Iminyaka elikhomba yokuthunjwa
1Ngomnyaka wesine wokubusa kwekosi uJehoyakhimu umsa kaJosiya ikosi yakwaJuda, okumnyaka wokuthoma wokubusa kwakaNebukadiretsari ikosi yeBhabheli, kwafika ilizwi kumphorofidi uJoromiya malungana nabo boke abantu bakwaJuda. 2Umphorofidi uJoromiya walikhuluma kibo boke abantu bakwaJuda nakibo boke abahlali beJerusalema.
3Sele kuminyaka ematjhumi amabili nantathu ilizwi lakaSomnini lisiza kimi; iye, ukusukela emnyakeni wetjhumi nantathu wokubusa kwekosi uJosiya umsa ka-Amoni wakwaJuda bekube kunamhlanje. Bengilikhuluma kini imini yoke, kodwana azange nilalele. 4Nanyana uSomnini bekaseze anithumelela zoke iinceku zakhe okubaphorofidi, imini yoke, azange nilalele namkha nikotakote iindlebe zenu kobana nizwe 5lokha nabathi: “Phendukani khona nje, omunye nomunye wenu, nitjhiye indlelenu embi kanye nezenzo zenu zobukhohlakali, khona nizakuhlala enarheni uSomnini aninikele yona kanye nabokhokho benu kusukela ekadeni bekube nini nanini. 6Ningadlhemadlhemi ngemva kwabosingazimu kobana nibalotjhe benibakhothamele. Ningangithukuthelisi ngemisebenzi yezandla zenu. Yeke angeze nganikhubaza.”
7USomnini uthi: “Khonapho azange ningilalele. Ngalokho ningithukuthelisile ngemisebenzi yezandla zenu nazibangela ukukhubala.”
8Ngalokho-ke nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini uMninimandlawoke: “Ngebanga lokungalaleli kwenu amezwami, 9qalani, sele ngizokuthumela bona kulandwe zoke iinkoro zetlhagwini, ngitjho nencekwami uNebukadiretsari ikosi yeBhabheli. Ngizaziletha enarheni le nakubahlali bayo kanye nebantwini boke abayizombileko. Ngizobarhayila nya bengibenze into yokurarekelwa nenarha le ibe libhudu namarubhi mlibe.” Kutjho uSomnini. 10“Ngizakususa phakathi kwabo itjhada lokujabula nokujekezela, ilizwi lomkhwenyana nephimbo lomlobokazi, itjhada lamatje wokugaya kanye nomkhanyo wesibani. 11Yoke inarha le izakuba marubhi nebhudu. Abantwaba bazakusebenzela ikosi yeBhabheli iminyaka ematjhumi alikhomba. 12Ngemva kokuphelela kweminyaka ematjhumi alikhomba, ngizakuhlunguphaza ikosi yeBhabheli kanye nesizwe sakhona ngebanga lecala labo; iye, inarha yamaKasidi ngizoyenza amarubhi wamlibe.” Kutjho uSomnini. 13“Ngizakwehlisela phezu kwenarha leyo woke amagama engiwakhulume ngayo; iye, woke amagama wena Joromiya ozakuphorofida ngawo ngokujamelana nazo zoke izizwe nazakutlolwa emsongweni. 14Izizwe ezinengi namakhosi adumileko azakwenza amaKasidi abe makhoboka. Mina-ke ngizawakhokhela ngokuya ngezenzo kanye nemisebenzi yezandla zawo.”
Ikapho yetukuthelo kaZimu
15Ngalokho uSomnini uZimu wakwa-Israyeli wathi kimi: “Thatha ikapho yewayini le, okulilaka esandleni sami bese useza zoke izizwe engikuthuma kizo. 16Zizakusela bezitherezele bese zidlharuma ngebanga lesabula engiyithumela hlangana nazo.”
