Babeli, Upanga Wa Mungu Wa Hukumu
121:1 Eze 20:1Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema: 221:2 Yer 11:12; Eze 20:46; Amo 7:16; Eze 9:6; 13:17“Mwanadamu, uelekeze uso wako juu ya Yerusalemu na uhubiri dhidi ya mahali patakatifu. Tabiri dhidi ya nchi ya Israeli 321:3 Yer 21:13; 47:6-7; Ay 9:22; Isa 27:1; Eze 14:21uiambie: ‘Hili ndilo Bwana asemalo: Mimi niko kinyume nawe. Nitautoa upanga wangu kwenye ala yake na kumkatilia mbali mwenye haki na mwovu. 421:4 Eze 20:47; Law 26:25; Yer 25:27Kwa sababu nitamkatilia mbali mwenye haki na mwovu, upanga wangu utakuwa wazi dhidi ya kila mmoja kuanzia kusini mpaka kaskazini. 521:5 Eze 20:47-48; Isa 45:23; 34:5Ndipo watu wote watajua ya kuwa Mimi Bwana nimeutoa upanga wangu kwenye ala yake, nao hautarudi humo tena.’
621:6 Isa 22:4; Yer 30:6; Eze 9:4“Kwa hiyo lia kwa uchungu, mwanadamu! Lia kwa uchungu mbele yao kwa moyo uliopondeka na kwa huzuni nyingi. 721:7 Yer 47:3; Eze 7:17; Ay 23:2; Yos 7:5; Eze 22:14; Za 6:2; Ay 11:16Nao watakapokuuliza, ‘Kwa nini unalia kwa uchungu?’ Utasema hivi, ‘Kwa sababu ya habari zinazokuja. Kila moyo utayeyuka na kila mkono utalegea, kila roho itazimia na kila goti litalegea kama maji.’ Habari hizo zinakuja! Hakika zitatokea, asema Bwana Mwenyezi.”
8Neno la Bwana likanijia, kusema: 921:9 Kum 32:41“Mwanadamu, tabiri na useme, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana asemalo:
“ ‘Upanga, upanga,
ulionolewa na kusuguliwa:
1021:10 Za 105:5-6; Isa 34:5-6; Kum 32:41umenolewa kwa ajili ya mauaji,
umesuguliwa ili ungʼae
kama umeme wa radi!
“ ‘Je, tuifurahie fimbo ya utawala ya mwanangu Yuda? Upanga unaidharau kila fimbo ya namna hiyo.
1121:11 Yer 46:4“ ‘Upanga umewekwa tayari ili kusuguliwa,
ili upate kushikwa mkononi,
umenolewa na kusuguliwa,
umewekwa tayari kwa mkono wa muuaji.
1221:12 Yer 31:19Piga kelele na uomboleze, ee mwanadamu,
kwa kuwa upanga u dhidi ya watu wangu;
u dhidi ya wakuu wote wa Israeli.
Wametolewa wauawe kwa upanga
pamoja na watu wangu.
Kwa hiyo pigapiga kifua chako.
1321:13 Ay 9:23; 2Kor 8:2“ ‘Kwa maana upanga huu umejaribiwa na kuhakikishwa, itakuwaje basi fimbo ya ufalme ya Yuda inayoudharau kama haitakuwepo tena, bali itakuwa imeondolewa kabisa? asema Bwana Mwenyezi.’
1421:14 Hes 24:10; Eze 6:11; 30:24; 8:12“Hivyo basi, mwanadamu, tabiri
na ukapige makofi.
Upanga wako na upige mara mbili,
naam, hata mara tatu.
Ni upanga wa kuchinja,
upanga wa mauaji makuu,
ukiwashambulia kutoka kila upande.
1521:15 2Sam 17:10; Za 22:14Ili mioyo ipate kuyeyuka
na wanaouawa wawe wengi,
nimeweka upanga wa kuchinja
kwenye malango yao yote.
Lo! Umetengenezwa
umetemete kama umeme wa radi,
umeshikwa kwa ajili ya kuua.
1621:16 Eze 14:17Ee upanga, kata upande wa kuume,
kisha upande wa kushoto,
mahali popote makali yako
yatakapoelekezwa.
