2 AMakhosi 25

25 ¹Ngomnyaka wesishiyagalolunye kaZedekiya, ngosuku lweshumi lwenyanga yeshumi, uNebukadinesari inkosi yaseBabiloni wathatha impi yakhe yonke wahamba waya eJerusalema, wamisa amatende ngaphandle, wayakhela udonga lokuvimbezela nxazonke. ²Ngakho umuzi wahlala uvinjezelwe kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka weshumi nanye wenkosi uZedekiya. ³Ngosuku lwesishiyagalolunye lwenyanga yesine indlala yayinkulu kakhulu emzini, kangangokuba abantu bezwe babengenakho ukudla. ⁴Udonga lomuzi lwafohlwa, nakuba amaBabiloni ayewuzungezile, onke amabutho abaleka ebusuku adabula esangweni eliphakathi kwezindonga ezimbili eduze nensimu yenkosi, aqonda ngase-Araba. ⁵Impi yamaBabiloni yayixosha inkosi, yayifica emathafeni aseJeriko, onke amabutho ayo ahlakazeka esuka kuyo. ⁶Bayibamba inkosi, bayikhuphulela enkosini yaseBabiloni eRibila, bayithethela icala. ⁷Babulala amadodana kaZedekiya phambi kwamehlo akhe, bamphumputhekisa, bambopha ngamaketanga ethusi, bamusa eBabiloni.

⁸Ngenyanga yesihlanu, ngosuku lwesikhombisa—okungumnyaka weshumi nesishiyagalolunye kaNebukadinesari inkosi yaseBabiloni—uNebuzaradani, induna yabalindi, inceku yenkosi yaseBabiloni, wafika eJerusalema. ⁹Washisa indlu kaBaba wethu, isigodlo senkosi, nazo zonke izindlu zaseJerusalema; zonke izindlu ezinkulu wazishisa. ¹⁰Yonke impi yamaBabiloni eyayiphethwe yinduna yabalindi yadiliza izindonga ezaziyizungeza iJerusalema. ¹¹UNebuzaradani, induna yabalindi, wadingisa abantu ababesele emzini, nababaleki ababeyozinikela enkosini yaseBabiloni, nabanye bexuku ababesele. ¹²Kodwa induna yabalindi yashiya abanye babampofu bezwe ukuba banakekele izivini namasimu.

¹³AmaBabiloni ayaphula izinsika zethusi, nezinqola ezinyakazayo, nolwandle lwethusi okwakusendlini kaBaba wethu, athwala ithusi aliyisa eBabiloni. ¹⁴Bathatha nezimbiza, namafosholo, nezindlawu zezibani, nezitsha, nazo zonke izinto zethusi zokukhonza ethempelini. ¹⁵Induna yabalindi yathatha imicengezi yomlilo nezitsha zokufafaza, konke okwakuyigolide elicwengekileyo nesiliva elicwengekileyo. ¹⁶Izinsika ezimbili, nolwandle, nezinqola ezinyakazayo uSolomoni azenzela indlu kaBaba wethu—ithusi lalokhu konke lalingenakulinganiswa ngesisindo. ¹⁷Insika nganye yayiphakeme amafidi angamashumi amabili nesikhombisa, phezu kwayo kwakukhona isiyeko sethusi esiphakeme amafidi amane nesigamu, sizungezwe umsebenzi wethusi onamahalananda. Insika yesibili yayifana nayo, inomsebenzi wayo.

¹⁸Induna yabalindi yathatha uSeraya umpristi omkhulu, noZefaniya umpristi wesibili, nabalindimnyango abathathu. ¹⁹Emzini wathatha isikhulu esasiphethe amabutho alwayo, nabeluleki benkosi abahlanu abatholakala khona, nomabhalane wenduna yempi owayeqoqa abantu bezwe ukuba balwe, namadoda angamashumi ayisithupha avamileyo atholakala emzini. ²⁰UNebuzaradani, induna yabalindi, wabayisa enkosini yaseBabiloni eRibila. ²¹Lapho eRibila ezweni laseHamati, inkosi yaseBabiloni yabashaya yababulala. Ngakho uJuda wadingiswa wasuswa ezweni lakhe.

UGedaliya Umiswa Phezu Kwezwe

²²UNebukadinesari inkosi yaseBabiloni wabeka uGedaliya indodana ka-Ahikamu, indodana kaShafani, ukuba abe umbusi phezu kwabantu ababesele kwaJuda. ²³Kwathi lapho zonke izinduna zempi namadoda azo zizwa ukuthi inkosi yaseBabiloni yayibeke uGedaliya ukuba abe umbusi, zeza kuye eMispa: u-Ishmayeli indodana kaNethaniya, noJohanani indodana kaKhareya, noSeraya indodana kaThanihumeti umNethofa, noJahazaniya indodana yomMahakha, kanye namadoda azo. ²⁴UGedaliya wafunga kubo nakumadoda abo, wathi: “Ningezabi izikhulu zamaBabiloni. Hlalani ezweni, nikhonze inkosi yaseBabiloni, khona kuyonilungela.”

²⁵Kwathi ngenyanga yesikhombisa u-Ishmayeli indodana kaNethaniya, indodana ka-Elishama, owayengowohlanga lwasebukhosini, weza namadoda ayishumi wamshaya uGedaliya wambulala, kanye namaJuda namaBabiloni ayenaye eMispa. ²⁶Ngakho bonke abantu, kusukela komncane kuya komkhulu, nezinduna zempi, babalekela eGibhithe, ngokuba besaba amaBabiloni.

Ithemba Lenkosi Edingisiwe

²⁷Kwathi ngomnyaka wamashumi amathathu nesikhombisa wokudingiswa kukaJehoyakini inkosi yakwaJuda, ngonyaka u-Evili-merodaki aba ngawo inkosi yaseBabiloni, wamenzela umusa uJehoyakini wamkhulula etilongweni ngosuku lwamashumi amabili nesikhombisa lwenyanga yeshumi nambili. ²⁸Wakhuluma kahle kuye, wamnika isihlalo esingaphezu kwesamanye amakhosi ayenaye eBabiloni. ²⁹UJehoyakini wazikhumula izingubo zakhe zasetilongweni, wadla etafuleni lenkosi njalo zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwakhe. ³⁰Usuku nosuku inkosi yayimnika isabelo sakhe esimisiwe zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwakhe.