1 Nantsi incwadi eyabhalwa ngumshumayeli uJeremiya eseJerusalem, ebhalela amasalela amadoda amakhulu afudusiweyo, nababingeleli, nabashumayeli, kunye nabantu bonke abathathwa ngukumkani uNebhukadenezare eJerusalem, baya kuba ngabathinjwa eBhabheli.
2 Wayibhala emva kokuba ukumkani uJekoniya nonina, namaphakathi, kunye neziphathamandla zakwaJuda naseJerusalem, namagcisa nabasebenzi bentsimbi bakhona, basiwa ekuthinjweni.
3 Wayinikela uElasa unyana kaShafan loo ncwadi, ekunye noGemariya unyana kaHilekiya, ababezizigidimi zikakumkani uZedekiya wakwaJuda awazithumayo eBhabheli kukumkani uNebhukadenezare. Wabhala wenjenje:
4 *UNdikhoyo uSomandla-onke onguThixo kaSirayeli, utsho kubo bonke abathinjwa awabasa eBhabheli, besuka eJerusalem, ukuthi:
5 “Yakhani izindlu, nihlale kuzo; limani izitiya, nitye iziqhamo zazo.
6 Thathani abafazi, nizale oonyana neentombi; oonyana benu nibafunele abafazi, nizendise neentombi zenu, ukuze nabo bazale oonyana neentombi – qhamani nande, ninganciphi.
7 Zamelani ucwangco kwezo zixeko ndinithumele kuzo, nizithandazele kuNdikhoyo, kuba xa ziba nenkqubela, nani noxhamla kuloo ntlala-kahle.”
8 Ewe, utsho uNdikhoyo, uSomandla-onke, uThixo kaSirayeli ukuthi: “Sanukuvuma ukukhohliswa ngâbo bashumayeli noosiyazi abaphakathi kwenu, ningawathatheli ngqalelo naloo maphupha bawaphuphayo.
9 Banishumayeza egameni lam bexoka; abathunywanga ndim konke.” Lowo ngumlomo kaNdikhoyo.
10 Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: “Yakuba izalisekile kwiBhabheli iminyaka emashumi asixhenxe ndonikhumbulela, ndisifezekise isithembiso sokunibuyisela kule ndawo.
11 Kaloku zisekuhleni kum izicwangciso zam ngani zokuba ndininike intlala-kahle ingabi bububi, ndinidalele ikamva nethemba.” Lowo ngumlomo kaNdikhoyo.
12 “Nokhalela kum, nize kundithandaza, ndize mna ndiniphulaphule.
13 Nondifuna nindifumane, xa nindifuna ngomxhelo wonke.
14 Ewe, ndithi ndofumaneka, ndize ke mna ndikuphelise kuni ukuthinjwa.” Lowo ngumlomo kaNdikhoyo. “Ndoniqokelela phakathi kwezo ntlanga ndanichitha-chithela kuzo, ndinibuyisele kule ndawo apho ndanisusa khona.” Lowo ngumlomo kaNdikhoyo.
15 Nithi nina: “UNdikhoyo wasinika abashumayeli eBhabheli.”
16 Kodwa ngokuphathelele kukumkani osesihlalweni sikaDavide kwakunye nakubantu bonke besi sixeko, amawenu angazanga asiwa ekuthinjweni kunye nani,
17 utsho uNdikhoyo uSomandla-onke ukuthi: “Bona ndiza kubahlisela ikrele, nendlala, nobhubhani. Ndobatsho bafane namakhiwane angenakutyiwa ngenxa yokuba mabi kwawo.
18 Ndobasukela ngekrele nendlala nobhubhani, ndibatsho babe nezothe kuzo zonke iintlanga ehlabathini. Boba sisiqalekiso, izinto ezinezothe ezisisigculelo nesingcikivo naphi na apho ndobagxothela khona.
19 Kaloku abawahoyanga amazwi endaphindelela ukuwathetha ngabashumayeli izicaka zam.” Lowo ngumlomo kaNdikhoyo. “Kanti nina bathinjwa nani khange naphulaphula.
20 “Nina ke endanifudusayo eJerusalem ndanenza naba ngabathinjwa eBhabheli, liveni ilizwi likaNdikhoyo.
21 Ngokubhekiselele kuAhabhi unyana kaKolaya nakuZedekiya unyana kaMaseya abanishumayeza egameni lam bexoka utsho uNdikhoyo uSomandla-onke, uThixo kaSirayeli, ukuthi: Bona ndiza kubanikela esandleni sikakumkani uNebhukadenezare waseBhabheli, ababulale apha ngaphambi kwenu.
22 Bonke abantu abasiwa ekuthinjweni eBhabheli, befuduswe eJerusalem, bothi xa befuna ukuqalekisa: ‘UNdikhoyo makakufanise noZedekiya noAhabhi abafakwa emlilweni behleli ngukumkani waseBhabheli.’
23 Kaloku benze isikizi kwaSirayeli: bona bakrexeza nabafazi babamelwane, bathetha egameni lam bexoka, bengathunywangwa ndim. Ndiyayazi loo nto mna, yaye ndilingqina layo.” Nguwo lowo umlomo kaNdikhoyo.
24 Yithi kuShemaya umNehelam:
25 “Utsho uNdikhoyo uSomandla-onke, onguThixo kaSirayeli, ukuthi: Wena wathumela iincwadi egameni lakho kubo bonke abantu baseJerusalem, nakumbingeleli uZefaniya unyana kaMaseya, nakubo bonke abanye ababingeleli. Wabhalela uZefaniya wenjenje:
26 ‘UNdikhoyo ubeke wena waba ngumbingeleli esikhundleni sikaJoyada. Nguwe ke ngoku usomaqhuzu endlwini kaNdikhoyo. Ingumsebenzi wakho ke ukuba onke amageza azenza abashumayeli akhonkxwe iinyawo ngezikhuni, afakwe nentsimbi entanyeni.
27 Uyekele ntoni kodwa ukwenjenjalo kuJeremiya waseAnatoti ozenza umshumayeli phakathi kwenu?
28 Usanda kusibhalela incwadi apha eBhabheli, esithi abathinjwa abalapha baza kuhlala ixesha elide apha, ngoko ke mabazakhele izindlu, bahlale kuzo, balime izitiya, batye iziqhamo zazo.’ ”
29 Umbingeleli uZefaniya wayifundela umshumayeli uJeremiya loo ncwadi,
30 laza lavakala ilizwi likaNdikhoyo kuJeremiya lisithi:
31-32 “Thumela kubantu abangabathinjwa uthi: ‘Nkokusingisele kuShemaya umNehelam uNdikhoyo utsho ukuthi: Ndiza kumohlwaya uShemaya kunye nenzala yakhe, kuba unishumayeza noxa engathunywanga ndim, wanenza nathemba ubuxoki. Ngenxa yoko utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: Niyabona, akayi kuba nanzala konke. Akasobe azibone izinto ezintle endiza kuzenzela abantu bam, kuba kaloku yena ubebafundisa abantu ukukreqa kuNdikhoyo. Lowo ngumlomo kaNdikhoyo.’ ”