1 Kwathi ngomnyaka wesine kaJehoyakimi indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakwaJuda, leli zwi lafika kuJeremiya livela kuJehova, lathi:
2 “Zithathele umqulu wencwadi, ulobe kuwo onke amazwi engiwakhulume kuwe ngo-Israyeli nangoJuda, nangazo zonke izizwe, kusukela osukwini engakhuluma ngalo kuwe, kusukela ezinsukwini zikaJosiya kuze kube namuhla.
3 Mhlawumbe indlu yakwaJuda iyakuzwa konke okubi engicabanga ukukwenza kuyo ukuba ibuye, kube yilowo nalowo endleleni yakhe embi, ngiyithethelele amacala ayo nezono zayo.”
4 UJeremiya wayesebiza uBaruki indodana kaNeriya; uBaruki waloba emqulwini wencwadi onke amazwi kaJehova ayewakhulume kuye, ewathatha emlonyeni kaJeremiya.
5 UJeremiya wamyala uBaruki ngokuthi: “Ngivalelwe, anginakungena endlini kaJehova.
6 Hamba wena, ufunde emqulwini owulobileyo, uthathe emlonyeni wami, amazwi kaJehova ezindlebeni zabantu endlini kaJehova ngosuku lokuzila ukudla, uwafunde nasezindlebeni zabo bonke abakwaJuda abavela emizini yakubo.
7 Mhlawumbe ukunxusa kwabo kuyakufika phambi kukaJehova, babuye, kube yilowo nalowo endleleni yakhe embi, ngokuba inkulu intukuthelo nokufutheka akukhulumileyo uJehova ngalaba bantu.”
8 UBaruki indodana kaNeriya wenza njengakho konke uJeremiya umprofethi amyala ngakho, efunda encwadini amazwi kaJehova endlini kaJehova.
9 Kwathi ngomnyaka wesihlanu kaJehoyakimi indodana kaJosiya, inkosi yakwaJuda, ngenyanga yesishiyagalolunye bonke abantu baseJerusalema nabo bonke abantu ababevela emizini yakwaJuda beza eJerusalema, bamemezela ukuzila ukudla phambi kukaJehova.
10 UBaruki wayesefunda encwadini amazwi kaJeremiya endlini kaJehova ekamelweni likaGemariya indodana kaShafani umbhali egcekeni lasenhla ngasesikhaleni sesango elisha lendlu kaJehova ezindlebeni zabantu bonke.
11 UMikhaya indodana kaGemariya kaShafani wezwa onke amazwi kule ncwadi,
12 wehlela endlini yenkosi ekamelweni lombhali; bheka, kwakuhlezi khona zonke izikhulu, u-Elishama umbhali, noDelaya indodana kaShemaya, no-Elinathani indodana ka-Akibori, noGemariya indodana kaShafani, noSedekiya indodana kaHananiya, zonke izikhulu.
13 UMikhaya wazitshela onke amazwi ayewezwile, lapho uBaruki eyifunda incwadi ezindlebeni zabantu.
14 Ngalokho zonke izikhulu zathuma uJehudi indodana kaNethaniya kaShelemiya kaKushi kuBaruki, zathi: “Umqulu owufundileyo ezindlebeni zabantu wuthathe ngesandla sakho, uze nawo.” UBaruki indodana kaNeriya wawuthatha umqulu ngesandla sakhe, weza kuzo.
15 Zathi kuye: “Ake uhlale phansi, ufunde ezindlebeni zethu.”UBaruki wayesefunda ezindlebeni zazo.
16 Kwathi lapho sezizwile onke amazwi, zaphendukelana ngokwesaba, kwaba yileso naleso kumakhelwane waso, zathi kuBaruki: “Siyakuyitshela nokuyitshela inkosi lawa mazwi.”
17 Zambuza uBaruki, zathi: “Ake usitshele ukuthi wawaloba kanjani onke lawa mazwi, uwathatha emlonyeni wakhe, na?”
18 UBaruki wathi kuzo: “Wawaphumisela onke lawa mazwi kimi ngomlomo wakhe, ngawaloba encwadini ngoyinki.”
19 Zase zithi izikhulu kuBaruki: “Hamba ucashe, wena noJeremiya, kungazi muntu lapho nikhona.”
20 Zase zingena enkosini egcekeni; sezibeke umqulu ekamelweni lika-Elishama umbhali zalanda onke amazwi ezindlebeni zenkosi.
21 Inkosi yayisimthuma uJehudi ukuba awulande umqulu; wawukhipha ekamelweni lika-Elishama umbhali. UJehudi wawufunda ezindlebeni zenkosi nasezindlebeni zazo zonke izikhulu ezazimi ngasenkosini.
22 Inkosi yayihlezi endlini yobusika ngenyanga yesishiyagalolunye, iziko elivuthayo liphambi kwayo.
23 Kwathi lapho uJehudi esefundile amakhasi amathathu noma amane, yawasika ngommese womlobi, yawaphonsa emlilweni oseziko, waze waphela wonke umqulu emlilweni oseziko.
24 Azesabanga, aziklebhulanga izingubo zazo, inkosi nezinceku zayo ezaziwezwa onke lawa mazwi.
25 O-Elinathani noDelaya noGemariya babekhulekile enkosini ukuba ingashisi umqulu, kepha ayibezwanga.
26 Inkosi yayala uJerameli indodana yenkosi, noSeraya indodana ka-Aziriyeli, noShelemiya indodana ka-Abideyeli ukuba babambe uBaruki umbhali noJeremiya umprofethi, kepha uJehova wabafihla.
27 Lase lifika izwi likaJehova kuJeremiya, inkosi isishisile umqulu namazwi awaloba uBaruki, ewathatha emlonyeni kaJeremiya, lithi:
28 “Buya, uzithathele omunye umqulu, ulobe kuwo onke amazwi okuqala ayesemqulwini wokuqala, awushisa uJehoyakimi inkosi yakwaJuda.
29 NgoJehoyakimi inkosi yakwaJuda uyakusho uthi: ‘Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Uwushisile lo mqulu ngokuthi: “Ulobeleni kuwo ukuthi inkosi yaseBabele iyakufika nokufika ukuchitha leli zwe, yenze ukuba kuphele kulo abantu nezilwane, na?”
30 Ngalokho usho kanje uJehova ngoJehoyakimi inkosi yakwaJuda, uthi: Akayikuba namuntu wokuhlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavide; isidumbu sakhe siyakuntshingwa ekushiseni kwasemini nasesithwathweni sasebusuku.
31 Ngiyakumjezisa yena nenzalo yakhe nezinceku zakhe ngokona kwabo, ngehlisele phezu kwabo, naphezu kwabakhileyo eJerusalema, naphezu kwabantu bakwaJuda konke okubi engikukhulume ngabo, bengalalelanga kodwa.’ ”
32 UJeremiya wayesethatha omunye umqulu, wawunika uBaruki umbhali, indodana kaNeriya, owaloba kuwo, ewathatha emlonyeni kaJeremiya onke amazwi encwadi uJehoyakimi inkosi yakwaJuda ayeyishisile ngomlilo; kwathasiselwa kuwo amanye amazwi amaningi anjengawo.