UJeremiya

38 UShefathiya indodana kaMathani, uGedaliya indodana kaPhashuri, uJukali + indodana kaShelemiya noPhashuri + indodana kaMalikhiya bawezwa amazwi uJeremiya ayewatshela bonke abantu, ethi: 2 “Yilokhu uJehova akushoyo, ‘Oqhubeka ehlala kuleli dolobha uzofa ngenkemba, ngendlala nangesifo esiwumshayabhuqe. *+ Kodwa ozinikela* kumaKhaledi uzoqhubeka ephila futhi uzosindisa ukuphila kwakhe, ngeke afe.’ + 3 Yilokhu uJehova akushoyo, ‘Nakanjani leli dolobha lizonikelwa esandleni sebutho lenkosi yaseBhabhiloni, izolinqoba.’ ” +

4 Izikhulu zathi enkosini: “Sicela ukuba lo muntu abulawe, + ngoba lena yindlela aqeda ngayo amandla* amadoda empi asele kuleli dolobha nawabo bonke abantu, ngokukhuluma ngale ndlela kubo. Ngoba lo muntu akasifuneli ukuthula lesi sizwe kodwa usifunela inhlekelele.” 5 INkosi uZedekiya yathi: “Bhekani! Usezandleni zenu, ngoba inkosi ngeke inivimbe.”

6 Ngakho zamthatha uJeremiya zamphonsa emthonjeni kaMalikhiya indodana yenkosi, owawuseGcekeni Labaqaphi. + Zamehlisela phansi uJeremiya ngezintambo. Manje kwakungenamanzi emthonjeni kunodaka kuphela, ngakho uJeremiya waqala ukubisha odakeni.

7 U-Ebhedi-meleki + umTopiya, indoda eyisikhulu segceke endlini yenkosi,* wezwa ukuthi babefake uJeremiya emthonjeni. Inkosi yayihlezi eSangweni LikaBhenjamini, + 8 ngakho u-Ebhedi-meleki waphuma endlini yenkosi* wakhuluma nenkosi, wathi: 9 “O nkosi yami, la madoda enze into embi kakhulu kuJeremiya umprofethi! Amphonse emthonjeni, uzofela khona ngenxa yendlala ngoba akusekho kudla kuleli dolobha.” +

10 Khona-ke inkosi yayala u-Ebhedi-meleki umTopiya, yathi: “Thatha lapha amadoda angu-30, umkhiphe uJeremiya umprofethi emthonjeni angaze afe.” 11 Ngakho u-Ebhedi-meleki wawathatha amadoda wahamba nawo baya endlini yenkosi,* endaweni engaphansi kwendlu yokugcina ingcebo, + bathatha lapho izidwedwe namanikiniki bakwehlisela kuJeremiya emthonjeni ngezintambo. 12 U-Ebhedi-meleki umTopiya wathi kuJeremiya: “Ngicela ufake lezo zidwedwe namanikiniki emakhwapheni akho bese ufaka izintambo.” UJeremiya wenza kanjalo, 13 bamdonsa uJeremiya ngezintambo bamkhipha emthonjeni. UJeremiya waqhubeka ehlala eGcekeni Labaqaphi. +

14 INkosi uZedekiya yathumela ukuba kubizwe uJeremiya umprofethi eze kuyo esangweni lesithathu, elisendlini kaJehova, inkosi yathi kuJeremiya: “Ngicela ukukubuza okuthile. Ungangifihleli lutho.” 15 UJeremiya wabe esethi kuZedekiya: “Uma ngikutshela, nakanjani uzongibulala. Uma ngikweluleka, ngeke ungilalele.” 16 Ngakho iNkosi uZedekiya yafunga ngasese kuJeremiya, yathi: “Ngimfunge uJehova osinike lokhu kuphila, ngeke ngikubulale futhi ngeke ngikunikele kula madoda afuna ukukubulala.”

17 UJeremiya wathi kuZedekiya: “Yilokhu uJehova, uNkulunkulu wamabutho, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, akushoyo, ‘Uma uzinikela* ezikhulwini zenkosi yaseBhabhiloni, ngeke ubulawe naleli dolobha ngeke lishiswe ngomlilo, wena nomndeni wakho nizosinda. + 18 Kodwa uma ungeke uzinikele* ezikhulwini zenkosi yaseBhabhiloni, leli dolobha lizonikelwa kumaKhaledi, azolishisa ngomlilo, + wena ngeke uphunyuke kumaKhaledi.’ ” +

19 INkosi uZedekiya yathi kuJeremiya: “Ngiyawesaba amaJuda ahlubukele kumaKhaledi, ngoba uma nginikelwa kuwo, angase angiphathe ngonya.” 20 Kodwa uJeremiya wathi: “Ngeke unikelwe kuwo. Ngicela ulalele izwi likaJehova engikutshela lona, kuzokuhambela kahle, uzoqhubeka uphila. 21 Kodwa uma wenqaba ukuzinikela,* yilokhu uJehova angibonise kona: 22 Bheka! Bonke abesifazane abasele endlini yenkosi* yakwaJuda bakhishelwa ezikhulwini zenkosi yaseBhabhiloni, + futhi bathi,

‘Amadoda obuwethemba* akukhohlisile akunqoba. +

Abangele ukuba unyawo lwakho lubishe odakeni.

Manje aphendukile abaleka.’

23 Bonke omkakho namadodana akho bakhishelwa kumaKhaledi, wena ngeke uphunyuke kuwo, kodwa inkosi yaseBhabhiloni izokubamba, + ngenxa yakho leli dolobha lizoshiswa ngomlilo.” +

24 UZedekiya wathi kuJeremiya: “Ungayitsheli muntu le nto ukuze ungafi. 25 Uma izikhulu zizwa ukuthi bengikhuluma nawe bese ziza kuwe zithi, ‘Sicela usitshele lokho okutshele inkosi. Ungasifihleli lutho, ngeke sikubulale. + Itheni inkosi kuwe?’ 26 kumele uziphendule uthi, ‘Bengicela inkosi ukuba ingangibuyiseli endlini kaJehonathani ukuba ngiyofela khona.’ ” +

27 Ngemva kwesikhathi zonke izikhulu zeza kuJeremiya zamphonsa imibuzo. Yena wazitshela konke lokho inkosi eyayimyale ukuba akusho. Ngakho azibange zisasho lutho kuye, ngoba akekho owayeyizwile ingxoxo yakhe nenkosi. 28 UJeremiya waqhubeka ehlala eGcekeni Labaqaphi + kwaze kwaba yilapho iJerusalema linqotshwa; wayeselapho ngesikhathi iJerusalema linqotshwa. +