Ukuchithwa kweJerusalema
1Kwathi ngomnyaka wesishiyagalolunye wokubusa kwakhe, ngenyanga yeshumi ngolweshumi lwenyanga, uNebukadinesari inkosi yaseBabele wafika, yena nayo yonke impi yakhe, eJerusalema, wamisa malungana nalo; bakha inqaba ngakulo nxazonke. 2Wawusuvinjezelwa umuzi kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka weshumi nanye wenkosi uSedekiya. 3Ngosuku lwesishiyagalolunye lwenyanga indlala yaba namandla emzini, akubangakho kudla kubantu bezwe. 4Kepha wawusufohlwa umuzi, onke amadoda empi abaleka ebusuku ngendlela yesango phakathi kwezingange zombili ezazingasensimini yenkosi amaKaledi ayekhona nxazonke zomuzi ahamba ngendlela yase-Araba. 5Kodwa impi yamaKaledi yayixosha inkosi, yayifica emathafeni aseJeriko, yonke impi yayo yahlakazeka. 6Ayeseyibamba inkosi, ayenyusela enkosini yaseBabele eRibila; ayahlulela. 7Abulala amadodana kaSedekiya phambi kwamehlo akhe, akhipha amehlo kaSedekiya, ambopha ngamaketanga, amyisa eBabele.
8Ngenyanga yesihlanu ngolwesikhombisa lwenyanga okwakungumnyaka weshumi nesishiyagalolunye wenkosi uNebukadinesari, inkosi yaseBabele, kwafika uNebuzaradani induna yabalindi, inceku yenkosi yaseBabele, eJerusalema. 9Washisa indlu kaJehova nendlu yenkosi; nazo zonke izindlu zaseJerusalema, zonke izindlu ezinkulu, wazishisa ngomlilo. 10Yonke impi yamaKaledi induna yabalindi eyayinayo yadiliza izingange zaseJerusalema nxazonke. 11Abanye abantu ababesele emzini, nabahlubukileyo behlubukela enkosini yaseBabele, nesixuku esiseleyo uNebuzaradani induna yabalindi wabathumba. 12Kepha induna yabalindi yashiya abantu bezwe abayizimpofana ukuba baphathe izivini namasimu.
13Izinsika zethusi ezazisendlini yenkosi, nezinqe, nolwandle lwethusi okwakusendlini kaJehova amaKaledi akuhlephula, athuthela ithusi lakho eBabele. 14Amakhanzi, namafosholo, nezizenze, nezinkezo, nazo zonke izitsha zethusi ababekhonza ngazo akuthatha. 15Nemicengezi yomlilo, nezitsha, okwegolide lodwa nesiliva lodwa, nalokho induna yabalindi yakuthatha.
16Izinsika zombili, nolwandle olwalulunye nje, nezinqe uSolomoni ayekwenzele indlu kaJehova, ithusi lazo zonke lezi zinto lalingenakulinganiswa. 17Ukuphakama kwensika eyodwa kwakuyizingalo eziyishumi nesishiyagalombili; phezu kwayo kwakukhona isihloko sethusi; ukuphakama kwesihloko esisodwa kwakuyizingalo ezintathu; kwakukhona nenetha namapomegranati* phezu kwesihloko nxazonke, konke kwakungokwethusi; kwakunjalo nasensikeni yesibili enetheni.
18Induna yabalindi yathatha uSeraya umpristi omkhulu, noZefaniya umpristi wesibili, nabalindimnyango abathathu; 19yathatha emzini induna eyayimiswe phezu kwamadoda empi, nabantu abayisihlanu kwababesebusweni benkosi abafunyanwa emzini, nombhali wenduna yempi eyayibala abantu bezwe, nabantu bezwe abangamashumi ayisithupha abafunyanwa emzini. 20UNebuzaradani induna yabalindi wabathatha, wabayisa enkosini yaseBabele eRibila. 21Inkosi yaseBabele yabashaya, yababulala eRibila ezweni laseHamati. Wathunjwa kanjalo uJuda ezweni lakubo.
22Abantu abaseleyo ezweni lakwaJuda abashiyiwe nguNebukadinesari inkosi yaseBabele, phezu kwabo wenza uGedaliya indodana ka-Ahikamu kaShafani abe ngumbusi. 23Zonke izinduna zempi, zona nabantu bazo, sezizwile ukuthi inkosi yaseBabele imenzile uGedaliya umbusi ezweni, zaya kuGedaliya eMispa: u-Ishmayeli indodana kaNethaniya, noJohanani indodana kaKhareya, noSeraya indodana kaThanihumeti waseNethofa, noJahazaniya indodana yomMahakha, bona nabantu babo. 24UGedaliya wafunga kubo nakubantu babo, wathi kubo: “Ningesabi izinceku zamaKaledi; hlalani ezweni, niyikhonze inkosi yaseBabele, kuyakuba kuhle kini.”
25Kepha kwathi ngenyanga yesikhombisa wafika u-Ishmayeli indodana kaNethaniya ka-Elishama wozalo lwenkosi, abantu abayishumi benaye, wamshaya uGedaliya waze wafa, kanye nabaJuda namaKaledi ayenaye eMispa. 26Abantu bonke, abancane nabakhulu, nezinduna zempi basuka baya eGibithe, ngokuba besaba amaKaledi.
27Kwathi ngomnyaka wamashumi amathathu nesikhombisa wokuthunjwa kukaJehoyakini inkosi yakwaJuda ngenyanga yeshumi nambili ngolwamashumi amabili nesikhombisa lwenyanga, u-Evili Merodaki inkosi yaseBabele, ngomnyaka wokuqala wokubusa kwakhe, waphakamisa ikhanda likaJehoyakini inkosi yakwaJuda, wamkhipha etilongweni, 28wakhuluma kahle kuye, wabeka isihlalo sakhe phezu kwezihlalo zamakhosi ayenaye eBabele. 29Waguqula izingubo zakhe zasetilongweni; wadla njalo phambi kwakhe zonke izinsuku zokuhamba kwakhe. 30Isabelo sakhe sasiyisabelo esimiyo semihla ngemihla, asiphiwa yinkosi zonke izinsuku zokuhamba kwakhe.
