1 Akugqiba uJeremiya ukuwathetha ebantwini bonke amazwi onke *kaNdikhoyo uThixo wabo awamthuma wona uNdikhoyo kubo,
2 uAzariya unyana kaHoshaya ekunye noYohanan kaKareya, kunye nawo onke amanye amadoda anekratshi, bathi kuJeremiya: “Uyaxoka! UNdikhoyo uThixo wethu akazange akuthume kuthi ukuba uthi: ‘Ze ningayi kuya kuhlala eJiputa.’
3 NguBharuki unyana kaNeriya lo ukuhlohle lo moya mbi, efuna ukuba sinikezelwe esandleni samaKaledi, aze asibulale, okanye asenze abathinjwa kwelaseBhabheli.”
4 Ke ngoko uYohanan unyana kaKareya, ekunye nabaphathi-mabutho kunye nabantu bonke bala ukumthobela uNdikhoyo ngokuthi bahlale kwelakwaJuda.
5 Suka yena uYohanan enabaphathi-mabutho waqokelela onke amasalela akwaJuda, bonke abo babebuyele kwaJuda bevela kumazwe ababethe saa kuwo,
6 ingamadoda nabafazi nabantwana kwakunye neentombi zokumkani, bonke abaya bantu babeshiywe nguNebhuzaradan umphathi wabalindi bakomkhulu elugcinweni lukaGedaliya unyana ka-Ahikam umzukulwana kaShafan. Wayelapho nomshumayeli uJeremiya, ekunye noBharuki unyana kaNeriya.
7 Bonke baya kuma eJiputa, besala ukumthobela uNdikhoyo, baya kutsho eTapanesi.
8 Lavakala kuJeremiya ilizwi *likaNdikhoyo eseTapanesi, lisithi:
9 “Thatha amatye amakhulu, uwombele, uwadibanise ngodaka emgangathweni wezitena osesangweni lakomkhulu eTapanesi. Oku kufuneka ukwenze emehlweni amaJuda.
10 Uze ke uthi kuwo: ‘Utsho uNdikhoyo, uThixo onamandla onke kaSirayeli, ukuthi: Ndiza kubiza isicaka sam ukumkani uNebhukadenezare waseBhabheli, aze afike asimise isihlalo sakhe phezu kwalo mgangatho wamatye uwombeleyo, awagqume ngesigqubuthelo sakhe sobukumkani.
11 Uza kuyibetha iJiputa, abulale abo bamelwe kukufa, athimbe abo bafanelwe kukuthinjwa, abatyakatye ngekrele abo bamelwe kukufa ngekrele.
12 Izindlu zoothixo bamaJiputa uza kuzintumeka ngomlilo, atshise izindlu zoothixo balapho, amaJiputa awase ekuthinjweni. Wowuphendla umhlaba waseJiputa, aphume apho exolile, njengomalusi ephendla iintwala engubeni yakhe.
13 Uya kuzintlekeza iintsika zaseBhete-shemeshe eJiputa, azitshise ngomlilo izindlu zoothixo baseJiputa.’ ”