UJeremiya 38 - IBHAYIBHELI ELINGCWELE

Ukukhululwa kukaJeremiya emgodini

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.

UJeremiya uhlangana ngasese noSedekiya

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 zakhe zishone 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.