Kuwa kwe Jerusalema
(2 Zwiyitikalo 36:13-21; Jeremiya 52:3b-11)1 Kwakati mu gole le buzhanalume le mbuso wa Zedekiya, mu zhuba le bugumi le mwedzi we bugumi, Nebukadineza mambo we Bhabhiloni kazha ne ngwa iye yose ku Jerusalema ngono kayikomba nge ngwa, bakabaka matuthu e ngwa kuyipoteleka. 2 Ndizo nzi wakakombiwa nge ngwa kuswikila makole ali gumi lina gole (11) e mbuso wa Zedekiya. 3 Ngono mu zhuba le buzhanalume le mwedzi we bunna, kwakabe ne zhala hwulu kwazo mu nzi nkulu, kwakabe kusina zojiwa kuti bathu baje. 4 Kukapubugwa guma le nzi nkulu, mambo ne balume bose be ngwa bakabhuda busiku nge zila ye nkoba upakati kwe makuma mabili pa nnda wa mambo nenguba Bakhaladiya bakabe bakakomba nzi nkulu. Ngono bakayenda ne zila ye Araba. 5 Koga ngwa ye Babhabhiloni ikatatamila mambo ngono bakanombhatila mu zwibata zwe Jerikho, babhayani babe bose bakathubukana naye bakapalala. 6 Babhabhiloni bakatapa mambo, bakan'yisa kuna mambo we Bhabhiloni ku Ribila kwaakasumikilisiwa. 7 Bakabulayila bakololo ba Zedekiya mu mesho awe, bakakopola mesho a Zedekiya, bakansunga nge dziketani bakan'yisa ku Bhabhiloni.
Kolomodziwa kwe Ng'umba ye Ndzimu
(Jeremiya 52:12-23)8 Mu mwedzi we bushanu mu zhuba le butendeka le mwedzi, kuli gole le bugumi lina zhanalume le mbuso wa Nebukadineza mambo we Bhabhiloni, Nebuzaradani nlauli we balindi, ntungamili wa mambo we Bhabhiloni kazha ku Jerusalema. 9 Kapisa ng'umba ya Yahwe ne ng'umba ye bumambo ne ng'umba dzose dze Jerusalema. Kapisa ng'umba dzose hwulu. 10 Ngwa yose ye Bakhaladiya bana nlauli we balindi bakaliga makuma kupoteleka Jerusalema. 11 Malimbelimbe e bathu akabe asala mu nzi nkulu ne bakabe bazwipa kuna mambo we Bhabhiloni kose ne malimbelimbe wose, Nebuzaradani kabalonga mu busungwa. 12 Koga nlauli we balindi kasiya bashayi be shango kuti balime minda dze mizhambi ne minda dzimwe. 13 Bakhaladiya bakadusa phanda dze phangula dzakabe dzili mu ng'umba ya Yahwe ne zwigadziko ne tanka ye phangula zwakabe zwili mu ng'umba ya Yahwe ngono bakasengela phangula ku Bhabhiloni. 14 Bakatola hali ne maharawo ne zwidzimi zwe mavone ne ndigwana dzinopisila motsha ne zwija zose zwe phangula zwinoshingisiwa mu Ng'umba ye Ndzimu, 15 ne makambana e moto ne zwikutili. Ntungamili we balindi katola kose kwakathamiwa nge golide kene siliva. 16 Phangula ye phanda mbili neye tanka neye zwigadziko zwakabe zwathamiwa na Solomoni ezwithamila ng'umba ya Yahwe yakabe ipinda tjilizanyo. 17 Bulefu gwe phanda imwe ne imwe gwakabe guli thambo dzili gumi lina zhanakadzi, pezhugwi kwadzo kuli nsholo we phangula, bulefu gwe nsholo kuli thambo thatu, yakanakisiwa ne pomegiranate ye phangula kuyipoteleka, ne imwe phanda ifanana nayo.
Bathu be Juda banotolegwa ku Bhabhiloni
(Jeremiya 52:24-27)18 Nlauli we balindi katola Seraya mpirisiti nkulu na Zefaniya mpirisiti we bubili nge mamo ne balindi batatu be nkoba, 19 ngono kudwa mu nzi nkulu katola ntungamili wakabe ali nlauli we ngwa ne bakumbuludzi ba mambo bali bashanu ne nkwalili we nlauli we babhayani wakabe eziba bathu be shango ne balume bali makumi ali tathatu (60) bakabe bali mu nzi nkulu. 20 Nebuzaradani nlauli we balindi kabatola kabayisa kuna mambo we Bhabhiloni ku Ribila. 21 Mambo we Bhabhiloni kababulayila ku Ribila mu shango ye Hamati. Ndizo Bajuda bakalongwa mu busungwa, kuzhe kwe shango yabo.
Gedaliya unobigwa nlauli we Juda
(Jeremiya 40:7-9Jeremiya 41:1-3)22 Ngono mu bathu bose bakabe basala mu shango ye Juda, bakabe basiyiwa ndi Nebukadineza mambo we Bhabhiloni, wakabiga Gedaliya nkololo wa Ahikamu ali nkololo wa Shafani kube mbusi wabo. 23 Kwakati balauli bose be babhayani be hwa kuti mambo we Bhabhiloni wabiga Gedaliya kube mbusi, bakazha kuna Gedaliya ku Mizipha, kuli bo Ishimayili nkololo wa Nethaniya na Johanani nkololo wa Kariya na Seraya nkololo wa Tanihumeti we Netufa, na Jaazaniya nkololo we Maakha. 24 Gedaliya katuna kubali ne balume babo kati, “Musitje batungamili be Khaladiya, galani mu shango mu shingile mambo we Bhabhiloni, tjimwe ne tjimwe tjowomululwamila.” 25 Koga mu mwedzi we butendeka Ishimayili nkololo wa Netaniya ali nkololo wa Elishama we nsha we bushe kazha ne balume bali gumi bakanginilila bakabulaya Gedaliya ne Bajuta ne Bakhaladiya bakabe banaye ku Mizipha. 26 Ngono bathu bose batjetjana ne bakulukulu ne balauli be babhayani bakamilika bakayenda ku Egipiti ngoti bakabe betja Bakhaladiya.
