UJeremiya 40 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

UGedaliya umbusi

¹ Ilizwi leNkosi lafika kuJeremiya, uNebuzaradani induna yabalindi esemkhulule eRama; uJeremiya wayesiwe lapho ebotshiwe ngamaketane kanye labo bonke ababethunjwe eJerusalema lakoJuda, ababesiwa eBabiloni.

² Induna yabalindi yamthatha uJeremiya, yathi kuye: INkosi, uNkulunkulu wakho, yakhuluma lokhu okubi ngalindawo;

³ iNkosi isikulethile, yakwenza njengokutsho kwayo. Njengoba lonile eNkosini, kalililalelanga ilizwi layo, ngakhoke lokhu kulehlele.

⁴ Khangela, lamhla ngiyakukhulula kulamaketane asezandleni zakho. Uba uthanda ukuya lami eBabiloni, ungahamba, ngizakukulondoloza; kodwa uba ungathandi ukuya lami eBabiloni, ungahambi. Bona, nanti ilizwe lonke liphambi kwakho; hamba uye lapho ubona ukuthi kuhle khona, lalapho uthanda khona.

⁵ Uba uthanda, buyela kuGedaliya indodana kaAhikamu, indodana kaShafani, emmisileyo inkosi yaseBabiloni ukuba abe ngumbusi wemizi yakoJuda, uhlale laye phakathi kwabantu; loba uye lapho uthanda khona. Ngakho induna yabalindi yasimnika umphako lesipho, yamyekela ukuba ahambe.

⁶ UJeremiya wasesuka waya kuGedaliya indodana kaAhikamu eMizipa, wahlala laye labantu ababesele elizweni.

⁷ Kwathi zonke induna zezimpi ezazisegangeni kanye labantu bazo zisizwa ukuthi inkosi yaseBabiloni ibekile uGedaliya indodana kaAhikamu ukuba ngumbusi elizweni, lokuthi inikele kuye amadodana labesifazana labantwana, abangabayanga belizwe abangathunjelwanga eBabiloni,

⁸ baya kuGedaliya eMizipa, oIshmayeli indodana kaNethaniya, loJohanani indodana kaKareya, loSeraya indodana kaTanihumethi, lamadodana kaEfazi waseNetofa, loJezaniya indodana kaMahakathi, bona labantu babo.

⁹ UGedaliya indodana kaAhikamu, kaShafani, wafunga kibo labantu babo, wathi: Lingesabi ukukhonza amaKaladiya. Hlalani elizweni, liyisebenzele inkosi yaseBabiloni, kuzalilungela.

¹⁰ Mina ngizahlala eMizipa ukulincengela kumaKaladiya azafika kithi; kodwa lina vunani iwayini, lezithelo zasehlobo, lamafutha, likulondoloze ezitsheni zenu, lihlale emizini eliyiphetheyo.

¹¹ Futhi, lapho bonke abaJuda ababeseMowabi laseAmoni laseEdoma lakwamanye amazwe sebezwile ukuthi inkosi yaseBabiloni itshiyile ingcosana elizweni lakoJuda, yabeka uGedaliya indodana kaAhikamu, kaShafani, ukuba ngumbusi.

¹² Bonke abaJuda babuya endaweni zonke ababexotshelwe kuzo, beza elizweni lakoJuda, kuGedaliya eMizipa; bavuna iwayini lezithelo zehlobo, zaba zinengi.

Ukubulawa kukaGedaliya

¹³ Kwathi uJohanani indodana kaKareya lazo zonke induna zamabutho ayesegangeni beza kuGedaliya eMizipa,

¹⁴ bathi kuye: Uyazi nje ukuthi uBalisi inkosi yamaAmoni uthumele uIshmayeli indodana kaNethaniya ukukubulala na? Kodwa uGedaliya indodana kaAhikamu kabakholwanga.

¹⁵ UJohanani indodana kaKareya wasekhuluma loGedaliya eMizipa ensitha wathi: Ngivumela ukuba ngihambe, ngiyembulala uIshmayeli indodana kaNethaniya, kungaziwa muntu. Uzakukubulalelani, ukuze bonke abaJuda ababuthene lapha bahlakazeke, kubhubhe ingcosana eseleyo koJuda na?

¹⁶ Kodwa uGedaliya indodana kaAhikamu wathi kuJohanani indodana kaKareya: Kawuyikwenza into enje, ngoba uqamba amanga ngoIshmayeli.