Ukuwa kweJerusalem
(2 Kum 24:18 – 25:7)
1Ukuqala kwakhe ukulawula uZedekiya wayeneminyaka emashumi mabini ananye, waza ke walawula eJerusalem iminyaka elishumi elinanye. Unina yayinguHamutali intombi kaJeremiya waseLibhena. 2KwanjengoJoyakim naye wenza ububi emehlweni *kaNdikhoyo. 3Kungenxa yengqumbo kaNdikhoyo ukuba uJuda neJerusalem bahlelwe yile ntlekele, bade ekugqibeleni ke bagxothwa phambi kwakhe.
UZedekiya ke wavukelana nokumkani waseBhabheli.
4Ngoko ke kwathi kunyaka wethoba wolawulo lukaZedekiya, ngomhla weshumi wenyanga yeshumi, ukumkani waseBhabheli uNebhukadenezare wagaleleka eJerusalem nomkhosi wakhe uphela. Bamisa ngaphandle kwesixeko, basakhela iindonga zokuhlasela. 5Sahlala singqingiwe njalo ke isixeko eso yada yangunyaka weshumi elinanye kakumkani uZedekiya.
6Kwathi ngomhla wethoba kwinyanga yesine yabe indlala iqatsele apho esixekweni, kangangokuba abantu baphelelwa kukutya. 7Ke kaloku amaKaledi alugqobhoza udonga lwesixeko, waza umkhosi wonke waseJerusalem wasaba ngobusuku, wemka ngendlela edlula ngasemyezweni kakumkani, waphuma ngesango eliphahlwe ziindonga, wabalekela entilini yeJordan. Ngelo xesha amaKaledi ayesasingqingile isixeko. 8Kambe ke umkhosi wamaKaledi wasukelisa, waza wamfumana uZedekiya nomkhosi wakhe wonke xa wayesesentilini yaseJeriko. Wahlukaniswa nomkhosi lowo, wona wasarhaka, 9waza yena wabanjwa. Wathathwa wasiwa kukumkani waseBhabheli eRibhela ezweni laseHamati, owathi yena walithetha ityala lakhe wamgweba. 10Apho eRibhela ukumkani waseBhabheli wababulala oonyana bakaZedekiya ekhangele, wazibulala nazo zonke iziphathamandla zakwaJuda. 11Yena uZedekiya wamtyhaphaza amehlo, waza wamkhonkxa ngamatyathanga obhedu, ukuze asiwe eBhabheli, wamfaka entolongweni kwada kwayimini yokufa kwakhe.
Ukubhukuqwa kweJerusalem
12Ke kaloku kwathi, ngomhla weshumi wenyanga yesihlanu kunyaka weshumi elinethoba kakumkani waseBhabheli uNebhukadenezare, ingqwayi-ngqwayi yabalindi uNebhuzaradan, eyayiliphakathi likakumkani waseBhabheli, yagaleleka eJerusalem. 13Indlu *kaNdikhoyo wayintumeka umlilo, yatsha kunye nebhotwe ngokwalo, nazo zonke izindlu zaseJerusalem. Zonke izakhiwo ezibalulekileyo wazitshisa. 14Wonke loo mkhosi waseBhabheli phantsi kwaloo ngqwayi-ngqwayi yabalindi basebhotwe wazidiliza zonke iindonga ezazijikeleze iJerusalem. 15UNebhuzaradan lowo wababamba wabathimba abathile kubantu abangamahlwempu nabantu ababengamasalela apho esixekweni, ndawonye namagcisa kwakunye nâbo babesebezinikezele kumaBhabheli. 16Kambe ke ingqwayi-ngqwayi leyo yabashiya abanye abantu abangamahlwempu, ukuze basebenze amasimi nezidiliya.
