Jeremiya
38 UShefathiya indodana kaMathani noGedaliya indodana kaPhashuri noJukali+ indodana kaShelemiya noPhashuri indodana kaMalikhiya+ bawezwa amazwi uJeremiya ayewakhuluma kubo bonke abantu,+ ethi: 2 “Yilokhu uJehova akushilo, ‘Oqhubeka ehlala kulo muzi nguye ozofa ngenkemba,+ ngendlala+ nangesifo esiwumshayabhuqe.+ Kodwa ophumayo aye kumaKhaledi nguye ozoqhubeka ephila futhi ngokuqinisekile ozothola umphefumulo wakhe njengempango futhi uphila.’+ 3 Yilokhu uJehova akushilo, ‘Nakanjani lo muzi uzonikelwa esandleni sebutho lempi lenkosi yaseBhabhiloni, futhi ngokuqinisekile izowuthumba.’”+
4 Izikhulu zaqala ukuthi enkosini: “Sicela ukuba lo muntu abulawe,+ ngoba lena yindlela azenza buthaka ngayo izandla zamadoda empi asele kulo muzi nezandla zabo bonke abantu, ngokukhuluma kubo ngokwala mazwi.+ Ngoba lo muntu akasifuneli ukuthula lesi sizwe kodwa usifunela inhlekelele.” 5 Ngakho iNkosi uZedekiya yathi: “Bhekani! Usezandleni zenu. Ngoba akukho lutho ngisho noluncane inkosi ngokwayo enganinqoba kulo.”+
6 Khona-ke zamthatha uJeremiya zamphonsa emthonjeni kaMalikhiya+ indodana yenkosi, owawuseGcekeni Labaqaphi.+ Ngakho zamehlisela phansi uJeremiya ngezindophi. Manje emthonjeni kwakungenamanzi, kodwa kunodaka; futhi uJeremiya waqala ukubisha odakeni.+
7 U-Ebhedi-meleki umTopiya,+ indoda engumthenwa eyayisendlini yenkosi, wezwa ukuthi babemfake emthonjeni uJeremiya; inkosi yayihlezi eSangweni LikaBhenjamini.+ 8 Ngakho u-Ebhedi-meleki waphuma endlini yenkosi wakhuluma nenkosi, wathi: 9 “O nkosi yami nkosi, la madoda enzé into embi kukho konke akwenzile kuJeremiya umprofethi, amphonsé emthonjeni, kangangokuba uzofa+ lapho ekhona ngenxa yendlala.+ Ngoba akusekho sinkwa emzini.”
10 Khona-ke inkosi yamyala u-Ebhedi-meleki umTopiya, yathi: “Thatha amadoda angamashumi amathathu kule ndawo abe ngaphansi kwakho, umkhuphule uJeremiya umprofethi aphume emthonjeni engakafi.”+ 11 Ngokuvumelana nalokhu u-Ebhedi-meleki wawathatha amadoda aba ngaphansi kwakhe bangena endlini yenkosi baya ngaphansi kwendawo yomcebo+ bathatha lapho izidwedwe ezigugile namanikiniki bakwehlisela kuJeremiya emthonjeni+ ngezindophi. 12 Khona-ke u-Ebhedi-meleki umTopiya wathi kuJeremiya: “Ngicela ufake lezi zidwedwe ezigugile namanikiniki emakhwapheni akho ngaphansi kwezindophi.” UJeremiya wenza kanjalo.+ 13 Ekugcineni bamkhipha uJeremiya ngezindophi bamkhuphula emthonjeni. UJeremiya waqhubeka ehlala eGcekeni Labaqaphi.+
14 INkosi uZedekiya yathumela kwalethwa uJeremiya kuyo+ endleleni yesithathu engenayo,+ esendlini kaJehova,+ khona-ke inkosi yathi kuJeremiya: “Ngicela ukukubuza okuthile. Ungangifihleli lutho.”+ 15 Khona-ke uJeremiya wathi kuZedekiya: “Uma ngikutshela, ngeke yini ungibulale nokungibulala? Futhi uma ngikweluleka, ngeke ungilalele.”+ 16 INkosi uZedekiya yafunga kuJeremiya endaweni yokucasha, yathi: “Kuphila kukaJehova, osenzele lo mphefumulo,+ ngeke ngikubulale, futhi ngeke ngikunikele esandleni sala madoda afuna umphefumulo wakho.”+
17 UJeremiya manje wathi kuZedekiya: “Yilokhu uJehova, uNkulunkulu wamabutho,+ uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli,+ akushilo, ‘Uma nakanjani uzophuma uye ezikhulwini zenkosi yaseBhabhiloni,+ umphefumulo wakho ngokuqinisekile uyoqhubeka uphila nalo muzi ngeke ushiswe ngomlilo, nawe nabendlu yakho ngokuqinisekile niyoqhubeka niphila.+ 18 Kodwa uma ungeke uphume uye ezikhulwini zenkosi yaseBhabhiloni, lo muzi futhi uzonikelwa esandleni samaKhaledi, nakanjani azowushisa ngomlilo,+ wena ngeke uphunyuke esandleni sawo.’”+
19 Khona-ke iNkosi uZedekiya yathi kuJeremiya: “Ngesaba amaJuda ahlubukele kumaKhaledi,+ funa anginikele esandleni sawo futhi empeleni angiphathe kabi.”+ 20 Kodwa uJeremiya wathi: “Ngeke neze akunikele. Siza, ulalele izwi likaJehova kulokhu engikukhuluma kuwe, kuzokuhambela kahle,+ futhi umphefumulo wakho uzoqhubeka uphila. 21 Kodwa uma wenqaba ukuphuma,+ nansi into uJehova angibonise yona: 22 Bheka! Bonke abesifazane abasele endlini yenkosi yakwaJuda+ bakhishelwa ezikhulwini zenkosi yaseBhabhiloni,+ futhi bathi,
‘Amadoda anokuthula nawe akuyengile+ akunqoba.+
Enzé ukuba unyawo lwakho lushone khona kanye obishini; abaleké ngenye indlela.’+
23 Bonke omkakho namadodana akho bawakhiphela kumaKhaledi, wena ngokwakho ngeke uphunyuke esandleni sawo,+ kodwa uzobanjwa yisandla senkosi yaseBhabhiloni, futhi ngenxa yakho lo muzi uzoshiswa ngomlilo.”+
24 UZedekiya wathi kuJeremiya: “Makungabikho muntu owazi ngalezi zinto, ukuze ungafi. 25 Futhi uma kwenzeka izikhulu+ zizwa ukuthi ngikhulumile nawe futhi empeleni ziza kuwe zithi, ‘Sicela usitshele, Ubukhuluma ngani nenkosi? Ungasifihleli lutho, ngeke sikubulale. Inkosi ikhulumeni nawe?’ 26 uthi kuzo, ‘Bengenza isicelo sami somusa ukuba siwele phambi kwenkosi, ukuba ingangibuyiseli endlini kaJehonathani+ ukuba ngiyofela khona.’”
27 Ngemva kwesikhathi zonke izikhulu zeza kuJeremiya zaqala ukumbuza. Yena, wazitshela ngokwawo wonke la mazwi inkosi eyayimyale ngawo.+ Ngakho zathula phambi kwakhe, ngoba le ndaba ayizange izwakale. 28 UJeremiya waqhubeka ehlala eGcekeni Labaqaphi+ kwaze kwaba usuku iJerusalema elathunjwa ngalo.+ Futhi kwenzeka lapho nje iJerusalema lithunjwa.+