UBaba wethu ubonisa uJeremiya izitsha ezimbili zamakhiwane
Amabhasikidi amabili amakhiwane abekwe phambi kwethempeli. Amahle ngabathunjiweyo asebeyiswe eBabele — labo uBaba wethu azobatshala futhi abanike inhliziyo yokumazi. Amabi nguZedekiya nalabo abasesele eJerusalema ababecabanga ukuthi baphunyukile.
24 1UBaba wethu wangibonisa izitsha ezimbili zamakhiwane zibekwe phambi kwethempeli likaBaba wethu—emva kokuba uNebukadinezari inkosi yaseBabiloni ethumbe uJekoniya indodana kaJehoyakimi, inkosi yakwaJuda, kanye nezikhulu zakwaJuda, nezingcweti, nabakhandi bezinsimbi, ebakhipha eJerusalema ebayisa eBabiloni. 2Esinye isitsha sasinamakhiwane amahle kakhulu, avuthwe kuqala; esinye sasinamakhiwane amabi kangangokuba angenakudleka.
3UBaba wethu wasengibuza: “Ubonani, Jeremiya?” “Amakhiwane,” ngathi, “amahle emahle kakhulu, amabi emabi kangangokuba angenakudleka.”
4Lase lifika kimi izwi likaBaba wethu, lathi:
5“Nakhu okushiwo uBaba wethu wakwa-Israyeli: Njengalawa makhiwane amahle, ngokunjalo ngiyakubabheka njengabahle abathunjwa bakwaJuda engabasusa lapha ngabayisa ezweni lamaBabiloni.
6“Ngiyakuwabeka phezu kwabo amehlo ami ngibenzele okuhle, ngibabuyisele kuleli zwe; ngibakhe, ngingabadilizi, ngibatshale, ngingabasiphuli. 7Ngiyakubanika inhliziyo yokungazi njengoBaba; bayakuba ngabantwana bami, mina ngibe nguBaba wabo, ngokuba bayakubuyela kimi ngenhliziyo yabo yonke.’
8“Kodwa njengamakhiwane amabi, abolile kangangokuba angenakudleka—usho kanjalo uBaba wethu—ngokunjalo ngiyakumenza kanjalo uZedekiya inkosi yakwaJuda, nezikhulu zakhe, nensali yaseJerusalema, esele lapha noma eGibhithe.
9“Ngiyakubenza into eyesabekayo, inhlekelele, ihlazo, into yokuhlekwa, into yokuklolodelwa, nesiqalekiso emibusweni yonke yomhlaba, lapho ngibaxosha khona. 10Ngiyakuthumela inkemba, indlala, nesifo kubo, baze baphele ezweni engabanika lona bona nokhokho babo.”
