1USedekiya, indodana kaJosiya, waba yinkosi esikhundleni sikaKhoniya, indodana kaJehoyakimi, wabekwa inkosi ezweni lakwaJuda nguNebukadinesari, inkosi yaseBabele. 2Kepha yena nezinceku zakhe nabantu bezwe abawalalelanga amazwi kaJehova awakhulumayo ngesandla sikaJeremiya umprofethi.
3USedekiya inkosi wathuma uJehukali, indodana kaShelemiya, noZefaniya, indodana kaMahaseya, umpristi, kumprofethi uJeremiya, wathi: “Ake usikhulekele kuJehova uNkulunkulu wethu.”
4UJeremiya wangena, waphuma phakathi kwabantu, ngokuba babengakamfaki etilongweni. 5Impi kaFaro yayisiphumile eGibithe; lapho amaKaledi avimbezela iJerusalema ekuzwa, akhuphuka eJerusalema.
6Lase lifika izwi likaJehova kumprofethi uJeremiya, lithi: 7“Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Niyakusho kanje enkosini yakwaJuda eyanithuma kimi ukubuza kimi, nithi: ‘Bheka, impi kaFaro ephume ukunisiza iyakubuyela eGibithe, izwe lakubo. 8AmaKaledi ayakubuya, alwe nalo muzi, awuthathe, awushise ngomlilo.’
9“Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Ningazikhohlisi ngokuthi: ‘AmaKaledi ayakusuka nokusuka kithi;’ ngokuba awayikusuka. 10Ngokuba noma benichithile impi yonke yamaKaledi elwa nani, kwaze kwasala abantu abagwaziweyo bodwa phakathi kwabo, bona bebeyakuvuka, kube yilowo nalowo etendeni lakhe, bawushise lo muzi ngomlilo.”
11Kwathi lapho impi yamaKaledi isikhuphukile eJerusalema ngokwesaba impi kaFaro, 12uJeremiya waphuma eJerusalema ukuba aye ezweni lakwaBenjamini ukuthola khona isabelo sakhe phakathi kwabantu. 13Lapho esesangweni lakwaBenjamini, kwakukhona lapho inkosi yabalindi egama layo lalingu-Iriya indodana kaShelemiya kaHananiya; yambamba uJeremiya umprofethi, yathi: “Uyahlubukela kumaKaledi.”
14Kepha uJeremiya wathi: “Amanga. Angihlubukeli kumaKaledi.” Kepha ayimlalelanga; u-Iriya wayesembamba uJeremiya, wamyisa ezikhulwini. 15Izikhulu zamthukuthelela uJeremiya, zamshaya, zamfaka etilongweni endlini kaJonathani umbhali, ngokuba zaziyenze itilongo.
16Lapho uJeremiya esengene endlini yomgodi ezindlwaneni ezingaphansi, uJeremiya esehlale khona izinsuku eziningi, 17uSedekiya inkosi wathumela wamlanda; inkosi yambuza ngasese endlini yayo, yathi: “Kukhona izwi elivela kuJehova na?”
UJeremiya wathi: “Likhona.” Wathi futhi: “Uyakunikelwa esandleni senkosi yaseBabele.”
18UJeremiya wathi futhi enkosini uSedekiya: “Ngoneni kuwe, nasezincekwini zakho, nakulaba bantu ukuba ningifake etilongweni na? 19Baphi manje abaprofethi benu ababeprofetha kini ngokuthi: ‘Inkosi yaseBabele ayiyikunehlela nina naleli zwe,’ na? 20Ake uzwe manje, nkosi yami, nkosi; ukunxusa kwami makufike phambi kwakho ukuba ungangibuyiseli endlini kaJonathani umbhali, funa ngifele khona.”
21USedekiya inkosi wayeseyala ukuba bambeke uJeremiya egcekeni letilongo, bamnika imihla ngemihla iqebelengwane lesinkwa livela esiTaladini Sabaphekizinkwa, kwaze kwaphela isinkwa sonke emzini. UJeremiya wahlala-ke egcekeni letilongo.
