1Ngoko ke kwathi kunyaka wethoba wolawulo lukaZedekiya, ngomhla weshumi wenyanga yeshumi, ukumkani waseBhabheli uNebhukadenezare wagaleleka eJerusalem nomkhosi wakhe uphela. Wamisa ngaphandle kwesixeko, wasingqinga ngokusakhela udonga. 2Sahlala singqingiwe njalo ke isixeko eso yada yangunyaka weshumi elinanye kakumkani uZedekiya.
3Kwathi ngomhla wethoba kwinyanga yesine yabe indlala ibhokile apho esixekweni, kangangokuba abantu baphelelwa kukutya. 4Ke kaloku wonke umkhosi watyhoboza apho eludongeni ngobusuku, wasaba uphuma ngesango eliphakathi kwezo ndonga zimbini ngakumyezo kakumkani, nakuba wona amaKaledi ayesingqingile isixeko. Wabalekela ngakwintili yeJordan. 5Kambe ke umkhosi wamaKaledi wasukelisa, waza wambamba uZedekiya nomkhosi wakhe xa asezinkqantosini zaseJeriko. Wahlukaniswa nomkhosi lowo, wona wasarhaka, 6waza yena wathinjwa. Wathathwa wasiwa eRibhela kukumkani waseBhabheli, apho wagwetywa khona. 7Oonyana bakhe uZedekiya babulawa ekhangele. Yena uZedekiya bamtyhaphaza amehlo, baza bamkhonkxa ngamatyathanga obhedu, baya naye eBhabheli.
Ukudilizwa kweJerusalem
8Ke kaloku kwathi ngomhla wesixhenxe wenyanga yesihlanu kunyaka weshumi elinethoba kakumkani waseBhabheli uNebhukadenezare ingqwayi-ngqwayi yabalindi uNebhuzaradan eyayiliphakathi likakumkani waseBhabheli yagaleleka eJerusalem. 9Indlu *kaNdikhoyo wayintumeka umlilo, yatsha kunye nebhotwe ngokwalo, nazo zonke izakhiwo zaseJerusalem. Zonke izakhiwo ezibalulekileyo wazitshisa. 10Wonke loo mkhosi waseBhabheli phantsi kwaloo ngqwayi-ngqwayi yabalindi basebhotwe walungenela waludiliza lonke udonga olwalujikeleze iJerusalem. 11UNebhuzaradan lowo wababamba wabathimba abantu ababesekhona apho esixekweni, ndawonye namagcisa kwakunye nâbo babesebewelele ngakumaBhabheli. 12Kambe ke ingqwayi-ngqwayi leyo yabashiya abantu abahleleleke kakhulu, ukuze basebenze amasimi nezidiliya.
13AmaBhabheli azaphula iintsika zobhedu kwakunye neenqwelo, nechibi lobhedu, zinto ezo zazisendlwini kaNdikhoyo, aza aluthatha lona ubhedu olo, aya nalo eBhabheli. 14Azithatha neembiza, iifotsholo, izikhwezeli-zibane, namacephe, nazo zonke izinto ezenziwe ngobhedu ezazisetyenziswa apho endlwini kaThixo. 15Ewe, ingqwayi-ngqwayi leyo yazithatha neepani zesiqhumiso, kunye nezitya zokufefa, nayo yonke into eyayenziwe ngegolide okanye isiliva.
16Ubhedu olwafumaneka kwezo ntsika zimbini, kwelo chibi, nakwezo nqwelo – zinto ezo ezazenzelwe indlu kaNdikhoyo nguSolomon – lwalungenamlinganiso ngenxa yobuninzi. 17Intsika nganye kwezo zimbini zobhedu yayiziimitha ezisibhozo ukuphakama, intloko elubhedu iyimitha enesithathu ukuphakama. Intloko nganye yayihonjiswe jikelele ngomnatha wobhedu nangeerharnati zobhedu. Ewe, zombini zazifana, nditsho zinomnatha zinjalo.
Abantu bakwaJuda basiwa eBhabheli
18Loo ngqwayi-ngqwayi yabalindi yamthimba umbingeleli omkhulu uSeraya, kunye nombingeleli onganeno kwakhe uZefaniya, nabagcini-mnyango abathathu. 19Kwabaseleyo apho esixekweni yathatha umphathi womkhosi kunye nesihlanu sabacebisi basebhotwe. Yamthatha nonobhala owayeligosa eliyintloko elihlela abomkhosi, kunye namahlakani akhe angamashumi amathandathu, bantu abo babeselapho esixekweni. 20Bonke ke uNebhuzaradan wabathatha waya nabo kukumkani waseBhabheli eRibhela. 21Khona apho eRibhela kwelaseHamati ukumkani lowo wathi mababulawe.
Ngaloo ndlela ke amaJuda afuduselwa ekuthinjweni, kude lee nelizwe lakowawo.
UGedaliya umlawuli kwaJuda
22Ukumkani waseBhabheli uNebhukadenezare wamisela uGedaliya unyana ka-Ahikam unyana kaShafan wangumlawuli wâbo bantu wabashiyayo kwelakwaJuda. 23Ke amagosa omkhosi neqela lawo athi akuva ukuba ukumkani waseBhabheli umisele uGedaliya ukuba abe ngumlawuli, asuka aya kuye uGedaliya eMizpa: uIshmayeli unyana kaNetaniya, uYohanan unyana kaKareya, uSeraya unyana kaTanumente umNetofa, noYazaniya unyana kaMahakati, bekunye neqela labo. 24Ke uGedaliya wawaqinisekisa loo madoda efunga esithi: “Musani ukuba naxhala niwoyike amagosa aseBhabheli. Kuphela nina hlalani phantsi nizinze kweli lizwe, nibuse ukumkani waseBhabheli; konke ke konilungela.”
25Kambe ke kwathi ngenyanga yesixhenxe wasuka uIshmayeli unyana kaNetaniya kaElishama, owayengumntwana wegazi, weza neshumi lamadoda, bambulala uGedaliya kunye namadoda akwaJuda namaBhabheli awayekunye naye eMizpa. 26Ngenxa yesi sihelegu ke bonke abantu, kuqalela komdala kuye komncinci bekunye namagosa omkhosi, bathi ngokoyika amaBhabheli basaba baya kwelaseJiputa.
Ukukhululwa kukaJoyakin
27Ke kaloku kwathi ngonyaka wamashumi amathathu anesixhenxe wathinjwayo uJoyakin ukumkani wakwaJuda, nyaka lowo waqala ngawo ukulawula uEvili-merodaki ukumkani waseBhabheli, wasuka wamkhulula uJoyakin entolongweni. Loo nto ke yenzeka ngomhla wamashumi mabini anesixhenxe kwinyanga yeshumi elinambini. 28Wathetha naye ngobulali, wamnika isihlalo sembeko esingaphezu kwezo zabanye ookumkani awayenabo apho eBhabheli. 29Ngoko ke uJoyakin wazikhulula iimpahla zasentolongweni, waza wasoloko esesithebeni sokumkani lonke ixesha lobomi bakhe. 30Ukumkani lowo ke wathi rhoqo wamxhasa ngokutya uJoyakin, loo nto eyenza imihla ngemihla ngabo bonke ubomi bukaJoyakin.
