1 Emihleni yakhe kwenyuka uNebukadinesari inkosi yaseBabele; uJehoyakimi wayeyinceku yakhe iminyaka emithathu; wayesebuya, wamhlubuka.
2 UJehova wathuma kuye amaviyo amaKaledi, namaviyo ama-Aramu, namaviyo abakwaMowabi, namaviyo abantwana bakwa-Amoni, wawathuma kuJuda ukumchitha njengezwi likaJehova alikhulumayo ngesandla sezinceku zakhe abaprofethi.
3 Impela kwaba khona lokho kwaJuda ngezwi likaJehova ukubasusa ebusweni bakhe ngenxa yezono zikaManase njengakho konke akwenzileyo,
4 nangenxa yegazi elingenacala alichithayo, ngokuba wagcwalisa iJerusalema ngegazi elingenacala, lokhu uJehova akavumanga ukukuthethelela.
5 Ezinye izindaba zikaJehoyakimi nakho konke akwenzayo angithi kulotshiwe encwadini yezindaba zemihla ngemihla yamakhosi akwaJuda na?
6 UJehoyakimi wayeselala koyise; uJehoyakini indodana yakhe waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
7 Inkosi yaseGibithe ayiphindanga futhi ukuphuma ezweni lakubo, ngokuba inkosi yaseBabele yayithathile konke okwakungokwenkosi yaseGibithe, kusukela emfuleni waseGibithe kuze kube semfuleni u-Ewufrathe.
8 UJehoyakini wayeneminyaka eyishumi nesishiyagalombili ekuqaleni kwakhe ukubusa, wabusa izinyanga ezintathu eJerusalema; igama likanina lalinguNehushita indodakazi ka-Elinathani waseJerusalema.
9 Wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova njengakho konke akwenzileyo uyise.
10 Ngaleso sikhathi izinceku zikaNebukadinesari inkosi yaseBabele zenyukela eJerusalema, umuzi wavinjezelwa.
11 UNebukadinesari inkosi yaseBabele weza emzini, izinceku zakhe zisawuvimbezele.
12 UJehoyakini inkosi yakwaJuda waphuma, waya enkosini yaseBabele, yena nonina, nezinceku zakhe, nezikhulu zakhe, nezinduna zakhe; inkosi yaseBabele yamthatha ngomnyaka wesishiyagalombili wokubusa kwakhe.
13 Yakhipha khona yonke ingcebo yendlu kaJehova nengcebo yendlu yenkosi, yahlahlela zonke izinto zegolide uSolomoni inkosi yakwa-Israyeli azenzileyo ethempelini likaJehova njengokukhuluma kukaJehova.
14 Yathumba lonke iJerusalema, nazo zonke izikhulu, nawo onke amaqhawe anamandla, abathunjwa abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi, nezinyanga zonke zemisebenzi, nabakhandi; akushiywanga muntu ngaphandle kwabantu abayizimpofana bezwe.
15 Yathumba uJehoyakini, yamyisa eBabele; nonina wenkosi, nabafazi benkosi, nezinduna zayo, nabakhulu bezwe yabamukisa ngokubathumba eJerusalema, yabayisa eBabele.
16 Onke amadoda anamandla, ayizinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa, nezinyanga, nabakhandi, abayinkulungwane, bonke bengamaqhawe azilungiselele ukulwa, nabo inkosi yaseBabele yabayisa eBabele ngokubathumba.
17 Inkosi yaseBabele yambeka uMathaniya, uyisekazi, inkosi esikhundleni sakhe, yaguqula igama lakhe laba nguSedekiya.
18 USedekiya wayeneminyaka engamashumi amabili nanye ekuqaleni kwakhe ukubusa, wabusa iminyaka eyishumi nanye eJerusalema; igama likanina lalinguHamithali, indodakazi kaJeremiya waseLibina.
19 Wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova njengakho konke akwenzileyo uJehoyakimi.
20 Ngokuba kwenzeka lokho eJerusalema nakwaJuda ngenxa yentukuthelo kaJehova, waze wabalahla ebusweni bakhe; uSedekiya wayihlubuka inkosi yaseBabele.