Yeremiya 40:1-16
40 Kwafika ilizwi likaYehova kuYeremiya emva kokuba wayendululwe eRama+ nguNebhuzaradan+ intloko yamafanankosi, ekumthabatheni kwakhe ebotshiwe ngemixokelelwane phakathi kwabo bonke abathinjwa baseYerusalem nabakwaYuda, ababethatyathelwa ekuthinjweni eBhabhiloni.+
2 Yandula ke intloko yamafanankosi yamthabatha uYeremiya yaza yathi kuye: “UYehova uThixo wakho wathetha le ntlekele nxamnye nale ndawo,+
3 waza wakuphumeza oko uYehova kanye njengoko wayethethile, ngenxa yokuba nina nonile kuYehova, analithobela ilizwi lakhe. Yabakho ke le nto kuni.+
4 Ke kaloku, khangela! ndiyakukhulula namhlanje le mixokelelwane isezandleni zakho. Ukuba kulungile emehlweni akho ukuza nam eBhabhiloni, yiza, yaye ndiya kulimisa iliso lam kuwe.+ Kodwa ukuba kubi emehlweni akho ukuza nam eBhabhiloni, yeka. Khawubone! Ilizwe liphela liphambi kwakho. Naphi na apho kulungileyo yaye kufanelekileyo emehlweni akho ukuya, yiya apho.”+
5 Wayengekabuyi, ukutsho kukaNebhuzaradan ukuthi: “Buyela kuGedaliya+ unyana ka-Ahikam+ unyana kaShafan,+ lowo ukumkani waseBhabhiloni ammiseleyo phezu kwezixeko zakwaYuda, uze uhlale naye phakathi kwabantu; okanye naphi na apho kufanelekileyo emehlweni akho ukuya, yiya.”+
Kwaye ngoko intloko yamafanankosi yamnika umxhesho wokutya nesipho yaza yamyeka wahamba.+
6 Ngako oko uYeremiya wafika kuGedaliya+ unyana ka-Ahikam eMizpa+ waza wahlala naye phakathi kwabantu ababeshiywe elizweni.
7 Ekuhambeni kwexesha zonke iintloko zomkhosi ezazisendle,+ zona namadoda azo, zeva ukuba ukumkani waseBhabhiloni umisele uGedaliya unyana ka-Ahikam phezu kwelizwe nokuba ummisele phezu kwamadoda nabafazi nabantwana abancinane nabathile abantu abasweleyo belizwe, ababengathatyathelwanga ekuthinjweni eBhabhiloni.+
8 Ngoko zeza kuGedaliya eMizpa, kwanoIshmayeli+ unyana kaNetaniya noYohanan+ noYonatan, oonyana bakaKareya, noSeraya unyana kaTanumete noonyana bakaEfayi umNetofa+ noYezaniya+ unyana womMahakati,+ bona namadoda abo.+
9 UGedaliya+ unyana ka-Ahikam+ unyana kaShafan+ wabafungela+ bona namadoda abo, esithi: “Ningoyiki ukuwakhonza amaKhaledi. Qhubekani nihlala elizweni nize nikhonze ukumkani waseBhabhiloni, niya kulungelwa.+
10 Mna ke, yabonani, ndihlala eMizpa,+ ukuze ndime phambi kwamaKhaledi aya kuza kuthi. Nina ke, hlanganisani iwayini+ neziqhamo zasehlotyeni neoli nifake ezityeni zenu nize nihlale kwizixeko zenu enizithimbileyo.”
11 Nawo onke amaYuda awayekwaMowabhi naphakathi koonyana baka-Amoni nakwaEdom nalawo ayekwamanye amazwe,+ eva ukuba ukumkani waseBhabhiloni umnike intsalela uYuda nokuba phezu kwayo umisele uGedaliya+ unyana ka-Ahikam unyana kaShafan.
12 Kwaye onke amaYuda abuya ezindaweni zonke awayesasazeke kuzo, yaye aqhubeka esiza kwilizwe lakwaYuda kuGedaliya eMizpa.+ Ahlanganisa iwayini neziqhamo zasehlotyeni ezininzi kakhulu.
13 Yena ke uYohanan+ unyana kaKareya+ nazo zonke iintloko zemikhosi yamajoni ezazisendle,+ beza kuGedaliya eMizpa.
14 Bathi kuye: “Akwazi na konke konke ukuba uBhahalis, ukumkani woonyana baka-Amoni,+ uthumele uIshmayeli+ unyana kaNetaniya+ ukuze akuxabele emphefumlweni?” Kodwa uGedaliya unyana ka-Ahikam akazange abakholelwe.+
15 UYohanan+ unyana kaKareya yena wathi kuGedaliya, emfihlekweni eMizpa: “Ndifuna ukuhamba, ngoku, ndize ndimxabele uIshmayeli unyana kaNetaniya, njengoko kungekho bani uya kwazi konke konke.+ Kutheni na efanele akuxabele emphefumlweni, yaye kutheni na onke la maYuda aqokelelwa ndawonye kuwe emele achithachitheke nentsalela yakwaYuda itshabalale?”+
16 Kodwa uGedaliya+ unyana ka-Ahikam+ wathi kuYohanan unyana kaKareya: “Musa ukuyenza le nto, kuba bubuxoki obu ubuthethayo ngokuphathelele uIshmayeli.”+