1721:17 Eze 22:13; 5:13; 14:17; 16:42Mimi nami nitapiga makofi,
nayo ghadhabu yangu itapungua.
Mimi Bwana nimesema.”
18Neno la Bwana likanijia kusema: 1921:19 Eze 14:21; 32:11; Yer 31:21“Mwanadamu, weka alama njia mbili ambazo upanga wa mfalme wa Babeli utapitia, njia hizo zikianzia katika nchi hiyo hiyo. Weka kibao pale ambapo njia zinagawanyika kuelekea mjini. 2021:20 Yer 49:2; Amo 1:14; Kum 3:11Weka alama njia moja kwa ajili ya upanga upate kuja dhidi ya Raba ya Waamoni na nyingine upate kuja dhidi ya Yuda na Yerusalemu iliyozungushiwa ngome. 2121:21 Mit 16:33; Hes 20:7; 23:23; Zek 10:2Kwa kuwa mfalme wa Babeli sasa amesimama katika njia panda, katika makutano ya njia mbili, akipiga ramli: anapiga kura kwa kutumia mishale, anataka shauri kwa sanamu zake, anachunguza maini ya wanyama. 2221:22 2Fal 25:1; Eze 4:2; Yer 51:14; 4:16; 32:24; Eze 26:9Upande wake wa kuume inakuja kura ya Yerusalemu, ambapo ataweka vyombo vya kuvunjia boma, ili kuamrisha mauaji, kupiga ukelele wa vita, kuweka vyombo vya kuvunjia boma kwenye malango, kuweka jeshi kuzunguka na kufanya uzingiraji. 2321:23 Hes 5:15; Eze 17:19Itakuwa kama kupiga ramli kwa uongo kwa wale watu ambao wameapa kumtii yeye. Lakini mfalme wa Babeli atawakumbusha juu ya uovu wao na kuwachukua mateka.
24“Kwa hiyo hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: ‘Kwa sababu enyi watu mmekumbusha uovu wenu kwa kuasi waziwazi, mkidhihirisha dhambi zenu katika yale yote mfanyayo, kwa kuwa mmefanya jambo hili, mtachukuliwa mateka.
2521:25 Eze 35:5; Mwa 13:13; Eze 22:4“ ‘Ee mtawala kafiri na mwovu wa Israeli, ambaye siku yako imewadia, ambaye wakati wako wa adhabu umefikia kilele chake, 2621:26 Isa 28:5; Yer 13:18; Isa 40:4; Mt 23:12; Za 75:7hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo: Vua kilemba, ondoa taji. Kwa kuwa mambo hayatakuwa kama yalivyokuwa. Aliye mnyonge atakwezwa na aliyekwezwa atashushwa. 2721:27 Mwa 49:10; Za 2:6; Hag 2:21-22; Yer 23:5-6; Eze 37:24Mahame! Mahame! Nitaufanya mji kuwa mahame! Hautajengwa upya mpaka aje yule ambaye ndiye mwenye haki nao; yeye ndiye nitakayempa.’
2821:28 Mwa 19:38; Sef 3:8; Yer 12:12“Nawe, mwanadamu, tabiri na useme, ‘Hili ndilo Bwana Mwenyezi asemalo kuhusu Waamoni na matukano yao.
“ ‘Upanga, upanga,
umefutwa kwa ajili ya kuua,
umesuguliwa ili kuangamiza
na unametameta kama umeme wa radi!
2921:29 Eze 22:28; 35:5; Yer 27:9Wakati wakitoa maono ya uongo kwa ajili yako,
wanapobashiri uongo kwa ajili yako,
wanakuweka wewe kwenye shingo za watu wapotovu,
wale walio waovu,
wale ambao siku yao imewadia,
wakati wa adhabu yao ya mwisho.
3021:30 Yer 47:6; Eze 16:3Urudishe upanga kwenye ala yake!
Katika mahali ulipoumbiwa,
katika nchi ya baba zako,
huko nitakuhukumu.
3121:31 Za 79:6; Eze 22:20-21; Yer 51:20-23; Za 18:15; Isa 11:4; Eze 16:39Nitamwaga ghadhabu yangu juu yako
na kupuliza moto wa hasira yangu dhidi yako;
nitakutia mikononi mwa watu wakatili,
watu stadi katika kuangamiza.
