Ukuwa kweJerusalema
1USedekiya wayeneminyaka engamashumi amabili nanye ekuqaleni kwakhe ukubusa, wabusa iminyaka eyishumi nanye eJerusalema; igama likanina lalinguHamuthali indodakazi kaJeremiya waseLibina.
2Wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova njengakho konke akwenzileyo uJehoyakimi.
3Ngokuba kwenzeka lokho eJerusalema nakwaJuda ngenxa yentukuthelo kaJehova, waze wabalahla ebusweni bakhe; uSedekiya wayihlubuka inkosi yaseBabele.
4Kwathi ngomnyaka wesishiyagalolunye wokubusa kwakhe ngenyanga yeshumi ngolweshumi lwenyanga kwafika uNebukadiresari inkosi yaseBabele, yena nayo yonke impi yakhe, eJerusalema, wamisa malungana nalo, bakha inqaba ngakulo nxazonke.
5Wawusuvinjezelwa umuzi kwaze kwaba-ngomnyaka weshumi nanye wenkosi uSedekiya.
6Ngenyanga yesine ngolwesishiyagalolunye lwenyanga indlala yaba-namandla emzini, akubangakho-kudla kubantu bezwe.
7Kepha wawusufohlwa umuzi, onke amadoda empi abaleka, aphuma emzini ebusuku ngendlela yesango phakathi kwezingange zombili ezazingasensimini yenkosi — amaKaledi ayekhona nxazonke zomuzi — ahamba ngendlela yaseAraba.
8Kodwa impi yamaKaledi yayixosha inkosi, yamfica uSedekiya emathafeni aseJeriko, yonke impi yakhe yahlakazeka.
9Ayeseyibamba inkosi, ayenyusela enkosini yaseBabele eRibila ezweni laseHamati, ayahlulela.
10Inkosi yaseBabele yabulala amadodana kaSedekiya phambi kwamehlo akhe; yabulala nazo zonke izikhulu zakwaJuda eRibila.
11Yakhipha namehlo kaSedekiya; inkosi yaseBabele yambopha ngamaketanga, yamyisa eBabele, yamfaka etilongweni kwaze kwaba-sosukwini lokufa kwakhe.
12Ngenyanga yesihlanu ngolweshumi lwenyanga okwakungumnyaka weshumi nesishiyagalolunye wenkosi uNebukadiresari inkosi yaseBabele, kwafika uNebuzaradani induna yabalindi, inceku yenkosi yaseBabele, eJerusalema.
13Washisa indlu kaJehova nendlu yenkosi; nazo zonke izindlu zaseJerusalema, zonke izindlu ezinkulu, wazishisa ngomlilo.
14Yonke impi yamaKaledi induna yabalindi eyayinayo yadiliza izingange zaseJerusalema nxazonke.
15Abantu abathile abayizimpofana, nabantu abaseleyo ababesele emzini, nabahlubukileyo behlubukela enkosini yaseBabele, nesixuku esiseleyo uNebuzaradani induna yabalindi wabathumba.
16Kepha uNebuzaradani induna yabalindi washiya abantu abathile bezwe abayizimpofana ukuba baphathe izivini namasimu.
17Izinsika zethusi ezazisendlini yenkosi, nezinqe, nolwandle lwethusi okwakusendlini kaJehova amaKaledi akuhlephula, athuthela lonke ithusi lakho eBabele.
18Amakhanzi, namafosholo, nezizenze, nemicakulo, nezinkezo, nazo zonke izitsha zethusi ababekhonza ngazo akuthatha.
19Izindebe, nemicengezi yomlilo, nezitsha, namakhanzi, nezinti zezibani, nezinkezo, nezinkamba, okwegolide lodwa nesiliva lodwa, nalokho induna yabalindi yakuthatha.
20Izinsika zombili, nolwandle olwalulunye nje, nezinkabi eziyishumi nambili zethusi ezaziphansi kwezinye, inkosi uSolomoni eyayikwenzele indlu kaJehova, ithusi lazo zonke lezizinto lalingenakulinganiswa.
21Izinsika-ke, ukuphakama kwensika eyodwa kwakuyizingalo eziyishumi nesishiyagalombili; umucu oyizingalo eziyishumi nambili wawuyizungeza; uhlonze lwayo lwaluyiminwe emine, yayiyigobongo.
22Kwakukhona isihloko sethusi; ukuphakama kwesihloko esisodwa kwakuyizingalo eziyisihlanu; kwakukhona nenetha namapomegranati* phezu kwesihloko nxazonke, konke kwakungokwethusi; njegangalé kwakunjalo nasensikeni yesibili enamapomegranati.
23Kwakukhona amapomegranati* angamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye nesithupha ngasemoyeni; onke amapomegranati asenetheni nxazonke ayeyikhulu.
24Induna yabalindi yathatha uSeraya umpristi omkhulu, noZefaniya umpristi wesibili, nabalindimnyango abathathu;
25yathatha emzini induna eyayimiswé phezu kwamadoda empi, nabantu abayisikhombisa kwababesebusweni benkosi abafunyanwa emzini, nombhali wenduna yempi eyayibala abantu bezwe, nabantu bezwe abangamashumi ayisithupha abafunyanwa phakathi komuzi.
26UNebuzaradani induna yabalindi wabathatha, wabayisa enkosini yaseBabele eRibila.
27Inkosi yaseBabele yabashaya, yababulala eRibila ezweni laseHamati. Wathunjwa kanjalo uJuda ezweni lakubo.
28Nampa abantu uNebukadiresari abathumbayo: ngomnyaka wesikhombisa abaJuda abayizinkulungwane ezintathu namashumi amabili nantathu,
29nangomnyaka weshumi nesishiyagalombili kaNebukadiresari wathumba eJerusalema abantu abangamakhulu ayisishiyagalombili namashumi amathathu nambili.
30Ngomnyaka wamashumi amabili nantathu kaNebukadiresari uNebuzaradani induna yabalindi wathumba abaJuda, abantu abangamakhulu ayisikhombisa namashumi amane nanhlanu. Bonke abantu babeyizinkulungwane ezine namakhulu ayisithupha.
Ukukhululwa kukaJehoyakini
31Kwathi ngomnyaka wamashumi amathathu nesikhombisa wokuthunjwa kukaJehoyakini inkosi yakwaJuda ngenyanga yeshumi nambili ngolwamashumi amabili nanhlanu lwenyanga, uEvili-Merodaki inkosi yaseBabele ngomnyaka wokuqala wokubusa kwakhe waphakamisa ikhanda likaJehoyakini inkosi yakwaJuda, wamkhipha etilongweni,
32wakhuluma kahle kuye, wabeka isihlalo sakhe phezu kwezihlalo zamakhosi ayenaye eBabele.
33Waguqula izingubo zakhe zasetilongweni; wadla njalo phambi kwakhe zonke izinsuku zokuhamba kwakhe.
34Isabelo sakhe sasiyisabelo esimiyo semihla ngemihla, asiphiwa yinkosi yaseBabele zonke izinsuku zokuhamba kwakhe kwaze kwaba-sosukwini lokufa kwakhe.
