1 Lavakala ilizwi kuJeremiya, libhekiswa kuwo amaJuda akwelaseJiputa emi kwimimandla yaseMigidoli, eTapanesi, eNofu, nasezweni lasePatrosi, lisithi:
2 “Utsho *uNdikhoyo, uThixo onamandla onke kaSirayeli, ukuthi: ‘Niyibonile intlekele endayihlisela iJerusalem kunye needolophu zakwaJuda ziphela. Kunamhlanje-nje zingamabhodlo angahlalwa bani.
3 Yonke loo nto yehla ngenxa yenkohlakalo abayenzileyo. Bandixhokonxa ndade ndanomsindo ngokunqula thixo bambi abangabaziyo, bebenzela iziqhumiso. Nini ke kunye nooyihlo abo benjenjalo.
4 Ndaphindelela ukunithumela bonke abakhonzi bam abashumayeli, ukuze banibongoze bathi: “Musani ukulenza isikizi endilicekisa kakhulu!”
5 Koko abazange bahoye, àbafuna kuphulaphula. Bala ukwahlukana nemikhwa yabo emibi nokuyeka ukwenzela izithixo iziqhumiso.
6 Suka ke mna ndayiphalaza ingqumbo yam nomsindo wam phezu kweedolophu zakwaJuda nasezitalatweni zaseJerusalem, zaba ngalaa mabhodlo oyikekayo zingawo namhla oku.’
7 “Utsho ke ngoko uNdikhoyo, uThixo onamandla onke kaSirayeli, ukuthi: ‘Kutheni nizizisele esi sihelegu kwaJuda sokutshabalalisa amadoda, abafazi, nabantwana, neemveku, kungasali nampunde?
8 Nantso into eza kunihlela nindixhokonxa nje ngokwenzela izithixo iziqhumiso kweli laseJiputa eningabangeneleli kulo. Niza kuzitshabalalisa nina ziqu, nibe sisiqalekiso nesigculelo sezizwe ehlabathini.
9 Ngaba seniyilibele na inkohlakalo yooyihlo, neyookumkani bakwaJuda, nabafazi babo, neyenu kunye nabafazi benu, enayenzayo ngokuya nanisezidolophini zakwaJuda naseJerusalem?
10 Unanamhla oku anikabonakalisi kuzisola nokundihlonela. Anikawuthobeli umthetho nommiselo endawunika nina kunye nooyihlo-mkhulu.’
11 “Utsho ke ngoko uNdikhoyo, uThixo onamandla onke kaSirayeli, ukuthi: ‘Niyabona, ndizimisele ukunihlisela ishwangusha, ndiwatshabalalise onke amaJuda.
12 Ndiza kuwasusa la masalela akwaJuda azimisele ukuphambukela eJiputa. Aza kutshabalala apho kuloo Jiputa. Amanye aza kufa ngekrele, amanye yindlala, nditsho omncinci nomkhulu ngokufanayo. Aza kuba sisiqalekiso, nesothuso, nezigculelo, nesingcikivo.
13 AmaJuda aseJiputa ndiza kuwohlwaya ngesohlwayo esifana nesabaseJerusalem: indlala, ikrele, nobhubhani.
14 Akuyi kubakho usindayo noya kusala kula masalela akwaJuda aphambukele kwelaseJiputa enethemba lokuba obuyela kwelakwaJuda esaphila. Inene, akukho uya kubuya konke, ngaphandle kwembinana eya kuphuncula.’ ”
15 Emva koko onke amadoda awayesazi ukuba abafazi bawo benzela izithixo iziqhumiso nehlokondiba labafazi elalilapho nababehlala eJiputa nasePatrosi bathi kuJeremiya:
16 “Asiyi kuwuphulaphula lo myalelo wakho owuthethe egameni *likaNdikhoyo.
