1 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind; 2 And will send unto Babylon fanners, that shall fan her, and shall empty her land: for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about. 3 Against him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifteth himself up in his brigandine: and spare ye not her young men; destroy ye utterly all her host. 4 Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and they that are thrust through in her streets. 5 For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the LORD of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel. 6 Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD’s vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence. 7 Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD’s hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad. 8 Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed. 9 We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies. 10 The LORD hath brought forth our righteousness: come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God. 11 Make bright the arrows; gather the shields: the LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes: for his device is against Babylon, to destroy it; because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of his temple. 12 Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes: for the LORD hath both devised and done that which he spake against the inhabitants of Babylon. 13 O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness. 14 The LORD of hosts hath sworn by himself, saying , Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillers; and they shall lift up a shout against thee. 15 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by his understanding. 16 When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth: he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures. 17 Every man is brutish by his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. 18 They are vanity, the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish. 19 The portion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the former of all things: and Israel is the rod of his inheritance: the LORD of hosts is his name. 20 Thou art my battle axe and weapons of war: for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms; 21 And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider; 22 With thee also will I break in pieces man and woman; and with thee will I break in pieces old and young; and with thee will I break in pieces the young man and the maid; 23 I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers. 24 And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight, saith the LORD. 25 Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, saith the LORD, which destroyest all the earth: and I will stretch out mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain. 26 And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate for ever, saith the LORD. 27 Set ye up a standard in the land, blow the trumpet among the nations, prepare the nations against her, call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashchenaz; appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as the rough caterpillers. 28 Prepare against her the nations with the kings of the Medes, the captains thereof, and all the rulers thereof, and all the land of his dominion. 29 And the land shall tremble and sorrow: for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation without an inhabitant. 30 The mighty men of Babylon have forborn to fight, they have remained in their holds: their might hath failed; they became as women: they have burned her dwellingplaces; her bars are broken. 31 One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to shew the king of Babylon that his city is taken at one end, 32 And that the passages are stopped, and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are affrighted. 33 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; The daughter of Babylon is like a threshingfloor, it is time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time of her harvest shall come. 34 Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up like a dragon, he hath filled his belly with my delicates, he hath cast me out. 35 The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon, shall the inhabitant of Zion say; and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea, shall Jerusalem say. 36 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry. 37 And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant. 38 They shall roar together like lions: they shall yell as lions’ whelps. 39 In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the LORD. 40 I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with he goats. 41 How is Sheshach taken! and how is the praise of the whole earth surprised! how is Babylon become an astonishment among the nations! 42 The sea is come up upon Babylon: she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof. 43 Her cities are a desolation, a dry land, and a wilderness, a land wherein no man dwelleth, neither doth any son of man pass thereby. 44 And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up: and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him: yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall. 45 My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the LORD. 46 And lest your heart faint, and ye fear for the rumour that shall be heard in the land; a rumour shall both come one year, and after that in another year shall come a rumour, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler. 47 Therefore, behold, the days come, that I will do judgment upon the graven images of Babylon: and her whole land shall be confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her. 48 Then the heaven and the earth, and all that is therein, shall sing for Babylon: for the spoilers shall come unto her from the north, saith the LORD. 49 As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth. 50 Ye that have escaped the sword, go away, stand not still: remember the LORD afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind. 51 We are confounded, because we have heard reproach: shame hath covered our faces: for strangers are come into the sanctuaries of the LORD’s house. 52 Wherefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will do judgment upon her graven images: and through all her land the wounded shall groan. 53 Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from me shall spoilers come unto her, saith the LORD. 54 A sound of a cry cometh from Babylon, and great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans: 55 Because the LORD hath spoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice; when her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered: 56 Because the spoiler is come upon her, even upon Babylon, and her mighty men are taken, every one of their bows is broken: for the LORD God of recompences shall surely requite. 57 And I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men , her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts. 58 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and the people shall labour in vain, and the folk in the fire, and they shall be weary.
