Yeremiya 38:1-28
38 UShefatiya unyana kaMatan, uGedaliya unyana kaPashure, uYukali+ unyana kaShelemiya noPashure+ unyana kaMalekiya baweva amazwi awayethethwa nguYeremiya kubo bonke abantu, esithi:
2 “Uthi uYehova, ‘Umntu oshiyekayo kwesi sixeko uza kubulawa likrele, yindlala nasisifo esingubhubhani.+ Kodwa lowo unikezelayo* kumaKhaledi uza kuqhubeka ephila ibe uza kubusindisa ubomi bakhe aze aphile.’+
3 Uthi uYehova, ‘Ngokuqinisekileyo esi sixeko siza kunikelwa kumkhosi kakumkani waseBhabhiloni, yaye uza kusithimba.’”+
4 Zathi iinkokheli kukumkani: “Yithi mayibulawe le ndoda,+ kuba ngale ndlela, ityhafisa amajoni nabo bonke abantu abashiyekileyo kwesi sixeko, ngokuthetha izinto ezinje. Kuba le ndoda ayisifuneli luxolo esi sizwana, kodwa isifunela intlekele.”
5 UKumkani uZedekiya wathi: “Jongani! Isezandleni zenu, kuba andinakuninqanda.”
6 Ngoko ke bamthatha uYeremiya bamphosa equleni likaMalekiya unyana kakumkani, elalikwiYadi Yoonogada.+ Bamehlisa ngeentambo uYeremiya. Kodwa kwakungekho manzi kwelo qula, kukho udaka kuphela, ibe uYeremiya waqalisa ukutshona kolo daka.
7 UEbhedi-meleki+ umTiyopiya, ithenwa endlini kakumkani,* weva ukuba bamfake equleni uYeremiya. Yena ukumkani wayehleli eGeyithini YakwaBhenjamin,+
8 ngoko uEbhedi-meleki waphuma endlini kakumkani, wayokuthi kukumkani:
9 “Owu yhini nkosi yam kumkani, imbi le nto yenziwe ngala madoda kumprofeti uYeremiya! Amphose equleni, ibe uza kufela pha yindlala, kuba siphelile isonka esixekweni.”+
10 Wathi ukumkani kuEbhedi-meleki umTiyopiya: “Thatha amadoda ayi-30 apha, niyokumkhupha equleni umprofeti uYeremiya engekafi.”
11 Ngoko ke uEbhedi-meleki wahamba naloo madoda waya endlini kakumkani, phantsi kwendawo yokugcina ubutyebi,+ wafika apho wathatha iingubo ezigugileyo namalaphu angamadlavu, wawehlisela equleni kuYeremiya ngeentambo.
12 Emva koko uEbhedi-meleki umTiyopiya wathi kuYeremiya: “Thatha loo ntambo, uyibhijele ngamalaphu, uyifake phantsi kwamakhwapha.” Wayenza loo nto uYeremiya,
13 bamtsala ngeentambo, bamkhupha kwelo qula. UYeremiya waqhubeka ehlala kwiYadi Yoonogada.+
14 UKumkani uZedekiya wathi makubizwe umprofeti uYeremiya eze kwigeyithi yesithathu esendlini kaYehova, waza wathi ukumkani kuYeremiya: “Kukho into endifuna ukukubuza yona. Ungandifihleli kwanto.”
15 Wathi uYeremiya kuZedekiya: “Ukuba ndiyakuxelela, uza kundibulala ngokuqinisekileyo. Ukuba ndiyakucebisa, awuzukundimamela.”
16 Ngoko ke uKumkani uZedekiya wafunga kuYeremiya emfihlekweni, esithi: “Ephila nje uYehova osinike ubomi, andizukukubulala, yaye andizukukunikela kula madoda afuna ukukubulala.”
17 Wathi uYeremiya kuZedekiya: “Uthi uYehova, uThixo wemikhosi, uThixo kaSirayeli, ‘Ukuba uyazinikezela* kwiinkokheli zikakumkani waseBhabhiloni, awuzukubulawa, nesi sixeko asizukutshiswa, ibe wena nendlu yakho anizukubulawa.+
18 Kodwa ukuba uye awazinikezela kwiinkokheli zikakumkani waseBhabhiloni, esi sixeko siza kunikelwa kumaKhaledi, kwaye aza kusitshisa,+ yaye awuzukusinda kuwo.’”+
19 UKumkani uZedekiya wathi kuYeremiya: “Ndoyika amaYuda abalekele kumaKhaledi, kuba ukuba ndinikelwe kuwo, aza kundikhohlakalela.”
20 Kodwa uYeremiya wathi: “Awuzukunikezelwa kuwo. Ndiyakucela, khawuthobele ilizwi likaYehova kule nto ndikuxelela yona, yaye uza kulungelwa, awuzukufa.
21 Kodwa ukuba awufuni kuzinikezela,* nantsi into andibonise yona uYehova:
22 Jonga! Bonke abafazi abaye bashiyeka endlini kakumkani wakwaYuda basiwa kwiinkokheli zikakumkani waseBhabhiloni,+ yaye bathi,‘Amadoda obuwathembile* aye akuqhatha aza akoyisa.+
Atshonise unyawo lwakho eludakeni.
Ngoku aye abuya umva, arhoxa.’
23 Bonke abafazi bakho kunye noonyana bakho babase kumaKhaledi, yaye wena awuzukusinda kuwo, kodwa uza kubanjwa ngukumkani waseBhabhiloni,+ kwaye ngenxa yakho esi sixeko siza kutshiswa.”+
24 Waza wathi uZedekiya kuYeremiya: “Ungaxeleli mntu ngezi zinto, ukuze ungafi.
25 Ukuba iinkokheli zivile ukuba ndiye ndathetha nawe, zize zithi kuwe, ‘Sicela usixelele ukuba uye wathini kuwe ukumkani. Ungasifihleli nto, asizukukubulala.+ Utheni kuwe ukumkani?’
26 umele uthi kuzo, ‘Bendimcela ukumkani ukuba angandibuyiseli kwindlu kaYehonatan, kuba andifuni kufela apho.’”+
27 Ekuhambeni kwexesha iinkokheli zeza kuYeremiya zambuza. Wazixelela loo nto ukumkani wayethe azixelele yona. Ngoko azizange zithethe nto kuye, kuba akukho namnye owayeyivile loo ncoko.
28 UYeremiya waqhubeka ehlala kwiYadi Yoonogada de yangumhla eyathinjwa ngawo iYerusalem;+ wayeselapho ke xa yayithinjwa iYerusalem.+
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Ngokoqobo, “uphumayo aye.”
^ Okanye “igosa lendlu kakumkani.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “uye waphuma waya.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “kuphuma.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “Amadoda oxolo lwakho.”
