1 Ngomnyaka wesine kaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda ilizwi leli lafika kuJeremiya livela kuThixo, lisithi: 2 “Thatha umqulu ulobe kuwo wonke amazwi engawatsho kuwe ngo-Israyeli, uJuda lezinye zonke izizwe kusukela ngiqalisa ukukhuluma kuwe ekubuseni kukaJosiya kuze kube khathesi. 3 Mhlawumbe lapho abantu bakoJuda besizwa ngawo wonke umonakalo engiceba ukuwehlisela phezu kwabo, omunye lomunye wabo uzaphenduka ezindleleni zakhe ezimbi; kulapho-ke ngizabathethelela ububi babo lezono zabo.”

4 Ngakho uJeremiya wabiza uBharukhi indodana kaNeriya. Kwathi uJeremiya ewatsho wonke amazwi ayekhulunywe nguThixo, uBharukhi ewaloba emqulwini. 5 UJeremiya wasesithi kuBharukhi, “Mina ngivalelwe; ngingeke ngiye ethempelini likaThixo. 6 Ngakho yana endlini kaThixo ngosuku lokuzila ukudla ubalele abantu amazwi kaThixo asemqulwini owawaloba ngikutshela. Abalele bonke abantu bakoJuda abangena bevela emadolobheni akibo. 7 Engxenye bazaletha isicelo sabo phambi kukaThixo, omunye lomunye aphenduke ezindleleni zakhe ezimbi, ngoba intukuthelo lolaka okumenyezelwe kulababantu nguThixo kukhulu.”

8 UBharukhi indodana kaNeriya wenza konke ayekutshelwe nguJeremiya umphrofethi ukuba akwenze; ethempelini likaThixo wabala amazwi kaThixo emqulwini. 9 Ngenyanga yesificamunwemunye yomnyaka wesihlanu kaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda, kwamenyezelwa isikhathi sokuzila ukudla phambi kukaThixo ebantwini bonke baseJerusalema lakulaba ababeze bevela emadolobheni akoJuda. 10 Esendlini kaGemariya indodana kaShafani umabhalani, eyayisegumeni langaphezulu ekungeneni kweSango eLitsha lethempeli, uBharukhi wawabalela abantu bonke ethempelini likaThixo amazwi kaJeremiya asemqulwini.

11 Kwathi uMikhaya indodana kaGemariya, indodana kaShafani, esezwe wonke amazwi kaThixo ayesemqulwini, 12 waya phansi endlini kamabhalani esigodlweni, lapho izikhulu zonke ezazihlezi khona: u-Elishama umabhalani, uDelaya indodana kaShemaya, u-Elinathani indodana ka-Akhibhori, uGemariya indodana kaShafani, uZedekhiya indodana kaHananiya kanye lezinye zonke izikhulu. 13 Emva kokuba uMikhaya esebatshele konke ayezwe uBharukhi ekubalela abantu emqulwini, 14 izikhulu zonke zathuma uJehudi indodana kaNethaniya, indodana kaShelemiya, indodana kaKhushi, ukuba ayekuthi kuBharukhi, “Woza lomqulu owubalele abantu.” Ngakho uBharukhi indodana kaNeriya waya kubo lomqulu ewuphethe ngesandla. 15 Bathi kuye, “Ake uhlale phansi usibalele wona.”

Ngakho uBharukhi wababalela. 16 Sebezwe wonke amazwi la bakhangelana ngokwesaba, basebesithi kuBharukhi, “Amazwi la kumele siwabike wonke enkosini.” 17 Babuya bambuza uBharukhi bathi, “Sitshele, kwenzakale njani ukuthi ubhale konke lokhu? Kukhulunywe nguJeremiya na?”

18 UBharukhi waphendula wathi, “Ye, amazwi wonke la uwakhulume kimi, mina ngawaloba nge-inki emqulwini.”

19 Izikhulu zasezisithi kuBharukhi, “Wena loJeremiya hambani liyecatsha. Lingatsheli muntu ukuthi lingaphi.”

20 Sebefake umqulu endlini ka-Elishama umabhalani, baya enkosini egumeni bayibikela konke, 21 inkosi yathuma uJehudi ukuba ayethatha umqulu lowo, uJehudi weza lawo ewuthethe endlini ka-Elishama umabhalani wawubalela inkosi lezikhulu zonke ezazimi phansi kwayo. 22 Kwakuyinyanga yesificamunwemunye, njalo inkosi yayihlezi ekamelweni lebusika, kulomlilo ovuthayo eziko phambi kwayo. 23 Kwakusithi uJehudi angabala izigaba ezintathu loba ezine zomqulu, inkosi iziqume ngengqamu iziphosele eziko umqulu waze watsha wonke emlilweni. 24 Inkosi lezinceku zayo zonke ezawezwayo amazwi la kabesabanga loba badabule izigqoko zabo. 25 Lanxa u-Elinathani loDelaya kanye loGemariya bayincenga inkosi ukuba ingatshisi umqulu, kayibalalelanga. 26 Esikhundleni salokho inkosi yalaya uJerameli, indodana yenkosi, loSeraya indodana ka-Aziriyeli kanye loShelemiya indodana ka-Abhideli ukuba babophe uBharukhi umbhali kanye loJeremiya umphrofethi. Kodwa uThixo wayesebafihlile.

27 Inkosi isitshise umqulu owawulamazwi ayebhalwe nguBharukhi ewatshelwa nguJeremiya, ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuJeremiya lisithi, 28 “Thatha omunye umqulu ulobe kuwo wonke amazwi abesemqulwini wakuqala, otshiswe nguJehoyakhimi inkosi yakoJuda. 29 Umtshele uJehoyakhimi inkosi yakoJuda uthi, ‘UThixo uthi: Utshise umqulu lowana wathi, “Kungani ulobe kuwo ukuthi inkosi yaseBhabhiloni izakuza ngempela ichithe ilizwe leli, iqothule abantu lezinyamazana kulo na?” 30 Ngakho mayelana loJehoyakhimi inkosi yakoJuda, uThixo uthi: Akayikuba lomuntu ozahlala esihlalweni sobukhosi sikaDavida; isidumbu sakhe sizaphoselwa phandle sichayeke ekutshiseni kwelanga lakungqwaqwane webusuku. 31 Ngizamjezisa labantwana bakhe kanye lezinceku zakhe ngenxa yobubi babo. Ngizakwehlisela phezu kwabo laphezu kwalabo abahlala eJerusalema kanye labantu bakoJuda, wonke umonakalo engawumemezela kubo, ngoba kabalalelanga.’ ”

32 Ngakho uJeremiya wathatha omunye umqulu wawunika umbhali uBharukhi indodana kaNeriya, njalo kwathi uJeremiya emtshela uBharukhi waloba kuwo wonke amazwi omqulu owawutshiswe emlilweni nguJehoyakhimi inkosi yakoJuda. Kwengezelelwa ngamanye amazwi amanengi ayefana lalawo.