UBawo wethu Ulumkisa NgoYeremiya
Umkhosi waseYiputa utsala abaseBhabhilon bemke, ize iYerusalem ibe nethemba; uYeremiya uza nelizwi likaBawo wethu lokuba baya kubuya bawutshise lo mzi. Ephuma ngenxa yemicimbi yosapho, ubanjwa njengombaleki, abethwe, avalelwe entolongweni. UZedekiya ubuza ngasese ilizwi, afumane elinzima, aze amnike isonka.
37 1UZedekiya unyana kaYosiya walawula esikhundleni sikaKoniya unyana kaYehoyakim, lowo owamenzayo ukumkani uNebhukadenetsare ukumkani waseBhabhilon ezweni lakwaYuda. 2Kodwa akawaphulaphula yena, nabakhonzi bakhe, nabantu belizwe, amazwi kaBawo wethu awawathethayo ngoYeremiya umprofeti.
3Ukumkani uZedekiya wathuma uYehukali unyana kaShelemiya noZefaniya unyana kaMahaseya umbingeleli kuYeremiya umprofeti, esithi: “Khawusithandazele kuBawo wethu.”
4UYeremiya wayesangena ephuma phakathi kwabantu; babengekamfaki entolongweni. 5Umkhosi kaFaro wawuphumile eYiputa; bathi abaseBhabhilon ababengqinge iYerusalem bakukuva oku, basuka eYerusalem.
6Lafika ke ilizwi likaBawo wethu kuYeremiya umprofeti, lisithi:
7Utsho uBawo wethu kaSirayeli ukuthi: Mxeleleni ukumkani wakwaYuda owanithumayo ukuba nibuze kum ukuthi: Umkhosi kaFaro ophumayo ukuza kunceda ubuyela ekhaya eYiputa. 8Baya kubuya ke abaseBhabhilon, balwe nalo mzi, bawuthimba, bawutshisa ngomlilo.
9Utsho uBawo wethu ukuthi: Musani ukuzikhohlisa, nisithi, “Baya kuhamba okunene kuthi abaseBhabhilon”—abayi kuhamba. 10Nokuba beningawuxabela wonke umkhosi wabaseBhabhilon olwa nani, kusele kuwo amadoda alimeleyo odwa ezintenteni zawo, angaphakama awutshise ngomlilo lo mzi.
UYeremiya Uyabanjwa Afakwe Entolongweni
11Kwathi, ekubuyeni komkhosi wabaseBhabhilon eYerusalem ngenxa yomkhosi kaFaro, 12waphuma uYeremiya eYerusalem, esiya ezweni lakwaBhenjamin ukuba athabathe isabelo sakhe khona phakathi kwabantu. 13Esangweni lakwaBhenjamin, umthetheli wabalindi, uIriya unyana kaShelemiya unyana kaHananiya, wambamba uYeremiya umprofeti, esithi: “Ubalekele kubaseBhabhilon!”
14Wathi uYeremiya: “Bubuxoki obo! Andibalekeli kubaseBhabhilon.” Kodwa uIriya akamphulaphula, wambamba uYeremiya, wamsa kubathetheli.
15Baba nomsindo kuYeremiya abathetheli, bambetha, bamfaka entolongweni endlwini kaYonatan umbhali, eyayenziwe yangentolongo.
16Waya ke uYeremiya kwizisele zomhadi ezigobele phantsi, wahlala khona imihla emininzi. 17Wathumela ke ukumkani uZedekiya, wamkhupha. Ukumkani wambuza ngasese ebhotwe, wathi: “Ngaba likho na ilizwi elivela kuBawo wethu?” Wathi uYeremiya: “Likho. Uya kunikwa esandleni sokumkani waseBhabhilon.”
18Wathi uYeremiya kukumkani uZedekiya: “Ndenze sono sini na kuwe, nakubakhonzi bakho, nakubantu aba, ukuba undifake entolongweni? 19Baphi na ngoku abaprofeti benu ababeprofeta, besithi, ‘Ukumkani waseBhabhilon akayi kuza kuni nakweli lizwe’? 20Khawundiphulaphule ngoku, nkosi yam kumkani: masifike isikhungo sam phambi kwakho—musa ukundibuyisela endlwini kaYonatan umbhali, hleze ndifele khona.”
21Wawisa umthetho ukumkani uZedekiya, bambeka uYeremiya entendelezweni yabalindi, enikwa isonka imihla ngemihla, sivela esitratweni sababhaki, wada waphela isonka somzi. Wahlala ke uYeremiya entendelezweni yabalindi.
