Yeremiya
40 Kwafika ilizwi likaYehova kuYeremiya emva kokuba ekhululwe eRama+ nguNebhuzaradan+ umphathi woonogada. Wamthatha apho ebotshiwe yaye ekunye nabo bonke abathinjwa baseYerusalem nabakwaYuda ababethunyelwa eBhabhiloni. 2 Umphathi woonogada wamthatha uYeremiya, wathi kuye: “UYehova uThixo wakho wayichaza kwakudala le ntlekele yehlela le ndawo, 3 yaye uYehova uye wayizisa kanye ngendlela awayethethe ngayo, kuba nina nimonile uYehova yaye anilithobelanga ilizwi lakhe. Yiyo loo nto isenzeka kuni le nto.+ 4 Ngoku ndiyakukhulula kula matsheyini zibotshwe ngawo izandla zakho. Ukuba ukubona kuyinto entle ukuza nam eBhabhiloni, yiza, yaye ndiya kukuhoya. Kodwa ukuba awufuni ukuza nam eBhabhiloni, sukuza. Jonga! Lonke ilizwe liphambi kwakho. Yiya naphi na apho ukhetha ukuya khona.”+
5 Ngoxa wayengekajiki uYeremiya, uNebhuzaradan wathi: “Buyela kuGedaliya+ unyana ka-Ahikam+ unyana kaShafan,+ lo ukumkani waseBhabhiloni ambekileyo ukuba alawule izixeko zakwaYuda, uze uhlale naye kunye nabantu; okanye uye naphi na apho ukhetha ukuya khona.”
Umphathi woonogada wamnika ukutya nesipho waza wamyeka wahamba. 6 UYeremiya waya kuGedaliya unyana ka-Ahikam eMizpa,+ wahlala naye phakathi kwabantu ababeshiywe elizweni.
7 Ekuhambeni kwexesha zonke iintloko zomkhosi ezazisemaphandleni namadoda aphantsi kwazo zeva ukuba ukumkani waseBhabhiloni ubeke uGedaliya unyana ka-Ahikam phezu kwelizwe aze alawule amadoda, abafazi nabantwana kubantu belo lizwe abangamahlwempu, ababengathinjelwanga eBhabhiloni.+ 8 Ngoko iintloko zomkhosi zeza kuGedaliya eMizpa.+ Ezo ntloko yayinguIshmayeli+ unyana kaNetaniya, uYohanan+ noYonatan oonyana bakaKareya, uSeraya unyana kaTanumete, oonyana bakaEfayi umNetofa noYezaniya+ unyana womMahakati, kunye namadoda awayephantsi kwazo. 9 UGedaliya unyana ka-Ahikam unyana kaShafan wawafungela la madoda esithi: “Sanukoyika ukusebenzela amaKhaledi. Hlalani kweli lizwe nize nisebenzele ukumkani waseBhabhiloni, yaye niza kulungelwa.+ 10 Mna ndiza kuhlala eMizpa ukuze ndinimele kumaKhaledi* aza kuthi. Kodwa nimele niqokelele iwayini, iziqhamo zasehlotyeni neoli, nizifake koovimba nize nihlale kwizixeko zenu enizithimbileyo.”+
11 Onke amaYuda awayekwaMowabhi, kwa-Amoni nakwaEdom nalawo ayekuwo onke amanye amazwe, eva ukuba ukumkani waseBhabhiloni uyeke abantu abambalwa bashiyeka kwaYuda nokuba ubeke uGedaliya unyana ka-Ahikam unyana kaShafan ukuba abalawule. 12 Ngoko onke amaYuda abuya kuzo zonke iindawo awayesasazeke kuzo, yaye eza kwilizwe lakwaYuda kuGedaliya eMizpa. Aqokelela iwayini neziqhamo zasehlotyeni ezininzi kakhulu.
13 UYohanan unyana kaKareya weza kuGedaliya eMizpa kunye nazo zonke iintloko zomkhosi ezazisemaphandleni. 14 Bathi kuye: “Awazi na ukuba uBhahalis, ukumkani wama-Amoni+ uthumele uIshmayeli unyana kaNetaniya ukuba akubulale?”+ Kodwa uGedaliya unyana ka-Ahikam akazange abakholelwe.
15 Emva koko uYohanan unyana kaKareya ngokufihlakeleyo wathi kuGedaliya eMizpa: “Ndifuna ukuhamba ndiyokuxabela uIshmayeli unyana kaNetaniya, ibe akukho mntu uza kuyazi le nto. Kutheni efanele akubulale, kutheni bonke abantu bakwaYuda abaqokelelene kuwe nabashiyekileyo befanele batshabalale?” 16 Kodwa uGedaliya+ unyana ka-Ahikam wathi kuYohanan unyana kaKareya: “Sukuyenza le nto, kuba bubuxoki obu ubuthethayo ngoIshmayeli.”