Verse 1: Izwi uJehova alikhuluma ngeBabele, izwe lamaKaledi, ngesandla sikaJeremiya umprofethi.
Verse 2: “Memezani phakathi kwezizwe, nikuzwakalise, nimise ibhanela, nikuzwakalise, ningakufihli, nithi: ‘IBabele linqotshiwe, uBeli ujabhile, uMerodaki uphelile amandla; izithombe zalo zijabhile, imifanekiso yalo iphelile amandla.’
Verse 3: Ngokuba kukhuphukela kulo isizwe sivela enyakatho, esiyakwenza izwe lalo libe yincithakalo, kungabikho ohlala kulo; abantu nezilwane kuyakubaleka, kuhambe.
Verse 4: “Ngalezo zinsuku nangaleso sikhathi,” usho uJehova, “bayakufika abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, bona nabantwana bakwaJuda kanyekanye, behamba bekhala, befuna uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo.
Verse 5: Bayakubuza indlela yaseSiyoni, ubuso babo bubhekene nalo, bethi: Wozani nizihlanganise noJehova ngesivumelwano esiphakade esingenakukhohlakala.
Verse 6: “Abantu bami babe yizimvu ezilahlekileyo; abelusi babo babadukisile, babazulazulisa ezintabeni, basuka entabeni, baya egqumeni, bakhohlwa indawo yabo yokuphumula.
Verse 7: Bonke ababafumanayo babaqeda; abamelene nabo bathi: ‘Asitholi icala; ngokuba bonile kuJehova, ikhaya lokulunga, ithemba lawoyise, uJehova.’
Verse 8: “Balekani eBabele, niphume ezweni lamaKaledi, nibe njengezimpongo phambi kwezimvu.
Verse 9: Ngokuba bheka, ngiyakuvusa, ngenyusele eBabele ibandla lezizwe ezinkulu, livela ezweni lasenyakatho, lizihlelele lona, linqotshwe lapho; imicibisholo yalo iyakuba njengeyeqhawe eliphumelelayo, elingabuyi ze.
Verse 10: IKalideya liyakuba yimpango; bonke abaliphangayo bayakusutha,” usho uJehova.
Verse 11: “Noma nithokoza, noma nijabula nina baphangi befa lami, noma nixhuma njengesithokazi etshanini obuluhlaza, niyiyizela njengamahhashi anamandla,
Verse 12: unyoko uyakujabha kakhulu, owangizalayo ayangaze; bheka, uyakuba ngesokugcina sezizwe, ihlane, nomhlabathi owomileyo, nogwadule.
Verse 13: Ngenxa yentukuthelo kaJehova aliyikuhlalwa muntu, kepha liyakuba yincithakalo lonke; bonke abadlula eBabele bayakumangala, bancimfe ngenxa yazo zonke izinhlupheko zalo.
Verse 14: “Zihleleleni iBabele nxazonke nina nonke eninsala umnsalo, nicibishele kulo, ninganqandi imicibisholo, ngokuba lonile kuJehova.
Verse 15: Memezani kulo nxazonke; lizinikele, izisekelo zalo ziwile, izingange zalo zidiliziwe, ngokuba kuyimpindiselo kaJehova; phindiselani kulo, nenze kulo njengokwenza kwalo.
Verse 16: Nqumani umhlwanyeli eBabele nobamba isikela ngesikhathi sokuvuna; ngenxa yenkemba ecindezelayo yilowo nalowo uyakubheka abantu bakhe, yilowo nalowo abalekele ezweni lakubo.
Verse 17: “U-Israyeli uyimvu ezingelwayo; izingonyama zimxoshile. Kuqala wadliwa yinkosi yase-Asiriya, nangasemuva uNebukadinesari lo, inkosi yaseBabele, ugedlile amathambo akhe.”
Verse 18: Ngalokho usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: “Bheka, ngiyakujezisa inkosi yaseBabele nezwe layo, njengalokho ngijezisile inkosi yase-Asiriya.
Verse 19: Ngiyakumbuyisela u-Israyeli ekhaya lakhe, aklabe eKarmeli naseBashani, umphefumulo wakhe waneliswe ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi nezakwaGileyadi.
Verse 20: Ngalezo zinsuku nangaleso sikhathi,” usho uJehova, “kuyakufunwa ukona kuka-Israyeli, akuyikubakho, nezono zakwaJuda, kepha aziyikufunyanwa, ngokuba ngiyakubathethelela engibashiya ukuba babe yinsali.
Verse 21: “Khuphukela ezweni laseMeratayimi, kulona nakwabakhileyo ePhekodi, uchithe, uqede nya emva kwabo,” usho uJehova, wenze konke engikuyale ngakho.
Verse 22: Kukhona umsindo wokulwa ezweni nowencithakalo enkulu.
Verse 23: Yeka ukunqunywa nokuchithwa kwesando somhlaba wonke, yeka ukwenziwa kweBabele incithakalo phakathi kwezizwe!