17 Thina siza kuthi rhoqo ukuzalisa amadinga ethu, senzele uKumkanikazi weZulu iziqhumiso, simphe neminikelo ethululwayo njengoko sasikade sisenza thina nookhokho bethu nookumkani neziphathamandla zethu sisahlala kwiidolophu zakwaJuda naseJerusalem. Ngoko sasidla ngokuba nokutya kakhulu, sisanela, kungazange kwabakho shwangusha lakha lasithi cha.
18 Kodwa oko sathi sahlukana nokwenzela uKumkanikazi weZulu iziqhumiso, sayeka nokumpha iziselo, sathiwa nca yindlala, sada sagqibela ngokufa ngekrele naliphango.”
19 Baqokela bathi abafazi: “Ngokuya sasidla ngokwenza amaqebengwana anomfanekiso woKumkanikazi weZulu, uba amadoda ethu ayengayazi loo nto? Ayesazi naxa simenzela iminikelo ethululwayo.”
20 Wenjenje uJeremiya akuphendulwa ngolu hlobo ngamadoda nabafazi nangabantu bonke:
21 “Xa ooyihlo-mkhulu nookumkani neziphathamandla zenu, kunye nomndilili wabantu, babethe rhoqo ukwenza iziqhumiso ezidolophini zakwaJuda naseJerusalem, akazange na uNdikhoyo ayikhumbule loo nto, ayigcine entliziyweni yakhe?
22 UNdikhoyo akabanga nako tu ukukunyamezela ukungcola kwezenzo zenu kunye namasikizi eniwenzileyo. Andithi kanene ilizwe lenu laba ngumqwebedu nento eyoyikekayo esisiqalekiso kangangokuba kungahlali bani kulo unanamhla oku?
23 Nahlelwa leli shwangusha likhoyo namhlanje ngenxa yokuba nenzela izithixo iziqhumiso, namona uNdikhoyo ngokungamthobeli nokungahambi ngokwemithetho nemimiselo nemigaqo yakhe.”
24 Uqokele wathi uJeremiya kubo bonke abantu nâbo bafazi: “Nina maJuda ahlala eJiputa, nali ilizwi likaNdikhoyo.
25 Utsho kuni uNdikhoyo uThixo onamandla onke kaSirayeli ukuthi: ‘Nina nabafazi benu nithetha into niyenze. Nithi niza kuthi rhoqo nizalise amadinga enu, nenzele uKumkanikazi weZulu iziqhumiso neminikelo ethululwayo. Qhubani ke niwafezekise loo madinga enu!
26 Kodwa ke, nonke nina bantu bakwaJuda abemi apha eJiputa, wuveni umlomo kaNdikhoyo; uthi: Niyabona, ndifunga igama lam elidumileyo, ndithi: Inene, aliyi kuba sabizwa igama lam nangubani na wakwaJuda naphi na apha kwelaseJiputa, esithi: “Ikho nje iNkosi uNdikhoyo!”
27 Niyabona, ndithe qwa, ndizimisele ukunizisela ububi, hayi ubuhle. Yaye onke amadoda akwaJuda alapha eJiputa aza kufa ngekrele nayindlala, ade atshabalale onke.
28 Ewe, baya kuba mbalwa abasindayo bangafi ngekrele eJiputa, baze babuyele ezweni lakwaJuda. Baya kwandula ke ukuqonda abantu abaseleyo kwabo babeze kuma apha eJiputa ukuba ngaba lelikabani na ilizwi elingayi kuwa phantsi, lelam nokuba lelabo.’
29 “Nguwo lo umlomo kaNdikhoyo: ‘Umqondiso endininika wona nguwo lo: Ndiza kunohlwaya apha kule ndawo, ukuze niqonde ukuba aza kwenzeka amazwi endiwathethileyo kuni ndisithi ndonizisela ububi.’
30 Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: ‘Ukumkani uHofra waseJiputa ndiza kumnikela esandleni seentshaba zakhe ezizungula ubomi bakhe, kanye njengoko ndenjenjalo kuZedekiya ukumkani wakwaJuda, xa ndamnikela esandleni sikakumkani uNebhukadenezare waseBhabheli, utshaba olwaluzungula ubomi bakhe.’ ”