UJeremiya 34

34 ¹Izwi elafika kuJeremiya livela kuBaba wethu ngesikhathi uNebukadinezari inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, nalo lonke ibutho lakhe, nayo yonke imibuso ayeyibusa, nazo zonke izizwe, belwa neJerusalema nayo yonke imizi yayo:

²uBaba wethu wakwa-Israyeli usho kanje: Hamba, ukhulume noZedekiya inkosi yakwaJuda, umtshele: uBaba wethu uthi: Ngiyawunikela lo muzi enkosini yaseBhabhiloni; iyakuwushisa ngomlilo. ³Awuyikuphunyuka esandleni sayo kodwa uyakubanjwa impela unikelwe kuyo. Amehlo akho ayakuwabona amehlo enkosi yaseBhabhiloni, nomlomo wayo ukhulume nomlomo wakho, uyakuya eBhabhiloni.

⁴Kodwa yizwa izwi likaBaba wakho, Zedekiya, nkosi yakwaJuda: uBaba wethu uthi awuyikufa ngenkemba.

⁵Uyakufa ngokuthula. Njengokuba kwashiselwa oyihlo amakhambi, amakhosi akwandulelayo, kanjalo bayakukushisela wona bakulilele bathi: ‘Maye, nkosi!’ Mina ngikhulumile lokhu, kusho uBaba wakho.

⁶UJeremiya umprofethi wasekhuluma onke lawa mazwi kuZedekiya inkosi yakwaJuda eJerusalema, ⁷ngesikhathi ibutho lenkosi yaseBhabhiloni lihlasela iJerusalema nayo yonke imizi yakwaJuda eyayisele—iLakishi ne-Azeka, imizi ebiyelwe yokugcina eyayisele kwaJuda.

UBaba wahlulela isivumelwano esephuliwe

⁸Izwi elafika kuJeremiya livela kuBaba wethu emva kokuba inkosi uZedekiya yenze isivumelwano nabo bonke abantu eJerusalema, ebamemezela inkululeko: ⁹kokuba yilowo nalowo akhulule izigqila zakhe zesilisa nezesifazane zamaHeberu, ukuze kungabikho ogqilaza umJuda akanaye, umfowabo. ¹⁰Zonke izikhulu nabo bonke abantu ababengene esivumelwaneni balalela, yilowo nalowo wakhulula izigqila zakhe zesilisa nezesifazane, wangabe esazibamba ebugqilini; balalela bazikhulula. ¹¹Emva kwalokho baphenduka babuyisela izigqila zesilisa nezesifazane ababezikhululile, bazicindezela zabuyela ebugqilini.

¹²Izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kuJeremiya, lathi:

¹³Usho kanje uBaba wethu wakwa-Israyeli: “Mina ngokwami ngenza isivumelwano nawoyihlo ngosuku engabakhipha ngalo ezweni laseGibhithe, endlini yobugqila, ngathi: ¹⁴Ekupheleni kweminyaka eyisikhombisa, yilowo nalowo makakhulule umfowabo ongumHeberu othengiselwe kuwe osekukhonze iminyaka eyisithupha; umkhulule akhululeke. Kodwa oyihlo abangilalelanga abanginakanga. ¹⁵Nina maduzane naphenduka nenza okulungileyo emehlweni ami, yilowo nalowo ememezela inkululeko kumakhelwane wakhe, nenza isivumelwano phambi kwami endlini ebizwa ngegama lami. ¹⁶Kodwa naphenduka nangcolisa igama lami: yilowo nalowo wenu wabuyisela izigqila zesilisa nezesifazane ebenizikhululile ukuba zihambe ngokukhululeka, wazicindezela zabuyela ebugqilini futhi.”

¹⁷Ngakho usho kanje uBaba wethu: “Aningilalelanga ngokumemezela inkululeko, yilowo nalowo kumfowabo nakumakhelwane wakhe. Ngakho mina nginimemezela inkululeko—kusho uBaba wakho—eya enkembeni, esifweni esiwumshayabhuqe, nasendlaleni; ngiyakunenza nibe yisesabiso kuyo yonke imibuso yomhlaba. ¹⁸Ngiyakubanikela abantu abasephulayo isivumelwano sami, abangagcinanga imigomo abayenza phambi kwami—njengethole abalisika kabili badabula phakathi kwezingxenye. ^a a v18 Emicimbini yezivumelwano yasendulo, izinhlangothi zazihamba phakathi kwezingxenye zesilwane esihlatshiweyo, zizehlisela leyo ngozi efanayo uma zisephula isivumelwano. ¹⁹izikhulu zakwaJuda nezaseJerusalema, izikhulu zasesigodlweni, abapristi, nabo bonke abantu bezwe abadabula phakathi kwezingxenye zethole. ²⁰Ngiyakubanikela ezitheni zabo, kulabo abafuna ukuphila kwabo. Izidumbu zabo ziyakuba ngukudla kwezinyoni zezulu nezilwane zomhlaba. ²¹UZedekiya inkosi yakwaJuda nezikhulu zakhe ngiyakubanikela ezitheni zabo, kulabo abafuna ukuphila kwabo, nasebuthweni lenkosi yaseBhabhiloni elinisukile. ²²Ngiyayala, kusho uBaba wakho, ukuba babuyiselwe kulo muzi; bayakulwa nawo, bawuthumbe, bawushise ngomlilo. Futhi ngiyakwenza imizi yakwaJuda ibe yincithakalo lapho kungahlali muntu khona.”