Jehoyakini unosunungugwa mu ng'umba ye busungwa
(Jeremiya 52:31-34)27 Kwakati mu gole le makumi matatu ana ali tendeka (37) le busungwa gwa Jehoyakini mambo we Juda, mu mwedzi we bugumi lina mibili mu zhuba le bumakumi mabili ana ali tendeka (27) le mwedzi, mu gole la Evilimerodaki akabe mambo we Bhabhiloni, kadusa Jehoyakini mambo we Juda mu busungwa. 28 Kalebeleka naye nge buthu ngono kampa tjigalo tje gudzo kupinda bomambo bamwe baakabe anabo mu Bhabhiloni. 29 Ndizo Jehoyakini kaambula zwiambalo zwizwe zwe busungwa, ngono mazhuba wose e butjilo gugwe kaja pa tafuli ya mambo. 30 Zhuba ne zhuba mambo wakabe epa Jehoyakini tjaangatjila natjo, mu mazhuba wose e butjilo gugwe.
Jerusalem Is Captured and Destroyed
(2 Chronicles 36.17-21Jeremiah 52.3-30)1 In Zedekiah's ninth year as king, on the tenth day of the tenth month, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia led his entire army to attack Jerusalem. The troops set up camp outside the city and built ramps up to the city walls.
2-3 After a year and a half, all the food in Jerusalem was gone. Then on the ninth day of the fourth month, 4 the Babylonian troops broke through the city wall. That same night, Zedekiah and his soldiers tried to escape through the gate near the royal garden, even though they knew the enemy had the city surrounded. They headed toward the desert, 5 but the Babylonian troops caught up with them near Jericho. They arrested Zedekiah, but his soldiers scattered in every direction.
6 Zedekiah was taken to Riblah, where Nebuchadnezzar put him on trial and found him guilty. 7 Zedekiah's sons were killed right in front of him. His eyes were then poked out, and he was put in chains and dragged off to Babylon.
8 About a month later, in Nebuchadnezzar's nineteenth year as king, Nebuzaradan, who was his official in charge of the guards, arrived in Jerusalem. 9 Nebuzaradan burned down the Lord's temple, the king's palace, and every important building in the city, as well as all the houses. 10 Then he ordered the Babylonian soldiers to break down the walls around Jerusalem. 11 He led away as prisoners the people left in the city, including those who had become loyal to Nebuchadnezzar. 12 Only some of the poorest people were left behind to work the vineyards and the fields.
13 The Babylonian soldiers took the two bronze columns that stood in front of the temple, the ten movable bronze stands, and the large bronze bowl called the Sea. They broke them into pieces so they could take the bronze to Babylonia. 14 They carried off the bronze things used for worship at the temple, including the pans for hot ashes, and the shovels, snuffers, and also the dishes for incense, 15 as well as the fire pans and the sprinkling bowls. Nebuzaradan ordered his soldiers to take everything made of gold or silver.
16 The pile of bronze from the columns, the stands, and the large bowl that Solomon had made for the temple was too large to be weighed. 17 Each column had been eight meters tall with a bronze cap over one meter high. These caps were decorated with bronze designs—some of them like chains and others like pomegranates.
18 Next, Nebuzaradan arrested Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah his assistant, and three temple officials. 19 Then he arrested one of the army commanders, the king's five personal advisors, and the officer in charge of gathering the troops for battle. He also found 60 more soldiers who were still in Jerusalem. 20 Nebuzaradan led them all to Riblah 21 near Hamath, where Nebuchadnezzar had them killed.
Most of the people of Judah had been carried away as captives from their own country.
Gedaliah Is Made Ruler of the People Left in Judah
(Jeremiah 40.7-9Jeremiah 41.1-3)22 King Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam to rule the few people still living in Judah. 23 When the army officers and troops heard that Gedaliah was their ruler, the officers met with him at Mizpah. These men were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth from Netophah, and Jaazaniah from Maacah.
24 Gedaliah said to them, “Everything will be fine, I promise. We don't need to be afraid of the Babylonian rulers, if we live here peacefully and do what Nebuchadnezzar says.”
25 Ishmael was from the royal family. And about two months after Gedaliah began his rule, Ishmael and ten other men went to Mizpah. They killed Gedaliah and his officials, including those from Judah and those from Babylonia. 26 After that, the army officers and all the people in Mizpah, whether important or not, were afraid of what the Babylonians might do. So they left Judah and went to Egypt.
Jehoiachin Is Set Free
(Jeremiah 52.31-34)27 Jehoiachin was a prisoner in Babylon for 37 years. Then Evil-Merodach became king of Babylonia, and in the first year of his rule, on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month, he let Jehoiachin out of prison. 28 Evil-Merodach was kind to Jehoiachin and honored him more than any of the other kings held prisoner there. 29 Jehoiachin was even allowed to wear regular clothes, and he ate at the king's table every day. 30 As long as Jehoiachin lived, he was paid a daily allowance to buy whatever he needed.