1Kwathi, xenikweni iYerusalem ibithinjiwe (ngomnyaka wesithoba kaZedekiya ukumkani wakwaYuda, ngenyanga yeshumi, akubon ukuba ufikile eYerusalem uNebhukadenetsare nempi yakhe yonke, bayingqinga;2ngomnyaka weshumi elinamnye kaZedekiya, ngenyanga yesine, ngolwesithoba enyangeni leyo, wagqojozwa umzi),3bafika bonke abathetheli bokumkani waseBhabheli, bahlala esangweni laphakathi: ooNergale-sharetsere, noSamgare-nebho, noSarsekim umthetheli wamathenwa, noNergale-sharetsere umthetheli wezazi, nabanye abathetheli bonke bokumkani waseBhabheli.4Kwathi, akubabona uZedekiya ukumkani wakwaYuda namadoda onke okulwa, babaleka, baphuma ngobusuku phakathi komzi ngendlela yomyezo wokumkani, ngesango eliphakathi kweendonga, baphuma ngendlela yeArabha.5Impi yamaKaledi yabasukela, yamfikela uZedekiya ezinkqantosini zaseYeriko; yamthabatha, yenyuka naye, yamsa kuNebhukadenetsare ukumkani waseBhabheli, eRibhela ezweni laseHamati; athethwa khona amatyala akhe.6Ukumkani waseBhabheli wababulala oonyana bakaZedekiya eRibhela emehlweni akhe; nabanumzana bonke bakwaYuda wababulala ukumkani waseBhabheli.7Wamtyhaphaza amehlo uZedekiya, wamkhonkxa ngamakhamandela obhedu, ukuba asiwe eBhabheli.8AmaKaledi ayitshisa ngomlilo indlu yokumkani nezindlu zabantu, azidiliza neendonga zaseYerusalem.9Amasalela abantu abaseleyo phakathi komzi, amaphamba aphambelayo kuye, kwanamasalela abantu abaseleyo, wabafudusela eBhabheli uNebhuzaradan umthetheli wabasiki;10ke inxenye yabantu abazizisweli, abangenanto iyinto, uNebhuzaradan, inkulu yabasiki, wayishiya ezweni lakwaYuda, wayinika izidiliya namasimi ngaloo mhla.11Ke kaloku, uNebhukadenetsare ukumkani waseBhabheli wawisa umthetho ngoYeremiya ngesandla sikaNebhuzaradan, umthetheli wabasiki, esithi,12Mthabathe, umise amehlo akho kuye, ungenzi nto imbi kuye; wothi, njengoko akuthethayo kuwe, wenjenjalo kuye.13Ke bathuma ooNebhuzaradan umthetheli wabasiki, noNebhushazebhan umthetheli wamathenwa, noNergale-sharetsere umthetheli wezazi, nabathetheli bonke bokumkani waseBhabheli;14bathuma bamthabatha uYeremiya entendelezweni yabalindi, bamnikela kuGedaliya unyana ka-Ahikam, unyana kaShafan, ukuba amkhuphe amse ekhaya. Wahlala ke phakathi kwabantu.15Ke kaloku, kwaye kufike ilizwi likaYehova kuYeremiya, akuba evalelwe entendelezweni yabalindi, lisithi,16Yiya uthi kuEbhedi-meleki umKushi, Utsho uYehova wemikhosi, uThixo kaSirayeli, ukuthi, Yabona, amazwi am ndiwazisela ububi kulo mzi, andiwaziseli okulungileyo; aya kwenzeka phambi kwakho ngaloo mhla.17Ke ndokuhlangula ngaloo mhla, utsho uYehova, unganikelwa esandleni samadoda onxungupheleyo ngawo.18Ngokuba, inene, ndiya kukusiza, ungawi likrele; uya kuba lixhoba kuwe umphefumlo wakho, ngokuba ukholose ngam; utsho uYehova.