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1 Abantu belizwe bathabatha uYehowahazi, unyana kaYosiya, bamenza ukumkani esikhundleni sikayise eYerusalem.2 UYehowahazi ubeminyaka imashumi mabini anamithathu ezelwe, ukuba ngukumkani kwakhe; waba neenyanga ezintathu engukumkani eYerusalem.3 Ukumkani waseYiputa wamguzula eYerusalem, walihlawulisa ilizwe ikhulu leetalente zesilivere netalente yegolide.4 Ukumkani waseYiputa wamenza uEliyakim, umkhuluwa wakhe, ukuba abe ngukumkani kwaYuda neYerusalem, waliguqula igama lakhe laba nguYehoyakim. UNeko wamthabatha uYehowahazi, umninawa wakhe, wamsa eYiputa.5 UYehoyakim ubeminyaka imashumi mabini anamihlanu ezelwe, ukuba ngukumkani kwakhe; waba neminyaka elishumi elinamnye engukumkani eYerusalem. Wenza okubi emehlweni kaYehova uThixo wakhe.6 Wenyuka uNebhukadenetsare, ukumkani waseBhabheli, wameyisa, wamkhonkxa ngamakhamandela obhedu, ukuba amse eBhabheli.7 UNebhukadenetsare wayisa inxenye yempahla yendlu kaYehova eBhabheli, wayibeka etempileni yakhe eBhabheli.8 Ezinye izinto zikaYehoyakim, namasikizi akhe awawenzayo, nokwafumanekayo kukuye, nanko kubhaliwe encwadini yookumkani bakwaSirayeli nabakwaYuda. Waba ngukumkani uYehoyakin, unyana wakhe, esikhundleni sakhe.9 UYehoyakin ubeminyaka isibhozo ezelwe, ukuba ngukumkani kwakhe; waba neenyanga ezintathu ezineentsuku ezilishumi engukumkani eYerusalem; wenza okubi phambi koYehova.10 Ekuveleni komnyaka, ukumkani uNebhukadenetsare wathumela wamzisa eBhabheli, kunye neempahla ezinqwenelekayo zendlu kaYehova; wenza uZedekiya, umninawa wakhe, ukuba abe ngukumkani kwaYuda naseYerusalem.

11 UZedekiya ubeminyaka imashumi mabini anamnye ezelwe, ukuba ngukumkani kwakhe; waba neminyaka elishumi elinamnye engukumkani eYerusalem.12 Wenza okubi phambi koYehova uThixo wakhe, akazithoba ebusweni bukaYeremiya umprofeti, obethetha okwasemlonyeni kaYehova.13 Kananjalo wagwilika kukumkani, kuNebhukadenetsare, obemfungise uThixo; waba ngontamo ilukuni, wayenza ingqoshomba intliziyo yakhe, ukuze angabuyeli kuYehova, uThixo wakwaSirayeli.14 Kananjalo bonke abathetheli bababingeleli nabantu bandisa ukwenza ubumenemene ngokwamasikizi onke eentlanga; bayenza inqambi indlu kaYehova, awayingcwalisayo eYerusalem.15 UYehova, uThixo wooyise, wathumela kubo ngabathunywa bakhe, wanyameka ukuthumela; ngokuba wayenemfesane ngabantu bakhe, nekhaya lakhe.16 Baye bebagculela abathunywa bakaThixo, bewadela amazwi akhe, bebagxeka abaprofeti bakhe, bada benyuka ubushushu bukaYehova, beza kubantu bakhe, kwada akwabakho mpilo.17 Wabanyusela ukumkani wamaKaledi; wawabulala amadodana abo ngekrele endlwini yabo engcwele, akaconga ndodana nantombi, nandoda inkulu naxhego; bonke wabanikela esandleni sakhe.18 Zonke iimpahla zendlu kaThixo, ezinkulu nezincinane, nobuncwane bendlu kaYehova, nobuncwane bokumkani, nobabathetheli bakhe, zonke ezo zinto wazisa eBhabheli.19 Bayitshisa indlu kaThixo, baludiliza udonga lwaseYerusalem, bawatshisa ngomlilo onke amabhotwe ayo; bazitshabalalisa zonke iimpahla zayo ezinqwenelekayo.20 Wabafudusela eBhabheli abasindileyo ekreleni; baba ngabakhonzi kuye nakoonyana bakhe, bada bangena ubukumkani bamaPersi;21 ukuba lizaliseke ilizwi likaYehova ngomlomo kaYeremiya, lide ilizwe lanele ziisabatha zalo; ngayo yonke imihla yokuba senkangala kwalo, laphumla, ukuba kuzaliswe iminyaka emashumi asixhenxe.

22 Ke kaloku ngowokuqala umnyaka kaKoreshi, ukumkani wasePersi, ukuze kuzaliseke ilizwi likaYehova ngomlomo kaYeremiya, uYehova wawuxhokonxa umoya kaKoreshi ukumkani wasePersi, wahambisa izwi ebukumkanini bakhe bonke, walibhala esithi,23 Utsho uKoreshi ukumkani wasePersi ukuthi, Zonke izikumkani zehlabathi uzinike mna uYehova, uThixo wamazulu. Yena undiyalele ukuba ndimakhele indlu eYerusalem ekwaYuda. Ubani ophakathi kwenu ebantwini bakhe bonke, uYehova uThixo wakhe makabe naye, anyuke.