Ukuwa kweJerusalema
Ukuvinjezelwa kuyaphela. Udonga luyafohla, uZedekiya uyabaleka abanjwe, abone amadodana akhe ebulawa, bese eyaphuphuthekiswa aboshwe ngamaketango. Umuzi uyasha, abampofu bashiyelwa amasimu. UJeremiya ukhululwa ngomyalo kaNebukadinezari uqobo; uBaba wethu uthembisa u-Ebedi-Meleki impilo yakhe ngokuthi wamethemba.
39 1Ngonyaka wesishiyagalolunye kaZedekiya inkosi yakwaJuda, ngenyanga yeshumi, uNebukhadinezari inkosi yaseBabele wafika nalo lonke ibutho lakhe wamelana neJerusalema wayivimbezela. 2Ngonyaka weshumi nanye kaZedekiya, ngenyanga yesine, ngosuku lwesishiyagalolunye lwenyanga, umuzi wafohlelwa. 3Zase zifika zonke izikhulu zenkosi yaseBabele zahlala eSangweni Eliphakathi: uNerigali-Shareza, uSamigari-Nebo, uSarisekimi uRabi-sarisi, uNerigali-Shareza uRabi-magi, nezinye izikhulu zenkosi yaseBabele. a a v3 URabi-sarisi noRabi-magi kwakuyiziqu eziphakeme phakathi kwezikhulu zasebukhosini baseBabele. 4Kwathi uZedekiya inkosi yakwaJuda nawo wonke amabutho bebabona, babaleka emzini ebusuku bedlula ensimini yenkosi, ngesango eliphakathi kwezindonga ezimbili; wase ephuma waya e-Araba. 5Kodwa ibutho laseBabele labaxosha labamba uZedekiya emathafeni aseJeriko. Bambamba bamyisa kuNebukhadinezari inkosi yaseBabele eRibila ezweni laseHamati, lapho amgwebela khona. 6Inkosi yaseBabele yabulala amadodana kaZedekiya eRibila phambi kwamehlo akhe, yabulala nazo zonke izikhulu zakwaJuda. 7Wase emphumputhekisa uZedekiya wambopha ngamaketanga ethusi ukuze amyise eBabele.
8AmaBabele ashisa indlu yenkosi nezindlu zabantu ngomlilo, adiliza nezindonga zaseJerusalema. 9UNebuzaradani, induna yabalindi, wathumbela eBabele abantu ababesele emzini, nababalekeli abaya kuye, nabanye abantu ababesele. 10UNebuzaradani, induna yabalindi, washiya abanye babantu abampofu kakhulu, ababengenalutho, kwaJuda, wabanika izivini namasimu ngalolo suku.
11UNebukhadinezari inkosi yaseBabele wayekhiphe umyalo ngoJeremiya ngoNebuzaradani, induna yabalindi, ethi: 12“Mthathe umnakekele; ungamenzi lutho olubi, kodwa wenze konke akucelayo.”
13Ngakho uNebuzaradani induna yabalindi wathumela izwi, kanye noNebushazibani uRabi-sarisi, noNerigali-Shareza uRabi-magi, nazo zonke izikhulu eziphakeme zenkosi yaseBabele. 14Bamkhipha uJeremiya egcekeni labalindi bamnikela kuGedaliya indodana ka-Ahikamu, indodana kaShafani, ukuba amyise ekhaya. Ngakho wahlala phakathi kwabantu.
15Izwi likaBaba wethu lafika kuJeremiya esavalelwe egcekeni labalindi, lithi:
16“Hamba uyotshela u-Ebedi-Meleki umKushe uthi: Nakhu akushoyo uBaba wamabutho asezulwini, uBaba ka-Israyeli: Ngiletha amazwi ami ukumelana nalo muzi ngokulimaza, hhayi ngokuhle, futhi ngalolo suku ayogcwaliseka phambi kwakho. 17Kodwa ngiyokophula ngalolo suku, kusho uBaba wethu; ngeke unikelwe ezandleni zamadoda owesabayo. 18Ngiyokophula; ngeke uwe ngenkemba. Ukuphila kwakho kuyoba yimpango yakho yempi, ngokuba wathembela kimi, kusho uBaba wethu.”