59 ¶ The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah into Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. And this Seraiah was a quiet prince. 60 So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon. 61 And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, When thou comest to Babylon, and shalt see, and shalt read all these words; 62 Then shalt thou say, O LORD, thou hast spoken against this place, to cut it off, that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate for ever. 63 And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it, and cast it into the midst of Euphrates: 64 And thou shalt say, Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her: and they shall be weary. Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.
Bābeles sodīšana par grēku pret Israēlu
1 Tā saka Kungs:
“Redzi, es musināšu pret Bābeli
un pret Lev-Kamī iemītniekiem
postītāja garu!
2 Es sūtīšu uz Bābeli vētītājus,
un tie viņu vētīs,
viņi izlaupīs tās zemi,
kad ļaunā dienā
sanāks tai visapkārt!
3 Loka šāvējs nepaspēs atvilkt loku,
nedz apvilks kāds savas bruņas!
Netaupiet viņas jaunekļus,
ziedojiet nīcībai visu tās pulku!
4 Nokauti viņi kritīs kaldiešu zemē,
caururbti – viņas ielās.”
5 Bet Israēls un Jūda nepaliks atraitnēs
sava Dieva, Pulku Kunga, dēļ –
kaut viņu zeme ir pilna grēka
pret Israēla Svēto!
6 Bēdziet no Bābeles,
visi savu dzīvību glābiet,
neaizejiet bojā viņas vainas dēļ,
jo šis Kungam ir atriebes laiks,
viņš atmaksā un atdara!
7 Zelta kauss, kas apdzirda visu zemi,
bija Bābele Kunga rokā,
no tās vīna tautas dzēra,
tādēļ trakoja tautas!
8 “Piepeši Bābele krita,
sagrāva to, –
kauciet par viņu,
uzklājiet balzamu viņas brūcēm –
varbūt sadzīs!”
9 “Mēs būtu Bābeli dziedinājuši,
bet viņa dziedēties neļāvās,
pametam viņu un ejam
katrs uz savu zemi,
jo līdz debesīm sniedzas tās spriedums,
tas pacelts līdz padebešiem!”
10 Kungs pats licis mūsu taisnībai nākt,
ejiet un stāstiet Ciānā
par Dieva, mūsu Kunga, darbu!
11 Asiniet bultas, piebāziet bultmakus,
Kungs ir samusinājis Mēdijas ķēniņu garu,
jo viņa nodoms pret Bābeli,
lai to izpostītu,
jo tā ir Kunga atriebība,
atriebība par viņa templi!
12 Pret Bābeles mūriem karogus slejiet,
pastipriniet sardzi,
nolieciet sargus,
ietaisiet slēpņus –
jo Kungs darījis, ko nolēmis,
ko sacījis par Bābeles iemītniekiem!
13 Tu, kas pie daudzajiem ūdeņiem mīti,
kam dārgumu daudz,
tev pienāks gals,
mērs tavai netaisnībai!
14 Zvērēja pats Pulku Kungs:
“Es tevi pildīšu ļaudīm kā siseņiem,
un tie skandēs par tevi vīnspaida dziesmu!”
15 Viņš taisīja zemi
ar savu spēku
un nostiprināja cietzemi
ar savu prātu un gudrību,
viņš izpleta debesis!
16 Kad viņš ceļ balsi –
krāc debesu ūdeņi!
Viņš ceļ garaiņus no zemes galiem,
zibeņo lietū,
un no savām krātuvēm atnes vēju!
17 Dumjš ir cilvēks – bez zināšanas,
apkaunots zeltkalis ar saviem elku tēliem,
jo meli ir viņa lējumi
un tajos nav gara!
18 Tie ir tukšība,
smiekla darbs,
kad tos piemeklēs,
tad tie ies bojā!
19 Ne tāda ir Jēkaba daļa,
jo visu veidoja viņš!
Un Israēls ir viņa mantojuma cilts!
Viņa vārds ir – Pulku Kungs!
Israēls ir Dieva ierocis
20 “Tu esi mana milna,
mans kara rīks!
Ar tevi es sadragāšu tautas,
ar tevi es nopostīšu ķēniņvalstis!
