2 AMakhosi 25:1-30

Kwathi ngonyaka wesishiyagalolunye wokubusa kukaZedekiya, ngenyanga yeshumi, ngolweshumi lwayo, kwafika uNebukhadinezari, inkosi yaseBhabhele, eJerusalema nayo yonke impi yakhe. Bakanisa maqondana nalo; bakha khona udonga lokuvimbezela, nxazonke. Umuzi bawuvimbezela kwaze kwaba ngunyaka we-11 wokubusa kukaZedekiya, inkosi. Ngosuku lwesishiyagalolunye yayibhokile indlala emzini, kwakungekho kudla kubantu bezwe. Wonke amabutho awufohla umuzi ngalobo busuku, abaleka ngendlela yesango elaliphakathi kwezingange zombili ezazingasensimini yenkosi. AmaKhaledi ayewuzungeze nxazonke umuzi, amabutho ahamba ngendlela ese-Araba. Impi yamaKhaledi yayixosha inkosi, yayifica emathafeni eJerikho, yonke impi yayo yahlakazeka, yayishiya. Ayibamba inkosi ayiletha enkosini yaseBhabhele, eRibhila, ayehlulela. Amadodana kaZedekiya abulawa phambi kwakhe, uZedekiya amkhipha amehlo, ambopha ngamaketanga, amyisa eBhabhele. Ngenyanga yesihlanu, ngosuku lwesikhombisa lwayo, okwakungunyaka we-19 wenkosi uNebukhadinezari, inkosi yaseBhabhele, kwafika eJerusalema uNebuzaradani, induna yabalindi, inceku yenkosi yaseBhabhele. Washisa ngomlilo indlu kaSimakade nesigodlo senkosi, nazo zonke izindlu ezinkulu, wazishisa ngomlilo. Induna yabalindi, nayo yonke impi yamaKhaledi eyayinayo, yadiliza izingange eJerusalema, nxazonke. Abanye abantu abasala emzini, nalabo abahlubukayo, bahlubukela ngasohlangothini lwenkosi yaseBhabhele, nesixuku esiseleyo, uNebuzaradani, induna yabalindi, wabathumba bonke. Kepha ababempofu balelo lizwe, induna yabalindi yabashiya ukuba banakekele izivini namasimu. Izinsika zethusi ezazisendlini kaSimakade, izinqe zolwandle lwethusi okwakusendlini kaSimakade, akuhlephula amaKhaledi, alithwala ithusi aya nalo eBhabhele. Amabhodwe, izimfologo, izizenze, izinkezo, nezitsha zethusi, ababekhonza ngakho, akuthatha. Imicengezi yomlilo, izitsha zegolide lodwa, nezesiliva lodwa, nalokho induna yabalindi yakuthatha. Izinsika zombili, nolwandle olwalulunye nje, nezinqe uSolomoni ayekwenzele indlu kaSimakade, isisindo sethusi okwakwenziwe ngalo zonke lezi zinto sasingenakulinganiswa. Ukuphakama kwensika eyodwa kwakungamakhubhithi ali-18; phezu kwayo kwakukhona isihloko sethusi; ukuphakama kwesihloko esisodwa kwakungamakhubhithi amathathu. Kwakukhona nenetha namahananadi phezu kwesihloko, nxazonke, konke kwakungokwethusi; kwakunjalo nasensikeni yesibili enetheni. Induna yabalindi yathumba uZeraya, umphristi omkhulu, uZefaniya, umphristi wesibili, abalindimnyango abathathu, yathumba emzini induna eyayibekwe ukwengamela amabutho, abantu abayisihlanu ababesondelene nenkosi abatholwa emzini, umbhali womkhuzi wempi eyayibala abantu ezweni, kwatholakala ezweni abantu abangama-60 ababehlala emzini. UNebuzaradani, induna yabalindi, yabathumba yabayisa enkosini yaseBhabhele, eRibhila. Inkosi yaseBhabhele yabashaya, yababulalela khona eRibhila, eHamathi. UJuda waya ekuthunjweni esuswa ezweni lakubo. UNebukhadinezari, inkosi yaseBhabhele, wabeka uGedaliya, indodana ka-Ahikamu kaShafani, ukuba abe ngumbusi phezu kwensali yakwaJuda ayeyishiyile ezweni. Zonke izinduna zempi nabantu bezwa ukuthi inkosi yaseBhabhele ibeke uGedaliya waba ngumbusi ezweni, zase ziya kuGedaliya eMizipha: u-Ishmayeli, indodana kaNethaniya, noJohanani, indodana kaKhareya, noZeraya, indodana kaThanihumethi waseNethofa, noJahazaniya, indodana yomMahakha, nabantu babo. UGedaliya wafunga kubo nakubantu babo, wathi: “Ningazesabi izinceku zamaKhaledi; hlalani ezweni, nikhonze enkosini yaseBhabhele ukuze kunihambele kahle.” Kwathi ngenyanga yesikhombisa kwafika u-Ishmayeli, indodana kaNethaniya ka-Elishama ongowozalo lwasebukhosini, ehamba namadoda alishumi, wafika washaya uGedaliya waze wafa kanye nabaJuda namaKhaledi ayenabo eMizpha. Bonke abantu, abancane, nabadala, nabakhuzi bempi basuka babalekela eGibhithe, ngokuba babesaba amaKhaledi. Kwathi ngonyaka wama-37 athunjwa uJehoyakini, inkosi yakwaJuda, ngenyanga ye-12, ngosuku lwama-27 lwayo, u-Evili Merodaki, inkosi yaseBhabhele, ngonyaka wakhe wokuqala eyinkosi, wamkhulula ejele uJehoyakini, inkosi yakwaJuda. Wakhuluma kahle naye, wabeka isihlalo sakhe saba phezu kwezihlalo zamakhosi ayenaye eBhabhele. Wamkhumula izingubo ayezigqoka ejele, wadla naye njalo, zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwakhe. Isabelo sakhe ayesiphiwa yinkosi, sasiyisabelo esimiyo semihla ngemihla, zonke izinsuku zokuphila kwakhe.