1 Emva koko bonke abaphathi-mabutho kunye noYohanan unyana kaKareya bekunye noYazaniya unyana kaHoshaya nabantu bonke, abancinane nabakhulu, baya
2 kumshumayeli uJeremiya, bafika bathi kuye: “Nceda usamkele isicelo sethu kuwe: Sithandazele *kuNdikhoyo uThixo wakho, ucelele onke la masalela, kuba nawe ngokwakho uyabona ukuba naxa sasibaninzi ngoku sesisele siliqaqobana.
3 Mcele uNdikhoyo uThixo wakho ukuba asityhilele indlela emasihambe ngayo, nento emasiyenze.”
4 Umshumayeli uJeremiya usuke wenjenje ukuthetha nabo: “Ndivile. Ndiza kunithandazela kuNdikhoyo uThixo wenu, ndaye ndiya kunazisa yonke into uNdikhoyo aniphendula ngayo; andiyi kunifihlela nto konke.”
5 Bathi bona kuJeremiya: “UNdikhoyo aze abe lingqina elithembekileyo nelinyanisekileyo, achasane nathi xa singayenziyo yonke into uNdikhoyo uThixo wakho akuthumayo ukuba usixelele.
6 Nokuba limnandi, nokuba libi ilizwi likaNdikhoyo uThixo wethu lo sikuthuma kuye, siya kulithobela, khon' ukuze silungelwe. Ewe, inene, siya kumthobela uNdikhoyo uThixo wethu.”
7 Emva kweentsuku ezilishumi lavakala ilizwi likaNdikhoyo kuJeremiya.
8 Wabiza uYohanan unyana kaKareya kunye nabo bonke abaphathi-mabutho ababenaye, nabantu bonke, abancinci nabakhulu,
9 wathi kubo: “UNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli enindithume ukuze ndisigqithisele kuye isicelo senu, utsho ukuthi:
10 ‘Ukuba nithe nahlala kulo mhlaba, ndiya kunakha ndinganidilizi; ndonityala ndinganincothuli, kuba ndiyazisola ngeshwangusha endinihlisele lona!
11 Ngoko ke musan' ukuba noloyiko ngukumkani waseBhabheli lo nimoyikayo ngoku. Musan' ukumoyika,’ lowo ngumlomo kaNdikhoyo, ‘kuba ndinani, ndiza kunihlangula, nisinde esandleni sakhe.
12 Ndiza kusikwa yimfesane nini, naye ukumkani avelane nani, aniyeke nihlale kulo mhlaba wenu.’
13 “Kusenokwenzeka kambe ningamthobeli uNdikhoyo uThixo wenu, nithi: ‘Asizi kuhlala apha kweli lizwe thina.
14 Siza kuhamba siye kuhlala eJiputa, apho kungekho zimfazwe, kungakhali zintlaba-mkhosi, kungalanjwayo khona.’
15 Ke ngoko nali ilizwi likaNdikhoyo, nina masalela akwaJuda, utsho uNdikhoyo uThixo onamandla onke kaSirayeli ukuthi: ‘Xa nizimisele ukuya eJiputa, nifike nime apho,
16 ewe, ikrele eli niloyikayo lonifikela apho, naloo ndlala niyisabayo iya kuthana mbende kunye nani naseJiputa – niya kufela apho.
17 Bonke abo bazimisele ukuya kuhlala eJiputa baya kufa ngekrele, yindlala, nangubhubhani; akuyi kusala nokuba mnye usindayo kwelo shwangusha ndonihlisela lona.’
18 Utsho uNdikhoyo onamandla onke, uThixo kaSirayeli, ukuthi: ‘Nanjengoko umsindo wam nengqumbo yam zathululwa phezu kwabemi baseJerusalem, yokwenjenjalo nani ukunifikela ingqumbo yam xa nixhinele ukuya eJiputa. Noba zizinto ezisisiqalekiso nezikhwankqisayo, izinto ezisisigculelo nesingcikivo. Anisobe nibuye niyibone le ndawo kwakhona.’
19 “Uthi ke ngoko kuni uNdikhoyo, nina masalela akwaJuda: ‘Musani ukuya eJiputa.’ Ke ngoko yiqondeni kakuhle le ndawo; ndiyaniyala namhlanje.
20 Nizikhohlisile nabubeka ubomi benu esichengeni ngokuya benisithi: ‘Sithandazele kuNdikhoyo uThixo wethu, usixelele konke athi masikwenze, kuba sokwenza.’
21 Ndinixelele konke ke namhla, kodwa nina animthobeli uNdikhoyo uThixo wenu kwizinto athe maze ndinixelele zona.
22 Ngoko ke yazini ngokuphandle le nto: niza kufa ngekrele, nayindlala, nangubhubhani, kanye kuloo ndawo nizimisele ukuphambukela kuyo.”