UJeremiya
29 La ngamazwi encwadi uJeremiya umphrofethi ayithumela eseJerusalema. Yayisiya kubadala besizwe ababethunjiwe, lakubaphristi, lakubaphrofethi lakubo bonke abantu ababethunjwe nguNebhukhadinezari eJerusalema wabahambisa eBhabhiloni. 2 Wayithumela ngesikhathi iNkosi uJekhoniya,+ lendlovukazi,+ leziphathamandla zesigodlweni, labakhokheli bakoJuda labeJerusalema, lezingcitshi zomsebenzi kanye labakhandi bensimbi sebesukile eJerusalema.+ 3 Wayiphathisa u-Elasa indodana kaShafani,+ loGemariya indodana kaHilikhiya, ababethunywe eBhabhiloni nguZedekhiya+ inkosi yakoJuda, ebathume kuNebhukhadinezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni. Yayisithi:
4 “Nanku okutshiwo nguJehova wamabutho, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, kubo bonke abantu abathunjiweyo, labo abangela ukuthi bathunjwe eJerusalema bahanjiswe eBhabhiloni, 5 ‘Yakhani izindlu lihlale kuzo, lilime izingadi lidle izithelo zazo. 6 Thathani abafazi lizale amadodana lamadodakazi. Dingelani amadodana enu abafazi, lendise lamadodakazi enu ukuze labo babe lamadodana lamadodakazi. Kumele lande elizweni elikulo, lingabi balutshwana. 7 Sebenzelani ukuthi kube lokuthula edolobheni engenza ukuthi lithunjwe lihanjiswe kulo, lilithandazele kuJehova ngoba nxa kungaba lokuthula kulo, lani lizakuba lokuthula.+ 8 UJehova wamabutho, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: “Lingavumi ukuqilwa ngabaphrofethi benu labahlahlulayo abaphakathi kwenu+ futhi lingawalaleli amaphupho abo, 9 ngoba baphrofetha amanga kini ngebizo lami, angibathumanga,”+ kutsho uJehova.’”
10 “Nanku okutshiwo nguJehova, ‘Nxa isiphelile iminyaka engu-70 liseBhabhiloni, ngizalikhumbula+ ngigcwalise isithembiso sami, ngiliphendukise endaweni le.’+
11 “‘Ngikwazi kuhle lokho engikucabangayo ngani,’ kutsho uJehova, ‘ngifuna libe lokuthula, hatshi ukuthi lehlelwe ngokubi,+ ngifuna ukulinika ithemba kanye lekusasa elihle.+ 12 Lizangibiza libuye lizothandaza kimi futhi mina ngizalilalela.’+
13 “‘Lizangidinga lingithole+ ngoba lizabe lingidinga ngenhliziyo yonke.+ 14 Ngizakwenza ukuthi lingithole,’+ kutsho uJehova. ‘Ngizaqoqa abathunjiweyo benu, ngilibuthe kuzo zonke izizwe lezindawo engilichithachithele kuzo,’+ kutsho uJehova. ‘Ngizalibuyisela endaweni engenza ukuthi lisuswe kuyo.’+
15 “Kodwa lina lithi, ‘UJehova usinike abaphrofethi eBhabhiloni.’
16 “Nanku okutshiwo nguJehova enkosini ehlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida+ lakubo bonke abantu abahlala edolobheni leJerusalema, abafowenu abangahambanga lani ekuthunjweni, 17 ‘UJehova wamabutho uthi: “Ngizabathumela inkemba lendlala lesifo esitshabalalisayo+ futhi ngizabenza babe njengamakhiwane abole okokuthi awasadleki.”’+
18 “‘Ngizabaxotshanisa ngenkemba,+ ngibabulale ngendlala langesifo esitshabalalisayo. Ngizabehlisela umonakalo ozakwenza ukuthi yonke imibuso yomhlaba yesabe.+ Ngizabaqalekisa ngibenze into emangalisayo ezakwenza oyibonayo atshaye umlozwi,+ futhi bazathukwa ezizweni zonke engizabenza basabalale kuzo.+ 19 Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi abazange bawalalele amazwi ami engathuma izinceku zami ezingabaphrofethi ukuthi zibatshele wona, ngizithuma kubo ngiphindaphinda,’*+ kutsho uJehova.
“‘Lani alizange lilalele,’+ kutsho uJehova.
20 “Ngakho zwanini ilizwi likaJehova lonke lina bantu elithunjiweyo, engalisusa eJerusalema ngalisa eBhabhiloni. 21 Nanku okutshiwo nguJehova wamabutho, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, mayelana lo-Ahabi indodana kaKholaya, loZedekhiya indodana kaMahaseya, abaphrofetha amanga kini ngebizo lami,+ uthi, ‘Ngizabanikela esandleni sikaNebhukhadinezari* inkosi yeBhabhiloni. Uzababulala phambi kwenu. 22 Okuzakwenzakala kubo kuzakuba yisiqalekiso esizakhulunywa yibo bonke abantu bakoJuda abathunjiweyo abaseBhabhiloni, besithi: “Kwangathi uJehova angakwenza ube njengoZedekhiya lo-Ahabi, abatshiswa yinkosi yeBhabhiloni ngomlilo!” 23 Lokho kuzakwenzakala ngoba benze ihlazo ko-Israyeli,+ befeba labafazi babomakhelwane babo njalo beqamba amanga ngebizo lami, bekhuluma izinto engingabatshelanga zona.+
“‘“Mina yimi engikwaziyo futhi ngingufakazi walokho,”+ kutsho uJehova.’”
24 “UShemaya+ umNehelami umtshele uthi, 25 ‘UJehova wamabutho, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: “Wena wathumela izincwadi ngebizo lakho kubo bonke abantu abaseJerusalema, lakuZefaniya+ indodana kaMahaseya umphristi, lakubo bonke abaphristi usithi, 26 ‘UJehova usekwenze waba ngumphristi esikhundleni sikaJehoyada umphristi ukuthi ukhangele konke okwenzakala endlini kaJehova, ube leqiniso lokuthi nxa kulomuntu ohlanyayo ozenza umphrofethi, uyabotshelwa emapulankeni amakhulu.+ 27 Manje kungani ungamkhuzi uJeremiya wase-Anathothi+ ozenza umphrofethi phakathi kwenu?+ 28 Phela uthumele ilizwi kithi eBhabhiloni esithi: “Lizahlala lapho okwesikhathi eside! Yakhani izindlu lihlale kuzo, lilime lezingadi lidle izithelo zazo,+—”’”’”
29 UZefaniya+ umphristi wathi ebalela umphrofethi uJeremiya incwadi le, 30 ilizwi likaJehova lafika kuJeremiya lathi: 31 “Thumela ilizwi kubo bonke abantu abathunjiweyo uthi kubo, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguJehova mayelana loShemaya umNehelami: “Ngenxa yokuthi uShemaya waphrofetha kini lanxa ngangingamthumanga, wazama ukulenza likholwe amanga,+ 32 uJehova uthi, ‘Ngizamjezisa uShemaya umNehelami lezizukulwane zakhe. Kakho owendlu yakhe ozasala phakathi kwabantu laba futhi kasoze akubone okuhle engizakwenzela abantu bami ngoba ukhuthaze abantu ukuthi bahlamukele uJehova,’ kutsho uJehova.”’”