21 Ar tevi es sadragāšu zirgu un jātnieku,
ar tevi es sadragāšu ratus un braucēju!
22 Ar tevi es sadragāšu vīru un sievu,
ar tevi es sadragāšu veci un zēnu,
ar tevi es sadragāšu puisi un meitu!
23 Ar tevi es sadragāšu ganu un ganāmpulku,
ar tevi es sadragāšu zemnieku un pajūgu,
ar tevi es sadragāšu pārvaldniekus un vietvalžus!
Bābelei nolemtais gals
24 Es atdarīšu Bābelei
un visiem kaldiešiem
visu ļaunumu, ko jūsu acu priekšā
viņi darīja Ciānā!”
saka Kungs.
25 “Redzi, es pret tevi, postītājkaln,”
saka Kungs,
“kas izposti visu zemi,
pret tevi es izstiepšu savu roku,
noripināšu tevi no klintīm,
izdedzināšu tevi!
26 Un no tevis neņems
ne akmeni stūrim,
ne akmeni pamatam,
jo uz mūžiem tu būsi izpostīts!”
saka Kungs.
27 Celiet virs zemes karogu,
pūtiet starp tautām ragu,
svētiet pret viņu tautas,
sasauciet pret viņu ķēniņvalstis –
Arāratu, Minnī un Aškanazu,
norīkojiet pret viņu pavēlnieku,
slejiet pret viņu zirgus kā siseņu pulku!
28 Svētiet pret viņu tautas –
Mēdijas ķēniņus,
pārvaldniekus, vietvalžus
un visas zemes, kurās tie valda!
29 Drebēs zeme un kauks,
jo Kunga nodomi par Bābeli nu piepildās,
lai padarītu Bābeles zemi par postažu,
kur nemīt neviens!
30 Bābeles varoņi cīnoties izsīkuši,
mūros nolīduši,
izkaltis viņu spēks,
par sievām palikuši,
viņu mājokļi nosvilināti,
uzlauzti aizšaujamie!
31 Skrējējs pret skrējēju skrien,
vēstnesis pret vēstnesi,
lai Bābeles ķēniņam pavēstītu,
ka viņa pilsēta ieņemta no visām pusēm!
32 Pieejas viņi ieņēma,
aizslietņus ar uguni nodedzināja,
un karavīri zaudēja drosmi!
33 Jo tā saka Pulku Kungs, Israēla Dievs:
“Bābeles meita ir
kā klons kulšanas laikā!
Vēl mirklis, un ražas laiks klāt!”
34 “Rija mani, sveilēja mani
Bābeles ķēniņš Nebūkadnecars,
nolika mani kā iztemptu trauku,
rija mani kā nezvērs,
ar maniem kārumiem pildīja savu māgu,
mani izlaistīja!
35 Varasdarbi pret manu miesu – nu Bābelei!”
saka Ciānā mītošā,
“un manas asinis – pār kaldiešiem tagad!”
saka Jeruzāleme.
36 Tādēļ tā saka Kungs:
“Redzi, es tavu strīdu izstrīdēšu,
atriebšu tavu atriebšanu,
es viņas jūru nosusināšu,
es viņas avotu izkaltēšu!
37 Bābele kļūs par drupām,
par šakāļu midzeni un šausmām – to izsmies,
neviens tur nemitīs!
38 Un viņi rēks kā lauvas,
ņurdēs kā lauvēni!
39 Kad tie būs iekarsuši,
es tiem rīkošu dzīres
un piedzirdīšu, lai līksmo,
lai aizmieg mūža miegā
un nepamostas! –
saka Kungs.
40 Es viņus novedīšu uz kaušanu
kā jērus, kā aunus, kā āžus!
41 Redzi, kā ieņemta Šēšaha,
sagūstīta visas zemes slava!
Redzi, kā par šausmām kļuvusi
starp tautām Bābele!
42 Nāca pār Bābeli jūra,
apklāja to, krākdama viļņus!
