Ukungqingwa Nokuwa KweYerusalem

Ukungqingwa kwaphela ngendlala nangodonga olugqojoziweyo. Oonyana bakaZedekiya babulawa phambi kwakhe, phambi kokuba akrukrwe amehlo. Indlu kaBawo wethu yatshiswa, abantu bathinjwa, irhuluneli yabulawa. Kuphela ngokumkani othinjiweyo esidla etafileni yaseBhabhilon.

Isahluko 25.

Ngomnyaka wesithoba kaZedekiya, ngosuku lweshumi lwenyanga yeshumi, uNebhukadenetsare ukumkani waseBhabhilon wayifikela iYerusalem enomkhosi wakhe wonke, wamisa ngaphandle kwayo, waza wayakha udonga lokungqinga olwayijikelezayo. Wahlala ke lo mzi ungqingiwe, kwada kwangumnyaka weshumi elinanye wokumkani uZedekiya. Ngomhla wesithoba wenyanga yesine, indlala yayinzima kakhulu kuloo mzi, kwada kwangabikho kudla kubantu belizwe. Lwagqojozwa udonga lomzi, nangona amaBhabhilon ayewungqingile; onke amajoni asaba ngobusuku esiya ngesango eliphakathi kweendonga ezimbini, ngasemyezweni wokumkani, abheka eArabha. Umkhosi wamaBhabhilon wamsukela ukumkani, wambamba ezinkqantosini zaseYeriko; waza wonke umkhosi wakhe wachithakala kuye. Bambamba ukumkani, bamnyusela ukumkani waseBhabhilon eRibhela, bamgweba. Babulala oonyana bakaZedekiya phambi kwamehlo akhe, bamkrukra amehlo, bamkhonkxa ngamakhamandela obhedu, bamsa eBhabhilon.

Ngenyanga yesihlanu, ngosuku lwesixhenxe—ngomnyaka weshumi elinesithoba kaNebhukadenetsare ukumkani waseBhabhilon—wafika eYerusalem uNebhuzaradan, umthetheli wabalindi, umkhonzi wokumkani waseBhabhilon. Wayitshisa indlu kaBawo wethu, nebhotwe lokumkani, nazo zonke izindlu zaseYerusalem; yonke indlu enkulu wayitshisa. Waza wonke umkhosi wamaBhabhilon owawuphantsi komthetheli wabalindi wazidiliza iindonga ezaziyijikelezile iYerusalem. UNebhuzaradan, umthetheli wabalindi, wabafudusela abantu abaseleyo ababesemzini, nabawelela kukumkani waseBhabhilon, nenye inkitha eseleyo. Kodwa umthetheli wabalindi washiya abanye kwabo bahlwempuzekileyo belizwe, ukuba balime izidiliya namasimi.

AmaBhabhilon aziqhekeza iintsika zobhedu, neenqwelwana, nolwandle lobhedu olwalusendlwini kaBawo wethu; athwala ubhedu lwazo eBhabhilon. Athabatha neenkamba, nemihlakulwana, nezifinyiso, nezitya, nazo zonke iimpahla zobhedu abalungiselela ngazo etempileni. Umthetheli wabalindi wazithabatha iingcedevu nezitya zokutshiza, konke oko kwakuyigolide necocekileyo nesilivere ecocekileyo. Iintsika zombini, nolwandle, neenqwelwana uSolomon awazenzela indlu kaBawo wethu—ubhedu bwazo zonke ezi zinto bebungenakulinganiselwa ngobunzima. Intsika nganye yema iphakame iinyawo ezingamashumi amabini anesixhenxe, kukho ingqukuva yobhedu phezu kwayo ephakame iinyawo ezine ezinesiqingatha, ijikelezwe ngumnatha wobhedu weerharnate. Intsika yesibini yayifana nayo, inomnatha wayo.

Umthetheli wabalindi wamthabatha uSeraya umbingeleli omkhulu, noTsefaniya umbingeleli wesibini, nabagcini-masango abathathu. Emzini wathabatha umphathi owayephethe amadoda okulwa, namadoda amahlanu ayengabacebisi bokumkani afunyanwa apho, nombhali womthetheli-mkhosi owayebhalisa abantu belizwe, namadoda angamashumi omathandathu abantu belizwe afunyanwa emzini. UNebhuzaradan, umthetheli wabalindi, wabasa kukumkani waseBhabhilon eRibhela. Apho eRibhela kwelaseHamati, ukumkani waseBhabhilon wababulala. Watsho uYuda wafuduswa ezweni lakhe.

UGedaliya Umiselwe Phezu Kwelizwe

UNebhukadenetsare ukumkani waseBhabhilon wammisa uGedaliya unyana ka-Ahikam, unyana kaShafan, ukuba abe ngumphathi wabantu abaseleyo kwelakwaYuda. Bakuva bonke abathetheli bomkhosi namadoda abo ukuba ukumkani waseBhabhilon ummisele uGedaliya ukuba abe ngumphathi, beza kuye eMizpa: uIshmayeli unyana kaNethaniya, noYohanan unyana kaKare, noSeraya unyana kaTanhumeti waseNetofa, noYahazaniya unyana womMahakati, namadoda abo. UGedaliya wafunga kubo nakumadoda abo, wathi: “Musani ukoyika abaphathi bamaBhabhilon. Hlalani ezweni, nikhonze ukumkani waseBhabhilon, koba kuhle kuni.”

Ngenyanga yesixhenxe weza uIshmayeli unyana kaNethaniya, unyana ka-Elishama, owayengowembewu yobukumkani, enamadoda alishumi, wambulala uGedaliya, wababulala kunye naye namaYuda namaBhabhilon ababenaye eMizpa. Baza basuka bonke abantu, abancinane nabakhulu, nabathetheli bomkhosi, babaleka baya eYiputa, besoyika amaBhabhilon.

Ithemba Lokumkani Ofudusiweyo

Ngomnyaka wamashumi amathathu anesixhenxe wokufuduswa kukaYehoyakin wakwaYuda, ngomnyaka awathi ngawo uEvili-merodaki waseBhabhilon waba ngukumkani, wamenzela inceba uYehoyakin, wamkhulula entolongweni ngomhla wamashumi amabini anesixhenxe wenyanga yeshumi elinambini. Wathetha kakuhle naye, wamnika isihlalo esingaphezu kwesabanye ookumkani ababenaye eBhabhilon. UYehoyakin wazihluba iingubo zakhe zasentolongweni, wadla isonka phambi kokumkani imihla yonke ngalo lonke ixesha lobomi bakhe. Imihla ngemihla ukumkani wamnika isabelo sakhe samaxesha onke ngalo lonke ixesha lobomi bakhe.