Yeremiya 38:1-28
38 UShefatiya unyana kaMatan noGedaliya unyana kaPashure noYukali+ unyana kaShelemiya noPashure unyana kaMalekiya+ baweva amazwi uYeremiya awayewathetha kubo bonke abantu,+ esithi:
2 “Utsho uYehova ukuthi, ‘Lowo uqhubekayo ehlala kwesi sixeko uya kufa likrele,+ yindlala+ nayindyikitya yokufa.+ Kodwa ophumayo aye kumaKhaledi uya kuqhubeka ephila yaye ngokuqinisekileyo uya kuba lixhoba kuye umphefumlo wakhe aze aphile.’+
3 Utsho uYehova ukuthi, ‘Nakanjani na esi sixeko siya kunikelwa esandleni samajoni okumkani waseBhabhiloni, yaye ngokuqinisekileyo uya kusithimba.’”+
4 Iinkosana zathi kukumkani: “Mayibulawe le ndoda,+ kuba ngale ndlela izenza buthathaka izandla zamadoda emfazwe aseleyo kwesi sixeko nezandla zabantu bonke, ngokuthetha kubo ngokwala mazwi.+ Kuba le ndoda ayisifuneli luxolo esi sizwana kodwa intlekele.”
5 Ngoko uKumkani uZedekiya wathi: “Khangelani! Usezandleni zenu. Kuba akukho nto konke konke anokoyisa ngayo ukumkani nxamnye nani.”+
6 Bamthabatha ke uYeremiya baza bamphosa equleni likaMalekiya+ unyana kakumkani, elalikwiNtendelezo Yabalindi.+ Ngoko bamthoba uYeremiya ngeentsontelo. Ke kaloku equleni kwakungekho manzi, kodwa linodaka; watshona eludakeni apho uYeremiya.+
7 UEbhedi-meleki umTiyopiya,+ indoda eyayilithenwa neyayisendlwini yokumkani, weva ukuba babemfake equleni uYeremiya; yaye ukumkani wayehleli eSangweni lakwaBhenjamin.+
8 Ngoko uEbhedi-meleki waphuma endlwini yokumkani waza wathetha kukumkani, esithi:
9 “Owu nkosi yam kumkani, la madoda enze ububi kuko konke akwenzileyo kuYeremiya umprofeti, lowo amphose equleni, kangangokuba uya kufa+ apho akhoyo ngenxa yendlala.+ Kuba akusekho sonka esixekweni.”
10 Wandula ke ukumkani wamyalela uEbhedi-meleki umTiyopiya, esithi: “Thabatha kwabo ubaphetheyo kule ndawo amadoda angamashumi amathathu, nimnyuse aphume equleni uYeremiya umprofeti ngaphambi kokuba afe.”+
11 Ngako oko uEbhedi-meleki wathabatha amadoda kwabo wayebaphethe waza wangena endlwini yokumkani ngaphantsi kwendawo yokugcina ubuncwane,+ wathabatha apho amadlavu eengubo ezikrazukileyo namadlavu eziqwenga zamalaphu, wawathobela kuYeremiya equleni+ ngeentsontelo.
