UJeremiya 29

₁Nanka amazwi encwadi uJeremiya, umprofethi, ayithumayo eseJerusalema kuyo insali yamalunga athunjiweyo, nakubapristi, nakubaprofethi, nakubo bonke abantu ayebathumbile uNebukadinesari eJerusalema, wabayisa eBabele, ₂sebesukile uJekoniya inkosi, nendlovukazi, nabathenwa, nezikhulu zakwaJuda nezaseJerusalema, nezinyanga zomsebenzi, nabakhandi eJerusalema, ₃ngesandla sika-Eleyasa indodana kaShafani noGemariya indodana kaHilikiya abathunywa nguSedekiya, inkosi yakwaJuda, eBabele kuNebukadinesari inkosi yaseBabele, athi:

₄Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, kubo bonke abathunjwa engibenzile ukuba bathunjwe eJerusalema, bayiswe eBabele, uthi: ₅“Yakhani izindlu, nihlale kuzo; tshalani amasimu, nidle izithelo zawo; ₆thathani abafazi, nizale amadodana namadodakazi; thathelani amadodana enu abafazi, nendise amadodakazi enu emadodeni ukuba azale amadodana namadodakazi, nande khona, ninganciphi. ₇Funani ukuthula komuzi lapho nginithumbele khona, niwukhulekele kuJehova, ngokuba ekuthuleni kwawo niyakuba nokuthula.” ₈Ngokuba usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: “Maningakhohliswa ngabaprofethi abaphakathi kwenu nababhuli benu, ningawalaleli amaphupho enu eniwaphuphayo. ₉Ngokuba baprofetha amanga egameni lami; angibathumanga,” usho uJehova.

₁₀Ngokuba usho kanje uJehova, uthi: “Lapho iminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa isiphelile eBabele, ngiyakunihambela, ngiqinise phezu kwenu izwi lami elihle ngokunibuyisela kule ndawo. ₁₁Ngokuba ngiyazi mina imicabango engiyicabanga ngani,” usho uJehova, “imicabango yokuthula kungengeyobubi ukuba ngininike isikhathi esizayo nethemba. ₁₂Niyakungibiza, niye ukukhuleka kimi, ngiyakunizwa. ₁₃Niyakungifuna, ningifumane, lapho ningifunisisa ngenhliziyo yenu yonke. ₁₄Ngiyakufunyanwa yinina,” usho uJehova, “ngibuyise ukuthunjwa kwenu, nginibuthe ezizweni zonke nasezindaweni zonke lapho nginixoshele khona,” usho uJehova, “nginibuyisele endaweni enganenza ukuba nithunjwe kuyo.”

₁₅Ngokuba nishilo ukuthi: “UJehova usivusele abaprofethi eBabele.” ₁₆Ngokuba usho kanje uJehova ngenkosi ehlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavide nangabo bonke abantu abahlala kulo muzi, abafowenu abangayanga nani ekuthunjweni, ₁₇yebo, usho uJehova Sebawoti, uthi: “Bhekani, ngiyakuthuma kubo inkemba, nendlala, nesifo, ngibenze babe njengamakhiwane amabi angenakudliwa ngobubi bawo. ₁₈Ngiyakubalandela ngenkemba, nangendlala, nangesifo, ngibenze babe yingebhe emibusweni yonke yomhlaba, babe yisiqalekiso, nesimangaliso, nento encimfelwayo, nehlazo ezizweni zonke engibaxoshele kuzo, ₁₉ngokuba abawalalelanga amazwi ami,” usho uJehova, “engawathuma kubo ngezinceku zami abaprofethi, ngibathuma njalonjalo; yebo, kanilalelanga,” usho uJehova.

₂₀Kepha yizwani manje izwi likaJehova nina nonke bathunjwa, enginithumile eBabele niphuma eJerusalema. ₂₁Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ngo-Ahabi indodana kaKholaya nangoSedekiya indodana kaMahaseya abaprofetha amanga kini egameni lami, uthi: “Bheka, ngiyakubanikela esandleni sikaNebukadinesari inkosi yaseBabele; uyakubabulala phambi kwamehlo enu. ₂₂Kubona kuyakuthathwa isiqalekiso yibo bonke abathunjwa bakwaJuda abaseBabele ngokuthi: ‘UJehova makakwenze ukuba ube njengoSedekiya no-Ahabi abosiwa ngomlilo yinkosi yaseBabele,’ ₂₃ngokuba benzile ubuwula kwa-Israyeli, baphinga nabafazi babakhelwane babo, bakhuluma amazwi amanga egameni lami engingabayalanga ngawo; yimi engikwaziyo, ngingufakazi,” usho uJehova.

₂₄KuShemaya waseNehelamu uyakusho ukuthi: ₂₅“Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Ngenxa yokuba uthumile egameni lakho izincwadi kubo bonke abantu baseJerusalema, nakuZefaniya indodana kaMahaseya, umpristi, nakubo bonke abapristi, ngokuthi: ₂₆‘UJehova ukubeke umpristi esikhundleni sikaJehoyada umpristi ukuba nibe yizinduna zabo bonke abantu abahlanyayo nabaprofethayo endlini kaJehova ukuze ubafake esitokisini* nasemaketangeni; ₂₇manje awumsolanga ngani uJeremiya wase-Anathoti, oprofetha kini na? ₂₈Ngokuba ngalokho uthumile kithi eBabele, wathi: Kuse kude; yakhani izindlu, nihlale kuzo; tshalani amasimu, nidle izithelo zawo.’ ”

₂₉UZefaniya umpristi wayifunda le ncwadi ezindlebeni zikaJeremiya umprofethi. ₃₀Lase lifika izwi likaJehova kuJeremiya, lithi: ₃₁“Thuma kubo bonke abathunjwa, uthi: ‘Usho kanje uJehova ngoShemaya waseNehelamu, uthi: Ngenxa yokuba uShemaya eprofethile kini, mina ngingamthumile, wanenza ukuba nethembe emangeni, ₃₂ngalokho usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Bhekani, ngiyakumhambela uShemaya waseNehelamu nenzalo yakhe; akayikuba namuntu oyakuhlala phakathi kwalaba bantu, angaboni okuhle engiyakwenzela khona abantu bami, usho uJehova, ngokuba ukhulume ukuhlubuka kuJehova.’ ”