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1 UZedekiya ubeminyaka imashumi mabini anamnye ezelwe, ukuba ngukumkani kwakhe; waba neminyaka elishumi elinamnye engukumkani eYerusalem; igama lonina belinguHamutali, intombi kaYeremiya waseLibhena.2 Wenza okubi emehlweni kaYehova, njengako konke awakwenzayo uYehoyakim.3 Ngokuba ngenxa yomsindo kaYehova kwenzeka oko eYerusalem nakwaYuda, wada wabalahla ebusweni bakhe. UZedekiya wamana egwilika kukumkani waseBhabheli.4 Kwathi ngomnyaka wesithoba wobukumkani bakhe, ngenyanga yeshumi, ngosuku lweshumi enyangeni leyo, wayifikela iYerusalem uNebhukadenetsare ukumkani waseBhabheli, yena nempi yakhe yonke, wayirhawula, wayakhela inqaba yokubonisela ngeenxa zonke.5 Wangqingwa ke umzi, kwada kwaba ngumnyaka weshumi elinamnye wokumkani uZedekiya.6 Ngosuku lwesithoba lwenyanga yesine, yaqina indlala phakathi komzi, ababa nasonka abantu belizwe.7 Wagqojozwa umzi; asaba onke amadoda okulwa, aphuma phakathi komzi ebusuku ngendlela yesango eliphakathi kweendonga zombini, elisemyezweni wokumkani (aye ke amaKaledi ewujikelezile umzi); abamba ngendlela yaseArabha.8 Impi yamaKaledi yamsukela ukumkani, yamfumana uZedekiya ezinkqantosini zaseYeriko; yonke impi yakhe yamphalala, yemka kuye.9 Ambamba ukumkani, anyuka naye, amsa kukumkani waseBhabheli eRibhela ezweni leHamati; wawathetha apho amatyala akhe.10 Ukumkani waseBhabheli wabasikela oonyana bakaZedekiya emehlweni akhe; nabathetheli bonke bakwaYuda wabasikela eRibhela.11 Wamtyhaphaza amehlo uZedekiya, wamkhonkxa ngamakhamandela obhedu; ukumkani waseBhabheli wamsa eBhabheli, wamfaka entolongweni kwada kwayimini yokufa kwakhe.

12 Ngenyanga yesihlanu, ngosuku lweshumi enyangeni leyo (lo mnyaka ke ngoweshumi elineminyaka esithoba kakumkani uNebhukadenetsare ukumkani waseBhabheli), wangena eYerusalem uNebhuzaradan, umthetheli wabasiki, owema phambi kokumkani waseBhabheli.13 Wayitshisa indlu kaYehova, nendlu yokumkani, nezindlu zonke zaseYerusalem; izindlu zonke zezikhulu wazitshisa ngomlilo.14 Iindonga zonke zaseYerusalem ngeenxa zonke yazidiliza yonke impi yamaKaledi, ebinomthetheli wabasiki.15 Kwizisweli zabantu, namasalela abantu ababesele phakathi komzi, namaphamba awaphambelayo kukumkani waseBhabheli, namasalela engxokolo, wawafudusa uNebhuzaradan, umthetheli wabasiki.16 Ke uNebhuzaradan, umthetheli wabasiki, wasalisa kwizisweli zelizwe, ukuze zibe ngabasebenzi bemidiliya nabalimi.17 Iintsika zobhedu ezibe zisendlwini kaYehova, neenqwelwana, nolwandle lobhedu obelusendlwini kaYehova, ezo zinto aziqhekeza amaKaledi, aluthwalela eBhabheli lonke ubhedu lwazo.18 Athabatha neembiza, nemihlakulwana, nezitshetshe, nezitya zokutshiza, neenkamba, neempahla zonke zobhedu ebekulungiselelwa ngazo.19 Umthetheli wabasiki wathabatha izidendeleko, neengcedevu, nezitya zokutshisa, neembiza, neziphatho zezibane, neenkamba, namathunga, igolide kwezegolide, isilivere kwezesilivere.20 Neentsika zombini, ulwandle olunye, neenkomo ezilishumi elinambini zobhedu ezibe ziphantsi kwalo, neenqwelwana awazenzela indlu kaYehova uSolomon ukumkani, alwaba nakulinganiswa ubhedu lwezo mpahla zonke.21 Neentsika ezo, ukuphakama kwenye intsika kube kuziikubhite ezilishumi elinesibhozo; umtya oziikubhite ezilishumi elinambini ubuyithandela, nezinyuko zayo beziyiminwe emine; ibiholoholo.22 Ingqukuva yayo ibiyeyobhedu, ukuphakama kwengqukuva bekuziikubhite ezintlanu; umnatha neerharnate bezisengqukuveni ngeenxa zonke; yonke loo nto yabe ilubhedu. Intsika yesibini yabe ikwanjalo, kunye neerharnate.23 Iirharnate bezingamashumi asithoba anantandathu, zibheke emoyeni; iirharnate zonke bezilikhulu phezu komnatha ngeenxa zonke.

24 Umthetheli wabasiki wamthabatha uSeraya umbingeleli oyintloko, noZefaniya umbingeleli weyesibini intlantlu, nabagcini-mnyango bobathathu.25 Kuwo umzi wathabatha umbusi wamnye, owayengumveleli wamadoda okulwa, namadoda asixhenxe kuwo abebona ubuso bokumkani, awafunyanwa phakathi komzi; nombhali womthetheli womkhosi, obehlaba umkhosi kubantu belizwe, namadoda amashumi mathandathu kubantu belizwe, awafunyanwayo phakathi komzi.26 Wabathabatha abo uNebhuzaradan, umthetheli wabasiki, wabasa eRibhela, kukumkani waseBhabheli.27 Wabaxabela ukumkani waseBhabheli, wababulala eRibhela ezweni laseHamati. Afuduswa ke amaYuda emhlabeni wawo.28 Ngabo aba abantu awabafudusayo uNebhukadenetsare: ngomnyaka wesixhenxe, amaYuda angamawaka amathathu, anamanci mabini anamathathu;29 ngomnyaka weshumi elinesibhozo kaNebhukadenetsare kwafuduswa eYerusalem imiphefumlo yaba makhulu asibhozo, anamanci mathathu anamibini;30 ngomnyaka wamashumi amabini anamithathu kaNebhukadenetsare, uNebhuzaradan, umthetheli wabasiki, wafudusa amaYuda ayimiphefumlo emakhulu asixhenxe, anamanci mane anamihlanu. Yonke imiphefumlo yaba ngamawaka amane anamakhulu amathandathu.

31 Kwathi ngomnyaka wamashumi omathathu anesixhenxe wokufuduswa kukaYehoyakim ukumkani wakwaYuda, ngenyanga yeshumi elinesibini, ngosuku lwamashumi omabini anesihlanu enyangeni leyo, uEvili-merodaki ukumkani waseBhabheli, ngomnyaka wokwenziwa kwakhe ukumkani, wayiphakamisa intloko kaYehoyakim ukumkani wakwaYuda, wamkhupha entolongweni.32 Wathetha naye kakuhle, wayimisa itrone yakhe, yaba ngaphezu kweetrone zabanye ookumkani ababenaye eBhabheli.33 Wazikhulula iingubo zakhe zobubanjwa; wamana ukudla isonka ebusweni bakhe yonke imihla yokuphila kwakhe.34 Umxhesho wakhe, umxhesho wamaxesha onke, wawunikwa, uvela kukumkani waseBhabheli, into yemini ngangemini yayo, kwada kwayimini yokufa kwakhe, yonke imihla yokuphila kwakhe.