12 Wandula ke wathi uEbhedi-meleki umTiyopiya kuYeremiya: “Nceda, beka amadlavu la eengubo ezikrazukileyo neziqwenga zelaphu phantsi kwamakhwapha ngaphantsi kweentsontelo ezi.” Wenjenjalo ke uYeremiya.+
13 Ekugqibeleni bamtsala uYeremiya ngeentsontelo baza bamnyusa waphuma equleni. UYeremiya waqhubeka ehlala kwiNtendelezo Yabalindi.+
14 UKumkani uZedekiya wathumela waza wamthabathela kuye uYeremiya umprofeti+ esangweni lesithathu,+ elisendlwini kaYehova,+ wandula ke ukumkani wathi kuYeremiya: “Ndifuna ukukubuza into. Musa ukundifihlela nantoni na.”+
15 Wathi ke uYeremiya kuZedekiya: “Ukuba ndithe ndakuxelela, ngaba akuyi kundibulala? Yaye ukuba ndithe ndakucebisa, akuyi kundiphulaphula.”+
16 Waza ke uKumkani uZedekiya wafunga kuYeremiya esemfihlekweni, esithi: “Ephila nje uYehova, osenzele lo mphefumlo,+ andiyi kukubulala, yaye andiyi kukunikela esandleni sala madoda afuna umphefumlo wakho.”+
17 Ke kaloku uYeremiya wathi kuZedekiya: “Utsho uYehova, uTHIXO wemikhosi,+ uTHIXO kaSirayeli,+ ukuthi, ‘Ukuba uthe waphuma waya kwiinkosana zokumkani waseBhabhiloni,+ ngokuqinisekileyo umphefumlo wakho uya kuqhubeka uphila nesi sixeko asiyi kutshiswa ngomlilo, yaye wena nendlu yakho ngokuqinisekileyo niya kuqhubeka niphila.+
18 Kodwa ukuba uthe akwaphuma uye kwiinkosana zokumkani waseBhabhiloni, esi sixeko siya kunikelwa esandleni samaKhaledi, kwaye okunene aya kusitshisa ngomlilo,+ yaye wena akuyi kusinda esandleni sawo.’”+
19 Ngoko uKumkani uZedekiya wathi kuYeremiya: “Ndoyika amaYuda aphambukele kumaKhaledi,+ ndoyikela ukuba asenokundinikela esandleni sawo yaye okunene asenokundiphatha kakubi.”+
20 Kodwa uYeremiya wathi: “Akayi kukunikela ngolo hlobo. Nceda, uthobele ilizwi likaYehova koko ndikuthethayo kuwe,+ yaye uya kulungelwa, nomphefumlo wakho uya kuqhubeka uphila.
21 Kodwa ukuba uyala ukuphuma,+ nantsi into uYehova andibonise yona:
22 Khangela! bonke abafazi abashiywe endlwini yokumkani wakwaYuda+ bakhutshelwa kwiinkosana zokumkani waseBhabhiloni,+ yaye bathi,
‘Amadoda aseluxolweni nawe akulukuhlile+ aza akoyisa.+Atshonise unyawo lwakho eludakeni; aye ahlehlela kwelinye icala.’+
23 Bonke abafazi bakho noonyana bakho abakhuphela kumaKhaledi, yaye wena akuyi kusinda esandleni sawo,+ kodwa uya kubanjwa ngesandla sokumkani waseBhabhiloni, kwaye ngenxa yakho esi sixeko siya kutshiswa ngomlilo.”+
24 UZedekiya wathi kuYeremiya: “Ngamana kungangabikho mntu konke konke othi azazi ezi zinto, ukuze ungafi.
25 Nokuba kunokwenzeka iinkosana+ zive ukuba ndithethile nawe zize okunene zifike kuwe, zithi kuwe, ‘Nceda, khawusixelele, Ubuthetha ngantoni na kukumkani? Musa ukusifihlela nantoni na, asiyi kukubulala. Yaye utheni na yena ukumkani kuwe?’
26 uze uthi kuzo, ‘Bendizicelela ubabalo phambi kokumkani, ukuba angandibuyiseli endlwini kaYehonatan+ ndifele apho.’”
27 Ekuhambeni kwexesha zonke iinkosana zafika kuYeremiya zaza zaqalisa ukumbuza. Naye ke, wazixelela ngokwala mazwi onke awayemyalele wona ukumkani.+ Ngoko zathi cwaka phambi kwakhe, kuba umbandela lowo awuvakalanga.
28 NoYeremiya waqhubeka ehlala kwiNtendelezo Yabalindi+ de yangumhla eyathinjwa ngawo iYerusalem.+ Yaye kwenzeka kanye ngolo hlobo ekuthinjweni kweYerusalem.+
