ISambulo KuJohane
18 Ngemva kwalokho ngabona enye ingilosi eyayilamandla amakhulu isehla ivela ezulwini futhi umhlaba wakhanyiswa yinkazimulo yayo. 2 Yamemeza ngelizwi elikhulu yathi: “Isiwile! IBhabhiloni Enkulu isiwile+ njalo isiyindawo yokuhlala yamadimoni lendawo lapho okucatsha khona yonke imimoya engcolileyo* lazo zonke inyoni ezingcolileyo lezizondwayo!+ 3 Phela izizwe zonke sezidakiwe+ ngenxa yewayini lenkanuko* yobufebe* bayo futhi ifeba lamakhosi omhlaba.+ Abathengisi* bomhlaba sebenothile ngenxa yamandla enotho yayo eyihuquluza ingelanhloni.”
4 Ngasengisizwa elinye ilizwi livela ezulwini lisithi: “Phumani kuyo bantu bami+ nxa lingafuni ukuhlanganyela layo ezonweni zayo futhi lingafuni ukwamukela ezinye zezinhlupho zayo+ 5 ngoba izono zayo sezibe yinqwaba zaze zayafika ezulwini+ njalo uNkulunkulu usezikhumbulile izenzo zayo ezingalunganga.*+ 6 Yiphatheni ngendlela ebiphatha ngayo abanye,+ liyibuyisele seziphindwe kabili izinto ezenzileyo.+ Enkomitshini+ ebihlanganisela khona okunathwayo, yihlanganiseleni sekuphindwe kabili.+ 7 Yihlukuluzeni liyenze ilile kuze kufike ebangeni ebizikhazimulisa ngalo ilenotho enengi futhi ingelanhloni ngakho ngoba iqhubeka isithi enhliziyweni yayo: ‘Ngihlezi sandlovukazi, kangisimfelokazi njalo kangisoze ngilile loba sekutheni.’+ 8 Yikho okuzakwenza yehlelwe zinhlupho ngelanga elilodwa, ukufa lokulila kanye lendlala futhi izatshiswa ngomlilo+ iphele du ngoba uJehova* uNkulunkulu oyahluleleyo ulamandla.+
9 “Amakhosi omhlaba ayefeba* layo njalo ephila ngenotho yayo eyayiyihuquluza ingelanhloni azakhala futhi azitshaye ezifubeni eyililela lapho ebona intuthu yokutsha kwayo. 10 Azamela khatshana ngoba esesaba ukuhlukuluzwa kwayo, athi: ‘Maye, maye ngawe dolobho elikhulu,+ Bhabhiloni, wena dolobho eliqinileyo ngoba ukwahlulelwa kwakho kufike ngehora elilodwa nje!’
11 “Labathengisi bomhlaba bayakhala, bayayililela ngoba zonke impahla abazithengisayo sezizaswela ozazithenga, 12 lalo lonke igolide, lesiliva, lamatshe aligugu, lamaphareli, lelineni elohlonzi, lelembu eliyibubende,* lelembu lesilikhi, lelembu elibomvu gebhu kanye lakho konke okwenziwe ngogodo olunukelelayo, lazo zonke izinto ezenziwe ngophondo lwendlovu, langezigodo ezidulayo, langekhopha, langensimbi, langamatshe alemibalabala, 13 lesinamoni, lezilimo ezilephunga elimnandi ezivela e-Indiya, lempepha, lamafutha anukelelayo, lenhlaka yokwenza impepha, lewayini, lamafutha ama-oliva, lefulawa ecolekileyo, lengqoloyi, lenkomo, lezimvu, lamabhiza, lezinqola, lezigqili kanye lempilo zabantu.* 14 Zonke izithelo ezivuthiweyo owawuzifisa* sezikutshiyile, lazo zonke izibiliboco lezinto zakho ezinhle kakhulu sezinyamalele futhi ngeke ziphinde zitholakale.
15 “Abathengisi ababethengisa izinto lezi, abanotha ngenxa yayo bazamela khatshana besesaba ukuhlukuluzwa kwayo futhi bazakhala balile 16 bathi: ‘Maye, maye kulo idolobho elikhulu eligqoke ilineni elohlonzi lokuyibubende kanye lokubomvu gebhu, elicece ngezinto ezinengi ezidulayo ezenziwe ngegolide langamatshe aligugu lamaphareli+ 17 ngoba ngehora elilodwa nje inotho enengi kangaka isitshabalalisiwe!’
“Zonke izinduna zemikhumbi lalabo abahlala behamba elwandle, labagwedli bemikhumbi kanye labo bonke abaphila ngokusebenza elwandle bamela khatshana, 18 bamemeza bekhangele intuthu yokutsha kwalo, bathi: ‘Kambe yiliphi idolobho elinjengedolobho leli elikhulu?’ 19 Bazithela ngothuli emakhanda abo bamemeza bekhala futhi belila besithi: ‘Maye, maye kulo idolobho elikhulu elanothisa bonke ababelemikhumbi elwandle ngenotho yalo ngoba ngehora elilodwa nje selitshabalalisiwe!’+
20 “Thokozani ngalokho okuyehleleyo lina elisezulwini,+ lani abangcwele,+ labaphostoli kanye labaphrofethi ngoba uNkulunkulu useyahlulele ngenxa yenu!”+
21 Ingilosi elamandla yaphakamisa ilitshe elinjengelitshe lokuchola elikhulu yaliphosela elwandle isithi: “Ledolobho elikhulu iBhabhiloni lizaphoselwa phansi masinyane njalo kalisoze liphinde litholakale.+ 22 Akusoze kuphinde kuzwakale umsindo wabahlabeleli kuwe, owabahlabela betshaya amahabhu,* lowabanye abahlabeleli, lowabatshaya amafluthi kanye lamacilongo. Ngeke kutholakale kuwe ingcitshi yomsebenzi eyenza loba yini futhi akusoze kuphinde kuzwakale umsindo welitshe lokuchola. 23 Kasikho isibane esizaphinda sikhanyise kuwe njalo kalikho ilizwi lomyeni lelikamakoti elizazwakala kuwe futhi ngoba abathengisi bakho yibo ababeyizikhulu zomhlaba njalo zonke izizwe zadukiswa yizenzo zakho zokusebenzelana lamadimoni.+ 24 Kwatholakala kulo igazi labaphrofethi lelabangcwele+ lelabo bonke ababuleweyo emhlabeni.”+