3 UZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda wayemvalele lapho esithi, “Kungani uphrofetha njengalokhu okwenzayo? Uthi: ‘UThixo uthi: Sekuseduze ukuthi idolobho leli ngilinikele enkosini yaseBhabhiloni, njalo izalithumba. 4 UZedekhiya inkosi yakoJuda akayikuphunyuka ezandleni zamaKhaladiya, kodwa uzanikelwa impela enkosini yaseBhabhiloni, njalo uzakhuluma layo ubuso ngobuso ayibone ngamehlo akhe. 5 Izathatha uZedekhiya imuse eBhabhiloni, lapho azahlala khona ngize ngibone engingakwenza kuye, kutsho uThixo. Nxa usilwa lamaKhaladiya, kawuyikuphumelela.’ ”
6 UJeremiya wathi, “Ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi lisithi: 7 UHanameli indodana kaShalumi umalumakho uzakuza kuwe athi, ‘Thenga insimu yami e-Anathothi, ngoba njengesinini sami kulilungelo lakho lomlandu wakho ukuba uyithenge.’
8 Ngakho, njengokutsho kukaThixo, umzawami uHanameli weza kimi egumeni labalindi wathi, ‘Thenga insimu yami e-Anathothi elizweni lakoBhenjamini. Njengoba kulilungelo lakho ukuba uyihlenge ibe ngeyakho, zithengele yona.’
13 Nganika uBharukhi imilayo le labo bekhona ngathi: 14 ‘UThixo uSomandla uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Thatha izincwadi lezi zesivumelwano sokuthenga enanyekiweyo lengananyekwanga uzifake embizeni yomdaka ukuze zihlale khona isikhathi eside. 15 UThixo uSomandla uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Izindlu lamasimu lezivini kuzathengwa futhi kulelilizwe.’
16 Emva kokuba uBharukhi indodana kaNeriya sengimphile incwadi yokuthenga, ngakhuleka kuThixo ngathi:
26 Ilizwi likaThixo laselifika kuJeremiya lisithi: 27 “Mina nginguThixo, uNkulunkulu woluntu lonke. Kambe kulento engehlulayo na? 28 Ngakho, nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, uthi: Sekuseduze ukuthi idolobho leli ngilinikele kumaKhaladiya lakuNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, ozalithumba. 29 AmaKhaladiya ahlasela idolobho leli azangena alithungele ngomlilo; alitshise, kanye lezindlu lapho abantu abangithukuthelisela khona ngokutshisela uBhali impepha phezu kwezimpahla zezindlu langokuthululela abanye onkulunkulu iminikelo enathwayo.
30 Abantu bakoJuda labako-Israyeli benza ububi bodwa emehlweni ami kusukela ebutsheni babo; impela, abantu bako-Israyeli bangithukuthelisa ngalokhu abakwenza ngezandla zabo, kutsho uThixo. 31 Kusukela ngosuku elakhiwa ngalo kuze kube khathesi, idolobho leli livusa ukuthukuthela kwami lolaka lwami okwenza kufanele ukuba ngilisuse ebusweni bami. 32 Abantu bako-Israyeli labakoJuda bangithukuthelisile ngobubi bonke ababenzileyo, bona, amakhosi abo lezikhulu zabo, abaphristi labaphrofethi babo, abantu bakoJuda labantu baseJerusalema. 33 Bangifulathela kabaze bangipha ubuso babo; lanxa ngabafundisa kanenginengi kabalalelanga njalo kabakunakanga ukukhuzwa. 34 Bamisa izithombe zabo ezinengekayo endlini eleBizo lami bayingcolisa. 35 Bakhela uBhali izindawo eziphakemeyo eSigodini saseBheni-Hinomu ukuba banikele amadodana lamadodakazi abo kuMoleki, lanxa ngingazange ngibalaye, kumbe kufike engqondweni yami, ukuthi babokwenza into eyenyanyeka kangaka ngalokho benze uJuda one.
36 Liyatsho ngedolobho leli lithi, ‘Ngenkemba, langendlala kanye langesifo lizanikelwa eNkosini yaseBhabhiloni’; kodwa uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: 37 Ngizababuyisa kule indawo ngibenze bahlale ngokuvikelwa. 38 Bazakuba ngabantu bami, mina ngibe nguNkulunkulu wabo. 39 Ngizabenza babemunye enhliziyweni lasezenzweni, ukuze bahlale bengesaba, ukuba kube kuhle kubo lasebantwaneni babo emva kwabo. 40 Ngizakwenza labo isivumelwano esingapheliyo: Angiyikuyekela ukwenza okuhle kubo, ngizabafunzelela ukuba bangesabe, ukuze bangangideli. 41 Ngizathokoza ekubenzeleni okuhle njalo ngibagxumeke ngobuqotho kulelilizwe ngenhliziyo yami yonke langomoya wami wonke.
42 UThixo uthi: Njengoba ngehlisele inkemenkeme le enkulu kangaka phezu kwalababantu, ngokunjalo ngizabapha konke ukuphumelela engabathembisa khona. 43 Amasimu azathengwa futhi kulelilizwe lina elithi ngalo, ‘Lilugwadule oluphundlekileyo, olungelabantu lezinyamazana, ngoba lanikelwa kumaKhaladiya.’ 44 Amasimu azathengwa ngesiliva, lezincwadi zokuthenga zisayinwe, zinanyekwe njalo zifakazelwe elizweni likaBhenjamini, lemizini eseduze leJerusalema, lasemadolobheni akoJuda kanye lasemadolobheni elizwe lamaqaqa, asemawatheni asentshonalanga kanye lawaseNegebi, ngoba ngizabuyisela inotho yabo, kutsho uThixo.”
<- UJeremiya 31UJeremiya 33 ->