Verse 24: Ngakucupha, wabanjwa, Babele, ungakwazi; wafunyanwa, wabanjwa, ngokuba ulwile noNkulunkulu.
Verse 25: UJehova uvulile indlu yakhe yezikhali, ukhiphile izikhali zokufutheka kwakhe, ngokuba iNkosi uJehova Sebawoti inomsebenzi ezweni lamaKaledi.
Verse 26: Lifikeleni nivele emkhawulweni, nivule izinqolobane zalo, nilinqwabele libe yizinqwaba, niliqede nya, kungasali lutho kulo.
Verse 27: Hlabani zonke izinkunzi zalo; mazehlele ekuhlatshweni; wo kuzona! Ngokuba usuku lwazo lufikile, isikhathi sokuhanjelwa kwazo.
Verse 28: Yizwi lababalekayo nabaphunyuka ezweni laseBabele ukuba bamemeze eSiyoni impindiselo kaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu, impindiselo ngethempeli lakhe!
Verse 29: “Bizani abacibishelayo, balwe neBabele, bonke abansala umnsalo, nimise nxazonke zalo, lingabi nophunyukayo, niliphindisele njengezenzo zalo, nenze kulo njengakho konke elikwenzileyo, ngokuba lizikhukhumezile kuJehova, oNgcwele ka-Israyeli.
Verse 30: Ngalokho izinsizwa zalo ziyakuwa ezitaladini zalo, nawo onke amadoda alo empi ayakunqunywa ngalolo suku,” usho uJehova.
Verse 31: “Bheka, ngimelene nawe ozikhukhumezileyo,” isho iNkosi uJehova Sebawoti, “ngokuba usuku lwakho lufikile, isikhathi sokuhanjwelwa kwakho.
Verse 32: Ozikhukhumezayo uyakukhubeka, awe, angabi naye omvusayo; ngiyakuphemba umlilo emizini yakhe, udle konke okumzungezayo.”
Verse 33: Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uthi: “Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli nabantwana bakwaJuda bacindezelwe kanyekanye; bonke ababathumbileyo bababamba, abavumi ukuba bahambe.
Verse 34: Kepha umkhululi wabo unamandla, nguJehova Sebawoti igama lakhe; uyakumela nokumela indaba yabo ukuba aphumuze umhlaba, anyakazise abakhileyo eBabele.
Verse 35: “Makufike inkemba phezu kwamaKaledi,” usho uJehova, naphezu kwabakhileyo eBabele, naphezu kwezikhulu zalo, naphezu kwezihlakaniphi zalo.
Verse 36: Inkemba ifike phezu kwabaprofethi bamanga, babe yiziwula, inkemba ifike phezu kwamaqhawe alo, aphele amandla.
Verse 37: Inkemba ifike phezu kwamahhashi alo, naphezu kwezinqola zalo, naphezu kwayo yonke ingxubevange yabantu ephakathi kwalo, babe njengabesifazane; inkemba ifike phezu kwengcebo yalo, ize iphangwe.
Verse 38: Makufike ukusha phezu kwamanzi alo, aze ome, ngokuba yizwe elinezithombe ezibaziweyo, bahlanya ngemifanekiso yabo.
Verse 39: “Ngalokho izilwane zasehlane ziyakuhlala nezimpungushe, kuhlale khona nezintshe; alisayikuhlalwa kuze kube phakade, lingabe lisakhiwa izizukulwane ngezizukulwane.
Verse 40: Njengalokho uNkulunkulu wachitha iSodoma neGomora nemizi yawo eyakheleneyo,” usho uJehova, “kanjalo akuyikuhlala muntu khona, kungagogobali khona indodana yomuntu.
Verse 41: “Bheka, kuvela abantu enyakatho, isizwe esikhulu namakhosi amaningi, kuvuswe ekugcineni komhlaba.
Verse 42: Babamba umnsalo nomkhonto; banonya, abanamusa; izwi labo liduma njengolwandle; bakhwele amahhashi, behleliwe njengabantu abayakulwa nawe ndodakazi yaseBabele.
Verse 43: Inkosi yaseBabele izwile udumo lwabo, izandla zayo zaba buthakathaka; usizi luyibambile, nemihelo njengeyobelethayo.
Verse 44: Bheka, njengengonyama ekhuphuka ezihlahleni zaseJordani, iye endaweni eyinqaba, ngiyakubazuma, ngibagijimise, basuke kuyo; nobani okhethwayo ngiyakumbeka phezu kwabo, ngokuba ngubani onjengami, ngubani onginqumelayo, ngumuphi umalusi oyakuma phambi kwami, na?”
Verse 45: Ngalokho yizwani isiluleko sikaJehova asinike ngeBabele namacebo awacebe ngezwe lamaKaledi ukuthi: Abancinyane bomhlambi bayakudonswa, basuswe impela, ikhaya labo limangale ngabo.
Verse 46: Ngomsindo wokuthathwa kweBabele umhlaba uyazamazama, ukukhala kuzwakale phakathi kwezizwe.