1 Ngomnyaka wesificamunwemunye wokubusa kukaZedekhiya, ngosuku lwetshumi lwenyanga yetshumi, uNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni waya eJerusalema lebutho lakhe lonke, wayivimbezela; wayakhela imiduli yokuvimbezela inxa zonke. 2 Idolobho lavinjezelwa kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka wetshumi lanye kaZedekhiya inkosi.

3 Ngosuku lwesificamunwemunye lwenyanga yesine indlala yayisinzima edolobheni, abantu bengaselakudla. 4 Umduli wedolobho wafohlwa, ibutho lonke labaleka. Basuka edolobheni bephuma ngesango eliphakathi kwemiduli emibili, phansi kwesivande senkosi, lanxa nje amaBhabhiloni ayeligombolozele idolobho. Babaleka beqonde e-Arabha. 5 Kodwa ibutho lamaKhaladiya laxotshana lenkosi layamfica emagcekeni aseJerikho. Wonke amabutho akhe ehlukana laye njalo ahlakazeka, 6 yena wathunjwa.

Wasiwa enkosini yaseBhabhiloni eRibhila, lapho afika wagwetshelwa khona. 7 Babulala amadodana kaZedekhiya ekhangele. Basebemkhupha amehlo, bambopha ngamaketane ethusi bamusa eBhabhiloni.

8 Ngosuku lwesikhombisa ngenyanga yesihlanu, ngomnyaka wetshumi lasificamunwemunye kaNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, uNebhuzaradani umlawuli wabalindi besikhosini, owayesebenzela inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, wafika eJerusalema. 9 Wathungela ithempeli likaThixo ngomlilo, lesigodlo senkosi lezindlu zonke zaseJerusalema. Zonke izindlu eziqakathekileyo wazitshisa. 10 Wonke amabutho aseBhabhiloni, ekhokhelwa ngumlawuli wamabutho okulinda umndlunkulu, adiliza imiduli ehonqolozele iJerusalema. 11 UNebhuzaradani umlawuli wabalindi wathatha bonke abantu ababesele edolobheni wabasa ekuthunjweni, ndawonye labo bonke abantu lalabo abasebeye enkosini yaseBhabhiloni. 12 Kodwa umlawuli wamabutho watshiya inengi labantu ababengabayanga bokucina elizweni ukuba basebenze ezivinini lasemasimini.

13 AbeBhabhiloni baphahlaza izinsika zethusi lezinti zezibane loLwandle lwethusi, okwakusethempelini likaThixo. Bathwalela ithusi lelo eBhabhiloni. 14 Bathatha njalo imbiza, lamafotsholo, lezindlawu, lezinditshi lazozonke izitsha zethusi ezazisetshenziswa enkonzweni yasethempelini. 15 Umlawuli wabalindi besigodlo wathatha indengezi lemiganu yokuchela, konke okwakwenziwe ngegolide elicengekileyo loba isiliva.

16 Ithusi elalivela ensikeni ezimbili, loLwandle kanye lelezidindi ezisusekayo, konke okwakwenzelwe ithempeli likaThixo nguSolomoni, kwakulesisindo esasingelinganiswe. 17 Ubude bensika ngayinye babuzingalo ezilitshumi lasificaminwembili. Isiduku sethusi phezu kwenye insika sasizingalo ezintathu ubude baso njalo siceciswe ngomeluko lamaphomegranathi ethusi nxazonke. Eyinye insika kanye lomeluko wayo layo yayinjalo.

18 Umlawuli wabalindi wathumba uSeraya induna yabaphristi, loZefaniya umsekeli wakhe kanye labalindi bomnyango abathathu. 19 Kulabo ababelokhu besedolobheni, wathatha isikhulu esasiphethe amadoda okulwa labacebisi besikhosini abahlanu. Wathatha lonobhala owayeyinduna eyayiphethe ukubuthwa kwabantu bengeniswa emabuthweni kanye lamadoda angamatshumi ayisithupha ayelawo atholakala phakathi komuzi. 20 UNebhuzaradani umlawuli wabathatha bonke wabasa enkosini yaseBhabhiloni eRibhila. 21 Khonale eRibhila, elizweni laseHamathi, inkosi yathi kabaqunywe.

Ngakho abakoJuda baya ekuthunjweni kude lelizwe labo.

22 UNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni wakhetha uGedaliya indodana ka-Ahikhami, oyindodana kaShafani, ukuba aphathe abantu ababesele koJuda. 23 Kwathi zonke izikhulu zabalawuli bamabutho lamabutho sebezwile ukuthi inkosi yaseBhabhiloni yayisibeke uGedaliya ukuba nguSibalukhulu, beza kuGedaliya eMizipha izikhulu kungu-Ishumayeli indodana kaNethaniya, uJohanani indodana kaKhareya, uSeraya indodana kaThanihumethi umNethofa, uJazaniya indodana kaMahakhathi, labantu babo. 24 UGedaliya wafunga isifungo ebathembisa labantu babo wathi: “Lingesabi izikhulu zaseBhabhiloni. Hlalani elizweni lisebenzele inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, konke kuzalilungela.”

25 Kodwa ngenyanga yesikhombisa u-Ishumayeli indodana kaNethaniya, indodana ka-Elishama, owayezalwa esikhosini, weza lamadoda alitshumi bafika babulala uGedaliya lamadoda akoJuda kanye laweBhabhiloni ayekade elaye eMizipha. 26 Ngenxa yalokhu, abantu bonke kusukela kubantukazana kusiya kwabaphakemeyo, kanye lezikhulu zamabutho, babalekela eGibhithe ngokwesaba abeBhabhiloni.