Yeremiya
39 Ngonyaka wesithoba kaKumkani uZedekiya wakwaYuda, ngenyanga yeshumi, uKumkani uNebhukadenetsare* waseBhabhiloni nomkhosi wakhe wonke beza eYerusalem baza bayirhangqa.+
2 Ngonyaka we-11 kaZedekiya, ngenyanga yesine, ngomhla wesithoba kuloo nyanga, badiliza iindonga zeso sixeko.+ 3 Yaye zonke iinkokheli zikakumkani waseBhabhiloni, uNergali-sharetsere iSamgare, uNebho-Sarsekim iRabhesarisi,* uNergali-sharetsere iRabhemage* nazo zonke ezinye iinkokheli zikakumkani waseBhabhiloni zangena zaza zahlala phantsi kwiGeyithi Ephakathi.+
4 Wathi uKumkani uZedekiya wakwaYuda nawo onke amajoni akhe bakubabona, babaleka,+ baphuma esixekweni ngobusuku ngakumyezo kakumkani, ngegeyithi ephakathi kweendonga ezimbini; yaye baqhubeka behamba ngendlela yaseArabha.+ 5 Umkhosi wamaKhaledi wabaleqa, waza wamfumana uZedekiya kwintlango yaseYeriko.+ Wambamba waza wamzisa kuKumkani uNebhukadenetsare* waseBhabhiloni eRibhela+ kwilizwe laseHamati,+ ukuze agwebe. 6 Ukumkani waseBhabhiloni wayalela ukuba kubulawe oonyana bakaZedekiya eRibhela, phambi kwamehlo akhe, wayalela ukuba kubulawe nazo zonke izikhulu zakwaYuda.+ 7 Emva koko wamtyhaphaza amehlo uZedekiya, waza wambopha ngamatsheyini ekopolo ukuze amzise eBhabhiloni.+
8 Emva koko, amaKhaledi atshisa indlu kakumkani nezindlu zabantu,+ aza adiliza iindonga zaseYerusalem.+ 9 UNebhuzaradan+ umphathi woonogada wabathimbela eBhabhiloni abantu ababeshiyekile esixekweni, abo babebalekele kuye, naye nabani na owayeshiyekile.
10 Kodwa uNebhuzaradan umphathi woonogada wabashiya kwilizwe lakwaYuda abanye babona bantu bahlwempuzekileyo, abo babengenanto tu. Ngaloo mini wabanika amasimi eediliya namanye amasimi ukuze basebenze kuwo.*+
11 UKumkani uNebhukadenetsare* waseBhabhiloni wathi kuNebhuzaradan umphathi woonogada ngoYeremiya: 12 “Mthathe uze umhoye; ungenzi nantoni na embi kuye, uze umnike nantoni na ayicelayo.”+
13 Ngoko uNebhuzaradan umphathi woonogada, uNebhushazebhan iRabhesarisi,* uNergali-sharetsere iRabhemage* nawo onke amadoda aziintloko kakumkani waseBhabhiloni bathumela 14 ukuba kukhutshwe uYeremiya kwiYadi Yoonogada,+ bamnikela kuGedaliya+ unyana ka-Ahikam+ unyana kaShafan,+ ukuba aye naye endlini yakhe. Ngoko wahlala phakathi kwabantu.
15 Ngoxa uYeremiya wayesavalelwe kwiYadi Yoonogada,+ kwafika ilizwi likaYehova kuye, lisithi: 16 “Hamba uyokuthi kuEbhedi-meleki+ umTiyopiya, ‘Uthi uYehova wemikhosi, uThixo kaSirayeli: “Ndiza kuyenza into endiyithethileyo ngesi sixeko, ibe yintlekele kungekhona ukulungelwa, yaye ngaloo mini uza kuyibona isenzeka loo nto.”’
17 “‘Kodwa ndiza kukusindisa ngaloo mini,’ utsho uYehova, ‘yaye awuzukunikelwa kumadoda owoyikayo.’
18 “‘Kuba nakanjani ndiza kukusindisa, ibe awuzukuwa ngekrele. Uza kubugcina ubomi bakho,+ kuba uthembele kum,’+ utsho uYehova.”