Yeremiya
37 UKumkani uZedekiya+ unyana kaYosiya wabekwa waba ngukumkani wakwaYuda,+ emiselwa nguKumkani uNebhukadenetsare* waseBhabhiloni. Wangena endaweni kaKoniya*+ unyana kaYehoyakim. 2 Kodwa yena, izicaka zakhe nabantu belizwe abazange bawamamele amazwi kaYehova awawathethayo ngomprofeti uYeremiya.
3 UKumkani uZedekiya wathumela kumprofeti uYeremiya uYehukali+ unyana kaShelemiya noZefaniya+ unyana kaMahaseya umbingeleli, esithi: “Ndicela usithandazele kuYehova uThixo wethu.” 4 UYeremiya wayehamba-hamba ngokukhululekileyo phakathi kwabantu, kuba babengekamvaleli ejele.+ 5 Kwakukho umkhosi kaFaro owawuphuma eYiputa,+ yaye amaKhaledi awayerhangqe iYerusalem eva ingxelo ngawo. Ngoko ayeka ukuhlasela iYerusalem.+ 6 Emva koko lafika ilizwi likaYehova kumprofeti uYeremiya lisithi: 7 “Uthi uYehova uThixo kaSirayeli, ‘Nantsi into enifanele niyithethe kukumkani wakwaYuda, oye wanithumela kum ukuze nibuze: “Jongani! Umkhosi kaFaro oze kuninceda kuza kufuneka ubuyele kwilizwe lawo, iYiputa.+ 8 AmaKhaledi aza kubuya aze alwe nesi sixeko, ibe aza kusithimba aze asitshise.”+ 9 Uthi uYehova: “Sanukuziqhatha ngokuthi, ‘Nakanjani na amaKhaledi aza kusiyeka,’ kuba awazukuniyeka. 10 Nokuba beninokuwuxabela wonke umkhosi wamaKhaledi alwa nani, kuze kushiyeke amadoda enzakeleyo kuphela, ebeza kuphakama ezintenteni zawo asitshise esi sixeko.”’”+
11 Emva kokuba umkhosi wamaKhaledi umkile eYerusalem ngenxa yomkhosi kaFaro,+ 12 uYeremiya waphuma eYerusalem waya kwilizwe lakwaBhenjamin+ ukuze afumane isahlulo sakhe phakathi kwabantu bakowabo. 13 Kodwa wathi akufika kwiGeyithi YakwaBhenjamin, igosa eliphethe oonogada, elinguIriya unyana kaShelemiya unyana kaHananiya, lambamba umprofeti uYeremiya lathi: “Wena ubalekela kumaKhaledi!” 14 UYeremiya wathi: “Asiyonyani leyo! Andibalekeli kumaKhaledi mna.” Kodwa eli gosa linguIriya alizange limmamele. Lambamba lamzisa kwiinkokheli. 15 Iinkokheli zaba nomsindo, zambetha uYeremiya+ zaza zamfaka ejele*+ kwindlu kaYehonatan unobhala, eyayijikwe yayijele. 16 UYeremiya wafakwa emngxunyeni* kumagumbi angaphantsi, wahlala apho ixesha elide.
17 Emva koko uKumkani uZedekiya wathi makabizwe, waza wambuza ecaleni endlini yakhe.+ Wathi, “Ngaba likho ilizwi elivela kuYehova?” UYeremiya wathi, “Likhona!” waza waqhubeka wathi, “Uza kunikelwa esandleni sokumkani waseBhabhiloni!”+
18 UYeremiya waphinda wathi kuKumkani uZedekiya: “Ndikone ngantoni wena nezicaka zakho nesi sizwana, le nto nindivalele ejele? 19 Baphi ngoku abaprofeti bakho ababekuprofetela besithi, ‘Ukumkani waseBhabhiloni akazukulwa neli lizwe’?+ 20 Ndicela undimamele, yhini nkosi yam kumkani. Akwaba ungasimamela isicelo sam. Ndicela ungandibuyiseli endlini kanobhala uYehonatan,+ kuba ndiza kufela pha.”+ 21 Ngoko uKumkani uZedekiya wayalela ukuba uYeremiya avalelwe kwiYadi Yoonogada,+ ibe yonke imihla wayenikwa isonka esirawundi esivela kwisitrato sababhaki+ de sabe siphelile esixekweni.+ UYeremiya wahlala kwiYadi Yoonogada.