Vēstījums par Bābeles trimdu
1 Vārdi, kas Jeremijam bija par visu Jūdas tautu Jehojākīma, Jošijāhu dēla, ceturtajā gadā – tas bija pirmais Bābeles ķēniņa Nebūkadnecara gads. 2 Tā runāja pravietis Jeremija uz visu Jūdas tautu un uz visiem Jeruzālemes iedzīvotājiem: 3 “No Jūdas ķēniņa Jošijāhu, Amona dēla, trīspadsmitā gada līdz šai dienai, divdesmit trīs gadus Kunga vārds ir bijis uz mani, un es tiku runājis, bez mitas es runāju, bet jūs neklausījāties! 4 Kungs sūtīja pie jums savus kalpus praviešus – bez mitas sūtīja, bet jūs neklausījāties, pat ausi nepastiepāt, lai klausītos! 5 Pravieši sacīja: atgriezieties no sava ļaunā ceļa un saviem ļaunajiem darbiem un dzīvojiet zemē, ko Kungs ir devis jums un jūsu tēviem no mūžiem uz mūžiem. 6 Nesekojiet citiem dieviem, lai tiem kalpotu un zemotos, nekaitiniet mani ar saviem roku darbiem sev pašiem par ļaunu! 7 Bet jūs mani neklausījāt, saka Kungs, kaitinādami mani ar saviem darbiem sev pašiem par ļaunu!
8 Tādēļ tā saka Pulku Kungs: tādēļ ka jūs neklausījāties manos vārdos, 9 redzi, es ņemšu un uzsūtīšu jums visas ziemeļu ciltis, saka Kungs, un manu kalpu Bābeles ķēniņu Nebūkadnecaru! Es vedīšu viņus pret šo zemi un tās iemītniekiem, un pret visām tautām, kas ir visapkārt, es tos svētīšu ar nīcību, par šaušalām padarīšu, par izsmieklu un par mūžīgām drupām! 10 Es izdeldēšu no viņiem gan līksmi, gan prieka balsi, līgavaiņa balsi un līgavas balsi, gan dzirnu dūkoņu, gan gaismekļa gaismu! 11 Šī zeme būs drupas un postaža! Šīs tautas vergos Bābeles ķēniņam septiņdesmit gadus! 12 Un, kad paies septiņdesmit gadi, es piemeklēšu Bābeles ķēniņu un šo tautu viņu grēku dēļ, saka Kungs, un arīdzan kaldiešu zemi un padarīšu to par mūžam izdeldētu! 13 Es likšu, lai nāk pār šo zemi visi tie vārdi, ko es runāju, – viss, kas šajā grāmatā rakstīts, ko Jeremija pravietoja par visām tautām. 14 Jo tie vergos daudzām tautām un lieliem ķēniņiem, un es jums atdarīšu par jūsu darbiem un jūsu roku darinājumiem!”
Dieva dusmu kauss
15 Kungs, Israēla Dievs, man teica tā: “Ņem no manas rokas šo dusmu vīna kausu un dzirdini no tā visas tautas, pie kurām es tevi sūtu. 16 Un tās dzers – grīļosies un streipuļos zobena priekšā, ko es tām sūtu.” 17 Un es paņēmu kausu no Kunga rokas un dzirdīju visas tautas, pie kurām Kungs mani sūtīja: 18 Jeruzālemi un Jūdas pilsētas, to ķēniņus un augstmaņus, – lai darītu tās par drupām, par postažu, par izsmieklu un par lāstu – kā šodien! 19 Un es dzirdīju arī Ēģiptes ķēniņu faraonu un viņa kalpus un augstmaņus, un visu viņa tautu. 20 Un visas jauktās tautas, un visus Ūczemes ķēniņus, un visus filistiešu ķēniņus, un Aškelonu, un Gazu, un Ekronu, un tos, kas vēl atlikuši Ašdodā, 21 un Edomu, un Moābu, un Amona dēlus, 22 un visus Tīras ķēniņus, un visus Sidonas ķēniņus, un visus ķēniņus, kuri mīt jūras malā un aizjūras salās, 23 un Dedānu, un Tēmu, un Būzu, un tos, kuru matiem apgriezta mala, 24 un visus Arābijas ķēniņus, un visus jaukto tautu ķēniņus, kuri tuksnesī mīt, 25 un visus Zimrī ķēniņus, un visus Ēlāma ķēniņus, un visus Mēdijas ķēniņus, 26 un visus ziemeļu ķēniņus – tuvus un tālus, un visas valstības, kas vien uz zemes virsas, – un pēc tam dzers Šēšahas ķēniņš!
27 Un tu saki viņiem: tā saka Pulku Kungs, Israēla Dievs: “Dzeriet, reibstiet, vemiet un krītiet, un jūs vairs necelsieties no zobena, ko es jums uzsūtu! 28 Un, ja viņi liegsies ņemt kausu no tavas rokas un dzert, tad tu saki viņiem: tā saka Pulku Kungs: dzeriet gan! 29 Jo, redzi, tagad es sāku darīt ļaunu pilsētai, kas ir saukta manā vārdā, un jūs, bez vainas nevainīgie, būsiet vainīgi, jo es piesaukšu zobenu pār visiem, kas mīt uz zemes, saka Pulku Kungs!
30 Un tu pravieto viņiem visus šos vārdus, saki viņiem:
Kungs no augšienes rēc,
no sava svētuma paceļ balsi,
pār savu mājokli rēktin rēc,
kā vīnspaidu mīdams
atdara visiem,
kas mīt uz zemes.
31 Dārdēs līdz zemes malām,
jo strīds Kungam pret tautām,
pret visiem viņš tiesājas,
ļaundarus viņš zobenam atdos,”
saka Kungs.
