UJeremiya Uphonswa Emgodini Onodaka KaMalikhiya
1UShefathiya indodana kaMathani, uGedalidaya indodana kaPhashuri, uJukhali indodana kaShemaliya noPhashuri indodana kaMalikhiya bawezwa amazwi uJeremiya ayewakhuluma phambi kwabantu bonke, ethi: 2“Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: ‘Osele kulo muzi uyakufa ngenkemba, ngendlala, nangobhubhane, kodwa ozophuma aye kumaKhaledi, uyakuphila; nokuphila kwakhe kuyakuba yimpango kuye, aphile.’ 3Usho kanje uSimakade ngalo muzi, uthi: ‘Lo muzi uyakunikelwa nokunikelwa esandleni sempi yenkosi yaseBhabhele, iwudle.’ ”
4Izikhulu zathi enkosini: “Lo muntu makabulawe, ngoba uthena amabutho asasele kulo muzi nabantu bonke amandla, ngokukhuluma kubo lawa mazwi anje, ngokuba lo muntu akafuni inhlalakahle yalaba bantu, kodwa okubi kuphela.”
5UZedekiya, inkosi, wayesethi: “Bhekani, usesandleni senu, ngokuba inkosi ayinamandla okuphikisana nani.”
6Bambamba uJeremiya, bamphonsa emgodini kaMalikhiya, indodana yenkosi, owawusegcekeni labalindi. Bamehlisela emgodini ngezintambo uJeremiya, kwakungekho manzi, kodwa udaka kuphela. UJeremiya wabisha odakeni.
7Kepha u-Ebhedi Melekhi, umKhushe owayengumthenwa esigodlweni senkosi, wezwa ukuthi uJeremiya bamfake emgodini. Inkosi yayihleli esangweni kwaBhenjamini. 8U-Ebhedi Melekhi waphuma esigodlweni, wakhuluma enkosini, wathi: 9“Nkosi yami, nkosi, laba bantu benze okubi ngakho konke abakwenze kuJeremiya, umphrofethi, bamphonse emgodini; uzakufela lapho ngenxa yendlala, ngokuba akusekho kudla emzini.”
10Inkosi yayisimyala u-Ebhedi Melekhi, umKhushe, ithi: “Thatha lapha amadoda angama-30, uhambe nawo, nimkhiphe uJeremiya, umphrofethi, emgodini, engakafi.”
11U-Ebhedi Melekhi wathatha amadoda, wahamba nawo, waya esigodlweni senkosi endlini yengcebo engaphansi, wathatha khona amadlephudlephu namanikiniki agugileyo, wakwehlisela ngezintambo kuJeremiya emgodini. 12U-Ebhedi Melekhi, umKhushe, wathi kuJeremiya: “Faka lawa madlephudlephu namanikiniki emakhwapheni, phansi kwezintambo.”
UJeremiya wenza kanjalo. 13Base bemdonsa ngezintambo, bamkhipha emgodini; uJeremiya wahlala egcekeni labalindi.
UZedekiya Ubuza UJeremiya
14UZedekiya, inkosi, wathumela, wamlanda umphrofethi uJeremiya, weza kuye emnyango wesithathu osendlini kaSimakade; inkosi yathi kuJeremiya: “Kukhona into engithanda ukuyibuza kuwe, ungangifihleli lutho.”
15UJeremiya wathi kuZedekiya: “Uma ngikutshela, awuyukungibulala nokungibulala na? Uma ngikweluleka, awuyukungilalela.”
16Inkosi uZedekiya yafunga ngasese kuJeremiya, yathi: “Ngifunga ngiyagomela phambi kukaSimakade owasenzela lo mphefumulo, angiyukukubulala, futhi angiyukukunikela esandleni salawo madoda afuna ukuphila kwakho.”
17UJeremiya wayesethi kuZedekiya: “Usho kanje uSimakade uNkulunkulu Wamabandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Uma uphuma nokuphuma, uye ezikhulwini zenkosi yaseBhabhele, uyakuphila, futhi nalo muzi awuyukushiswa ngomlilo, uyakuphila wena nabendlu yakho, niyophila. 18Kepha uma ungazinikeli ezikhulwini zenkosi yaseBhabhele, lo muzi uyakunikelwa esandleni samaKhaledi, awushise ngomlilo, wena awuyukuphunyuka esandleni sawo.’ ”
19Inkosi uZedekiya yathi kuJeremiya: “Ngiyabesaba abaJuda abahlubukele kumaKhaledi, funa nginikelwe kubo, bangiphathe kabi.”
20Kepha uJeremiya, wathi: “Abayukukunikela. Ake ulilalele izwi likaSimakade engilikhuluma kuwe, ukuze kube kuhle kuwe, usindise umphefumulo wakho. 21Kepha-ke uma wala ukuyozinikela, uSimakade ungibonise leli lizwi, elithi: 22bheka, bonke abesifazane abasele esigodlweni senkosi yakwaJuda bayakukhishelwa ezikhulwini zenkosi yaseBhabhele. Uyabona-ke, bayakuthi:
“ ‘Abahlobo bakho bakwedukisile,
bakwehlula;
kodwa lapho izinyawo zakho
sezibishe exhaphozini,
babuyela emuva.’
23“Bonke abafazi bakho nezingane zakho bayobayisa kumaKhaledi. Wena awuyukuphunyuka esandleni sabo, kodwa isandla senkosi yaseBhabhele siyakukubamba, nalo muzi ushiswe ngomlilo.”
24UZedekiya wayesethi kuJeremiya: “Makungabi bikho muntu ozwa lawa mazwi, ukuze ungafi. 25Uma izikhulu zizwa ukuthi ngikhulume nawe, bese zifika kuwe, zithi: ‘Ake usitshele ukuthi utheni enkosini, ungasifihleli khona, nalokho inkosi ekukhulume kuwe, khona asiyukukubulala,’ 26uyothi kubo: ‘Ngizinxusele enkosini ukuba ingangibuyiseli endlini kaJonathani, funa ngifele khona.’ ”
27Zonke izikhulu zafika kuJeremiya, zambuza. Wazitshela wonke lawo mazwi njengalokhu inkosi yayimyalile. Zathula-ke, zasuka kuye, alwaze lwaziwa udaba. 28UJeremiya wasala egcekeni labalindi kwaze kwaba wusuku elanqotshwa ngalo iJerusalema.
