1 Nanka amazwi encwadi uJeremiya, umprofethi, ayithumayo eseJerusalema kuyo insali yamalunga athunjiweyo, nakubapristi, nakubaprofethi, nakubo bonke abantu ayebathumbile uNebukadinesari eJerusalema, wabayisa eBabele,
2 sebesukile uJekoniya inkosi, nendlovukazi, nabathenwa, nezikhulu zakwaJuda nezaseJerusalema, nezinyanga zomsebenzi, nabakhandi eJerusalema,
3 ngesandla sika-Eleyasa indodana kaShafani noGemariya indodana kaHilikiya abathunywa nguSedekiya, inkosi yakwaJuda, eBabele kuNebukadinesari inkosi yaseBabele, athi:
4 Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, kubo bonke abathunjwa engibenzile ukuba bathunjwe eJerusalema, bayiswe eBabele, uthi:
5 “Yakhani izindlu, nihlale kuzo; tshalani amasimu, nidle izithelo zawo;
6 thathani abafazi, nizale amadodana namadodakazi; thathelani amadodana enu abafazi, nendise amadodakazi enu emadodeni ukuba azale amadodana namadodakazi, nande khona, ninganciphi.
7 Funani ukuthula komuzi lapho nginithumbele khona, niwukhulekele kuJehova, ngokuba ekuthuleni kwawo niyakuba nokuthula.”
8 Ngokuba usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: “Maningakhohliswa ngabaprofethi abaphakathi kwenu nababhuli benu, ningawalaleli amaphupho enu eniwaphuphayo.
9 Ngokuba baprofetha amanga egameni lami; angibathumanga,” usho uJehova.
10 Ngokuba usho kanje uJehova, uthi: “Lapho iminyaka engamashumi ayisikhombisa isiphelile eBabele, ngiyakunihambela, ngiqinise phezu kwenu izwi lami elihle ngokunibuyisela kule ndawo.
11 Ngokuba ngiyazi mina imicabango engiyicabanga ngani,” usho uJehova, “imicabango yokuthula kungengeyobubi ukuba ngininike isikhathi esizayo nethemba.
12 Niyakungibiza, niye ukukhuleka kimi, ngiyakunizwa.
13 Niyakungifuna, ningifumane, lapho ningifunisisa ngenhliziyo yenu yonke.
14 Ngiyakufunyanwa yinina,” usho uJehova, “ngibuyise ukuthunjwa kwenu, nginibuthe ezizweni zonke nasezindaweni zonke lapho nginixoshele khona,” usho uJehova, “nginibuyisele endaweni enganenza ukuba nithunjwe kuyo.”
15 Ngokuba nishilo ukuthi: “UJehova usivusele abaprofethi eBabele.”
16 Ngokuba usho kanje uJehova ngenkosi ehlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavide nangabo bonke abantu abahlala kulo muzi, abafowenu abangayanga nani ekuthunjweni,
17 yebo, usho uJehova Sebawoti, uthi: “Bhekani, ngiyakuthuma kubo inkemba, nendlala, nesifo, ngibenze babe njengamakhiwane amabi angenakudliwa ngobubi bawo.
18 Ngiyakubalandela ngenkemba, nangendlala, nangesifo, ngibenze babe yingebhe emibusweni yonke yomhlaba, babe yisiqalekiso, nesimangaliso, nento encimfelwayo, nehlazo ezizweni zonke engibaxoshele kuzo,
19 ngokuba abawalalelanga amazwi ami,” usho uJehova, “engawathuma kubo ngezinceku zami abaprofethi, ngibathuma njalonjalo; yebo, kanilalelanga,” usho uJehova.
20 Kepha yizwani manje izwi likaJehova nina nonke bathunjwa, enginithumile eBabele niphuma eJerusalema.
21 Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ngo-Ahabi indodana kaKholaya nangoSedekiya indodana kaMahaseya abaprofetha amanga kini egameni lami, uthi: “Bheka, ngiyakubanikela esandleni sikaNebukadinesari inkosi yaseBabele; uyakubabulala phambi kwamehlo enu.
22 Kubona kuyakuthathwa isiqalekiso yibo bonke abathunjwa bakwaJuda abaseBabele ngokuthi: ‘UJehova makakwenze ukuba ube njengoSedekiya no-Ahabi abosiwa ngomlilo yinkosi yaseBabele,’
23 ngokuba benzile ubuwula kwa-Israyeli, baphinga nabafazi babakhelwane babo, bakhuluma amazwi amanga egameni lami engingabayalanga ngawo; yimi engikwaziyo, ngingufakazi,” usho uJehova.
24 KuShemaya waseNehelamu uyakusho ukuthi:
25 “Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Ngenxa yokuba uthumile egameni lakho izincwadi kubo bonke abantu baseJerusalema, nakuZefaniya indodana kaMahaseya, umpristi, nakubo bonke abapristi, ngokuthi:
26 ‘UJehova ukubeke umpristi esikhundleni sikaJehoyada umpristi ukuba nibe yizinduna zabo bonke abantu abahlanyayo nabaprofethayo endlini kaJehova ukuze ubafake esitokisini* nasemaketangeni;
27 manje awumsolanga ngani uJeremiya wase-Anathoti, oprofetha kini na?
28 Ngokuba ngalokho uthumile kithi eBabele, wathi: Kuse kude; yakhani izindlu, nihlale kuzo; tshalani amasimu, nidle izithelo zawo.’ ”
29 UZefaniya umpristi wayifunda le ncwadi ezindlebeni zikaJeremiya umprofethi.
30 Lase lifika izwi likaJehova kuJeremiya, lithi:
31 “Thuma kubo bonke abathunjwa, uthi: ‘Usho kanje uJehova ngoShemaya waseNehelamu, uthi: Ngenxa yokuba uShemaya eprofethile kini, mina ngingamthumile, wanenza ukuba nethembe emangeni,
32 ngalokho usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Bhekani, ngiyakumhambela uShemaya waseNehelamu nenzalo yakhe; akayikuba namuntu oyakuhlala phakathi kwalaba bantu, angaboni okuhle engiyakwenzela khona abantu bami, usho uJehova, ngokuba ukhulume ukuhlubuka kuJehova.’ ”