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Iminyaka Yokuthunjwa Engamatshumi Ayisikhombisa
Ilizwi lafika kuJeremiya mayelana labantu bonke bakoJuda ngomnyaka wesine kaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda, okwakungumnyaka wokuqala kaNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni. Ngakho uJeremiya umphrofethi wathi kubo bonke abantu bakoJuda lakubo bonke abahlala eJerusalema: Okweminyaka engamatshumi amabili lantathu, kusukela ngomnyaka wetshumi lantathu kaJosiya indodana ka-Amoni inkosi yakoJuda kuze kube yilolusuku, ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi njalo ngalikhuluma kini njalonjalo, kodwa kalilalelanga.
Lanxa uThixo wathumela zonke izinceku zakhe abaphrofethi kini njalonjalo, kalilalelanga njalo kalinakanga. Bathi, “Phendukani khathesi, omunye lomunye wenu, ezindleleni zenu ezimbi lasezenzweni zenu ezimbi, lihlale elizweni uThixo alinika lona kanye labokhokho benu kuze kube nininini. Lingalandeli abanye onkulunkulu ukuba libasebenzele njalo libakhonze; lingangithukuthelisi ngalokho okwenziwa yizandla zenu. Lapho-ke angiyikulehlisela okubi.”
“Kodwa kalingilalelanga,” kutsho uThixo, “njalo lingithukuthelisile ngokwenziwa ngezandla zenu, lazehlisela okubi.”
Ngakho uThixo uSomandla uthi: “Ngenxa yokuthi kalilalelanga amazwi ami, ngizabiza bonke abantu basenyakatho lenceku yami uNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni,” kutsho uThixo, “njalo ngizabaletha ukuba bamelane lelizwe leli labahlala kulo kanye lezizwe zonke eziseduze lalo. Ngizababhubhisa ngokupheleleyo ngibenze babe yinto eyesabekayo leyokuklolodelwa, lencithakalo yanini lanini. 10 Ngizasusa phakathi kwabo imisindo yokuthokoza lokuthaba, lelizwi lomlobokazi lelomyeni, lomsindo wamatshe okuchola kanye lokukhanya kwesibane. 11 Ilizwe leli lonke lizakuba yinkangala ephundlekileyo, lezizwe lezi zizasebenzela inkosi yaseBhabhiloni iminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa.
12 Kodwa lapho iminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa isiphelile, ngizayijezisa inkosi yaseBhabhiloni lesizwe sayo, ilizwe lamaKhaladiya, ngenxa yobubi babo,” kutsho uThixo, “njalo ngizalenza lichitheke kokuphela. 13 Ngizakwehlisela phezu kwelizwe lelo zonke izinto engazitshoyo ngalo, konke okulotshwe encwadini le okwaphrofethwa nguJeremiya ezizweni zonke. 14 Lazo uqobo zizathunjwa yizizwe ezinengi lamakhosi amakhulu; ngizaphindisela kubo mayelana lezenzo zabo langemisebenzi yezandla zabo.”
Inkezo Yolaka LukaNkulunkulu
15 UThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli wathi kimi, “Yamukela esandleni sami inkezo le egcwele iwayini lolaka lwami unathise zonke izizwe engikuthuma kuzo. 16 Zingalinatha, zizadiyazela zihlanye ngenxa yenkemba engizayithumela phakathi kwazo.” 17 Ngakho ngayithatha inkezo esandleni sikaThixo ngazinathisa zonke izizwe ayengithume kuzo:
 
18 IJerusalema lamadolobho akoJuda, amakhosi akhona kanye lezikhulu, ukubenza babe yincithakalo lento eyesabekayo yokuklolodelwa lokuqalekiswa, njengoba benjalo lamhla;
19 uFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe, lezinceku zakhe, lezikhulu zakhe kanye labantu bakhe bonke, 20 labantu bonke bezizweni abakhonale;
wonke amakhosi ase-Uzi;
wonke amakhosi amaFilistiya (awe-Ashikheloni, eGaza, e-Ekroni, labantu abasala e-Ashidodi);
21 e-Edomi, leMowabi kanye le-Amoni;
22 wonke amakhosi aseThire, leSidoni;
amakhosi amazwe angasolwandle ngaphetsheya kwalo,
23 eDedani, leThema leBhuzi labo bonke abasezindaweni ezikhatshana;
24 wonke amakhosi ase-Arabhiya lawo wonke amakhosi abantu bezizweni abahlala enkangala;
25 amakhosi wonke aseZimri, le-Elamu leMediya;
26 lawo amakhosi asenyakatho, eduze lakhatshana, elandelana, yonke imibuso esemhlabeni.
Emva kwabo bonke, inkosi yaseSheshaki layo izalinatha.
 
27 “Lapho-ke batshele uthi, ‘UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Nathani, lidakwe lihlanze, njalo liwe lingavuki futhi ngenxa yenkemba engizayithumela phakathi kwenu.’ 28 Kodwa bangala ukwamukela inkezo esandleni sakho ukuba banathe, batshele uthi, ‘UThixo uSomandla uthi: Kumele liyinathe! 29 Khangelani, sengiqalisile ukuletha umonakalo edolobheni elileBizo lami, njalo lina lizaphutha impela ukujeziswa na? Kaliyikuphutha ukujeziswa ngoba ngizakwehlisela inkemba phezu kwabo bonke abahlala emhlabeni, kutsho uThixo uSomandla.’
30 Khathesi-ke phrofetha wonke amazwi la ngabo uthi kubo:
UThixo uzahlokoma ephezulu;
uzaduma esendaweni yakhe engcwele,
njalo ahlokome kakhulu emelana lelizwe lakhe.
Uzamemeza njengabahluza amavini,
akhwaze ngamandla ekhwazela bonke abahlala emhlabeni.
31 Ukuxokozela kuzazwakala emikhawulweni yomhlaba,
ngoba uThixo uzazethesa amacala izizwe;
uzakwahlulela abantu bonke
ababi ababhubhise ngenkemba,’ ”
kutsho uThixo.
32 Nanku akutshoyo uThixo uSomandla:
“Khangelani! Umonakalo uyanda
usuka kwesinye isizwe usiya kwesinye;
isiphepho esikhulu siyavunguza
sivela emikhawulweni yomhlaba.”
33 Ngalesosikhathi labo ababulewe nguThixo bazakuba sezindaweni zonke kusukela komunye kusiya komunye umkhawulo womhlaba. Kabayikukhalelwa loba babuthwe kumbe bangcwatshwe, kodwa bazakuba njengezibi emhlabathini.
34 Khalani lilile lina belusi;
giqikani ethulini lina bakhokheli bomhlambi.
Ngoba isikhathi sokubulawa kwenu sesifikile;
lizakuwa liphohlozeke njengokubunjiweyo.
35 Abelusi laba kabayikuba lalapho abangabalekela khona,
abakhokheli bomhlambi bengelandawo yokubalekela kuyo.
36 Zwanini ukukhala kwabelusi,
ukulila kwabakhokheli bomhlambi,
ngoba uThixo uyalichitha idlelo labo.
37 Lamadlelo alokuthula azatshabalaliswa
ngenxa yolaka olwesabekayo lukaThixo.
38 Njengesilwane uzaphuma esikhundleni sakhe,
njalo ilizwe labo lizakuba yinkangala
ngenxa yenkemba yomncindezeli
langenxa yolaka lukaThixo olwesabekayo.