ISambulo 18:1-24

Emveni kwalokho ngabona enye ingelosi yehla ezulwini, inamandla amakhulu, umhlaba wakhanyiswa yinkazimulo yayo. Yamemeza ngezwi elikhulu, yathi: “Liwile, liwile iBhabhiloni elikhulu, seliphenduke indawo ehlala amadimoni, nejele layo yonke imimoya engcolileyo, nazo zonke izinyoni ezingcolileyo nezinengekayo, nazo zonke izilwane ezingcolile nezinengekayo. Ngokuba zonke izizwe ziliphuzile iwayini lezinkanuko nobufebe balo, amakhosi omhlaba afebe nalo, nabahwebi bomhlaba bacebile ngengcebo yokutamasa kwalo.” Ngase ngizwa elinye izwi livela ezulwini, lithi: “Bantu bami, phumani kulo, ukuze ningahlanganyeli ezonweni zalo, futhi ningehlelwa yizinhlupheko zalo. Ngokuba izono zalo sezifinyelele ezulwini, noNkulunkulu wakhumbula ukungalungi kwalo. Yenza kulo lokho elikwenzile, ukuphindaphinde kabili okwemisebenzi yalo; endebeni ebelixubela kuyo, lixubele ngokuphindiwe; kube ngangalokho elizidumise latamasa ngakho, ligidlabezeni ngokuhlupheka nokulila. Ngokuba enhliziyweni yalo lithi: ‘Ngihleli ngiyindlovukazi, angisiye umfelokazi, futhi angisoze ngakubona ukulila.’ “Ngakho-ke kuyakufika ngalusuku lunye izinhlupheko zalo: ukufa, ukulila, nendlala, futhi liyakushiswa ngomlilo lingqongqe, ngokuba iNkosi uNkulunkulu elahlulelayo inamandla. “Amakhosi omhlaba, lawo ayefeba atamasa nalo, ayakukhala alile ngenxa yalo, lapho ebona intuthu yalo lisha. Ayomela kude ngenxa yokwesaba ukuhlupheka kwalo, athi: ‘Maye, maye kuwe muzi omkhulu waseBhabhiloni, muzi onamandla, ngokuba ukwehlulelwa kwakho kufike ngehora linye nje!’ “Nabahwebi bomhlaba bayakhala, bayalililela, ngokuba akusekho muntu othenga impahla yabo: impahla yegolide, eyesiliva, eyamatshe ayigugu, amapharele, ilineni elicolekileyo, okubukhwebezane, usilika, okubomvu, imithi yonke enamakha, zonke izitsha zamazinyo endlovu, izitsha zonke zomuthi onenani elikhulu, ezethusi, ezensimbi, ezetshe elimhlophe, isinamoni, okunephunga elimnandi, impepho, amafutha okuqhola, inhlaka, iwayini, amafutha omnqumo, impuphu ecolisekileyo, ukolo, izinkomo, izimvu, amahhashi, izinqola, izigqila, imizimba nemiphefumulo yabantu. “Izithelo ezazinxanelwa wumphefumulo wakho zimukile kuwe, nakho konke ukutamasa nobukhazikhazi kushabalele kuwe, akusayukuphinde kutholakale kuwe. Abahwebi balezi zinto, abaceba ngokuhwebelana nalo, bayakumela kude ngenxa yokwesaba ukuhlupheka kwalo, bekhala, belila, bethi: ‘Maye, maye kuwe muzi omkhulu owawembethe ilineni elicolekileyo, okubukhwebezane, nokubomvu, uvunule ngegolide, ngamatshe ayigugu nangamapharele! Ngokuba ngehora linye vo, ingcebo engaka isishabalalisiwe.’ “Bonke abashayeli bemikhumbi, bonke abaya noma kuphi ngomkhumbi, amatilosi, nabo bonke abasebenza olwandle bamela kude, bekhala lapho bebona intuthu yokusha kwalo, bethi: ‘Yimuphi umuzi ofana nalowo muzi omkhulu na?’ “Base bezithela ngothuli emakhanda, badazuluka bakhala, balila, bathi: ‘Maye, maye kuwe muzi omkhulu, abaceba ngawe bonke abanemikhumbi olwandle ngenxa yengcebo yakho eningi, ngokuba ngehora elilodwa nje ubhujisiwe! Thokoza ngawo wena zulu, nani bangcwele, nani baphostoli, nani baphrofethi, ngokuba uNkulunkulu uwahlulele, waniphindiselela kuwo.’ ” Ingelosi enamandla yaqukula itshe lokugaya elikhulu, yaliphonsa olwandle, ithi: “Liyakwenziwa kanjalo iBhabhiloni umuzi omkhulu, liphonswe ngamandla, lingabe lisatholakala nanini. Umsindo wababetha ihabhu, owabahlabeleli, owabashaya imitshingo namacilongo, awusophinde futhi uzwakale kuwe. Zonke izingcweti ezenza noma yimiphi imisebenzi azisayukuba bikho kuwe nanini, umsindo wetshe lokusila awusayukuphinde uzwakale kuwe, ukukhanya kwesibani akuyukubuye kukhanye kuwe, izwi lomyeni nelomlobokazi alisoze laphinda lizwakale kuwe, ngokuba abahwebi bakho babengabadumile emhlabeni, futhi udukisile izizwe zonke ngokuthakatha kwakho, futhi kwatholakala kuwe igazi labaphrofethi, elabangcwele, nelabo bonke ababebulewe emhlabeni.”