3221:32 Eze 20:47-48; 25:10; Mal 4:1Mtakuwa kuni za kuwashia moto,
damu yenu itamwagwa katika nchi yenu,
wala hamtakumbukwa tena;
kwa maana Mimi Bwana nimesema.’ ”
Babylon as God’s sword of judgment
In Hebrew texts 21:1-32 is numbered 21:6-37. 1The word of the Lord came to me: 2‘Son of man, set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary. Prophesy against the land of Israel 3and say to her: “This is what the Lord says: I am against you. I will draw my sword from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked. 4Because I am going to cut off the righteous and the wicked, my sword will be unsheathed against everyone from south to north. 5Then all people will know that I the Lord have drawn my sword from its sheath; it will not return again.”
6‘Therefore groan, son of man! Groan before them with broken heart and bitter grief. 7And when they ask you, “Why are you groaning?” you shall say, “Because of the news that is coming. Every heart will melt with fear and every hand go limp; every spirit will become faint and every leg will be wet with urine.” It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord.’
8The word of the Lord came to me: 9‘Son of man, prophesy and say, “This is what the Lord says:
‘ “A sword, a sword,
sharpened and polished –
10sharpened for the slaughter,
polished to flash like lightning!
‘ “Shall we rejoice in the sceptre of my royal son? The sword despises every such stick.
11‘ “The sword is appointed to be polished,
to be grasped with the hand;
it is sharpened and polished,
made ready for the hand of the slayer.
12Cry out and wail, son of man,
for it is against my people;
it is against all the princes of Israel.
They are thrown to the sword
along with my people.
Therefore beat your breast.
13‘ “Testing will surely come. And what if even the sceptre, which the sword despises, does not continue? declares the Sovereign Lord.”
14‘So then, son of man, prophesy
and strike your hands together.
Let the sword strike twice,
even three times.
It is a sword for slaughter –
a sword for great slaughter,
closing in on them from every side.
15So that hearts may melt with fear
and the fallen be many,
I have stationed the sword for slaughter21:15 Septuagint; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
at all their gates.
Look! It is forged to strike like lightning,
it is grasped for slaughter.
16Slash to the right, you sword,
then to the left,
wherever your blade is turned.
17I too will strike my hands together,
and my wrath will subside.
I the Lord have spoken.’
18The word of the Lord came to me: 19‘Son of man, mark out two roads for the sword of the king of Babylon to take, both starting from the same country. Make a signpost where the road branches off to the city. 20Mark out one road for the sword to come against Rabbah of the Ammonites and another against Judah and fortified Jerusalem. 21For the king of Babylon will stop at the fork in the road, at the junction of the two roads, to seek an omen: he will cast lots with arrows, he will consult his idols, he will examine the liver. 22Into his right hand will come the lot for Jerusalem, where he is to set up battering-rams, to give the command to slaughter, to sound the battle cry, to set battering-rams against the gates, to build a ramp and to erect siege works. 23It will seem like a false omen to those who have sworn allegiance to him, but he will remind them of their guilt and take them captive.
24‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Because you people have brought to mind your guilt by your open rebellion, revealing your sins in all that you do – because you have done this, you will be taken captive.
25‘ “You profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day has come, whose time of punishment has reached its climax, 26this is what the Sovereign Lord says: take off the turban, remove the crown. It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low. 27A ruin! A ruin! I will make it a ruin! The crown will not be restored until he to whom it rightfully belongs shall come; to him I will give it.”
28‘And you, son of man, prophesy and say, “This is what the Sovereign Lord says about the Ammonites and their insults:
‘ “A sword, a sword,
drawn for the slaughter,
polished to consume
and to flash like lightning!
29Despite false visions concerning you
and lying divinations about you,
it will be laid on the necks
of the wicked who are to be slain,
whose day has come,
whose time of punishment has reached its climax.
30‘ “Let the sword return to its sheath.
In the place where you were created,
in the land of your ancestry,
I will judge you.
31I will pour out my wrath on you
and breathe out my fiery anger against you;
I will deliver you into the hands of brutal men,
men skilled in destruction.
32You will be fuel for the fire,
your blood will be shed in your land,
you will be remembered no more;
for I the Lord have spoken.” ’
