1 Ngexesha ukumkani uNebhukadenezare waseBhabheli wayehlasela iJerusalem kunye needolophu eziyingqongileyo ngomkhosi wakhe wonke, encediswa zizikumkani zonke ezazingaphantsi kwakhe zezizwe ngezizwe awayezilawula, wafikelwa ludaba luvela *kuNdikhoyo uJeremiya. Lwafika lusithi:
2 “Utsho uNdikhoyo onguThixo kaSirayeli ukuthi: Yiya kuZedekiya ukumkani wakwaJuda, uthi kuye: ‘Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: Esi sixeko ndiza kusinikela esandleni sokumkani waseBhabheli, yaye uza kusitshisa sibe luthuthu.
3 Nawe akuyi kuphuncula: uza kubanjwa unikezelwe kuye. Uza kumbona ngamehlo ukumkani waseBhabheli, nithethe ubuso ngobuso, uhambe uye eBhabheli.’
4 “Kambe ke, mhlekazi Zedekiya, kumkani wakwaJuda, live neli lizwi likaNdikhoyo. Utsho kuwe uNdikhoyo ukuthi: ‘Wena Zedekiya akuyi kufa ngekrele;
5 uza kufa ngoxolo. Nanjengoko abantu babesenza isiqhumiso xa babengcwaba ooyihlo, nditsho ookumkani bamandulo, ngokunjalo naxa bangcwaba wena baza kwenza isiqhumiso. Nawe baza kukuzilela, bathi: “Mawoo, nkosi!” Uthethile uNdikhoyo. Lowo ngumlomo kaNdikhoyo.’ ”
6 Umshumayeli uJeremiya wawathetha ke onke la mazwi kukumkani uZedekiya wakwaJuda eJerusalem,
7 xa kanye umkhosi wokumkani waseBhabheli wawuhlasela eso sixeko kunye nezinye iidolophu ezazisaxhathisile, iLakishe neAzeka, kuphela kwezixeko zakwaJuda ezazinqatyisiwe ezasalayo.
8 Lavakala kuJeremiya ilizwi *likaNdikhoyo emva kokuba ukumkani uZedekiya wayenze umnqophiso nabantu baseJerusalem wokuba baza kwenza isibhengezo sokuwakhulula
9 amakhoboka angamaHebhere angamadoda nabafazi, khon' ukuze kungabikho mntu ungumJuda unekhoboka lomJuda.
10 Bavuma bonke abantu kunye neziphathamandla ukuwakhulula onke amakhoboka, bangabi sawakhoboza abo bantu. Bawakhulula ke,
11 kodwa kamva babuye barhoxa kwizigqibo zabo, babanyanzela abo bantu ukuba babuyele kwasebukhobokeni.
12 Lavakala ke kuJeremiya ilizwi likaNdikhoyo lisithi:
13 “Utsho uNdikhoyo onguThixo kaSirayeli ukuthi: ‘Ndênza umnqophiso kunye nookhokho benu mhla ndabakhupha eJiputa, ndabakhulula ebukhobokeni. Ndathi kubo:
14 “Qho ekupheleni kweminyaka esixhenxe kufuneka nikhulule wonke umwenu ongumHebhere ozithengise kuwe ithuba leminyaka emithandathu ekusebenzela.” Kodwa ookhokho benu abazanga bayihoye nokuyihoya loo nto ndayithethayo.
15 Kambe nina nizohlwayile, nandikholisa ngokuthi nonke nivume ukuwakhulula ebukhobokeni amawenu, nenza umnqophiso phambi kwam endlwini ebizwa ngegama lam.
16 Kodwa ngoku nibuye nasityeshela eso sigqibo, nalinyelisa igama lam ngokubuya nibanyanzele nibenze amakhoboka abantu ebenisele nabakhulula baye apho bathanda ukuya khona.’
17 “Ngoko ke utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: ‘Anindithobelanga ngokungawakhululi amawenu. Niyabona ke, ndinivakalisela isibhengezo senkululeko: inkululeko yokufa ngekrele nendlala nobhubhani. Ndiza kunenza nibe ngumbono orhwaqelisayo kuzo zonke izizwe zehlabathi. Lowo ngumlomo kaNdikhoyo.
18 Amadoda awaphuleyo umnqophiso wam, akayifezekisa imiqathango yomnqophiso awawenza phambi kwam, ndowafanisa nethole awalahlula kubini, aza acanda phakathi kwaloo macala alo.
19 Iziphathamandla zakwaJuda naseJerusalem kunye namaphakathi, ababingeleli kunye nabo bonke abantu beli lizwe abacande phakathi kwamacala ethole elahlulwe kubini,
20 ndiza kubanikezela esandleni seentshaba zabo ezizungula ubomi babo, izidumbu zabo zibe kukutya kweentaka namarhamncwa.
21 “ ‘Naye ukumkani uZedekiya wakwaJuda, kunye neziphathamandla zakhe, ndiza kubanikela esandleni seentshaba zabo ezizungula ubomi babo, nditsho umkhosi wokumkani waseBhabheli orhoxileyo ekumhlaseleni.
22 Ndiza kunika umyalelo ndiwubuyisele kwesi sixeko, usihlasele, usithimbe, usitshise. Ezi dolophu zakwaJuda ndiza kuzitsho zibe yinkangala apho kungekho bani unokuhlala.’ Lowo ngumlomo kaNdikhoyo.”