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1 Kwathi ngomnyaka wesithoba wobukumkani bakhe, ngenyanga yeshumi, ngosuku lweshumi enyangeni leyo, wayifikela iYerusalem uNebhukadenetsare, ukumkani waseBhabheli; yena nempi yakhe yonke wayirhawula; wakha iinqaba zokubonisela ngeenxa zonke.2 Wangqingwa ke umzi, kwada kwangumnyaka weshumi elinamnye wokumkani uZedekiya.3 Ngosuku lwesithoba lwenyanga yesine yaqina indlala phakathi komzi; ababa nasonka abantu belizwe.4 Wagqojozwa umzi, asaba onke amadoda okulwa ngobusuku, ngendlela yesango eliphakathi kweendonga zombini, elisemyezweni wokumkani (aye amaKaledi ewujikelezile umzi); wahamba ukumkani ngendlela yaseArabha.5 Impi yamaKaledi yamsukela ukumkani, yamfikela ezinkqantosini zaseYeriko, yamphalala, yemka kuye yonke impi yakhe.6 Ambamba ukumkani, anyuka naye, amsa kukumkani waseBhabheli eRibhela; lathethwa apho ityala lakhe.7 Abasika oonyana bakaZedekiya ekhangele; amtyhaphaza amehlo uZedekiya, amkhonkxa ngamakhamandela obhedu, amsa eBhabheli.

8 Ngenyanga yesihlanu, ngosuku lwesixhenxe enyangeni leyo (loo mnyaka ke ngoweshumi elinesithoba engukumkani uNebhukadenetsare, ukumkani waseBhabheli), kwafika uNebhuzaradan, umthetheli wabasiki babantu, umkhonzi wokumkani waseBhabheli, eYerusalem.9 Wayitshisa indlu kaYehova, nendlu yokumkani, nezindlu zonke zaseYerusalem; izindlu zonke ezinkulu wazitshisa ngomlilo.10 Iindonga zaseYerusalem yazidiliza ngeenxa zonke impi leyo yamaKaledi, ebinomthetheli wabasiki babantu.11 Amasalela abantu ababesele phakathi komzi, namaphamba awayephambele kukumkani waseBhabheli, namasalela engxokolo, wawafudusa uNebhuzaradan, umthetheli wabasiki babantu.12 Ke umphathi wabasiki babantu wawasalisa amahlwempu elizwe, ukuze abe ngabasebenzi bezidiliya nabalimi.13 Iintsika zobhedu ezibe zisendlwini kaYehova, neenqwelwana, nolwandle lobhedu obe lusendlwini kaYehova, ezo zinto aziqhekeza amaKaledi, aluthwalela eBhabheli ubhedu lwazo.14 Athabatha neembiza, nemihlakulwana, nezitshetshe, neenkamba, neempahla zonke zobhedu ebe kulungiselelwa ngazo.15 Umphathi wabasiki babantu wathabatha nezitya, izitya zokutshiza, igolide kwezegolide, isilivere kwezesilivere;16 neentsika zombini, ulwandle olunye, neenqwelwana, awazenzela indlu kaYehova uSolomon; alwaba nakulinganiswa ubhedu lwezo mpahla zonke.17 Ukuphakama kwenye intsika bekuziikubhite ezilishumi elinesibhozo, ingqukuva yayo iyeyobhedu; ukuphakama kwengqukuva bekuziikubhite ezintathu; umnatha neerharnate ezibe zisengqukuveni ngeenxa zonke, yonke loo nto yabe ilubhedu; intsika yesibini yabe ikwanjalo, kunye nomnatha wayo.18 Umphathi wabasiki babantu wamthabatha uSeraya, umbingeleli oyintloko, noZefaniya, umbingeleli wolwesibini udidi, nabagcini-mnyango bobathathu.19 Kuwo umzi wathabatha umbusi wamnye, awayengumphathi wamadoda okulwa; namadoda amahlanu kwabehlala nokumkani, awafunyanwayo phakathi komzi; nombhali womthetheli womkhosi, obesakuhlanganisa abantu belizwe; namadoda amashumi mathandathu kubantu belizwe, awafunyanwayo phakathi komzi.20 Wabathabatha abo uNebhuzaradan, umphathi wabasiki babantu, wabasa kukumkani waseBhabheli eRibhela.21 Wabaxabela ukumkani waseBhabheli, wababulalela eRibhela ezweni laseHamati. Afuduswa ke amaYuda emhlabeni wawo.

22 Ke abantu abasalayo ezweni lakwaYuda, awabasalisayo uNebhukadenetsare, ukumkani waseBhabheli, wabamisela umphathi onguGedaliya, unyana ka-Ahikam, unyana kaShafan.23 Bakuva ke bonke abathetheli bemikhosi, bona namadoda abo, akuba ukumkani waseBhabheli umenze umphathi uGedaliya, beza kuGedaliya lowo eMizpa; bengooIshmayeli unyana kaNetaniya, noYohanan unyana kaKareha, noSeraya, unyana kaTanumete waseNetofa, noYahazaniya unyana kaMahakati, bona namadoda abo.24 Wabafungela bona namadoda abo uGedaliya, wathi kubo, Musani ukuboyika abakhonzi bamaKaledi; hlalani kweli lizwe, nikhonze ukumkani waseBhabheli, konilungela.25 Ke kaloku kwathi ngenyanga yesixhenxe, kweza uIshmayeli unyana kaNetaniya, unyana kaElishama, wasembewini yookumkani, enamadoda alishumi, bamxabela uGedaliya, wafa, namaYuda namaKaledi abenaye eMizpa.26 Besuka ke bonke abantu, bethabathela komncinane bezisa komkhulu, nabathetheli bemikhosi, baya eYiputa; ngokuba babewoyika amaKaledi.27 Kwathi ngomnyaka wamashumi omathathu anesixhenxe wokufuduswa kukaYehoyakin, ukumkani wakwaYuda, ngenyanga yeshumi elinesibini, ngosuku lwamashumi omabini anesixhenxe enyangeni leyo: uEvili-merodaki, ukumkani waseBhabheli, ngomnyaka wokwenziwa kwakhe ukumkani, wayiphakamisa intloko kaYehoyakin, ukumkani wakwaYuda, wamkhupha entolongweni.28 Wathetha naye kakuhle, wayimisa itrone yakhe, yangaphezu kwetrone yookumkani ababenaye eBhabheli.29 Zakhululwa iingubo zakhe zasentolongweni, wamana ukudla isonka phambi kwakhe yonke imihla yokuphila kwakhe.30 Wawunikwa umxhesho wakhe, umxhesho wamaxesha onke, uvela kukumkani: into yemini ngangemini yayo, yonke imihla yokuphila kwakhe.