Izwi LikaSimakade KubaJuda Abahlala EGibhithe
1Izwi elafika kuJeremiya mayelana nabaJuda bonke ababehlala eGibhithe, eMigidoli, eThahiphanesi, eNofi, nasePhathirosi, lathi: 2“Usho kanje uSimakade Wamabandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: niyibonile yonke inhlekelele engiyehlisele iJerusalema nemizi yonke yakwaJuda. Bhekani, namuhla iyincithakalo, akusekho muntu ohlala kuyo, 3ngenxa yobubi babo ababenzayo, bachukuluza ulaka lwami, ngokuhamba bayoshisa impepho, bakhonza abanye onkulunkulu abangazange babazi bona, nani, nokhokho benu. 4Kepha ngathumela kini zonke izinceku zami, abaphrofethi, ngazithumela ngiphindelela, ngithi: ‘Maningakwenzi lokhu okunengekayo engikuzondayo.’ 5Nokho abangilalelanga, abangishayanga mkhuba, ukuba baphenduke ebubini babo, bangabe besashisela abanye onkulunkulu impepho. 6Ngase ngithulula intukuthelo nolaka lwami, kwavutha emizini yakwaJuda nasemigwaqweni eJerusalema, kwaphenduka incithakalo nembumbiso njengoba kunjalo nanamuhla.
7“Ngakho-ke usho kanje uSimakade uNkulunkulu Wamabandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: nikwenzelani lokhu okubi kangaka kinina uqobo, niqede kini abesilisa, abesifazane, izingane nabasancelayo kubaJuda, nize ningazishiyeli nansali na? 8Niluchukuluzeleni ulaka lwami ngemisebenzi yezandla zenu, nishisela abanye onkulunkulu impepho eGibhithe, lapho niye ukuba niyogogobala na? Nizibhubhisa nina, ukuze nibe yisiqalekiso nehlazo ezizweni zonke zomhlaba. 9Senizikhohliwe yini izenzo ezimbi zokhokho benu, ezamakhosi akwaJuda, nezamakhosikazi awo; izenzo zenu ezimbi nezamakhosikazi enu enazenzayo ezweni lakwaJuda nasemigwaqweni eJerusalema na? 10Abazithobanga kuze kube namuhla, abesabanga, abahambanga ngomthetho wami nangezimiso zami, engikubeke phambi kwenu naphambi kokhokho benu.
11“Ngakho-ke usho kanje uSimakade Wamabandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: bheka, ngiyakubhekana nani ngqo, kube kubi, ngimbhubhise wonke uJuda. 12Ngiyakuyishabalalisa insali yakwaJuda, eqoke ukuya eGibhithe ukuyogogobala khona, bonke bayofela eGibhithe, babulawe yinkemba nendlala; kanjalo abancane nabadala, bayobulawa yinkemba nendlala, babe yisithuko, into esabekayo, isiqalekiso nehlazo.
13“Ngiyobajezisa bonke abahlala eGibhithe njengoba ngajezisa iJerusalema ngenkemba, ngendlala nangobhubhane. 14Akuyukuphunyuka namunye, akuyukusinda muntu ensalini yakwaJuda eye eGibhithe ukuyogogobala khona, ukuze ibuyele ezweni lakwaJuda, efisa ukubuyela kulo ukuze ihlale khona, ngokuba akuyukubuya muntu, kuphela ingcosana ephunyukile.”
15Wonke amadoda ayazi ukuthi omkawo bashisela impepho abanye onkulunkulu, kanye nabesifazane bonke ababemi lapho, ibandla elikhulu, bonke abantu ababehlala eGibhithe, ePhathirosi; bamphendula uJeremiya, bathi: 16“Izwi olikhulume kithi egameni likaSimakade asiyukulilalela. 17Kunalokho impela sizokwenza konke esikuthembisile ngemilomo yethu. Sizoyishisela impepho indlovukazi yezulu, siyethulele iminikelo yokuphuzwayo, njengoba besenza thina nokhokho bethu, amakhosi ethu, nezikhulu zethu, emizini yakwaJuda nasemigwaqweni eJerusalema. Ngokuba sasidla sisutha ukudla, singahlushwa yilutho. 18Kepha selokhu sayeka ukushisela impepho indlovukazi yezulu, nokuyethulela iminikelo yokuphuzwayo, seswele konke, sibulawa yinkemba nayindlala.
