UJeremiya
34 Lapho uNebukhadinezari* inkosi yaseBhabhiloni nalo lonke ibutho lakhe lempi nayo yonke imibuso yomhlaba eyayingaphansi kombuso wakhe, nazo zonke izizwe belwa neJerusalema nawo wonke amadolobha alo, kwafika izwi kuJeremiya livela kuJehova, + lathi:
2 “Yilokhu uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli akushoyo, ‘Hamba ukhulume noZedekiya + inkosi yakwaJuda uthi: “Yilokhu uJehova akushoyo, ‘Nginikela leli dolobha enkosini yaseBhabhiloni, iyolishisa ngomlilo. + 3 Wena ngeke uphunyuke esandleni sayo, ngoba nakanjani uzobanjwa unikelwe kuyo. + Uyobonana nayo ubuso nobuso futhi uyothunjelwa eBhabhiloni.’ + 4 Nokho, yizwa izwi likaJehova Zedekiya nkosi yakwaJuda, ‘Yilokhu uJehova akushoyo ngawe: “Ngeke ufe ngenkemba. 5 Uyofa ngokuthula, + bakwenzele umcimbi wokushiswa kwempepho njengoba benza koyihlo, amakhosi ayengaphambi kwakho, bayokulilela bathi, ‘Maye nkosi!’ ngoba ‘ngikhulumile,’ kusho uJehova.” ’ ” ’ ”
6 UJeremiya umprofethi watshela uZedekiya inkosi yakwaJuda wonke la mazwi eJerusalema, 7 ngesikhathi amabutho empi enkosi yaseBhabhiloni elwa neJerusalema nawo wonke amadolobha akwaJuda ayengakanqotshwa, + iLakishi + ne-Azeka; + ngoba yiwo kuphela la madolobha anezivikelo eziqinile ayesele emadolobheni akwaJuda.
8 Leli yizwi elafika kuJeremiya livela kuJehova ngemva kokuba iNkosi uZedekiya yenze isivumelwano nabo bonke abantu ababeseJerusalema ukuba bakhulule izigqila, + 9 ukuba yilowo nalowo akhulule isigqila sakhe esingumHebheru, esesilisa nesesifazane, ukuze kungabi namuntu onesigqila esingumJuda. 10 Ngakho zonke izikhulu nabo bonke abantu balalela. Babenze isivumelwano sokuba wonke umuntu akhulule isigqila sakhe nesigqilakazi sakhe zingaqhubeki ziyizigqila. Balalela bazidedela. 11 Kodwa kamuva baphinde bazilanda izigqila nezigqilakazi zabo ababezikhululile, babuye baziphoqa ukuba ziphinde zibe yizigqila. 12 Ngakho-ke kwafika izwi likaJehova kuJeremiya livela kuJehova, lathi:
13 “Yilokhu uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli akushoyo, ‘Ngenza isivumelwano nokhokho benu + ngosuku engabakhipha ngalo ezweni laseGibhithe, lapho ababeyizigqila khona, + ngathi: 14 “Ekupheleni kweminyaka eyisikhombisa, ngamunye wenu kufanele adedele umfowabo ongumHebheru owayethengiselwe kuwe futhi osekusebenzele iminyaka eyisithupha; kumele umkhulule.” + Kodwa okhokho benu abazange bangilalele noma benze engikushoyo. 15 Muva nje* niphendukile nenza okulungile emehlweni ami ngokukhulula abantu bakini, nenza isivumelwano phambi kwami endlini ebizwa ngegama lami. 16 Kodwa niphinde nashintsha nangcolisa igama lami + ngokubuyisa izigqila nezigqilakazi ebese nizikhululile ngokwezifiso zazo, niziphoqile ukuba ziphinde zibe yizigqila.’
17 “Manje yilokhu uJehova akushoyo: ‘Aningilalelanga ngokuba nikhulule izigqila, yilowo nalowo akhulule umfowabo nomuntu wakubo. + Ngakho ngizoninika inkululeko,’ kusho uJehova, ‘lapho inkemba, isifo esiwumshayabhuqe nendlala + kunibulala, ngizonenza nibe yinto eshaqisayo kuyo yonke imibuso yomhlaba. + 18 Yilokhu okuzokwenzeka kubantu abaphule isivumelwano sami ngokungawagcini amazwi esivumelwano sami lapho behlukanisa ithole phakathi ukuze badlule phakathi kwezingxenye zalo, *+ 19 okungukuthi, izikhulu zakwaJuda, izikhulu zaseJerusalema, izikhulu zegceke, abapristi nabo bonke abantu bezwe abadlula phakathi kwezingxenye zethole: 20 ngizobanikela ezitheni zabo nakulabo abafuna ukubabulala, izidumbu zabo ziyoba ngukudla kwezinyoni zamazulu nokwezilwane zasendle. + 21 Ngizonikela uZedekiya inkosi yakwaJuda nezikhulu zakhe ezitheni zabo nakulabo abafuna ukubabulala nasesandleni samabutho enkosi yaseBhabhiloni + ayekayo ukunivimbezela.’ +
22 “ ‘Ngizokhipha umyalo,’ kusho uJehova, ‘ngizowenza abuye kuleli dolobha, azolwa nalo alithumbe alishise ngomlilo; + amadolobha akwaJuda ngizowenza incithakalo, indawo engahlali muntu.’ ” +