Ukukhululwa kukaJeremiya emgodini
1UShefathiya indodana kaMathani, noGedaliya indodana kaPhashuri, noJukali indodana kaShelemiya, noPhashuri indodana kaMalikhiya bawezwa amazwi uJeremiya awakhulumayo kubo bonke abantu ukuthi:
2Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Osele kulomuzi uyakufa ngenkemba, nangendlala, nangesifo, kepha ophumela kumaKaledi uyakuphila, nokuphila kwakhe kuyakuba-yimpango kuye, aphile.
3Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Lomuzi uyakunikelwa nokunikelwa esandleni sempi yenkosi yaseBabele, iwuthathe.
4Zase zithi izikhulu enkosini: Makabulawe lomuntu, njengokuba edangalisa izandla zamadoda empi asele kulomuzi nezandla zabantu bonke ngokukhuluma amazwi anjalo kubo, ngokuba lomuntu akafuni ukuthula kwalababantu, ubafunela okubi.
5USedekiya inkosi wayesethi: Bhekani, usesandleni senu, ngokuba inkosi ayinamandla okuphambana nani ngalutho.
6Zase zimthatha uJeremiya, zamphonsa emgodini kaMalikhiya indodana yenkosi owawusegcekeni letilongo, bamehlisa uJeremiya ngezintambo. Emgodini kwakungekho-manzi, udaka lodwa; uJeremiya washona odakeni.
7UEbedi-Meleki umKushe, umthenwa, owayesendlini yenkosi, esezwile ukuthi bamfaké uJeremiya emgodini, inkosi ihlezi esangweni lakwaBenjamini,
8uEbedi-Meleki waphuma endlini yenkosi, wakhuluma enkosini, wathi:
9Nkosi yami, nkosi, lababantu benzile okubi ngakho konke abakwenzile kuJeremiya umprofethi, abamphonsile emgodini; uyakufela endaweni lapho ekhona ngokulamba, ngokuba akusekho ukudla emzini.
10Inkosi yayisimyala uEbedi-Meleki umKushe, ithi: Thatha lapha abantu abangamashumi amathathu, uhambe nabo, umkhiphe uJeremiya umprofethi emgodini, engakafi.
11UEbedi-Meleki wabathatha abantu, wahamba nabo, waya endlini yenkosi phansi kwendlu yengcebo, wakhipha khona amadlephudlephu amadala namanikiniki abolileyo, wawehlisela kuJeremiya emgodini ngezintambo.
12UEbedi-Meleki umKushe wathi kuJeremiya: Faka lawamadlephudlephu amadala namanikiniki abolileyo emakhwapheni phansi kwezintambo. UJeremiya wenze njalo.
13Base bemdonsa uJeremiya ngezintambo, bamkhipha emgodini; uJeremiya wahlala egcekeni letilongo.
UJeremiya uhlangana ngasese noSedekiya
14USedekiya inkosi wathumela wamthatha uJeremiya umprofethi, wamzisa kuye esikhaleni sesithathu esisendlini kaJehova; inkosi yathi kuJeremiya: Ngithanda ukubuza into kuwe, ungangifihleli-lutho.
15UJeremiya wathi kuSedekiya: Uma ngikutshela, awuyikungibulala nokungibulala na? Uma ngikululeka, awuyikungilalela.
16Inkosi uSedekiya yayisifunga ngasese kuJeremiya, yathi: Kuphila kukaJehova owasenzela lomphefumulo, angiyikukubulala, futhi angiyikukunikela esandleni salawamadoda afuna ukuphila kwakho.
17Wayesethi uJeremiya kuSedekiya: Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu-Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, uthi: Uma uphuma nokuphuma, uye ezikhulwini zenkosi yaseBabele, umphefumulo wakho uyakuphila, futhi lomuzi awuyikushiswa ngomlilo, uphile wena nendlu yakho;
18kepha uma ungaphumi uye ezikhulwini zenkosi yaseBabele, lomuzi uyakunikelwa esandleni samaKaledi, awushise ngomlilo, ungaphunyuki esandleni sabo.
19Inkosi uSedekiya yathi kuJeremiya: Ngiyesaba abaJuda abahlubukele kumaKaledi, funa nginikelwe esandleni sabo, bangiklolodele.
20Kepha uJeremiya wathi: Abayikukunikela. Ake ulilalele izwi likaJehova kulokhu engikukhulumayo kuwe; kuyakubakuhle kuwe, umphefumulo wakho uphile.
21Kepha uma wala ukuphuma, yilelizwi uJehova angibonisile lona lokuthi:
22Bheka, bonke abesifazane abasele endlini yenkosi yakwaJuda bayakukhishelwa izikhulu zenkosi yaseBabele; bheka, bayakuthi:
Abahlobo bakho abakhulu bakududile,
bakwahlula;
kepha lapho izinyawo zakho zishoné exhaphozini,
babuyele emuva.
23Bayakukhiphela amaKaledi bonke abafazi bakho nabantwana bakho; awuyikuphunyuka esandleni sabo, kepha uyakubanjwa ngesandla senkosi yaseBabele, wenze ukuba lomuzi ushiswe ngomlilo.
24USedekiya wayesethi kuJeremiya: Makungabikho-muntu owazi lawamazwi, funa ufe.
25Uma izikhulu zizwa ukuthi ngikhulumile nawe, besezifika kuwe, zithi kuwe: Ake usitshele okukhulumileyo enkosini, ungasifihleli khona, asiyikukubulala, nalokho inkosi eyakukhuluma kuwe,
26uyakuthi kubo: Nganxusa enkosini ukuba ingangibuyiseli endlini kaJonathani, funa ngifele khona.
27Zonke izikhulu zafika kuJeremiya, zambuza. Wazitshela onke lawamazwi inkosi emyalé ngawo. Zathula, zasuka kuye, ngokuba indaba ayizwakalanga.
28Kepha uJeremiya wasala egcekeni letilongo, kwaze kwafika usuku elanqotshwa ngalo iJerusalema.
