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.’ ”