1 Kwathi ngomnyaka wesishiyagalolunye wokubusa kwakhe, ngenyanga yeshumi ngolweshumi lwenyanga, uNebukadinesari inkosi yaseBabele wafika, yena nayo yonke impi yakhe, eJerusalema, wamisa malungana nalo; bakha inqaba ngakulo nxazonke.
2 Wawusuvinjezelwa umuzi kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka weshumi nanye wenkosi uSedekiya.
3 Ngosuku lwesishiyagalolunye lwenyanga indlala yaba namandla emzini, akubangakho kudla kubantu bezwe.
4 Kepha wawusufohlwa umuzi, onke amadoda empi abaleka ebusuku ngendlela yesango phakathi kwezingange zombili ezazingasensimini yenkosi amaKaledi ayekhona nxazonke zomuzi ahamba ngendlela yase-Araba.
5 Kodwa impi yamaKaledi yayixosha inkosi, yayifica emathafeni aseJeriko, yonke impi yayo yahlakazeka.
6 Ayeseyibamba inkosi, ayenyusela enkosini yaseBabele eRibila; ayahlulela.
7 Abulala amadodana kaSedekiya phambi kwamehlo akhe, akhipha amehlo kaSedekiya, ambopha ngamaketanga, amyisa eBabele.
8 Ngenyanga yesihlanu ngolwesikhombisa lwenyanga okwakungumnyaka weshumi nesishiyagalolunye wenkosi uNebukadinesari, inkosi yaseBabele, kwafika uNebuzaradani induna yabalindi, inceku yenkosi yaseBabele, eJerusalema.
9 Washisa indlu kaJehova nendlu yenkosi; nazo zonke izindlu zaseJerusalema, zonke izindlu ezinkulu, wazishisa ngomlilo.
10 Yonke impi yamaKaledi induna yabalindi eyayinayo yadiliza izingange zaseJerusalema nxazonke.
11 Abanye abantu ababesele emzini, nabahlubukileyo behlubukela enkosini yaseBabele, nesixuku esiseleyo uNebuzaradani induna yabalindi wabathumba.
12 Kepha induna yabalindi yashiya abantu bezwe abayizimpofana ukuba baphathe izivini namasimu.
13 Izinsika zethusi ezazisendlini yenkosi, nezinqe, nolwandle lwethusi okwakusendlini kaJehova amaKaledi akuhlephula, athuthela ithusi lakho eBabele.
14 Amakhanzi, namafosholo, nezizenze, nezinkezo, nazo zonke izitsha zethusi ababekhonza ngazo akuthatha.
15 Nemicengezi yomlilo, nezitsha, okwegolide lodwa nesiliva lodwa, nalokho induna yabalindi yakuthatha.
16 Izinsika zombili, nolwandle olwalulunye nje, nezinqe uSolomoni ayekwenzele indlu kaJehova, ithusi lazo zonke lezi zinto lalingenakulinganiswa.
17 Ukuphakama kwensika eyodwa kwakuyizingalo eziyishumi nesishiyagalombili; phezu kwayo kwakukhona isihloko sethusi; ukuphakama kwesihloko esisodwa kwakuyizingalo ezintathu; kwakukhona nenetha namapomegranati* phezu kwesihloko nxazonke, konke kwakungokwethusi; kwakunjalo nasensikeni yesibili enetheni.
18 Induna yabalindi yathatha uSeraya umpristi omkhulu, noZefaniya umpristi wesibili, nabalindimnyango abathathu;
19 yathatha emzini induna eyayimiswe phezu kwamadoda empi, nabantu abayisihlanu kwababesebusweni benkosi abafunyanwa emzini, nombhali wenduna yempi eyayibala abantu bezwe, nabantu bezwe abangamashumi ayisithupha abafunyanwa emzini.
20 UNebuzaradani induna yabalindi wabathatha, wabayisa enkosini yaseBabele eRibila.
21 Inkosi yaseBabele yabashaya, yababulala eRibila ezweni laseHamati. Wathunjwa kanjalo uJuda ezweni lakubo.
22 Abantu abaseleyo ezweni lakwaJuda abashiyiwe nguNebukadinesari inkosi yaseBabele, phezu kwabo wenza uGedaliya indodana ka-Ahikamu kaShafani abe ngumbusi.
23 Zonke izinduna zempi, zona nabantu bazo, sezizwile ukuthi inkosi yaseBabele imenzile uGedaliya umbusi ezweni, zaya kuGedaliya eMispa: u-Ishmayeli indodana kaNethaniya, noJohanani indodana kaKhareya, noSeraya indodana kaThanihumeti waseNethofa, noJahazaniya indodana yomMahakha, bona nabantu babo.
24 UGedaliya wafunga kubo nakubantu babo, wathi kubo: “Ningesabi izinceku zamaKaledi; hlalani ezweni, niyikhonze inkosi yaseBabele, kuyakuba kuhle kini.”
25 Kepha kwathi ngenyanga yesikhombisa wafika u-Ishmayeli indodana kaNethaniya ka-Elishama wozalo lwenkosi, abantu abayishumi benaye, wamshaya uGedaliya waze wafa, kanye nabaJuda namaKaledi ayenaye eMispa.
26 Abantu bonke, abancane nabakhulu, nezinduna zempi basuka baya eGibithe, ngokuba besaba amaKaledi.
27 Kwathi ngomnyaka wamashumi amathathu nesikhombisa wokuthunjwa kukaJehoyakini inkosi yakwaJuda ngenyanga yeshumi nambili ngolwamashumi amabili nesikhombisa lwenyanga, u-Evili Merodaki inkosi yaseBabele, ngomnyaka wokuqala wokubusa kwakhe, waphakamisa ikhanda likaJehoyakini inkosi yakwaJuda, wamkhipha etilongweni,
28 wakhuluma kahle kuye, wabeka isihlalo sakhe phezu kwezihlalo zamakhosi ayenaye eBabele.
29 Waguqula izingubo zakhe zasetilongweni; wadla njalo phambi kwakhe zonke izinsuku zokuhamba kwakhe.
30 Isabelo sakhe sasiyisabelo esimiyo semihla ngemihla, asiphiwa yinkosi zonke izinsuku zokuhamba kwakhe.