UJeremiya 38:1-28
38 UShefathiya indodana kaMathani, loGedaliya indodana kaPhashuri, loJukhali+ indodana kaShelemiya kanye loPhashuri+ indodana kaMalikhija bezwa uJeremiya ekhuluma labo bonke abantu esithi:
2 “Nanku okutshiwo nguJehova, ‘Lowo ozasala edolobheni leli uzabulawa yinkemba kumbe yindlala loba yisifo esitshabalalisayo.+ Kodwa lowo ozazinikela* kumaKhaledi uzaqhubeka ephila futhi umvuzo wakhe kuzakuba yimpilo yakhe.’*+
3 UJehova uthi, ‘Loba sekutheni idolobho leli lizanikelwa ebuthweni lenkosi yaseBhabhiloni futhi izalinqoba.’”+
4 Izikhulu zathi enkosini: “Sicela ukuthi umuntu lo abulawe+ ngoba amazwi awakhulumayo enza amabutho asele edolobheni leli kanye labo bonke abantu baphele amandla. Umuntu lo kafuni abantu laba babe lokuthula, ufuna behlelwe ngumonakalo.”
5 INkosi uZedekhiya yaphendula yathi: “Usezandleni zenu. Phela mina ngeke ngenelise ukulivimba.”
6 Ngakho zathatha uJeremiya zamehlisa ngentambo emgodini kaMalikhija indodana yenkosi. Umgodi lo wawusegumeni labalindi+ futhi wawungelamanzi, ulodaka kuphela. UJeremiya waqalisa ukutshona edakeni.
7 U-Ebhedi-meleki+ umTopiya owayeyisiphathamandla* esigodlweni senkosi wezwa ukuthi uJeremiya wayefakwe emgodini. Ngalesosikhathi inkosi yayihlezi egedini lakoBhenjamini.+
8 Yikho u-Ebhedi-meleki waphuma endlini yenkosi* wayakhuluma lenkosi wathi:
9 “Awu nkosi yami, lokho amadoda la akwenze uJeremiya umphrofethi kubi kakhulu! Amphosele emgodini futhi uzafela khona ngenxa yendlala, njengoba kungaselasinkwa edolobheni.”+
10 Inkosi yasisithi ku-Ebhedi-meleki umTopiya: “Thatha amadoda angu-30 lapha lihambe liyekhipha umphrofethi uJeremiya emgodini engakafi.”
11 Ngakho u-Ebhedi-meleki wathatha amadoda wahamba lawo endlini yenkosi.* Bafika endlini engaphansi kwaleyo okwakugcinwa kuyo inotho,+ bathatha amalembu adabukileyo lezigqoko ezindala bakwehlisela kuJeremiya emgodini ngezintambo.
12 U-Ebhedi-meleki umTopiya wasesithi kuJeremiya: “Ngicela ufake amalembu lezigqoko lezo emakhwapheni ukuze intambo zingakulimazi.” UJeremiya wasesenza njalo.
13 Bamdonsa uJeremiya ngezintambo bamkhipha emgodini. Ngemva kwalokho uJeremiya waqhubeka ehlala egumeni labalindi.+
14 INkosi uZedekhiya yabiza uJeremiya umphrofethi yathi abuye egedini lesithathu lendlu kaJehova. Inkosi yasisithi kuJeremiya: “Kulento engifuna ukukubuza yona, ungangifihleli lutho.”
15 UJeremiya wasesithi kuZedekhiya: “Nxa ngingakutshela uzangibulala. Lanxa ngingakweluleka awusoze ungilalele.”
16 Ngakho iNkosi uZedekhiya yafunga kuJeremiya ensitha yathi: “Ngifunga ngoJehova uNkulunkulu ophilayo osinika ukuphila, angisoze ngikubulale futhi angisoze ngikunikele ezandleni zamadoda afuna ukukubulala.”
17 UJeremiya wasesithi kuZedekhiya: “Nanku okutshiwo nguJehova uNkulunkulu wamabutho, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi, ‘Nxa ungazinikela* ezikhulwini zenkosi yeBhabhiloni awusoze ubulawe, ledolobho leli alisoze litshiswe ngomlilo. Wena labemuli yakho lizaqhubeka liphila.+
18 Kodwa nxa ungayekela ukuzinikela* ezikhulwini zenkosi yeBhabhiloni, idolobho leli lizanqotshwa ngamaKhaledi alitshise ngomlilo+ njalo wena awusoze uphunyuke esandleni sawo.’”+
19 INkosi uZedekhiya yasisithi kuJeremiya: “Ngesaba amaJuda ahlamukele kumaKhaledi ngoba nxa nginganikelwa kuwo angangenza isihluku.”
20 Kodwa uJeremiya wathi: “Awusoze unikelwe kuwo. Ngicela ulalele ilizwi likaJehova engikutshela lona. Ungenza njalo kuzakuhambela kuhle futhi uzaqhubeka uphila.
21 Kodwa nxa ungayekela ukuzinikela* kumaKhaledi, nanku uJehova angitshengise khona:
22 Bonke abesifazana abasele endlini yenkosi* yakoJuda bayakhitshwa bahanjiswe ezikhulwini zenkosi yeBhabhiloni+ futhi bathi,‘Amadoda obuwathembile akuyengile futhi akwehlule.+
Enze unyawo lwakho lwatshona edakeni.
Khathesi asekutshiyile abuyela emuva.’
23 Wonke amakhosikazi akho lamadodana akho azahanjiswa kumaKhaledi futhi wena awusoze uphunyuke esandleni sawo. Inkosi yeBhabhiloni izakubamba+ njalo idolobho leli lizatshiswa ngomlilo ngenxa yakho.”+
24 UZedekhiya wasesithi kuJeremiya: “Ungatsheli muntu izinto lezi ukuze ungabulawa.
25 Nxa izikhulu zingezwa ukuthi ngikhulume lawe besezibuya zithi kuwe, ‘Sicela usitshele ukuthi utheni enkosini. Ungasifihleli lutho, asisoze sikubulale.+ Inkosi itheni kuwe?’
26 Kumele uphendule uthi, ‘Bengicela enkosini ukuthi ingangibuyiseli endlini kaJehonathani ukuze ngingafeli khona.’”+
27 Ngemva kwesikhathi izikhulu zeza kuJeremiya zaqalisa ukumbuza. UJeremiya wazitshela konke inkosi eyayithe azitshele khona. Ngakho azisatshongo lutho kuye ngoba akulamuntu owayezwile ukuthi babexoxe ngani.
28 UJeremiya waqhubeka esegumeni labalindi+ kwaze kwaba lilanga iJerusalema eyanqotshwa ngalo. Wayelokhu elapho ngesikhathi iJerusalema inqotshwa.+
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiHebheru, “ozaphuma aye.”
^ Kumbe, “futhi uzaphunyuka lokuphila kwakhe.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “owayengumthenwa.”
^ Kumbe, “esigodlweni senkosi.”
^ Kumbe, “esigodlweni senkosi.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “ungaphuma uye.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “ukuphuma uye.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “ukuphuma uye.”
^ Kumbe, “esigodlweni senkosi.”