17AmaBhabheli azaphula iintsika zobhedu, kwakunye neenqwelana, nechibi lobhedu, zinto ezo zazisendlwini kaNdikhoyo, aza aluthatha lona ubhedu olo, aya nalo eBhabheli. 18Azithatha neembiza, iifotsholo, izikhwezeli-zibane, nezitya zokufefa, namacephe, nazo zonke izinto ezenziwe ngobhedu ezazisetyenziswa apho endlwini kaThixo. 19Ewe, ingqwayi-ngqwayi leyo yazithatha iingcedevu, neepani zesiqhumiso, nezitya zokufefa, neembiza, neziphatho zezibane, namacephe, namathunga asetyenziswa kwiminikelo ethululwayo, kwakunye nayo yonke into eyayenziwe ngegolide engcwengekileyo okanye isiliva engcwengekileyo.
20Ubhedu olwafumaneka kwezo ntsika zimbini, kwelo chibi, kuloo mifanekiso ilishumi elinambini leenkunzi zeenkomo elalimi phezu kwazo, nakwezo nqwelo – zinto ezo ezazenzelwe indlu kaNdikhoyo nguSolomon – lwalungenamlinganiso ngenxa yobuninzi. 21Intsika nganye kwezo zimbini zobhedu yayiziimitha ezisibhozo ukuphakama, iziimitha ezintlanu ezinesiqingatha ukuyithandela. Yayakhiwe ngobhedu oluyiminwe emine ububanzi, iliholoholo. 22Intloko nganye elubhedu ibiziimitha ezimbini ezinesithathu ukuphakama. Yayihonjiswe jikelele ngomnatha wobhedu nangeerharnati zobhedu. Ewe, zombini zazifana, nditsho kwaneerharnati ezo. 23Bekukho iirharnati ezingamashumi alithoba anesithandathu emacaleni. Ke lona inani leerharnati eziphezu komnatha othandelweyo bezilikhulu zizonke.
Abantu bakwaJuda basiwa eBhabheli
24Loo ngqwayi-ngqwayi yabalindi yamthimba umbingeleli omkhulu uSeraya, kunye nombingeleli onganeno kwakhe uZefaniya, nabagcini-mnyango abathathu. 25Kwabaseleyo apho esixekweni yathatha injengele yomkhosi kunye nesixhenxe samaphakathi akomkhulu abhaqwe esixekweni. Yamthatha nonobhala wenjengele yomkhosi owayeligosa eliyintloko elalatha abomkhosi, kunye nabantu abangamashumi amathandathu ababeselapho esixekweni. 26Bonke ke uNebhuzaradan wabathatha waya nabo kukumkani waseBhabheli eRibhela. 27Khona apho eRibhela kwelaseHamati ukumkani lowo wathi mababulawe.
Ngaloo ndlela ke amaJuda afuduselwa ekuthinjweni, ahlukana nelizwe lakowawo.
28Nali ke inani labantu wabafudusayo uNebhukadenezare:
Kunyaka wesixhenxe: amaJuda angamawaka amathathu anamashumi amabini anantathu;
29kunyaka weshumi elinesibhozo elawula uNebhukadenezare: abantu abangamakhulu asibhozo anamashumi amathathu anambini ababephuma eJerusalem;
30kunyaka wakhe wamashumi amabini anantathu: amaJuda angamakhulu asixhenxe anamashumi amane anantlanu athinjwe nguNebhuzaradan ingqwayi-ngqwayi yabalindi bakomkhulu.
Yayingabantu abangamawaka amane anamakhulu amathandathu bebonke.
Ukukhululwa kukaJoyakin
31Ke kaloku kwathi ngonyaka wamashumi amathathu anesixhenxe wathinjwayo uJoyakin ukumkani wakwaJuda, nyaka lowo waqala ngawo ukulawula uEvili-merodaki ukumkani waseBhabheli, wasuka wamkhulula uJoyakin entolongweni. Loo nto ke yenzeka ngomhla wamashumi mabini anesihlanu kwinyanga yeshumi elinambini. 32Wathetha naye ngobulali, wamnika isihlalo sembeko esingaphezu kwezo zabanye ookumkani awayenabo apho eBhabheli. 33Ngoko ke uJoyakin wazikhulula iimpahla zasentolongweni, waza wasoloko esesithebeni sokumkani lonke ithuba lobomi bakhe. 34Ukumkani lowo ke wathi rhoqo ukumnika umxhesho uJoyakin, loo nto eyenza imihla ngemihla ngabo bonke ubomi bukaJoyakin.
