1 Ke abantu belizwe bathatha unyana kaJosiya, uYowahazi bammisela esikhundleni sikayise, wangukumkani eJerusalem.
2 UYowahazi wangena ekulawuleni eneminyaka emashumi mabini anantathu, waza ke wangukumkani eJerusalem iinyanga ezintathu.
3 Ukumkani waseJiputa wamkhiqa eJerusalem, waza uJuda wamrhafisa isiliva ebunzima buziikhilogram ezingamawaka amathathu anamakhulu amane, kunye negolide ebunzima buziikhilogram ezingamashumi amathathu anamakhulu amane.
4 Ukumkani waseJiputa lowo wamisela umntakwabo-Yowahazi uEliyakim wangukumkani wakwaJuda naseJerusalem, waza waliguqula igama likaEliyakim wathi nguJoyakim. Ke yena umntakwabo uYowahazi wamthimba wamsa eJiputa.
5 UJoyakim waqala ukulawula eneminyaka emashumi mabini anantlanu, walawula eJerusalem iminyaka elishumi elinanye. Wênza okubi emehlweni *kaNdikhoyo uThixo wakhe.
6 Ke kaloku uNebhukadenezare ukumkani waseBhabheli wamhlasela, waza wamthimba wambopha ngamakhamandela obhedu, wamsa eBhabheli.
7 Kananjalo uNebhukadenezare wathatha inxenye yezitya zendlu kaNdikhoyo waya kuzibeka endlwini yothixo wakhe eBhabheli.
8 Ke ezinye zeziganeko zolawulo lukaJoyakim, nezinto ezimanyumnyezi awazenzayo, nako konke okwakhe, nâzo encwadini yookumkani bakwaSirayeli nabakwaJuda. UJoyakin unyana wakhe wangena esikhundleni sakhe.
9 UJoyakin waqala ukulawula eneminyaka elishumi elinesibhozo, waza walawula eJerusalem iinyanga ezintathu ezineshumi leentsuku. Wênza okubi emehlweni *kaNdikhoyo.
10 Ngentlakohlaza ukumkani uNebhukadenezare wathumela waya kuthathwa wasiwa eBhabheli kunye nezinto ezixabisekileyo zendlu kaNdikhoyo. Wathatha uyisekazi kaJoyakin uZedekiya wamenza ukumkani wakwaJuda naseJerusalem.
11 UZedekiya wayeneminyaka emashumi mabini ananye ezelwe ukuqala kwakhe ukuba ngukumkani, waza ke walawula eJerusalem iminyaka elishumi elinanye.
12 Wênza okubi emehlweni *kaNdikhoyo uThixo wakhe; zange amthobele *nomshumayeli uJeremiya owayemxelela ilizwi likaNdikhoyo.
13 UZedekiya wamvukela ukumkani uNebhukadenezare owayemfungise ngegama likaThixo. Wasuka walukhuni waneenkani, akavuma ukubuyela *kuNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli.
14 Ngaphezu koko ke zonke iinkokheli zababingeleli nezabantu zasuka azanyaniseka ngakumbi, zalandela izenzo ezimasikizi zeentlanga, baza ke bayixabhela indlu kaNdikhoyo, leyo yena wayingcwalisayo eJerusalem.
15 Ke kaloku uNdikhoyo uThixo wooyise waphindelela ukubalumkisa ngamazwi awawathumela ngezithunywa zakhe evelana nabantu bakhe ndawonye nendawo yakhe yokuhlala.
16 Kodwa ke bona basuka baphoxisa ngazo izithunywa zakhe, bawadelela amazwi akhe, bebagxeka abashumayeli bakhe; yada ke ingqumbo kaNdikhoyo yavuseleleka mayela nabantu bakhe, ayabi sanqandeka.
17 Wabaxhokonxela ukumkani wamaKaledi, owababulalayo abafana babo ngekrele, ebabulalela endaweni engcwele; ewe, akasindisanga mfana nantombi, ndoda naxhego. Xa bebonke uThixo wabanikezela esandleni sokumkani wamaKaledi.
18 Yena ke wazithatha zonke izinto ezazisetyenziswa endlwini kaThixo waya nazo eBhabheli – konke nje, ezincinci kwanezinkulu ndawonye nobutyebi bendlu kaNdikhoyo, nobukakumkani, nobamaphakathi.
19 Indlu kaThixo bayintumeka umlilo, baludiliza udonga lweJerusalem, baza bazitshisa nezixeko, batshabalalisa yonke into exabisekileyo khona.
20 Ke amasalela abhungcayo kwikrele wawathimba wawasa eBhabheli, aba zizicaka zakhe nezoonyana bakhe, wada ke wathwasa umbuso wasePeshiya.
21 Ngale ndlela ke azaliseka amazwi kaNdikhoyo awathethwa nguJeremiya, laza ilizwe laxhamla iminyaka yalo yokuphumla. Ewe, lonke elo xesha lalingamiwanga ilizwe beliphumla, nditsho iminyaka emashumi asixhenxe.
22 Ngonyaka wokuqala kakumkani uKoreshi wasePeshiya, ukuzalisekisa amazwi awawathetha ngomlomo kaJeremiya, *uNdikhoyo wawuxhokonxa umoya kakumkani uKoreshi wasePeshiya, waza wawisa umthetho kuwo wonke ummandla wakhe, wayalela ukuba ubhalwe, kusithiwa:
23 “Utsho uKoreshi, ukumkani wasePeshiya, ukuthi: ‘UNdikhoyo uThixo wezulu uzinikele kum zonke izikumkani zehlabathi; kananjalo undimisele ukuba ndimakhele indlu eJerusalem kwelakwaJuda. Ngoko ke, nabani phakathi kwenu nonke ongowabantu bakhe, ngamana uThixo wakhe waba naye, anduluke aye khona.’ ”