Ukuwa kweYerusalem
Ukungqingwa kuyaphela. Udonga luyaqhekeka, uZedekiya abaleke abanjwe, abukele oonyana bakhe bexhelwa, aze enziwe imfama, akhonkxwe ngemixokelelwane. Umzi uyatsha, amahlwempu ashiyelwe amasimi. UYeremiya ukhululwa ngokomyalelo kaNebhukadenetsare ngokwakhe; uBawo wethu uthembisa uEbhede-meleki ubomi bakhe ngenxa yokumthemba kwakhe.
39 1Ngomnyaka wesithoba kaZedekiya ukumkani wakwaYuda, ngenyanga yeshumi, weza uNebhukadenetsare ukumkani waseBhabhilon nomkhosi wakhe wonke echasene neYerusalem, wayingqinga. 2Ngomnyaka weshumi elinanye kaZedekiya, ngenyanga yesine, ngolwesithoba enyangeni leyo, wagqojozwa umzi. 3Baza beza bonke abathetheli bokumkani waseBhabhilon, bahlala eSangweni eliPhakathi: uNergale-sharetsere, uSamgare-nebho, uSarsekim uRabhi-sarisi, uNergale-sharetsere uRabhi-magi, nabaseleyo bona abathetheli bokumkani waseBhabhilon. a a v3 URabhi-sarisi noRabhi-magi yayizizihloko ezinkulu phakathi kwabathetheli bokumkani waseBhabhilon. 4Wathi uZedekiya ukumkani wakwaYuda namadoda omkhosi onke bakubabona, babaleka emzini ebusuku ngendlela yomyezo wokumkani, ngesango eliphakathi kweendonga ezimbini; waphuma ke yena ebhekisa eArabha. 5Kodwa umkhosi wamaBhabhilon wawasukela, wambamba uZedekiya ezinkqantosini zaseYeriko. Bambamba, bamsa kuNebhukadenetsare ukumkani waseBhabhilon eRibhela ezweni laseHamati, apho wamgwebela khona. 6Ukumkani waseBhabhilon wabaxhela oonyana bakaZedekiya eRibhela phambi kwamehlo akhe, wabaxhela nabanumzana bonke bakwaYuda. 7Wandula ke wamenza imfama uZedekiya, wamkhonkxa ngemixokelelwane yobhedu ukuze amse eBhabhilon.
8AmaBhabhilon ayitshisa ngomlilo indlu yokumkani nezindlu zabantu, wazidiliza iindonga zeYerusalem. 9UNebhuzaradan, umthetheli wabasiki, wabafudusela eBhabhilon abaseleyo babantu abashiyeka kuloo mzi, nabo abebalekele kuye, nabanye babantu abaseleyo. 10UNebhuzaradan, umthetheli wabasiki, washiya inxenye yabantu abangamahlwempu kunene, ababengenanto, ezweni lakwaYuda, wabanika izidiliya namasimi ngaloo mini.
11Ke kaloku uNebhukadenetsare ukumkani waseBhabhilon wayewisile umthetho ngoYeremiya ngoNebhuzaradan, umthetheli wabasiki, esithi: 12“Mthabathe umkhathalele; ungamenzi nto imbi, kodwa menzele konke akucelayo.”
13Wathuma ke uNebhuzaradan umthetheli wabasiki, kunye noNebhushazebhan uRabhi-sarisi, noNergale-sharetsere uRabhi-magi, nabathetheli bokumkani waseBhabhilon bonke abaziintloko. 14Bamkhupha uYeremiya entendelezweni yabasiki, bamnikela kuGedaliya unyana ka-Ahikam, unyana kaShafan, ukuba amse ekhaya. Wahlala ke phakathi kwabantu.
15Lafika ilizwi likaBawo wethu kuYeremiya oku wayesengcwabeni entendelezweni yabasiki, lisithi:
16“Hamba uye kumxelela uEbhede-meleki umKushi, uthi: Utsho uBawo wemikhosi yasezulwini, uBawo wakwaSirayeli, ukuthi: Ndiwazisa amazwi am echasene nalo mzi, ukuba awenze okubi, angabi kokulungileyo; aya kuzaliseka ngaloo mini phambi kwakho. 17Kodwa ndiya kukuhlangula ngaloo mini, utsho uBawo wethu; andiyi kukunikela esandleni samadoda owoyikayo. 18Ndiya kukuhlangula; akuyi kuwa ngekrele. Umphefumlo wakho woba lixhoba lakho emfazweni, ngenxa yokuba uthembele kum, utsho uBawo wethu.”
