UJeremiya 44:14-30

Ukuze kungabikho noyedwa owasalayo wakwaJuda owaya ezweni laseGibithe ukuba agogobale khona oyophunyuka noma osalayo ukuba abuyele ezweni lakwaJuda efisa ukubuyela kulo ukuba ahlale khona; akekho oyobuya ngaphandle kwalabo ababalekile. Khona-ke wonke amadoda ayekwazi ukuthi omkawo babeshisele impepho kwabanye onkulunkulu, nabo bonke abesifazane ababemi lapho, isixuku esikhulu, bonke abantu ababehlala ezweni laseGibhithe ePhatirosi, bamphendula uJeremiya bathi: Ngokuqondene nezwi owalikhuluma kithi egameni likaJehova, ngeke sikulalele. Kodwa konke okuphuma emlonyeni wethu siyakukwenza nokushunqisela inkosikazi yezulu umusi, siyithululele iminikelo yokuphuzwa, njengalokho senzile, thina nawobaba, namakhosi ethu, nezikhulu zethu, emizini. KwaJuda nasezitaladini zaseJerusalema; ngokuba sasinokuningi ukudla ngaleso sikhathi, sasiphilile, asibonanga bubi. Kodwa selokhu sayeka ukushisela indlovukazi yezulu impepho nokuyithululela iminikelo yokuphuzwa, santula yonke into futhi saqedwa ngenkemba nangendlala. Lapho sishisela indlovukazi yezulu impepho, siyithululela iminikelo yokuphuzwa, ingabe sayenzela amaqebelengwane okukhuleka kuyo, siyithululela iminikelo yokuphuzwa ngaphandle kwamadoda ethu na? UJeremiya wayesethi kubo bonke abantu, kwabesilisa nakwabesifazane, nakubo bonke abantu abamphendulayo, wathi: Impepho enayinyusa emizini yakwaJuda nasezitaladini zaseJerusalema, nina nawoyihlo, namakhosi enu, nezikhulu zenu, nabantu bezwe, uJehova akayikhumbulanga, ayingenanga ingqondo yakhe? ukuze uJehova angabe esakwazi ukukuthwala ngenxa yobubi bezenzo zenu nangenxa yezinengiso enazenzayo; ngalokho izwe lenu liyihlane, nesimangaliso, nesiqalekiso, alinamuntu ohlala khona, njenganamuhla. Ngenxa yokuthi nakhuphula impepho nangenxa yokuthi nonile kuJehova futhi anizange nililalele izwi likaJehova futhi anihambanga ngomthetho wakhe nangezimiso zakhe nangobufakazi bakhe; ngalokho lobu bubi bukwehlele njenganamuhla. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uJeremiya wathi kubo bonke abantu nakubo bonke abesifazane: “Yizwani izwi likaJehova, nonke Juda osezweni laseGibhithe! Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Nina nawomkenu nikhulumile ngemilomo yenu, nakugcwalisa ngezandla zenu, nathi: ‘Siyakugcwalisa nokugcwalisa izithembiso zethu esizenzileyo zokushisela inkosikazi yezulu impepho nokuyithululela iminikelo yokuphuzwa.’ Qinisani nokuqinisa izithembiso zenu, nigcwalise nokugcwalisa izithembiso zenu. Ngalokho yizwani izwi likaJehova nina nonke bakwaJuda enihlala ezweni laseGibithe: ‘Bhekani, ngifungile igama lami elikhulu,’ usho uJehova, ‘ukuthi igama lami alisayikubizwa mlomo wamuntu wakwaJuda ezweni lonke laseGibithe ukuthi: “Kuphila kukaJehova.” Bheka, ngiyabalinda kube kubi, kungabi kuhle; bonke abantu bakwaJuda abasezweni laseGibithe bayakuphela ngenkemba nangendlala, baze baqedwe. Abaphunyuka enkembeni bayakubuya ezweni laseGibithe, babuyele ezweni lakwaJuda, bengaba yingcosana ngomumo; yonke insali yakwaJuda eye ezweni laseGibithe ukuba igogobale khona iyakwazi ukuthi yiliphi izwi eliyakuma, elami noma elabo. “ ‘Lesi siyakuba yisibonakaliso kini,’ usho uJehova, ‘ukuthi ngiyakunijezisa kule ndawo ukuba nazi ukuthi amazwi ami ayakuma amelane nani kube kubi.’ Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: ‘Bhekani, ngiyakunikela uFaro uHofira inkosi yaseGibithe esandleni sezitha zakhe nasesandleni sabafuna ukuphila kwakhe, njengalokho nganikela uSedekiya inkosi yakwaJuda esandleni sikaNebukadinesari, inkosi yaseBabele, isitha sakhe esasifuna ukuphila kwakhe.’ ”