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Ukuwa KweJerusalema
1 UZedekhiya waba yinkosi eleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lanye, njalo wabusa eJerusalema okweminyaka elitshumi lanye. Ibizo likanina lalinguHamuthali indodakazi kaJeremiya waseLibhina. 2 Wenza okubi emehlweni kaThixo, njengalokho okwakwenziwe nguJehoyakhimi. 3 Kwakungenxa yokuthukuthela kukaThixo ukuze kwenzakale konke lokhu eJerusalema lakoJuda, njalo ekucineni kwabangela ukuthi uThixo abachithe.
Ngalokho uZedekhiya wayihlamukela inkosi yaseBhabhiloni.
4 Ngakho ngenyanga yesificamunwemunye yokubusa kukaZedekhiya, ngosuku lwetshumi lwenyanga yetshumi, uNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, waya eJerusalema lebutho lakhe lonke. Bahlala ngaphandle kwedolobho, bakha izinqaba zokulivimbezela kuzozonke inhlangothi zalo. 5 Idolobho lavinjezelwa kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka wetshumi lanye kaZedekhiya inkosi.
6 Ngosuku lwesificamunwemunye lwenyanga yesine indlala yayisinzima edolobheni, abantu bengaselakudla. 7 Umduli wedolobho wafohlwa, ibutho lonke labaleka. Basuka edolobheni ebusuku bephuma ngesango eliphakathi kwemiduli emibili, phansi kwesivande senkosi, lanxa nje amaKhaladiya ayeligombolozele idolobho. Babaleka beqonde e-Arabha, 8 kodwa ibutho lamaKhaladiya laxotshana lenkosi uZedekhiya layamfica emagcekeni aseJerikho. Wonke amabutho akhe ehlukana laye njalo ahlakazeka, 9 yena wathunjwa.
Wasiwa enkosini yaseBhabhiloni eRibhila elizweni laseHamathi, lapho eyamgwebela khona. 10 Khona eRibhila inkosi yaseBhabhiloni yabulala amadodana kaZedekhiya emehlweni akhe; yabulala lezikhulu zakoJuda zonke. 11 Emva kwalokho, yamkhupha amehlo uZedekhiya, yambopha ngamaketane ethusi, yamusa eBhabhiloni, lapho eyamfaka khona entolongweni kwaze kwafika usuku lokufa kwakhe.
12 Ngosuku lwetshumi ngenyanga yesihlanu, ngomnyaka wetshumi lasificamunwemunye kaNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, uNebhuzaradani umlawuli wabalindi besikhosini, owayesebenzela inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, wafika eJerusalema. 13 Wathungela ithempeli likaThixo ngomlilo, lesigodlo senkosi lezindlu zonke zaseJerusalema. Zonke izindlu eziqakathekileyo wazitshisa. 14 Lonke ibutho laseBhabhiloni elalingaphansi komlawuli wabalindi besikhosini layidiliza yonke imiduli eyayigombolozele iJerusalema. 15 UNebhuzaradani umlawuli wabalindi wathatha abanye babayanga bokucina wabasa ekuthunjweni lalabo ababesele edolobheni, lenengi lezingcwethi kanye lalabo abasebeye enkosini yaseBhabhiloni. 16 Kodwa uNebhuzaradani watshiya inengi labantu ababengabayanga bokucina elizweni ukuba basebenze ezivinini lasemasimini.
17 AbeBhabhiloni baphahlaza izinsika zethusi lezinti zezibane loLwandle lwethusi, okwakusethempelini likaThixo. Bathwalela ithusi lelo eBhabhiloni. 18 Bathatha njalo imbiza, lamafotsholo, lezindlawu lemiganu yezichelo, lezinditshi lazozonke izitsha zethusi ezazisetshenziswa enkonzweni yasethempelini. 19 Umlawuli wabalindi besigodlo wathatha izinditshi, izitsha zokutshisela impepha, imiganu yezichelo, imbiza, izinti zezibane, izinditshi lemiganu okusetshenziswa eminikelweni yokunathwayo konke okwakwenziwe ngegolide elicengekileyo loba isiliva.
