1 Izwi elafika kuJeremiya livela kuJehova ngomnyaka weshumi kaSedekiya inkosi yakwaJuda, owawungumnyaka weshumi nesishiyagalombili kaNebukadinesari.
2 Ngaleso sikhathi impi yenkosi yaseBabele yalivimbezela iJerusalema; uJeremiya umprofethi wayevalelwe egcekeni letilongo elalisendlini yenkosi yakwaJuda,
3 lapho uSedekiya inkosi yakwaJuda ebemvalele khona ngokuthi: “Uprofethelani uthi: ‘Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Bheka, ngiyakuwunikela lo muzi esandleni senkosi yaseBabele, iwuthathe,
4 uSedekiya inkosi yakwaJuda angaphunyuki esandleni samaKaledi, kepha anikelwe nokunikelwa esandleni senkosi yaseBabele, akhulume nayo umlomo nomlomo, amehlo akhe awabone amehlo ayo,
5 yona imyise uSedekiya eBabele, abe khona lapho ngize ngimhambele, usho uJehova; noma nilwa namaKaledi, aniyikuphumelela na?’ ”
6 UJeremiya wathi: “Izwi likaJehova lafika kimi, lathi:
7 Bheka, uHanameli indodana kaShalumi uyihlokazi uyakufika kuwe, athi: ‘Zithengele insimu yami ese-Anathoti, ngokuba ilungelo lokuyihlenga lingelakho ukuba uyithenge.’
8 “Wayesefika kimi uHanameli indodana kababekazi egcekeni letilongo njengezwi likaJehova, wathi kimi: ‘Ake uyithenge insimu yami ese-Anathoti elisezweni lakwaBenjamini, ngokuba ilungelo lefa lingelakho, nokuhlenga kungokwakho; zithengele lona.’“Ngase ngazi ukuthi leli zwi lavela kuJehova.
9 Ngayithenga insimu ese-Anathoti kuHanameli indodana kababekazi, ngamlinganisela imali, amashekeli* ayishumi nesikhombisa esiliva.
10 Ngaloba incwadi, ngayinamathelisa, ngazifakazisela, ngamlinganisela imali ngesilinganiso.
11 Ngayithatha incwadi yokuthenga, enamathelisiweyo enemithetho nezimiso, nevulekileyo,
12 nganikela incwadi yokuthenga kuBaruki indodana kaNeriya kaMahaseya ngaphambi kukaHanameli indodana kababekazi naphambi kofakazi ababelobe incwadi yokuthenga naphambi kwabo bonke abaJuda ababehlala egcekeni letilongo.
13 “Ngamyala uBaruki phambi kwabo, ngathi:
14 ‘Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Thatha lezi zincwadi, le ncwadi yokuthenga enamathelisiweyo nale ncwadi evulekileyo, uzifake ezitsheni zebumba ukuba zihlale izinsuku eziningi.
15 Ngokuba usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Kuyakubuye kuthengwe izindlu namasimu nezivini kuleli zwe.’
16 “Sengiyinike uBaruki indodana kaNeriya incwadi yokuthenga ngakhuleka kuJehova, ngathi:
17 “E, Nkosi Jehova, bheka, wena wenzile izulu nomhlaba ngamandla akho amakhulu nangengalo yakho eyeluliweyo; akukho lutho olukwahlulayo
18 wena owenza umusa kubo abayizinkulungwane, ophindisela ububi bawoyise esifubeni sabantwana babo emva kwabo, ogama lakho linguNkulunkulu omkhulu oyiqhawe, uJehova Sebawoti,
19 omkhulu emaswini, onamandla ezenzweni, omehlo akho avulekele zonke izindlela zabantu ukuba unike, kube yilowo nalowo njengezindlela zakhe nanjengezithelo zemisebenzi yakhe;
20 owamisa izibonakaliso nezimangaliso ezweni laseGibithe kuze kube namuhla nakwa-Israyeli naphakathi kwabanye abantu, wazenzela igama njenganamuhla,
21 wabakhipha abantu bakho u-Israyeli ezweni laseGibithe ngezibonakaliso nangezimangaliso, nangesandla esinamandla, nangengalo eyeluliweyo, nangengebhe enkulu,
22 wabanika leli zwe, njengalokho afunga koyise ukubanika lona, izwe elichichima ubisi nezinyosi;
23 bangena balidla, kepha kabalilalelanga izwi lakho, abahambanga emthethweni wakho, abenzanga lutho lwakho konke owabayala ngakho ukuba bakwenze; ngalokho ubehlisele konke lokhu okubi.
