1 UJehova wangibonisa amaqoma amabili amakhiwane ebekwe phambi kwethempeli likaJehova, uNebukadinesari, inkosi yaseBabele, esethumbile uJekoniya indodana kaJehoyakimi, inkosi yakwaJuda, nezikhulu zakwaJuda, nezinyanga zomsebenzi, nabakhandi, wabasusa eJerusalema, wabayisa eBabele.
2 Elinye iqoma lalinamakhiwane amahle kakhulu, enjengamakhiwane ayingqalabutho; elinye iqoma lalinamakhiwane amabi kakhulu, engenakudliwa ngobubi bawo.
3 Wayesethi uJehova kimi: “Ubonani, Jeremiya, na?”Ngathi: “Amakhiwane; amahle, ngamahle kakhulu, namabi ngamabi kakhulu, enganakudliwa ngobubi bawo.”
4 Izwi likaJehova lafika kimi, lathi:
5 “Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Njengalawa makhiwane amahle ngiyakubheka kanjalo abathunjiweyo bakwaJuda, engibamukisile kule ndawo baya ezweni lamaKaledi, kube kuhle.
6 Ngiyakuwabhekisa amehlo ami kubo, kube kuhle, ngibabuyisele kuleli zwe, ngibakhe ngingabadilizi, ngibatshale ngingabasiphuli.
7 Ngiyakubanika inhliziyo yokungazi ukuthi nginguJehova; bayakuba ngabantu bami, mina ngibe nguNkulunkulu wabo, ngokuba bayakubuyela kimi ngenhliziyo yabo yonke.
8 “ ‘Kepha njengamakhiwane amabi engenakudliwa ngobubi bawo, impela kanjalo,’ usho kanje uJehova, ‘ngiyakwenza kuSedekiya inkosi yakwaJuda, nasezikhulwini zakhe, nakuyo insali yaseJerusalema, abasele kuleli zwe nabakhile ezweni laseGibithe.
9 Ngiyakubenza babe yingebhe nokubi emibusweni yonke yomhlaba, babe yihlazo nesaga, isifenqo nesiqalekiso ezindaweni zonke engiyakubaxoshela kuzo.
10 Ngiyakuthuma kubo inkemba, nendlala, nesifo, baze baphele ezweni engalinika bona nawoyise.’ ”