Ukungqingwa nokutshatyalaliswa kweYerusalem
1Kwathi ngomnyaka wesithoba wobukumkani bakhe, ngenyanga yeshumi, ngosuku lweshumi enyangeni leyo, wayifikela iYerusalem uNebhukadenetsare, ukumkani waseBhabheli; yena nempi yakhe yonke wayirhawula; wákha iinqaba zokubonisela ngeenxa zonke. 2Wangqingwa ke umzi, kwada kwangumnyaka weshumi elinamnye wokumkani uZedekiya. 3Ngosuku lwesithoba lwenyanga yesiné yaqina indlala phakathi komzi; ababa nasonka abantu belizwe.
4Wagqojozwa umzi, asaba onke amadoda okulwa ngobusuku, ngendlela yesango eliphakathi kweendonga zombini, elisemyezweni wokumkani (aye amaKaledi ewujikelezile umzi); wahamba ukumkani ngendlela yaseArabha. 5Impi yamaKaledi yamsukela ukumkani, yamfikela ezinkqantosini zaseYeriko, yamphalala, yemka kuye yonke impi yakhe. 6Ambamba ukumkani, anyuka naye, amsa kukumkani waseBhabheli eRibhela; lathethwa apho ityala lakhe. 7Abasíka oonyana bakaZedekiya ekhangele; amtyhaphaza amehlo uZedekiya, amkhonkxa ngamakhamandela obhedu, amsa eBhabheli.
8Ngenyanga yesihlanu, ngosuku lwesixhenxe enyangeni leyo (loo mnyaka ke ngoweshumi elinesithoba engukumkani uNebhukadenetsare, ukumkani waseBhabheli), kwafika uNebhuzaradan, umthetheli wabasiki babantu, umkhonzi wokumkani waseBhabheli, eYerusalem. 9Wayitshisa indlu kaYehova, nendlu yokumkani, nezindlu zonke zaseYerusalem; izindlu zonke ezinkulu wazitshisa ngomlilo. 10Iindonga zaseYerusalem yazidiliza ngeenxa zonke impi leyo yamaKaledi, ebinomthetheli wabasiki babantu. 11Amasalela abantu ababesele phakathi komzi, namaphamba awayephambele kukumkani waseBhabheli, namasalela engxokolo, wawafudusa uNebhuzaradan, umthetheli wabasiki babantu.
12Ke umphathi wabasiki babantu wawasalisa amahlwempu elizwe, ukuze abe ngabasebenzi bezidiliya nabalimi. 13Iintsika zobhedu ezibe zisendlwini kaYehova, neenqwelwana, nolwandle lobhedu obe lusendlwini kaYehova, ezo zinto aziqhekeza amaKaledi, aluthwalela eBhabheli ubhedu lwazo. 14Athabatha neembiza, nemihlakulwana, nezitshetshe, neenkamba, neempahla zonke zobhedu ebe kulungiselelwa ngazo. 15Umphathi wabasiki babantu wathabatha nezitya, izitya zokutshiza, igolide kwezegolide, isilivere kwezesilivere; 16neentsika zombini, ulwandle olunye, neenqwelwana, awazenzela indlu kaYehova uSolomon; alwaba nakulinganiswa ubhedu lwezo mpahla zonke. 17Ukuphakama kwenye intsika bekuziikubhite• ezilishumi elinesibhozo, ingqukuva yayo iyeyobhedu; ukuphakama kwengqukuva bekuziikubhite ezintathu; umnatha neerharnate ezibe zisengqukuveni ngeenxa zonke, yonke loo nto yabe ilubhedu; intsika yesibini yabe ikwanjalo, kunye nomnatha wayo.
18Umphathi wabasiki babantu wamthabatha uSeraya, umbingeleli oyintloko, noZefaniya, umbingeleli wolwesibini udidi, nabagcini-mnyango bobathathu. 19Kuwo umzi wathabatha umbusi wamnye, awayengumphathi wamadoda okulwa; namadoda amahlanu kwabehlala nokumkani, awafunyanwayo phakathi komzi; nombhali womthetheli womkhosi, obesakuhlanganisa abantu belizwe; namadoda amashumi mathandathu kubantu belizwe, awafunyanwayo phakathi komzi. 20Wabathabatha abo uNebhuzaradan, umphathi wabasiki babantu, wabása kukumkani waseBhabheli eRibhela. 21Wabaxabela ukumkani waseBhabheli, wababulalela eRibhela ezweni laseHamati. Afuduswa ke amaYuda emhlabeni wawo.
22Ke abantu abasaláyo ezweni lakwaYuda, awabasalisayo uNebhukadenetsare, ukumkani waseBhabheli, wabamisela umphathi onguGedaliya, unyana ka-Ahikam, unyana kaShafan.
23Bakùva ke bonke abathetheli bemikhosi, bona namadoda abo, akuba ukumkani waseBhabheli umenze umphathi uGedaliya, beza kuGedaliya lowo eMizpa; bengooIshmayeli unyana kaNetaniya, noYohanan unyana kaKareha, noSeraya, unyana kaTanumete waseNetofa, noYahazaniya unyana kaMahakati, bona namadoda abo. 24Wabafungela bona namadoda abo uGedaliya, wathi kubo, Musani ukuboyika abakhonzi bamaKaledi; hlalani kweli lizwe, nikhonze ukumkani waseBhabheli, konilungela. 25Ke kaloku kwathi ngenyanga yesixhenxe, kweza uIshmayeli unyana kaNetaniya, unyana kaElishama, wasembewini yookumkani, enamadoda alishumi, bamxabela uGedaliya, wafa, namaYuda namaKaledi abenaye eMizpa. 26Besuka ke bonke abantu, bethabathela komncinane bezisa komkhulu, nabathetheli bemikhosi, baya eYiputa; ngokuba babewoyika amaKaledi.
27Kwathi ngomnyaka wamashumi omathathu anesixhenxe wokufuduswa kukaYehoyakin, ukumkani wakwaYuda, ngenyanga yeshumi elinesibini, ngosuku lwamashumi omabini anesixhenxe enyangeni leyo: uEvili-merodaki, ukumkani waseBhabheli, ngomnyaka wokwenziwa kwakhe ukumkani, wayiphakamisa intloko kaYehoyakin, ukumkani wakwaYuda, wamkhupha entolongweni. 28Wathetha naye kakuhle, wayimisa itrone yakhe, yangaphezu kwetrone yookumkani ababenaye eBhabheli. 29Zakhululwa iingubo zakhe zasentolongweni, wamana ukudla isonka phambi kwakhe yonke imihla yokuphila kwakhe. 30Wawunikwa umxhesho wakhe, umxhesho wamaxesha onke, uvela kukumkani: into yemini ngangemini yayo, yonke imihla yokuphila kwakhe.