19“Abesifazane bathi kuJeremiya: lapho sishisela indlovukazi yezulu impepho, siyethulela iminikelo yokuphuzwayo, siyenzela amaqebelengwane anomfanekiso wayo, ucabanga ukuthi lokho esiyethulela khona, sasikwenza amadoda ethu engavumanga na?”
20UJeremiya wathi kubantu bonke; kwabesilisa, abesifazane, nakubo bonke abantu abamphendula kanjalo, wathi: 21“Ngabe impepho enayishisa emizini yakwaJuda nasemigwaqweni eJerusalema, nina nokhokho benu, namakhosi enu, nezikhulu zenu nabantu bezwe, uSimakade akayikhumbulanga yini, yavuka enhliziyweni yakhe na? 22USimakade kakwazanga ukuyibekezelela, ngenxa yezenzo zenu ezimbi nangenxa yezinengiso enizenzileyo, ngakho-ke izwe lakini liphenduke laba yincithakalo, imfucuza yoqobo, nesiqalekiso, okungekho muntu ohlala kulo kuze kube namuhla. 23Konke lokhu kungenxa yokuba nashisa impepho ngaleyo ndlela, nona kuSimakade, anililalelanga izwi lakhe, anihambanga ngomthetho wakhe, ngezimiso zakhe, nangezexwayiso zakhe, ngakho-ke le nhlekelele inehlele kuze kube yinamuhla.”
24UJeremiya wathi kubo bonke abantu, nakubo bonke abesifazane: “Yizwani izwi likaSimakade, nina nonke bakwaJuda eniseGibhithe. 25Usho kanje uSimakade Wamabandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: nina nomkenu, nikhulume ngemilomo yenu, nakufeza ngezandla zenu, nithi: ‘Nakanjani, siyakuzifeza izithembiso zethu esizenzile, zokuba sishisele indlovukazi yezulu impepho, nokuyithululela iminikelo yokuphuzwayo.’ Qhubekani nezifungo zenu, nikwenze ngokweqiniso lokho enikwethembisile. 26Ngakho-ke yizwani izwi likaSimakade nina nonke baJuda enihlala eGibhithe: ‘Bheka, ngifunga igama lami elikhulu,’ kusho uSimakade, ‘ukuthi igama lami alisayukubizwa muntu wakwaJuda ezweni lonke eGibhithe, athi: “Ngifunga ngiyagomela phambi kukaSimakade.”
27“ ‘Bheka, ngiyakuqikelela ukuba kwenzeke okubi, hhayi okuhle; bonke abantu bakwaJuda abaseGibhithe bayakufela lapho, beqedwa yinkemba nayindlala, baze bafe baphele nya. 28Abayakuphunyuka enkembeni bayakubuya eGibhithe, babuyele ezweni lakwaJuda, beyingcosana. Yonke insali yakwaJuda eye eGibhithe ukuba igogobale khona iyokwazi ukuthi ngelikabani izwi eliyakuma, elami noma elayo.
29“ ‘Lokhu kuyakuba yisibonakaliso kini,’ kusho uSimakade: ‘Sokuthi ngiyakunijezisa kule ndawo ukuze nazi ukuthi impela amazwi ami amabi okumelana nani, ayakwenzeka.’ 30Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: ‘Bhekani, ngizakumnikela uFaro Hofira, inkosi yaseGibhithe, esandleni sezitha zakhe nasesandleni salabo abafuna ukuphila kwakhe, njengalokhu nganikela uZedekiya, inkosi yakwaJuda, esandleni sikaNebukhadinezari, inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, isitha sakhe esasifuna ukuphila kwakhe.’ ”
