UJehoyakimi Uvukela IBabiloni
UJehoyakimi uyahlubuka, abaphangi bayafika, futhi umbhalo usho imbangela ngegama: igazi elingenacala likaManase, uBaba wethu angazange alithethelele. UNebukadinezari uvimbezela iJerusalema; uJehoyakini uyazinikela, athunjwe kanye nezikhulu, izingcweti, negolide lethempeli. Kusala abampofu kakhulu kuphela, ngaphansi kukayise omncane oqanjwe kabusha ngokuthi uZedekiya.
24 1Ngesikhathi sikaJehoyakimi, uNebukadinesari inkosi yaseBabiloni wahlasela izwe; uJehoyakimi wamkhonza iminyaka emithathu, wabe esephenduka wamvukela. 2Khona-ke uBaba wethu wathumela amaviyo abahlaseli baseBabiloni, abase-Aramu, abakwaMowabi, nabakwa-Amoni ukuba bamhlasele; wabathumela ukuba bamelane noJuda bawubhubhise, njengoba uBaba wethu wayekhulumile ngezinceku zakhe abaprofethi. 3Lokhu kwehlela uJuda ngomyalo kaBaba wethu, ukuze abasuse ebusweni bakhe ngenxa yezono zikaManase—konke ayekwenzile, 4futhi nangenxa yegazi elingenacala alichithayo, ngokuba iJerusalema wayeligcwalise ngegazi elingenacala uBaba wethu ayengeke alithethelele. 5Ezinye izenzo zikaJehoyakimi, konke akwenza, azilotshiwe yini encwadini yezindaba zamakhosi akwaJuda?
6Ngakho uJehoyakimi walala koyise, uJehoyakini indodana yakhe waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
7Inkosi yaseGibhithe ayiphindanga yaphuma ezweni layo, ngokuba inkosi yaseBabiloni yayithathile yonke indawo yaseGibhithe, kusukela eMfuleni waseGibhithe kuze kufike eMfuleni i-Ewufrathe.
8UJehoyakini wayeneminyaka eyishumi nesishiyagalombili lapho eba yinkosi, wabusa izinyanga ezintathu eJerusalema; unina wayenguNehushta, indodakazi ka-Elinathani, waseJerusalema. 9Wenza okubi emehlweni kaBaba wethu, njengoba uyise ayekwenzile.
IJerusalema Lithunjelwa Ekudingisweni
10Ngaleso sikhathi, izinceku zikaNebukadinesari inkosi yaseBabiloni zenyukela eJerusalema, umuzi wavinjezelwa. 11UNebukadinesari inkosi yaseBabiloni yena ngokwakhe wafika wawuhlasela umuzi ngesikhathi izinceku zakhe ziwuvimbezela. 12UJehoyakini inkosi yakwaJuda waphumela enkosini yaseBabiloni—yena, unina, izinceku zakhe, izikhulu zakhe, nezinduna zakhe—inkosi yaseBabiloni yamthumba, ngonyaka wesishiyagalombili wokubusa kwayo. 13Wathwala khona lapho yonke ingcebo yendlu kaBaba wethu neyesigodlo senkosi, wawanquma onke izitsha zegolide uSolomoni inkosi yakwa-Israyeli ayezenzele ithempeli, njengoba uBaba wethu wayeshilo. 14Wadingisa lonke iJerusalema: zonke izikhulu, wonke amaqhawe anamandla—abathunjwa abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi—nazo zonke izingcweti nabakhandi. Kwasala kuphela abampofu kakhulu bezwe. 15Wamdingisela uJehoyakini eBabiloni kanye nonina wenkosi, abafazi bakhe, izikhulu, namadoda ahamba phambili ezwe, wabasusa eJerusalema wabayisa eBabiloni. 16Inkosi yaseBabiloni yadingisela eBabiloni onke amadoda empi ayizinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa, izingcweti nabakhandi abayinkulungwane, bonke benamandla, befanele impi. 17Inkosi yaseBabiloni yabeka uMathaniya, umfowabo kayise kaJehoyakini, waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe, yamguqula igama yamqamba ngokuthi uZedekiya.
UZedekiya Ubusa KwaJuda
18UZedekiya waba yinkosi eneminyaka engamashumi amabili nanye, wabusa iminyaka eyishumi nanye eJerusalema; unina wayenguHamuthali indodakazi kaJeremiya waseLibhina. 19Wenza okubi emehlweni kaBaba wethu, njengoba uJehoyakimi ayekwenzile. 20Ngenxa yolaka lukaBaba wethu, konke lokhu kwenzeka eJerusalema nakwaJuda, waze wabalahla ebusweni bakhe. Khona-ke uZedekiya wavukela inkosi yaseBabiloni.