24 “Bheka, amaduli asefike emzini ukuba umuzi uthathwe; ngenxa yenkemba nendlala nesifo umuzi unikelwe esandleni samaKaledi alwa nawo; kwenzekile owakukhulumayo; bheka, usuyakubona.
25 Wena Nkosi Jehova, noma umuzi unikelwe esandleni samaKaledi, washo kimi, wathi: ‘Zithengele insimu ngemali, uzifakazisele.’ ”
26 Lase lifika izwi likaJehova kuJeremiya, lithi:
27 “Bheka, nginguJehova uNkulunkulu wenyama yonke, kukhona okungahlulayo na?
28 Ngalokho usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Bheka, ngiyakuwunikela lo muzi esandleni samaKaledi nasesandleni sikaNebukadinesari, inkosi yaseBabele, awuthathe.
29 AmaKaledi alwa nalo muzi ayakufika, awuthungele lo muzi ngomlilo, awushise kanye nalezo zindlu abashisele uBali impepho phezu kwezimpahla zazo, bathululela abanye onkulunkulu iminikelo yokuphuzwa ukuba bangicunule.
30 “Ngokuba abantwana bakwa-Israyeli nabantwana bakwaJuda benzile okubi kuphela emehlweni ami kwasebuntwaneni babo, ngokuba abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bangicunulile kuphela ngemisebenzi yezandla zabo, usho uJehova.
31 Ngokuba lo muzi uvuse intukuthelo yami nokufutheka kwami, kusukela osukwini abawakha ngalo kuze kube namuhla, ukuba ngiwususe ebusweni bami,
32 ngenxa yakho konke okubi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli nabantwana bakwaJuda abakwenzileyo ukuba bangicunule, bona namakhosi abo, nezikhulu zabo, nabapristi babo, nabaprofethi babo, namadoda akwaJuda, nabakhileyo eJerusalema.
33 Bangifulathele, abangibhekanga; noma ngabafundisa ngibaxwayisa njalonjalo, abalalelanga ukuba bamukele ukulaywa.
34 Kepha bazibeka izinengiso zabo endlini ebizwa ngegama lami ukuba bayingcolise.
35 Bazakha izindawo eziphakemeyo zikaBali ezisesigodini sendodana kaHinomu ukuba badabulise amadodana abo namadodakazi abo emlilweni kuMoloki, engingabayalanga ngakho, nokungangenanga enhliziyweni ukuthi bayakusenza lesi sinengiso ukuze bamonise uJuda.
36 “Ngalokho manje usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ngalo muzi enithi ngawo: ‘Unikelwe esandleni senkosi yaseBabele ngenkemba, nangendlala, nangesifo,’ uthi:
37 Bheka, ngiyakubabutha emazweni onke lapho ngibaxoshele khona ngentukuthelo yami, nangokufutheka kwami, nangolaka olukhulu, ngibabuyisele kule ndawo, ngibenze ukuba bahlale belondekile,
38 babe ngabantu bami, mina ngibe nguNkulunkulu wabo,
39 ngibanike inhliziyonye nendlelanye ukuba bangesabe zonke izinsuku, kube kuhle kubo nakubantwana babo emva kwabo.
40 Ngiyakwenza nabo isivumelwano esiphakade, ukuze ngingabuyi ekubalandeleni, ngibenzele okuhle, ngibeke ezinhliziyweni zabo ukungesaba, ukuze bangasuki kimi.
41 Ngiyakuthokoza ngabo, ngibenzele okuhle, ngibatshale ngeqiniso kuleli zwe ngayo yonke inhliziyo yami nangawo wonke umphefumulo wami.
42 “Ngokuba usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Njengalokhu ngehlisele phezu kwalaba bantu konke lokhu okubi, kanjalo ngiyakubehlisela konke okuhle engikukhulume kubo.
43 Amasimu ayakuthengwa kuleli zwe enisho ngalo ukuthi liyincithakalo, lapho kungekho muntu nazilwane khona, nokuthi linikelwe esandleni samaKaledi.
44 Amasimu ayakuthengwa ngemali, kulotshwe encwadini, kunamatheliswe, kufakazelwe ngofakazi ezweni lakwaBenjamini, nasemaphethelweni aseJerusalema, nasemizini yakwaJuda, nasemizini yasezintabeni, nasemizini yasehlanzeni, nasemizini yaseningizimu, ngokuba ngiyakukubuyisa ukuthunjwa kwabo, usho uJehova.”