32 Tā saka Pulku Kungs:
“Redzi, no tautas uz tautu
iet ļaunums,
no zemes dzīlēm
ceļas varena vētra!”
33 Un tajā dienā Kunga nokautie klās zemi no malas līdz malai, tos nedz apraudās, nedz savāks, nedz apraks – tie būs kā mēsli uz zemes virsas!
34 Gani, kauciet un kliedziet,
vārtieties, avju sargi,
pienākusi jūsu kaušanas diena!
Jūs patrieks!
Jūs saplēsīs kā dārgu trauku!
35 Vairs nepamukt ganiem,
vairs neaizbēgt avju sargiem!
36 Kliedz gani,
un avju sargi kauc,
jo Kungs ganības posta!
37 Miera pļavas ir izdeldētas
Kunga dusmu kvēles dēļ!
38 Kā lauva viņš pameta migu,
visa zeme kļuva par postažu –
apspiedēju niknuma dēļ,
viņa dusmu kvēles dēļ!
The Enemy from the North
1 In the fourth year that Jehoiakim son of Josiah was king of Judah, I received a message from the Lord concerning all the people of Judah. (This was the first year that Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylonia.) 2 I said to all the people of Judah and of Jerusalem, 3 “For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year that Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah until this very day, the Lord has spoken to me, and I have never failed to tell you what he said. But you have paid no attention. 4 You would not listen or pay attention, even though the Lord has continued to send you his servants the prophets. 5 They told you to turn from your wicked way of life and from the evil things you are doing, so that you could go on living in the land that the Lord gave you and your ancestors as a permanent possession. 6 They told you not to worship and serve other gods and not to make the Lord angry by worshiping the idols you had made. If you had obeyed the Lord, then he would not have punished you. 7 But the Lord himself says that you refused to listen to him. Instead, you made him angry with your idols and have brought his punishment on yourselves.
8 “So then, because you would not listen to him, the Lord Almighty says, 9 ‘I am going to send for all the peoples from the north and for my servant, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia. I am going to bring them to fight against Judah and its inhabitants and against all the neighboring nations. I am going to destroy this nation and its neighbors and leave them in ruins forever, a terrible and shocking sight. I, the Lord, have spoken. 10 I will silence their shouts of joy and gladness and the happy sounds of wedding feasts. They will have no oil for their lamps, and there will be no more grain. 11 This whole land will be left in ruins and will be a shocking sight, and the neighboring nations will serve the king of Babylonia for seventy years. 12 After that I will punish Babylonia and its king for their sin. I will destroy that country and leave it in ruins forever. 13 I will punish Babylonia with all the disasters that I threatened to bring on the nations when I spoke through Jeremiah—all the disasters recorded in this book. 14 I will pay the Babylonians back for what they have done, and many nations and great kings will make slaves of them.’”
God's Judgment on the Nations
15 The Lord, the God of Israel, said to me, “Here is a wine cup filled with my anger. Take it to all the nations to whom I send you, and make them drink from it. 16 When they drink from it, they will stagger and go out of their minds because of the war I am sending against them.”
17 So I took the cup from the Lord's hand, gave it to all the nations to whom the Lord had sent me, and made them drink from it. 18 Jerusalem and all the towns of Judah, together with its kings and leaders, were made to drink from it, so that they would become a desert, a terrible and shocking sight, and so that people would use their name as a curse—as they still do.
19-26 Here is the list of all the others who had to drink from the cup:
the king of Egypt, his officials and leaders;
all the Egyptians and all the foreigners in Egypt;
all the kings of the land of Uz;
all the kings of the Philistine cities of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and what remains of Ashdod;
all the people of Edom, Moab, and Ammon;
all the kings of Tyre and Sidon;
all the kings of the Mediterranean lands;
the cities of Dedan, Tema, and Buz;
all the people who cut their hair short;
all the kings of Arabia;
all the kings of the desert tribes;
all the kings of Zimri, Elam, and Media;
all the kings of the north, far and near, one after another.
Every nation on the face of the earth had to drink from it. Last of all, the king of Babylonia will drink from it.
27 Then the Lord said to me, “Tell the people that I, the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, am commanding them to drink until they are drunk and vomit, until they fall down and cannot get up, because of the war that I am sending against them. 28 And if they refuse to take the cup from your hand and drink from it, then tell them that the Lord Almighty has said that they will still have to drink from it. 29 I will begin my work of destruction in my own city. Do they think they will go unpunished? No, they will be punished, for I am going to send war on all the people on earth. I, the Lord Almighty, have spoken.
30 “You, Jeremiah, must proclaim everything I have said. You must tell these people,
‘The Lord will roar from heaven
and thunder from the heights of heaven.
He will roar against his people;
he will shout like a man treading grapes.
Everyone on earth will hear him,
31 and the sound will echo to the ends of the earth.
The Lord has a case against the nations.
He will bring all people to trial
and put the wicked to death.
The Lord has spoken.’”
32 The Lord Almighty says that disaster is coming on one nation after another, and a great storm is gathering at the far ends of the earth. 33 On that day the bodies of those whom the Lord has killed will lie scattered from one end of the earth to the other. No one will mourn for them, and they will not be taken away and buried. They will lie on the ground like piles of manure.
34 Cry, you leaders, you shepherds of my people, cry out loud! Mourn and roll in the dust. The time has come for you to be slaughtered, and you will be butchered like rams. 35 There will be no way for you to escape. 36-37 You moan and cry out in distress because the Lord in his anger has destroyed your nation and left your peaceful country in ruins. 38 The Lord has abandoned his people like a lion that leaves its cave. The horrors of war and the Lord's fierce anger have turned the country into a desert.