43 Viņas pilsētas kļuva par izpostījumu,
par izkaltušu zemi, par kailatni,
par zemi, kur nemīt neviens,
ko nešķērso cilvēka dēls!
44 Es piemeklēšu Bābeles Bēlu,
izraušu tam no žokļiem aprīto,
un pie viņa vairs neplūdīs tautas!
Arī Bābeles mūri ir krituši!
45 Mana tauta,
ej projām no tās,
glāb savu dzīvību
no Kunga dusmu kvēles! –
46 kamēr vēl jūsu sirds nav tapusi mīksta un jūs neesat nobijušies no baumām, ko dzird pa visu zemi! Un nākamo gadu baumos atkal, visā zemē būs varasdarbi, un valdnieks pret valdnieku ies!
47 Tādēļ, redzi, nāk dienas,
kad es piemeklēšu Bābeles elkus!
Visa tās zeme būs kaunā,
viņas vidū nokautie gulēs!
48 Debesis un zeme,
un visi, kas tajā,
Bābeli apdziedās,
jo no ziemeļiem
pret viņu postītājs nācis! –
saka Kungs.
49 Kā Bābele lika krist
Israēlā nokautajiem,
tā pašai Bābelei kritīs nokautie
pa visu zemi!
50 Kas no zobena paglābāties,
ejiet, nestāviet,
iztālēm Kungu pieminiet,
Jeruzālemi sirdī paturiet!
51 Mēs esam apkaunoti,
izsmieklu dzirdējām,
negods klāja mums vaigu,
jo svešinieki nāca
pār Kunga nama svētvietām!”
52 “Tādēļ, redzi, nāk dienas,”
saka Kungs,
“kad es piemeklēšu tās elkus
un visā tās zemē vaidēs ievainotie.
53 Kaut Bābele slējās debesīs,
kaut varenos augstumos mūrus cēla –
no manis nāks pār to postītāji!”
saka Kungs.
54 Kliedziena balss no Bābeles
un liels posts no kaldiešu zemes!
55 Jo Kungs nīcina Bābeli,
izdeldē skaļo balsi, –
kā vareni ūdeņi viļņi krāc,
šalkas – to balss!
56 Jo nāca pār viņu,
pār Bābeli, postītājs,
sagrābti viņas varoņi,
salauzti viņu loki,
jo Kungs ir atmaksas Dievs,
atdarīt atdarīs!
57 “Es piedzirdīšu tās augstmaņus un gudros, tās pārvaldniekus un vietvalžus, un tās varoņus – tie aizmigs mūža miegā un nemodīsies,” saka Ķēniņš, Pulku Kungs ir viņa vārds.
58 Tā saka Pulku Kungs:
“Bābeles mūri ir biezi,
taču noplēst noplēsīs!
Tās vārti ir augsti,
ar uguni nosvilinās!
Tautas par velti strādāja,
ciltis priekš uguns pūlējās!”
Jeremija dod uzdevumu Serājam
59 Tie ir vārdi, ko pravietis Jeremija pavēlēja Serājam, Nērijas dēlam, Mahsējas dēlam, kad viņš kopā ar Jūdas ķēniņu Cedekiju devās uz Bābeli ceturtajā viņa valdīšanas gadā. Serāja bija nometnes pavēlnieks. 60 Un Jeremija rakstīja grāmatā visu to ļaunumu, kas nāks pār Bābeli, visus šos vārdus, kuri rakstīti par Bābeli. 61 Jeremija teica Serājam: “Kad tu nonāksi Bābelē, pielūko, ka tu izlasi visus šos vārdus, 62 un tad saki: Kungs, tu runāji par šo vietu, lai iznīdētu tās iemītniekus no cilvēka līdz zvēram, jo tā kļūs par mūžīgu izpostījumu! 63 Kad tu beigsi lasīt šo grāmatu, piesien tai akmeni un iemet Eifrātā! 64 Un saki: tā nogrims Bābele un neuzpeldēs ļaunuma dēļ, ko es nesu pār to. Viņi pagurs!”
Līdz šejienei – Jeremijas vārdi.
