1 Kunyaka weshumi ukumkani uZedekiya elawula kwaJuda, owawungunyaka weshumi elinesibhozo kulawula ukumkani uNebhukadenezare eBhabheli, lavakala kuJeremiya ilizwi *likaNdikhoyo.
2 Ngelo xesha umkhosi wokumkani waseBhabheli wawuyingqingile iJerusalem, yena uJeremiya evalelwe eyadini yabalindi ebhotwe lakwaJuda.
3 Wayevalelwe entolongweni apho ngukumkani wakwaJuda uZedekiya, esithi: “Kutheni le nto ushumayela ngolu hlobo? Kaloku uthi: ‘Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: Esi sixeko ndiza kusinikezela esandleni sokumkani waseBhabheli, ndimvumele asithimbe.
4 Ke yena uZedekiya ukumkani wakwaJuda naye akayi kusinda esandleni samaKaledi, koko wonikezelwa esandleni sokumkani waseBhabheli, babonane ngamehlo, bathethe ubuso ngobuso.
5 Ukumkani waseBhabheli womthatha uZedekiya, amse eBhabheli, apho aya kuhlala khona kude kufike ithuba lokuba ndimvele, lowo ngumlomo kaNdikhoyo. Nokuba ningade nilwe nomkhosi wamaKaledi anisayi kuphumelela.’ ”
6 UJeremiya wathi: “Livakele ilizwi likaNdikhoyo lisithi kum:
7 UHanameli, unyana kayihlokazi uShalum, uza kuza kuwe, athi: ‘Wuthenge umhlaba wam oseAnatoti. Kaloku nguwe isizalwana segazi esinelungelo lokukhulula loo mhlaba.’
8 “Eneneni ke, weza kum apho kuloo yadi yasebhotwe uHanameli unyana kabawokazi, wathi: ‘Khawuwuthenge umhlaba wam oseAnatoti kummandla wakwaBhenjamin. Kaloku nguwe isizalwana segazi esinelungelo lokuwukhulula loo mhlaba uwuthenge.’“Ndaqonda ke ukuba ngenene nguNdikhoyo lo ubethetha nam.
9 Ndawuthenga loo mhlaba kuHanameli, ndayibala imali ngokuyibeka esikalini, ndamnika isiliva ebunzima buziigram ezimakhulu mabini.
10 Ndayibhala incwadi yentengiso, ndayisayina, ndayitywina, yangqinwa, ndaza imali ndayikhangela ubunzima bayo esikalini.
11 Ndazithatha iincwadi zentengiso, nditsho incwadi etywiniweyo equlethe imiqathango yentengiso kunye nekopi yayo engatywinwanga,
12 ndaza ndazinika uBharuki unyana kaNeriya unyana kaMaseya. Ndamnika kukho uHanameli unyana kabawokazi kunye namangqina awayisayinayo incwadi yentengiso, kwakunye namaJuda onke awayekho apho kuloo yadi.
13 Ndamyalela uBharuki emehlweni abo bonke, ndathi:
14 ‘Utsho uNdikhoyo onguSomandla-onke, uThixo kaSirayeli, ukuthi: Thatha ezi ncwadi zentengiso zombini, nditsho etywiniweyo nengatywinwanga, uzifake engqayini, ukuze zigcinakale ixesha elide.
15 Kaloku utsho uNdikhoyo uSomandla-onke onguThixo kaSirayeli ukuthi: Ziza kubuya zithengwe izindlu, nemihlaba, kunye nezidiliya kweli lizwe.’ ”
16 “Ndathi ndakuba ndimnikile uBharuki incwadi yentengiso yomhlaba, ndathandaza ndibhekisa *kuNdikhoyo, ndisithi:
17 ‘Aa, Mhlekazi Ndikhoyo, wena wasolula isandla sakho, wawenza umhlaba nesibhakabhaka ngamandla akho amakhulu! Akukho nanye into ekunqabelayo wena!
18 Wena uwenzela ububele amawaka-waka, uphinde ubuyekeze ubugwenxa booyise kwizizukulwana, wena Thixo omkhulu onamandla, ogama linguNdikhoyo uSomandla-onke.
19 Hayi ukuphakama kwezicwangciso zakho nokumangalisa kwemisebenzi yakho, omehlo aqwalasele zonke iindlela zabantu, ukuze ubuyekeze ulowo nalowo ngokwesimo nezenzo zakhe!
20 Wênza imiqondiso eJiputa. Uthe rhoqo ukwenjenjalo unanamhla nalapha kwaSirayeli naseluntwini luphela, wazenzela igama njengokuba kusenjalo.
21 Wabakhupha eJiputa abantu bakho amaSirayeli ngemiqondiso nemimangaliso ngesandla sakho esomeleleyo nangengalo yakho enamandla, eyabarhwaqelisayo abantu.
