2 AMakhosi 25

₁Kwathi ngonyaka wesishiyagalolunye wokubusa kukaZedekiya, ngenyanga yeshumi, ngolweshumi lwayo, kwafika uNebukhadinezari, inkosi yaseBhabhele, eJerusalema nayo yonke impi yakhe. Bakanisa maqondana nalo; bakha khona udonga lokuvimbezela, nxazonke. ₂Umuzi bawuvimbezela kwaze kwaba ngunyaka we-11 wokubusa kukaZedekiya, inkosi. ₃Ngosuku lwesishiyagalolunye yayibhokile indlala emzini, kwakungekho kudla kubantu bezwe. ₄Wonke amabutho awufohla umuzi ngalobo busuku, abaleka ngendlela yesango elaliphakathi kwezingange zombili ezazingasensimini yenkosi. AmaKhaledi ayewuzungeze nxazonke umuzi, amabutho ahamba ngendlela ese-Araba. ₅Impi yamaKhaledi yayixosha inkosi, yayifica emathafeni eJerikho, yonke impi yayo yahlakazeka, yayishiya. ₆Ayibamba inkosi ayiletha enkosini yaseBhabhele, eRibhila, ayehlulela. ₇Amadodana kaZedekiya abulawa phambi kwakhe, uZedekiya amkhipha amehlo, ambopha ngamaketanga, amyisa eBhabhele.

₈Ngenyanga yesihlanu, ngosuku lwesikhombisa lwayo, okwakungunyaka we-19 wenkosi uNebukhadinezari, inkosi yaseBhabhele, kwafika eJerusalema uNebuzaradani, induna yabalindi, inceku yenkosi yaseBhabhele. ₉Washisa ngomlilo indlu kaSimakade nesigodlo senkosi, nazo zonke izindlu ezinkulu, wazishisa ngomlilo. ₁₀Induna yabalindi, nayo yonke impi yamaKhaledi eyayinayo, yadiliza izingange eJerusalema, nxazonke. ₁₁Abanye abantu abasala emzini, nalabo abahlubukayo, bahlubukela ngasohlangothini lwenkosi yaseBhabhele, nesixuku esiseleyo, uNebuzaradani, induna yabalindi, wabathumba bonke. ₁₂Kepha ababempofu balelo lizwe, induna yabalindi yabashiya ukuba banakekele izivini namasimu.

₁₃Izinsika zethusi ezazisendlini kaSimakade, izinqe zolwandle lwethusi okwakusendlini kaSimakade, akuhlephula amaKhaledi, alithwala ithusi aya nalo eBhabhele. ₁₄Amabhodwe, izimfologo, izizenze, izinkezo, nezitsha zethusi, ababekhonza ngakho, akuthatha. ₁₅Imicengezi yomlilo, izitsha zegolide lodwa, nezesiliva lodwa, nalokho induna yabalindi yakuthatha.

₁₆Izinsika zombili, nolwandle olwalulunye nje, nezinqe uSolomoni ayekwenzele indlu kaSimakade, isisindo sethusi okwakwenziwe ngalo zonke lezi zinto sasingenakulinganiswa. ₁₇Ukuphakama kwensika eyodwa kwakungamakhubhithi ali-18; phezu kwayo kwakukhona isihloko sethusi; ukuphakama kwesihloko esisodwa kwakungamakhubhithi amathathu. Kwakukhona nenetha namahananadi phezu kwesihloko, nxazonke, konke kwakungokwethusi; kwakunjalo nasensikeni yesibili enetheni.

₁₈Induna yabalindi yathumba uZeraya, umphristi omkhulu, uZefaniya, umphristi wesibili, abalindimnyango abathathu, ₁₉yathumba emzini induna eyayibekwe ukwengamela amabutho, abantu abayisihlanu ababesondelene nenkosi abatholwa emzini, umbhali womkhuzi wempi eyayibala abantu ezweni, kwatholakala ezweni abantu abangama-60 ababehlala emzini. ₂₀UNebuzaradani, induna yabalindi, yabathumba yabayisa enkosini yaseBhabhele, eRibhila. ₂₁Inkosi yaseBhabhele yabashaya, yababulalela khona eRibhila, eHamathi. UJuda waya ekuthunjweni esuswa ezweni lakubo.

₂₂UNebukhadinezari, inkosi yaseBhabhele, wabeka uGedaliya, indodana ka-Ahikamu kaShafani, ukuba abe ngumbusi phezu kwensali yakwaJuda ayeyishiyile ezweni. ₂₃Zonke izinduna zempi nabantu bezwa ukuthi inkosi yaseBhabhele ibeke uGedaliya waba ngumbusi ezweni, zase ziya kuGedaliya eMizipha: u-Ishmayeli, indodana kaNethaniya, noJohanani, indodana kaKhareya, noZeraya, indodana kaThanihumethi waseNethofa, noJahazaniya, indodana yomMahakha, nabantu babo. ₂₄UGedaliya wafunga kubo nakubantu babo, wathi: “Ningazesabi izinceku zamaKhaledi; hlalani ezweni, nikhonze enkosini yaseBhabhele ukuze kunihambele kahle.”

₂₅Kwathi ngenyanga yesikhombisa kwafika u-Ishmayeli, indodana kaNethaniya ka-Elishama ongowozalo lwasebukhosini, ehamba namadoda alishumi, wafika washaya uGedaliya waze wafa kanye nabaJuda namaKhaledi ayenabo eMizpha. ₂₆Bonke abantu, abancane, nabadala, nabakhuzi bempi basuka babalekela eGibhithe, ngokuba babesaba amaKhaledi.

₂₇Kwathi ngonyaka wama-37 athunjwa uJehoyakini, inkosi yakwaJuda, ngenyanga ye-12, ngosuku lwama-27 lwayo, u-Evili Merodaki, inkosi yaseBhabhele, ngonyaka wakhe wokuqala eyinkosi, wamkhulula ejele uJehoyakini, inkosi yakwaJuda. ₂₈Wakhuluma kahle naye, wabeka isihlalo sakhe saba phezu kwezihlalo zamakhosi ayenaye eBhabhele. ₂₉Wamkhumula izingubo ayezigqoka ejele, wadla naye njalo, zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwakhe. ₃₀Isabelo sakhe ayesiphiwa yinkosi, sasiyisabelo esimiyo semihla ngemihla, zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwakhe.