UJeremiya 52

₁USedekiya wayeneminyaka engamashumi amabili nanye ekuqaleni kwakhe ukubusa, wabusa iminyaka eyishumi nanye eJerusalema; igama likanina lalinguHamuthali indodakazi kaJeremiya waseLibina. ₂Wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova njengakho konke akwenzileyo uJehoyakimi. ₃Ngokuba kwenzeka lokho eJerusalema nakwaJuda ngenxa yentukuthelo kaJehova, waze wabalahla ebusweni bakhe; uSedekiya wayihlubuka inkosi yaseBabele.

₄Kwathi ngomnyaka wesishiyagalolunye wokubusa kwakhe ngenyanga yeshumi, ngolweshumi lwenyanga, kwafika uNebukadinesari, inkosi yaseBabele, yena nayo yonke impi yakhe, eJerusalema, wamisa malungana nalo, bakha inqaba ngakulo nxazonke. ₅Wawusuvinjezelwa umuzi kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka weshumi nanye wenkosi uSedekiya.

₆Ngenyanga yesine ngolwesishiyagalolunye lwenyanga indlala yaba namandla emzini, akubangakho kudla kubantu bezwe. ₇Kepha wawusufohlwa umuzi, onke amadoda empi abaleka, aphuma emzini ebusuku ngendlela yesango phakathi kwezingange zombili ezazingasensimini yenkosi – amaKaledi ayekhona nxazonke zomuzi – ahamba ngendlela yase-Araba. ₈Kodwa impi yamaKaledi yayixosha inkosi, yamfica uSedekiya emathafeni aseJeriko, yonke impi yakhe yahlakazeka. ₉Ayeseyibamba inkosi, ayenyusela enkosini yaseBabele eRibila ezweni laseHamati, ayahlulela. ₁₀Inkosi yaseBabele yabulala amadodana kaSedekiya phambi kwamehlo akhe; yabulala nazo zonke izikhulu zakwaJuda eRibila. ₁₁Yakhipha namehlo kaSedekiya; inkosi yaseBabele yambopha ngamaketanga, yamyisa eBabele, yamfaka etilongweni kwaze kwaba sosukwini lokufa kwakhe.

₁₂Ngenyanga yesihlanu, ngolweshumi lwenyanga okwakungumnyaka weshumi nesishiyagalolunye wenkosi uNebukadinesari, inkosi yaseBabele, kwafika uNebuzaradani induna yabalindi, inceku yenkosi yaseBabele, eJerusalema. ₁₃Washisa indlu kaJehova nendlu yenkosi; nazo zonke izindlu zaseJerusalema, zonke izindlu ezinkulu, wazishisa ngomlilo. ₁₄Yonke impi yamaKaledi induna yabalindi eyayinayo yadiliza izingange zaseJerusalema nxazonke. ₁₅Abantu abathile abayizimpofana, nabantu abaseleyo ababesele emzini, nabahlubukileyo behlubukela enkosini yaseBabele, nesixuku esiseleyo uNebuzaradani induna yabalindi wabathumba. ₁₆Kepha uNebuzaradani induna yabalindi washiya abantu abathile bezwe abayizimpofana ukuba baphathe izivini namasimu.

₁₇Izinsika zethusi ezazisendlini yenkosi, nezinqe, nolwandle lwethusi okwakusendlini kaJehova amaKaledi akuhlephula, athuthela lonke ithusi lakho eBabele. ₁₈Amakhanzi, namafosholo, nezizenze, nemicakulo, nezinkezo, nazo zonke izitsha zethusi ababekhonza ngazo akuthatha. ₁₉Izindebe, nemicengezi yomlilo, nezitsha, namakhanzi, nezinti zezibani, nezinkezo, nezinkamba, okwegolide lodwa nesiliva lodwa, nalokho induna yabalindi yakuthatha.

₂₀Izinsika zombili, nolwandle olwalulunye nje, nezinkabi eziyishumi nambili zethusi ezaziphansi kwezinye, inkosi uSolomoni eyayikwenzele indlu kaJehova, ithusi lazo zonke lezi zinto lalingenakulinganiswa. ₂₁Izinsika-ke, ukuphakama kwensika eyodwa kwakuyizingalo eziyishumi nesishiyagalombili; umucu oyizingalo eziyishumi nambili wawuyizungeza; uhlonze lwayo lwaluyiminwe emine, yayiyigobongo. ₂₂Kwakukhona isihloko sethusi; ukuphakama kwesihloko esisodwa kwakuyizingalo eziyisihlanu; kwakukhona nenetha namapomegranati* phezu kwesihloko nxazonke, konke kwakungokwethusi; njengangale kwakunjalo nasensikeni yesibili enamapomegranati. ₂₃Kwakukhona amapomegranati* angamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye nesithupha ngasemoyeni; onke amapomegranati asenetheni nxazonke ayeyikhulu.

₂₄Induna yabalindi yathatha uSeraya, umpristi omkhulu, noZefaniya, umpristi wesibili, nabalindimnyango abathathu; ₂₅yathatha emzini induna eyayimiswe phezu kwamadoda empi, nabantu abayisikhombisa kwaba besebusweni benkosi abafunyanwa emzini, nombhali wenduna yempi eyayibala abantu bezwe, nabantu bezwe abangamashumi ayisithupha abafunyanwa phakathi komuzi. ₂₆UNebuzaradani, induna yabalindi, wabathatha, wabayisa enkosini yaseBabele eRibila. ₂₇Inkosi yaseBabele yabashaya, yababulala eRibila ezweni laseHamati. Wathunjwa kanjalo uJuda ezweni lakubo. ₂₈Nampa abantu uNebukadinesari abathumbayo: ngomnyaka wesikhombisa abaJuda abayizinkulungwane ezintathu namashumi amabili nantathu, ₂₉nangomnyaka weshumi nesishiyagalombili kaNebukadinesari wathumba eJerusalema abantu abangamakhulu ayisishiyagalombili namashumi amathathu nambili. ₃₀Ngomnyaka wamashumi amabili nantathu kaNebukadinesari uNebuzaradani induna yabalindi wathumba abaJuda, abantu abangamakhulu ayisikhombisa namashumi amane nanhlanu. Bonke abantu babe yizinkulungwane ezine namakhulu ayisithupha.

₃₁Kwathi ngomnyaka wamashumi amathathu nesikhombisa wokuthunjwa kukaJehoyakini, inkosi yakwaJuda, ngenyanga yeshumi nambili, ngolwamashumi amabili nanhlanu lwenyanga, u-Evili Merodaki inkosi yaseBabele ngomnyaka wokuqala wokubusa kwakhe waphakamisa ikhanda likaJehoyakini inkosi yakwaJuda, wamkhipha etilongweni, ₃₂wakhuluma kahle kuye, wabeka isihlalo sakhe phezu kwezihlalo zamakhosi ayenaye eBabele. ₃₃Waguqula izingubo zakhe zasetilongweni; wadla njalo phambi kwakhe zonke izinsuku zokuhamba kwakhe. ₃₄Isabelo sakhe sasiyisabelo esimiyo semihla ngemihla, asiphiwa yinkosi yaseBabele zonke izinsuku zokuhamba kwakhe kwaze kwaba sosukwini lokufa kwakhe.