1 UShefathiya indodana kaMathani, noGedaliya indodana kaPhashuri, noJukali indodana kaShelemiya, noPhashuri indodana kaMalikhiya bawezwa amazwi uJeremiya awakhulumayo kubo bonke abantu ukuthi:
2 “Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: ‘Osele kulo muzi uyakufa ngenkemba, nangendlala, nangesifo, kepha ophumela kumaKaledi uyakuphila, nokuphila kwakhe kuyakuba yimpango kuye, aphile.’
3 Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: ‘Lo muzi uyakunikelwa nokunikelwa esandleni sempi yenkosi yaseBabele, iwuthathe.’ ”
4 Zase zithi izikhulu enkosini: “Makabulawe lo muntu, njengokuba edangalisa izandla zamadoda empi asele kulo muzi nezandla zabantu bonke ngokukhuluma amazwi anjalo kubo, ngokuba lo muntu akafuni ukuthula kwalaba bantu, ubafunela okubi.”
5 USedekiya inkosi wayesethi: “Bhekani, usesandleni senu, ngokuba inkosi ayinamandla okuphambana nani ngalutho.”
6 Zase zimthatha uJeremiya, zamphonsa emgodini kaMalikhiya indodana yenkosi owawusegcekeni letilongo, bamehlisa uJeremiya ngezintambo. Emgodini kwakungekho manzi, udaka lodwa; uJeremiya washona odakeni.
7 U-Ebedi Meleki umKushe, umthenwa, owayesendlini yenkosi, esezwile ukuthi bamfake uJeremiya emgodini, inkosi ihlezi esangweni lakwaBenjamini,
8 u-Ebedi Meleki waphuma endlini yenkosi, wakhuluma enkosini, wathi:
9 “Nkosi yami, nkosi, laba bantu benzile okubi ngakho konke abakwenzile kuJeremiya umprofethi, abamphonsile emgodini; uyakufela endaweni lapho ekhona ngokulamba, ngokuba akusekho ukudla emzini.”
10 Inkosi yayisimyala u-Ebedi Meleki umKushe, ithi: “Thatha lapha abantu abangamashumi amathathu, uhambe nabo, umkhiphe uJeremiya umprofethi emgodini, engakafi.”
11 U-Ebedi Meleki wabathatha abantu, wahamba nabo, waya endlini yenkosi phansi kwendlu yengcebo, wakhipha khona amadlephudlephu amadala namanikiniki abolileyo, wawehlisela kuJeremiya emgodini ngezintambo.
12 U-Ebedi Meleki umKushe wathi kuJeremiya: “Faka lawa madlephudlephu amadala namanikiniki abolileyo emakhwapheni phansi kwezintambo.” UJeremiya wenze njalo.
13 Base bemdonsa uJeremiya ngezintambo, bamkhipha emgodini; uJeremiya wahlala egcekeni letilongo.
14 USedekiya inkosi wathumela wamthatha uJeremiya umprofethi, wamzisa kuye esikhaleni sesithathu esisendlini kaJehova; inkosi yathi kuJeremiya: “Ngithanda ukubuza into kuwe, ungangifihleli lutho.”
15 UJeremiya wathi kuSedekiya: “Uma ngikutshela, awuyikungibulala nokungibulala na? Uma ngikululeka, awuyikungilalela.”
16 Inkosi uSedekiya yayisifunga ngasese kuJeremiya, yathi: “Kuphila kukaJehova owasenzela lo mphefumulo, angiyikukubulala, futhi angiyikukunikela esandleni salawa madoda afuna ukuphila kwakho.”
17 Wayesethi uJeremiya kuSedekiya: “Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: ‘Uma uphuma nokuphuma, uye ezikhulwini zenkosi yaseBabele, umphefumulo wakho uyakuphila, futhi lo muzi awuyikushiswa ngomlilo, uphile wena nendlu yakho;
18 kepha uma ungaphumi uye ezikhulwini zenkosi yaseBabele, lo muzi uyakunikelwa esandleni samaKaledi, awushise ngomlilo, ungaphunyuki esandleni sabo.’ ”
19 Inkosi uSedekiya yathi kuJeremiya: “Ngiyesaba abaJuda abahlubukele kumaKaledi, funa nginikelwe esandleni sabo, bangiklolodele.”
20 Kepha uJeremiya wathi: “Abayikukunikela. Ake ulilalele izwi likaJehova kulokhu engikukhulumayo kuwe; kuyakuba kuhle kuwe, umphefumulo wakho uphile.
21 Kepha uma wala ukuphuma, yileli zwi uJehova angibonisile lona lokuthi:
22 Bheka, bonke abesifazane abasele endlini yenkosi yakwaJuda bayakukhishelwa izikhulu zenkosi yaseBabele; bheka, bayakuthi:“ ‘Abahlobo bakho abakhulu bakududile,bakwahlula;kepha lapho izinyawo zakhezishone exhaphozini,babuyele emuva.’
23 “Bayakukhiphela amaKaledi bonke abafazi bakho nabantwana bakho; awuyikuphunyuka esandleni sabo, kepha uyakubanjwa ngesandla senkosi yaseBabele, wenze ukuba lo muzi ushiswe ngomlilo.”
24 USedekiya wayesethi kuJeremiya: “Makungabikho muntu owazi lawa mazwi, funa ufe.
25 Uma izikhulu zizwa ukuthi ngikhulumile nawe, bese zifika kuwe, zithi kuwe: ‘Ake usitshele okukhulumileyo enkosini, ungasifihleli khona, asiyikukubulala, nalokho inkosi eyakukhuluma kuwe,’
26 uyakuthi kubo: ‘Nganxusa enkosini ukuba ingangibuyiseli endlini kaJonathani, funa ngifele khona.’ ”
27 Zonke izikhulu zafika kuJeremiya, zambuza. Wazitshela onke lawa mazwi inkosi emyale ngawo. Zathula, zasuka kuye, ngokuba indaba ayizwakalanga.
28 Kepha uJeremiya wasala egcekeni letilongo, kwaze kwafika usuku elanqotshwa ngalo iJerusalema.