UJeremiya 41

41 ¹Ngenyanga yesikhombisa u-Ishmayeli indodana kaNethaniya, indodana ka-Elishama, owozalo lwasebukhosini futhi eyisikhulu esikhulu senkosi, wafika namadoda ayishumi kuGedaliya indodana ka-Ahikamu eMispa. Lapho badla ukudla ndawonye eMispa. ²U-Ishmayeli indodana kaNethaniya wasukuma, kanye namadoda ayishumi ayenaye, bamgwaza uGedaliya indodana ka-Ahikamu, indodana kaShafani, ngenkemba, bambulala lowo muntu inkosi yaseBhabhiloni eyayimbekile ukuba abuse izwe. ³U-Ishmayeli wababulala futhi bonke amaJuda ayenoGedaliya eMispa, kanye namabutho aseBhabhiloni ayefunyanwa lapho—amadoda empi.

⁴Ngosuku lwesibili emva kokubulawa kukaGedaliya, kungakaze kwazi muntu ngakho, ⁵kwafika amadoda angamashumi ayisishiyagalombili avela eShekemi, eShilo naseSamariya—izilevu zigundiwe, izingubo ziklebhukile, imizimba isikiwe—ephethe iminikelo yempuphu nempepho, beyiyisa endlini kaBaba wethu. ⁶U-Ishmayeli indodana kaNethaniya waphuma eMispa wayokubahlangabeza, ekhala njengoba ehamba. Esebahlangabezile wathi: “Wozani kuGedaliya indodana ka-Ahikamu.” ⁷Kwathi lapho sebengene phakathi komuzi, u-Ishmayeli indodana kaNethaniya namadoda akhe bababulala, bebaphonsa phakathi komgodi wamanzi. ⁸Abayishumi kubo bathi ku-Ishmayeli: “Ungasibulali—sinokolweni, nebhali, namafutha, nezinyosi okufihliwe endle.” Ngakho wabayeka, akababulalanga kanye nabanye.

⁹Umgodi wamanzi lapho u-Ishmayeli aphonsa khona zonke izidumbu zamadoda awabulalayo kwakungomkhulu inkosi u-Asa eyayiwenzile ngenxa yokwesaba uBhahasha inkosi yakwa-Israyeli. U-Ishmayeli indodana kaNethaniya wawugcwalisa ngabafileyo.

¹⁰U-Ishmayeli wathumba bonke abantu abasele eMispa—amadodakazi enkosi, bonke ababesele eMispa—labo uNebuzaradani induna yabalindi eyabanikezela kuGedaliya indodana ka-Ahikamu. U-Ishmayeli indodana kaNethaniya wabathumba, wasuka wayowelela kuma-Amoni.

¹¹Kwathi lapho uJohanani indodana kaKhareya nazo zonke izinduna zamabutho ezazinaye bezwa ngabo bonke ububi u-Ishmayeli indodana kaNethaniya abenzile, ¹²bathatha onke amadoda, baya kulwa no-Ishmayeli indodana kaNethaniya, bamfica echibini elikhulu eliseGibeyoni. ¹³Kwathi lapho bonke abantu baka-Ishmayeli bebona uJohanani indodana kaKhareya nazo zonke izinduna zamabutho ezazinaye, bajabula. ¹⁴Ngakho bonke abathunjwa u-Ishmayeli ababethathwe eMispa baphenduka baya kuJohanani indodana kaKhareya. ¹⁵Kodwa u-Ishmayeli indodana kaNethaniya wabaleka kuJohanani enamadoda ayisishiyagalombili, waqhubeka waya kuma-Amoni.

¹⁶Khona-ke uJohanani indodana kaKhareya nazo zonke izinduna zamabutho ezazinaye bathatha eMispa abantu ababesele uJohanani ayebahlenge ku-Ishmayeli indodana kaNethaniya emva kokuba u-Ishmayeli embulele uGedaliya indodana ka-Ahikamu—amabutho, abesifazane, izingane, nezikhulu ababuyiswa eGibeyoni. ¹⁷Basuka bema eGeruthi Khimihama eduze neBhetlehema, beqonda eGibhithe, ¹⁸ngoba babewesaba amaBhabhiloni, njengoba u-Ishmayeli indodana kaNethaniya ambulala uGedaliya indodana ka-Ahikamu, lowo inkosi yaseBhabhiloni eyayimbekile ukuba abuse izwe.