UJEREMIYA 43

₁Akugqiba uJeremiya ukuwathetha ebantwini bonke amazwi onke *kaNdikhoyo uThixo wabo awamthuma wona uNdikhoyo kubo, ₂uAzariya unyana kaHoshaya ekunye noYohanan kaKareya, kunye nawo onke amanye amadoda anekratshi, bathi kuJeremiya: “Uyaxoka! UNdikhoyo uThixo wethu akazange akuthume kuthi ukuba uthi: ‘Ze ningayi kuya kuhlala eJiputa.’ ₃NguBharuki unyana kaNeriya lo ukuhlohle lo moya mbi, efuna ukuba sinikezelwe esandleni samaKaledi, aze asibulale, okanye asenze abathinjwa kwelaseBhabheli.”

₄Ke ngoko uYohanan unyana kaKareya, ekunye nabaphathi-mabutho kunye nabantu bonke bala ukumthobela uNdikhoyo ngokuthi bahlale kwelakwaJuda. ₅Suka yena uYohanan enabaphathi-mabutho waqokelela onke amasalela akwaJuda, bonke abo babebuyele kwaJuda bevela kumazwe ababethe saa kuwo, ₆ingamadoda nabafazi nabantwana kwakunye neentombi zokumkani, bonke abaya bantu babeshiywe nguNebhuzaradan umphathi wabalindi bakomkhulu elugcinweni lukaGedaliya unyana ka-Ahikam umzukulwana kaShafan. Wayelapho nomshumayeli uJeremiya, ekunye noBharuki unyana kaNeriya. ₇Bonke baya kuma eJiputa, besala ukumthobela uNdikhoyo, baya kutsho eTapanesi.

₈Lavakala kuJeremiya ilizwi *likaNdikhoyo eseTapanesi, lisithi: ₉“Thatha amatye amakhulu, uwombele, uwadibanise ngodaka emgangathweni wezitena osesangweni lakomkhulu eTapanesi. Oku kufuneka ukwenze emehlweni amaJuda. ₁₀Uze ke uthi kuwo: ‘Utsho uNdikhoyo, uThixo onamandla onke kaSirayeli, ukuthi: Ndiza kubiza isicaka sam ukumkani uNebhukadenezare waseBhabheli, aze afike asimise isihlalo sakhe phezu kwalo mgangatho wamatye uwombeleyo, awagqume ngesigqubuthelo sakhe sobukumkani. ₁₁Uza kuyibetha iJiputa, abulale abo bamelwe kukufa, athimbe abo bafanelwe kukuthinjwa, abatyakatye ngekrele abo bamelwe kukufa ngekrele. ₁₂Izindlu zoothixo bamaJiputa uza kuzintumeka ngomlilo, atshise izindlu zoothixo balapho, amaJiputa awase ekuthinjweni. Wowuphendla umhlaba waseJiputa, aphume apho exolile, njengomalusi ephendla iintwala engubeni yakhe. ₁₃Uya kuzintlekeza iintsika zaseBhete-shemeshe eJiputa, azitshise ngomlilo izindlu zoothixo baseJiputa.’ ”