Yeremiya
42 Ngoko zonke iintloko zomkhosi noYohanan+ unyana kaKareya noYezaniya unyana kaHoshaya nabo bonke abantu, ukususela koyena mncinci ukuyokutsho koyena mkhulu, baya 2 kumprofeti uYeremiya, bathi: “Siyakucela, simamele isicelo sethu, uze usithandazele kuYehova uThixo wakho, uthandazele bonke aba bantu abaye bashiyeka, kuba siye sashiyeka simbalwa nangona besibaninzi,+ njengokuba ubona. 3 Kwanga uYehova uThixo wakho angasixelela indlela esifanele sihambe ngayo, nento esifanele siyenze.”
4 Umprofeti uYeremiya wathi kubo: “Ndinivile, ibe ndiza kuthandaza kuYehova uThixo wenu ngokwamazwi enu; yaye lonke ilizwi aniphendula ngalo uYehova ndiza kunixelela. Akukho lizwi ndiza kunifihlela lona.”
5 Bona ke bathi kuYeremiya: “Kwanga uYehova angaba lingqina elithembekileyo aze asohlwaye ukuba asenzi yonke le nto akuthume ukuba usiyalele yona uYehova uThixo wakho. 6 Nokuba libi okanye limnandi, siza kulithobela ilizwi likaYehova uThixo wakho esikuthuma kuye, ukuze izinto zisihambele kakuhle, kuba siye salithobela ilizwi likaYehova uThixo wakho.”
7 Emva kweentsuku ezilishumi lafika ilizwi likaYehova kuYeremiya. 8 Wabiza uYohanan unyana kaKareya nazo zonke iintloko zomkhosi ezazikunye naye nabo bonke abantu, ukususela koyena mncinci ukuyokutsho koyena mkhulu.+ 9 Wathi kubo: “UYehova uThixo kaSirayeli ebenindithume ukuba ndinicelele inceba kuye uthi mandinixelele le nto: 10 ‘Ukuba niyahlala kweli lizwe, ndiza kunakha, ndinganichithi, yaye ndiza kunityala, ndinganincothuli, kuba ndiza kuba buhlungu* ngenxa yentlekele endinizisele yona.+ 11 Sanukumoyika lo kumkani waseBhabhiloni nimoyikayo.’+
“‘Sanukumoyika,’ utsho uYehova, ‘kuba ndinani, ukuze ndinisindise nokuze ndinihlangule kuye. 12 Ndiza kunenzela inceba,+ yaye uza kuba nenceba kuni aze anibuyisele emhlabeni wenu.
13 “‘Kodwa ukuba nithi: “Hayi, asizukuhlala kweli lizwe!” nize ningalithobeli ilizwi likaYehova uThixo wenu, 14 nisithi: “Hayi, endaweni yoko siza kuya kwilizwe laseYiputa,+ apho singazukubona mfazwe okanye sive sandi saphondo okanye silambele sonka; siza kuhlala apho thina,” 15 liveni ilizwi likaYehova, nina nishiyekileyo bakwaYuda. Uthi uYehova wemikhosi, uThixo kaSirayeli: “Ukuba nizimisele ukungena eYiputa niyokuhlala* khona, 16 lona kanye eli krele niloyikayo liza kunifumana apho kwilizwe laseYiputa, ibe yona kanye le ndlala niyoyikayo iza kunilandela ukuya eYiputa, nize nifele apho.+ 17 Onke amadoda azimisele ukuya kuhlala eYiputa aza kubulawa likrele, yindlala nasisifo esingubhubhani. Akukho nenye kuwo eza kusinda okanye iyibaleke intlekele endiza kuwazisela yona.”’
18 “Kuba uthi uYehova wemikhosi, uThixo kaSirayeli, ‘Kanye njengokuba umsindo nengqumbo yam ziye zagalelwa phezu kwabemi baseYerusalem,+ ingqumbo yam iza kugalelwa phezu kwenu ukuba niye eYiputa, yaye niza kuba sisithuko, into eyoyikekayo, into eqalekisiweyo nento yokuhlekisa,+ ibe soze niphinde niyibone le ndawo.’
19 “UYehova uthethe izinto ezimbi ngani, nina bashiyekileyo bakwaYuda. Sanukuya eYiputa. Yazini ke ukuba ndinilumkisile namhlanje, 20 ndanixelela ukuba isono senu siza kunibulalisa. Kuba nandithumela kuYehova uThixo wenu, nisithi, ‘Sithandazele kuYehova uThixo wethu, uze usixelele yonke into ayithethayo uYehova uThixo wethu, ibe siza kuyenza.’+ 21 Ndiye ndanixelela namhlanje, kodwa anizukulithobela ilizwi likaYehova uThixo wenu okanye nenze nantoni na athe mandinixelele yona.+ 22 Ze niyazi ke into yokuba niza kufa likrele, yindlala nasisifo esingubhubhani kuloo ndawo nifuna ukuya kuhlala kuyo.”+