1 Ke kaloku ukumkani uZedekiya unyana kaYosiya waba ngukumkani esikhundleni sikaKoniyahu unyana kaYehoyakim, owenziwa ukumkani ezweni lakwaYuda nguNebhukadenetsare ukumkani waseBhabheli.
2 Akawaphulaphula naye, nabakhonzi bakhe, nabantu belizwe, amazwi kaYehova awawathethayo ngoYeremiya umprofeti.
3 Ukumkani uZedekiya wathuma ooYehukali unyana kaShelemiya, noZefaniya unyana kaMahaseya, umbingeleli, kuYeremiya umprofeti, esithi, Khawusithandazele kuYehova uThixo wethu.
4 UYeremiya ke ubengena ephuma phakathi kwabantu, bengekamfaki entolongweni.
5 Ke kaloku impi kaFaro ibiphume eYiputa; aziva iindaba zayo amaKaledi abeyingqinga iYerusalem, esuka emka eYerusalem.
6 Kwafika ilizwi likaYehova kuYeremiya umprofeti, lisithi,
7 Utsho uYehova, uThixo kaSirayeli, ukuthi, Yitshoni kukumkani wakwaYuda, onithume ukuza kubuzisa kum, ukuthi, Yabonani, impi kaFaro ephume isiza ukuninceda, iya kubuyela ezweni layo eYiputa;
8 abuye ke amaKaledi, alwe nalo mzi, awuthimbe, awutshise ngomlilo.
9 Utsho uYehova ukuthi, Musani ukuzikhohlisa ngokwenu, nisithi, Aya kumka kanye kuthi amaKaledi; ngokuba akayi kumka.
10 Inene, nibe ningafanelana niyixabele impi yonke yamaKaledi alwayo nani, kwasala kuyo amadoda aziingxwelera; abeya kuvuka elowo ententeni yakhe, awutshise lo mzi ngomlilo.
11 Kwathi, ekumkeni kwempi yamaKaledi eYerusalem ngenxa yempi kaFaro,
12 waphuma uYeremiya eYerusalem, esiya ezweni lakwaBhenjamin, ukuba athabathe khona isahlulelo sakhe phakathi kwabantu.
13 Kwathi, esesangweni lakwaBhenjamin, ekhona nomphathi-balindi, ogama linguIriya unyana kaShelemiya, unyana kaHananiya, wambamba uYeremiya umprofeti, esithi, Uphambela kumaKaledi.
14 Wathi uYeremiya, Uyaxoka; andiphambeli kumaKaledi. Ke akamphulaphula; uIriya wambamba uYeremiya, wamsa kubathetheli.
15 Abathetheli bamqumbela uYeremiya, bambetha, bamfaka endlwini yababanjwa, endlwini yombhali uYonatan; ngokuba babeyenze intolongo.
16 Xa uYeremiya ebengenile endlwini engumhadi, ezingontsini, wahlala khona uYeremiya imihla emininzi.
17 Uthe ke ukumkani uZedekiya wathumela, wamthabatha; ukumkani wambuza endlwini yakhe ngasese, wathi, Kukho lizwi na liphuma kuYehova? Wathi uYeremiya, Likho; wathi, Uya kunikelwa esandleni sokumkani waseBhabheli.
18 Wathi uYeremiya kukumkani uZedekiya, Ndone ngantoni na kuwe, nakubakhonzi bakho, nakwaba bantu, ukuba nindifake entolongweni nje?
19 Baphi na ke abaprofeti benu ababeprofeta kuni, besithi, Ukumkani waseBhabheli akayi kunifikela nina, nalo eli lizwe?
20 Kaloku ke khawuphulaphule, nkosi yam kumkani, makuwe phambi kwakho ukutarhuzisa kwam; musa ukundibuyisela endlwini kaYonatan umbhali, hleze ndifele khona.
21 Ukumkani uZedekiya wawisa umthetho; bambeka uYeremiya entendelezweni yabalindi, bamnika intenda yesonka imihla ngemihla esitratweni saboji, sada saphela sonke isonka phakathi komzi. UYeremiya wahlala ke entendelezweni yabalindi.