shandje. Omu na elago mwa nyanyukwa mwa fa ondema tayi yungula olupale, tamu hehema mwa fa okakambe okatsezi, 12 ihe oshilando sheni oshinene otashi ka fupipikwa nokusithwa ohoni. Babilonia otashi ka ninga oshishona shi vulike kiigwana ayihe; otashi ka notelwa nokumbugala. 13 Molwondjahi yandje kape na ngoka ta ka kala mo muBabilon; otashi ka kumuka po, naamboka taa ka pita pusho, otaa ka haluka nokukumwa.
14 “Ondjumbeta, tseni ompola, mu kondeke Babilon. Hwanunineni iikuti yeni ayihe kuBabilon, oshoka osha yono kungame, Omuwa. 15 Tseni onkalu koombinga adhihe dhoshilando! Babilon otashi igandja. Omadhingililokuma gasho otaga kumunwa po. Otandi polithile ondjahi yandje mAababilonia. Onkee polithileni ondjahi yeni muyo, mu ya ninge, ngaashi ya ningile aantu ooyakwawo. 16 Inamu etha ombuto yi kunwe moshilongo shoka nenge eteyo li teywe. Omukwiilongo kehe a kala mo, ota ka haluka kehomono lyaahanaguli e ta ka shuna koshilongo shaandjawo.”
Egaluko lyaIsrael
17 Omuwa ota ti: “Aaisraeli oya fa oonzi dha kukuma nodha halakanithwa koonime. Tango oya ponokelwa komupangeli gwaAssur. Opo ihe Nebukadnezzar, omukwaniilwa gwaBabilon, okwa kunya omasipa gawo. 18 Molwashika ngame, Omuwa Omunankondoawike, otandi ka geela omukwaniilwa Nebukadnezzar noshilongo she, naanaa ngaashi nda geelele omupangeli gwaAssur. 19 Otandi ka galulila Aaisraeli kevi lyawo. Otaa ka lya iikulya ya mena kondundu Karmel nomoshikandjo Baasha notaa ka kutitha ondjala yawo niilikolwa tayi zi miikandjo yaEfraim naGilead. 20 Ethimbo nge lya thikana, muIsrael itamu ka monika we ombedhi nuukolokoshi muJuda, oshoka otandi ka dhimina po aantu mboka nde ya hupitha ko. Ongame, Omuwa, nda popi.”
Kalunga ta geele Babilonia
21 Omuwa ota ti: “Ponokeleni aantu muMeratajim nomuPekod. Ya yapulileni Omuwa nokugana, mu ya dhipage noku ya hanagula po sheke. Gwanitheni ashihe tandi mu lombwele. Ongame, Omuwa, nda popi. 22 Oshihomo sholugodhi otashi uvika moshilongo, noku na ehanagulo enene. 23 Babilonia osha nyankagula po uuyuni auhe, ngashingeyi osilwa ndjoka oya nyanyagulwa po! Iigwana ayihe oya haluka kushoka sha ningilwa oshilongo shoka. 24 Babilonia, owa kondjitha ndje, nowa kwatwa komwigo ngoka nde ku tegele, nando ino shi tseya. 25 Onde egulula ompungulilo yandje yomatati nomondjahi yandje onde ga kutha mo, oshoka ngame, Omupangeliawike, Omuwa Omunankondoawike, ondi na iilonga tandi yi longo muBabilon. 26 Shi matukileni tamu ziilile koombinga adhihe. Matuleni iigandhi yasho. Iihakanwa yi ndumbileni ondumba ya fa ondumba yiilya. Hanagulii po oshilongo. Inamu thiga po nando oluthipa. 27 Dhipagii po aakwiita ayehe. Ya faleni konakupila. Yaye Aababilonia! Ethimbo olya thikana, ya geelwe.”
28 (Oontauki ndhoka dha zi muBabilonia nodhe ya kuJerusalem, odha hokolola, nkene Omuwa Kalunga ketu a polithile ondjahi ye mAababilonia, mboka ya hanagula po otempeli ye.)