17Yeke ngathatha ikapho esandleni sakaSomnini ngaseza zoke izizwe uSomnini angithume kizo:
18iJerusalema namadorobho wakwaJuda, amakhosi kanye neenkhulu zakhona kobana ngiwenze into yokukakamalelwa neyesithuko, into yokurarekelwa nokunikelela (njengombana kunjalo nanamhlanjesi);
19uFaro ikosi yeGibhide, iinsebenzi zakhe, iinkhulu zakhe, boke abantu bakhe 20nabo boke abantu abayicubevange yakhona;
woke amakhosi wenarha ye-Utsi;
woke amakhosi wenarha yamaFilista, okutjho i-Atjhikheloni, iGaza, i-Ekhironi kanye nemisalela ye-Atjhidodi;
21abantu be-Edomu, beMowabi kanye nama-Amoni;
22woke amakhosi weTirosi, woke amakhosi weTsidoni namakhosi weligwini ngaphetjheya kwelwandle;
23abantu beDedani, beTema, beBhuzi nabantu boke abagude iinhloko zabo eenhlafunyweni, 24woke amakhosi we-Arabhiya newecubevange yabantu abahlala erhalawumbeni;
25woke amakhosi weZimri, woke amakhosi we-Elamu nawo woke amakhosi weMediya;
26woke amakhosi wetlhagwini, kude neduze, ngokulandelana kwawo, nayo yoke imibuso yelizwe esebusweni bephasi.
Ngemva kwayo kuzakusela ikosi yeTjhetjhaki.
27Yeke uSomnini wathi kimi: “Kumele uthi kizo, ‘Nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini uMninimandlawoke, uZimu wakwa-Israyeli: Selani, nidakwe benihlanze, niwe beningasavuka ngebanga lesabula engiyithumela phakathi kwenu.’
28“Nakube abafuni ukwamukela ikapho esandleni sakho kobana basele, yeke uzakuthi kibo, ‘Nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini uMninimandlawoke: Nakukusela khona, nizakusela! 29Qalani, ngithoma ukuletha ihlekelele phezu kwedorobho elibizwa ngami; alo, ningakghona njani nina ukubalekela isibetho na? Angeze nahlala ningabethwa ngombana ngiletha isabula ngokujamelana nabo boke abantu ephasinapha.’ Kutjho uSomnini uMninimandlawoke.
30“Ngalokho wena Joromiya, uzakuphorofida kibo woke amezwi lawo begodu uthi kibo,
“ ‘USomnini uzakubhodla asekuphakameni,
akhulume ngelizwi lakhe asendawenakhe ecwengileko,
uzakubhodla khulu ngokujamelana nomzakhe;
arhuwelele njengalabo abagadanga amadiribe,
ngokujamelana nabo boke abahlali bephasini,
31itjhada lizakuzwakala epelazwe
ngombana uSomnini unesimangalo ngezizwe,
ugweba inyama yoke
begodu iinkhohlakali uzazinikelela ngesabula.’ ”
Kutjho uSomnini.
32Nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini uMninimandlawoke:
“Qalani, ihlekelele iphuma
ukusuka esizweni ukuya kesinye,
kuvuka isiwuruwuru esikhulu
ukusuka emajukujukwini wephasi!”
33Labo abamadlhwe nguSomnini mhlokho bazakunabela ukusuka emaphethelweni wephasi ukuya kamanye. Abazukulilelwa namkha babuthwe namkha babulungwe, kodwana bazakuba njengomsuqwa emasimini.
34Lilani nina belusi, nirhahlawule!
Zibhudabhudeni emlotheni nina banini bemihlambi
ngombana amalangenu wokuhlaba aphelile!
Nizakuwa niphahlazeke njengesitja sekhethelo.
35Abelusi bazakutlhoga ububalekelo
nabanini bemihlambi angeze baphunyurha.
36Yizwani isililo sabelusi
nokurhahlawula kwabanini bemihlambi!
USomnini wonakalisa amadlelwabo;
37iye, imirhula ethulileko iyonakaliswa
ngebanga letukuthelo evuthako kaSomnini.
38Utjhiye idzaba lakhe njengebhubezi
ngombana inarhabo ibe libhudu
ngebanga lokuba nesihluku kwesabula,
nangebanga letukuthelo evuthako kaSomnini.
