1 Ngoko ke kwathi kunyaka wethoba wolawulo lukaZedekiya, ngomhla weshumi wenyanga yeshumi, ukumkani waseBhabheli uNebhukadenezare wagaleleka eJerusalem nomkhosi wakhe uphela. Wamisa ngaphandle kwesixeko, wasingqinga ngokusakhela udonga.
2 Sahlala singqingiwe njalo ke isixeko eso yada yangunyaka weshumi elinanye kakumkani uZedekiya.
3 Kwathi ngomhla wethoba kwinyanga yesine yabe indlala ibhokile apho esixekweni, kangangokuba abantu baphelelwa kukutya.
4 Ke kaloku wonke umkhosi watyhoboza apho eludongeni ngobusuku, wasaba uphuma ngesango eliphakathi kwezo ndonga zimbini ngakumyezo kakumkani, nakuba wona amaKaledi ayesingqingile isixeko. Wabalekela ngakwintili yeJordan.
5 Kambe ke umkhosi wamaKaledi wasukelisa, waza wambamba uZedekiya nomkhosi wakhe xa asezinkqantosini zaseJeriko. Wahlukaniswa nomkhosi lowo, wona wasarhaka,
6 waza yena wathinjwa. Wathathwa wasiwa eRibhela kukumkani waseBhabheli, apho wagwetywa khona.
7 Oonyana bakhe uZedekiya babulawa ekhangele. Yena uZedekiya bamtyhaphaza amehlo, baza bamkhonkxa ngamatyathanga obhedu, baya naye eBhabheli.
8 Ke kaloku kwathi ngomhla wesixhenxe wenyanga yesihlanu kunyaka weshumi elinethoba kakumkani waseBhabheli uNebhukadenezare ingqwayi-ngqwayi yabalindi uNebhuzaradan eyayiliphakathi likakumkani waseBhabheli yagaleleka eJerusalem.
9 Indlu *kaNdikhoyo wayintumeka umlilo, yatsha kunye nebhotwe ngokwalo, nazo zonke izakhiwo zaseJerusalem. Zonke izakhiwo ezibalulekileyo wazitshisa.
10 Wonke loo mkhosi waseBhabheli phantsi kwaloo ngqwayi-ngqwayi yabalindi basebhotwe walungenela waludiliza lonke udonga olwalujikeleze iJerusalem.
11 UNebhuzaradan lowo wababamba wabathimba abantu ababesekhona apho esixekweni, ndawonye namagcisa kwakunye nâbo babesebewelele ngakumaBhabheli.
12 Kambe ke ingqwayi-ngqwayi leyo yabashiya abantu abahleleleke kakhulu, ukuze basebenze amasimi nezidiliya.
13 AmaBhabheli azaphula iintsika zobhedu kwakunye neenqwelo, nechibi lobhedu, zinto ezo zazisendlwini kaNdikhoyo, aza aluthatha lona ubhedu olo, aya nalo eBhabheli.
14 Azithatha neembiza, iifotsholo, izikhwezeli-zibane, namacephe, nazo zonke izinto ezenziwe ngobhedu ezazisetyenziswa apho endlwini kaThixo.
15 Ewe, ingqwayi-ngqwayi leyo yazithatha neepani zesiqhumiso, kunye nezitya zokufefa, nayo yonke into eyayenziwe ngegolide okanye isiliva.
16 Ubhedu olwafumaneka kwezo ntsika zimbini, kwelo chibi, nakwezo nqwelo – zinto ezo ezazenzelwe indlu kaNdikhoyo nguSolomon – lwalungenamlinganiso ngenxa yobuninzi.
17 Intsika nganye kwezo zimbini zobhedu yayiziimitha ezisibhozo ukuphakama, intloko elubhedu iyimitha enesithathu ukuphakama. Intloko nganye yayihonjiswe jikelele ngomnatha wobhedu nangeerharnati zobhedu. Ewe, zombini zazifana, nditsho zinomnatha zinjalo.
18 Loo ngqwayi-ngqwayi yabalindi yamthimba umbingeleli omkhulu uSeraya, kunye nombingeleli onganeno kwakhe uZefaniya, nabagcini-mnyango abathathu.
19 Kwabaseleyo apho esixekweni yathatha umphathi womkhosi kunye nesihlanu sabacebisi basebhotwe. Yamthatha nonobhala owayeligosa eliyintloko elihlela abomkhosi, kunye namahlakani akhe angamashumi amathandathu, bantu abo babeselapho esixekweni.
20 Bonke ke uNebhuzaradan wabathatha waya nabo kukumkani waseBhabheli eRibhela.
21 Khona apho eRibhela kwelaseHamati ukumkani lowo wathi mababulawe.Ngaloo ndlela ke amaJuda afuduselwa ekuthinjweni, kude lee nelizwe lakowawo.
22 Ukumkani waseBhabheli uNebhukadenezare wamisela uGedaliya unyana ka-Ahikam unyana kaShafan wangumlawuli wâbo bantu wabashiyayo kwelakwaJuda.
23 Ke amagosa omkhosi neqela lawo athi akuva ukuba ukumkani waseBhabheli umisele uGedaliya ukuba abe ngumlawuli, asuka aya kuye uGedaliya eMizpa: uIshmayeli unyana kaNetaniya, uYohanan unyana kaKareya, uSeraya unyana kaTanumente umNetofa, noYazaniya unyana kaMahakati, bekunye neqela labo.
24 Ke uGedaliya wawaqinisekisa loo madoda efunga esithi: “Musani ukuba naxhala niwoyike amagosa aseBhabheli. Kuphela nina hlalani phantsi nizinze kweli lizwe, nibuse ukumkani waseBhabheli; konke ke konilungela.”
25 Kambe ke kwathi ngenyanga yesixhenxe wasuka uIshmayeli unyana kaNetaniya kaElishama, owayengumntwana wegazi, weza neshumi lamadoda, bambulala uGedaliya kunye namadoda akwaJuda namaBhabheli awayekunye naye eMizpa.
26 Ngenxa yesi sihelegu ke bonke abantu, kuqalela komdala kuye komncinci bekunye namagosa omkhosi, bathi ngokoyika amaBhabheli basaba baya kwelaseJiputa.
27 Ke kaloku kwathi ngonyaka wamashumi amathathu anesixhenxe wathinjwayo uJoyakin ukumkani wakwaJuda, nyaka lowo waqala ngawo ukulawula uEvili-merodaki ukumkani waseBhabheli, wasuka wamkhulula uJoyakin entolongweni. Loo nto ke yenzeka ngomhla wamashumi mabini anesixhenxe kwinyanga yeshumi elinambini.
28 Wathetha naye ngobulali, wamnika isihlalo sembeko esingaphezu kwezo zabanye ookumkani awayenabo apho eBhabheli.
29 Ngoko ke uJoyakin wazikhulula iimpahla zasentolongweni, waza wasoloko esesithebeni sokumkani lonke ixesha lobomi bakhe.
30 Ukumkani lowo ke wathi rhoqo wamxhasa ngokutya uJoyakin, loo nto eyenza imihla ngemihla ngabo bonke ubomi bukaJoyakin.