29 “Lombweleni oondjumbeta, ya ponokele Babilon. Tumii ko mboka ye shi okushoneka nawa iikuti. Kondekeni oshilando, inamu etha mu ze nando omuntu. Shi peni ondjambi ndjoka she yi ilongele; shi ningeni ngaashi sha ningi yakwawo, oshoka osha shongo ndje, ongame, Omuyapuki gwaIsrael. 30 Onkee ano aagundjuka yasho otaa ka sila momapandaanda goshilando, naakwiita yasho ayehe otaa ka kombwa po esiku ndyoka. Ongame, Omuwa, nda popi.
31 “Babilonia, owa kinga unene, onkee ngame, Omuwa Omunankondoawike, onda tsa ondumbo nangoye. Ethimbo olya thiki, ndi ku geele. 32 Shigwana ngoye ho inomo, oto ka punduka; oto gwile po, nokaku na ngoka te ku kwatha. Iilando yoye otandi ke yi tomeka omulilo, noshaa shoka she ku kunduka, otashi ka hanagulwa po.”
33 Omuwa Omunankondoawike ota ti: “Aaisraeli nAajuda oya hepekwa. Ayehe mboka ye ya kwata po, oye ya thitikinine mo noinaye ya etha we. 34 Ihe omumangululi gwawo oye omunankondo — edhina lye oye Omuwa Omunankondoawike. Oye mwenemwene ti ikwatele ko nota ka eta ombili kombanda yevi, ihe kAababilonia omalwa.”
35 Omuwa ota ti:
“Nakusa oBabilon!
Oonakusa aantu yasho, aaleli yasho naanongo yasho.
36 Oonakusa aahunganeki yasho yiifundja —
oya goyapala ngiini!
Oonakusa aakwiita yasho —
oya haluka ngiini!
37 Hanagulii po uukambe nomatembakwiita gasho.
Oonakusa aakwiita yasho aahehelwa —
oyo aambanda ngiini!
Hanagulii po omaliko gasho;
hakaneni iihakanwa.
38 Oluteni nalu kalaganye,
omilonga dhi pwine.
Babilonia evi lyiimenka iitilithi,
mbyoka ya thethepaleke aantu.
39 “Babilon otashi ka kalwa koombidhi, komambungu nokoondhila dha nyata. Itamu ka kala we aantu, sigo aluhe. 40 Babilon otashi ka ningwa ngaashi Sodom naGomorra, sho nde ya hanagula nomikunda dhopuushiinda wayo. Kaku na we ngoka na ka kala mo. Ongame, Omuwa, nda popi.
41 “Oku na aantu taa ziilile koshilongo shokuumbangalantu,
oshigwana oshinankondo otashi zi kokule;
aakwaniilwa oyendji otaa ilongekidhile iita.
42 Oya homata omatati nomagonga;
oyo aananyanya, kaa na nando onge.
Oshihomo shawo osha fa efuta tali pupu,
sho ya kayila uukambe wawo.
Oyi ilongekidhila okuhomona Babilonia.
43 Omukwaniilwa gwaBabilonia sho tu uvu onkundana,
omaako ge otaga gonwa.
Ye mwene ota kwatwa komahwilili
a fa omukiintu ta thetwa.
44 “Otandi ke ya nda fa onime ya hituluka mongoya yomugulu gwaJordan tayi ya melundu lyuunapelo, nohaluka otandi ka yitha Aababilonia ontuku, ya thige po oshilando shawo. Nena omupangeli ngoka tandi hogolola, ota ka lela oshigwana. Olye ta yelekwa nangame? Olye ti itakeke ndje? Omupangeli lye ta kondjitha ndje? 45 Onkee ano pulakeneni shoka nda dhiladhilile oshilando Babilon, naashoka nda sheya okuningila aantu yasho. Nokuli naanona yawo otaa ka kookololwa po, noshaa ngoka ota ka haluka. 46 Uuna Babilon tashi teka po, otaku ka kala endundumo enene tali kakamitha evi alihe, nekugagano lyehaluko otali ka uvika kiigwana.”