22 Wabanika umhlaba ochumileyo ovuza ubisi nobusi owawuthembisa ookhokho ngesifungo.
23 Bakuba bengenile bema kumhlaba owabanika wona, suka bayityeshela imiyalelo yakho, abakuthobela, abazenza tu izinto owathi maze bazenze. Yiyo ke loo nto behlelwe leli shwangusha nje.
24 “ ‘Khangela, asingqingile esi sixeko amaKaledi, enza iingqumba zokusihlasela. Siza kunikezelwa esi sixeko ngenxa yekrele, nendlala, nobhubhani. Ilizwi lakho liyazaliseka njengokuba nawe ubona.
25 Kuyo yonke loo nto, wena Mhlekazi Ndikhoyo, uthe kum: “Zithengele umhlaba ngemali phambi kwala mangqina,” kanye ngoku esi sixeko siza kunikezelwa esandleni samaKaledi.’ ”
26 Lavakala kuJeremiya ilizwi likaNdikhoyo lisithi:
27 “Khangela, mna ndinguNdikhoyo, uThixo woluntu luphela. Akukho nanye into enokundinqabela.
28 Nditsho ke ngoko mna Ndikhoyo ukuthi: Esi sixeko ndiza kusinikela esandleni samaKaledi nakukumkani waseBhabheli uNebhukadenezare, yena oya kusithimba.
29 Aza kusihlasela amaKaledi, asintumeke ngomlilo, sitshe pam kunye nezo zindlu zabantu abandixhokonxa ngokwenzela kuzo isiqhumiso sesithixo uBhali neminikelo ethululwayo isenzelwa thixo bambi.
30 AmaSirayeli namaJuda ayesenza ubugwenxa bodwa ukusukela kwasekusekweni kwawo; âhlala endixhokonxa ngemisebenzi yezandla zawo. Lowo ngumlomo kaNdikhoyo.
31 Kwasekusekweni kwaso, kude kube ngoku, esi sixeko sandixhokonxa, sandivusela umsindo nengqumbo, kangangokuba kungokunje ndifuna sitshatyalaliswe siphele emehlweni am.
32 Ewe, amaSirayeli namaJuda andixhokonxile ngobugwenxa bawo; nditsho wona, ookumkani bawo, iziphathamandla, ababingeleli, abashumayeli, abantu bakwaJuda, nabemi baseJerusalem.
33 Bandifulathela nangona ndandiphindelela ukubafundisa; abavumanga ukuphulaphula nokuyamkela ingqeqesho.
34 Bade baxabhela nendlu ebizwa ngegama lam ngokuya kumisa kuyo ezo zithixo zabo zinezothe.
35 UBhali bamakhele amaqonga kulaa ntili iHinom, apho benzela khona uMoleki amadini ngoonyana neentombi zabo. Andizange ndithi mabenze amanyumnyezi anje; ayizange ifike nokufika kum ingcinga yokuba bangade benze isikizi elinje ukulukuhlela uJuda esonweni.”
36 “Nina nithi abantu besi sixeko baza kunikezelwa esandleni sokumkani waseBhabheli ngekrele nendlala nobhubhani. Ukanti nantsi into ethethwa nguNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli ngabo:
37 ‘Ngenene, ndiza kubaqokelela kuzo zonke iindawo endabasarhaza kuzo ndinomsindo omkhulu nengqumbo engathethekiyo, ndibabuyisele kwakule ndawo, bahlale bekhuselekile,
38 babe ngabantu bam, mna ndibe nguThixo wabo.
39 Ndiya kubenza babe mxhelo mnye ekucingeni nasekwenzeni, bandihlonele maxa onke, ukuze balungelwe bona kunye nezizukulwana.
40 Umnqophiso endiza kuwenza nabo ngongasoze utshitshe. Ndohlala ndibenzela ububele; ndibafake ifuthe lokundihlonela, bangaze babuye bandishiye.
41 Koba luvuyo kum ukubabonelela; ngenene, ndiya kubamilisela kulo mhlaba ngomxhelo wam wonke.’
42 “Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: ‘Njengoko ndibahlisele esi sihelegu nje aba bantu, ndiza kubuya ndibanike konke okuhle endabathembisa ngako.
43 Iza kubuya ithengwe imihlaba kweli lizwe nithi nina liyinkangala engenakuhlalwa mntu nasilwanyana kuba linikelwe esandleni samaKaledi.
44 Baza kuyithenga ngesiliva abantu imihlaba; iincwadi zentengiso baza kuzisayina, bazitywine emehlweni amangqina, nditsho kwaBhenjamin, nakwiilali ezingqonge iJerusalem, nakwiidolophu zeleentaba zakwaJuda, nakumazantsi eentaba, nakumzantsi-Juda, kuba kaloku baza kubuyela kundalashe, badle ngendebe endala.’ Lowo ngumlomo kaNdikhoyo.”