20 Ithusi elalivela ensikeni ezimbili, loLwandle lelenkunzi zethusi ezilitshumi lambili ezazingaphansi kwalo kanye lelezidindi ezisusekayo konke okwakwenzelwe ithempeli likaThixo yinkosi uSolomoni, kwakulesisindo esasingelinganiswe. 21 Ubude bensika ngayinye babuzingalo ezilitshumi lasificaminwembili, ubuqatha buzingalo ezilitshumi lambili, uhlonzi luyiminwe emine njalo ilomhome. 22 Isiduku sethusi phezu kwenye insika sasizingalo ezinhlanu ubude baso njalo siceciswe ngomeluko lamaphomegranathi ethusi nxazonke. Enye insika, lamaphomegranathi ayo, layo yayinjalo. 23 Emaceleni kwakulamaphomegranathi angamatshumi ayisificamunwemunye munye lesithupha; esewonke amaphomegranathi ayengaphezu kobufikifiki obabuzungezile, ayelikhulu.
24 Umlawuli wabalindi wathumba uSeraya induna yabaphristi, loZefaniya umsekeli wakhe kanye labalindi bomnyango abathathu. 25 Kulabo ababelokhu besedolobheni wathatha isikhulu esasiphethe amadoda okulwa, labacebisi besikhosini abayisikhombisa. Wathatha lonobhala owayeyinduna eyayiphethe ukubuthwa kwabantu elizweni kanye labanye abantu bakhe abangamatshumi ayisithupha ababeficwe edolobheni. 26 UNebhuzaradani umlawuli wabathatha bonke wabasa enkosini yaseBhabhiloni eRibhila. 27 Khonale eRibhila, elizweni laseHamathi, inkosi yathi kabaqunywe.
Ngakho abakoJuda baya ekuthunjweni kude lelizwe labo.
28 Nanka amanani abantu uNebhukhadineza abasa ekuthunjweni:
ngomnyaka wesikhombisa,
amaJuda azinkulungwane ezintathu lamatshumi amabili lantathu (3,023);
29 ngomnyaka kaNebhukhadineza wetshumi lasificaminwembili mibili,
abantu beJerusalema abangamakhulu ayisificamunwemunye lamatshumi amathathu lambili (832);
30 ngomnyaka wakhe wamatshumi amabili lantathu,
amaJuda angamakhulu ayisikhombisa lamatshumi amane lanhlanu (745) asiwa ekuthunjweni nguNebhuzaradani umlawuli wabalindi ekubusweni kwezizwe ezinengi.
Bebonke kwakungabantu abazinkulungwane ezine lamakhulu ayisithupha (4,600).
Ukukhululwa kukaJehoyakhini
31 Ngomnyaka wamatshumi amathathu lesikhombisa uJehoyakhini inkosi yakoJuda esekuthunjweni, ngomnyaka u-Evili-Merodakhi aba yinkosi yaseBhabhiloni ngawo, wakhulula uJehoyakhini inkosi yakoJuda, wamkhupha entolongweni ngosuku lwamatshumi amabili lanhlanu lwenyanga yetshumi lambili. 32 Wakhuluma laye ngomusa, wamnika isihlalo esihloniphekayo esasingaphezu kwezamanye amakhosi ayelaye eBhabhiloni. 33 Ngakho uJehoyakhini wakhupha izigqoko zakhe zasentolongweni, wadla lenkosi izikhathi zonke okwempilo yakhe yonke. 34 Nsuku zonke inkosi yaseBhabhiloni yayinika uJehoyakhini isabelo esimisiweyo malanga wonke empilweni yakhe, kwaze kwafika ilanga lokufa kwakhe.