Kuwa kwe Jerusalema
1 Mu gole le buzhanalume la Zedekiya mambo we Juda, mu mwedzi we bugumi, Nebukadineza mambo we Bhabhiloni ne babhayani babe bose bakazha kuwonginilila Jerusalema ngono bakaikomba. 2 Mu gole le bugumi lina ling'ompela la Zedekiya mu mwedzi we bunna mu zhuba le buzhanalume le mwedzi bakanginila tja mukati kwe nzi nkulu. 3 Ipapo balauli bose be babhayani ba mambo we Bhabhiloni bakazha bakagala pa Nkoba Utjapakati bakabe bali bo Nerigalisharezeri we Samigari na Nebosarikimu we ntungamili we balauli be babhayani, na Nerigalisharezeri we ntungamili nkulu we balauli be babhayani ne bamwe balauli be babhayani be mambo we Bhabhiloni.
4 Kwakati Zedekiya mambo we Juda ne babhayani bose bebabona bakatizha, bakatizha mu nzi nkulu busiku bebhuda ne zila ye nnda wa mambo bakanobhuda ne nkoba upakati kwe makuma mabili ngono bakalinga ku Araba. 5 Koga babhayani be Bakhaladiya bakabatatamila bakabhata Zedekiya mu tjibata tje Jerikho ngono bakati basinokuntola bakanzhisa kuna Nebukadineza mambo we Bhabhiloni ku Ribila mu shango ye Hamati, ikoko Nebukadineza kan'tilika nlandu. 6 Ikoko ku Ribila mambo we Bhabhiloni kabulaya bakololo ba Zedekiya mbeli kukwe kabulayilanya ne banokudziwa be Juda. 7 Kadusa mesho a Zedekiya kansunga nge ketani ngono kan'yisa ku Bhabhiloni. 8 Bakhaladiya bakapisa ng'umba ya mambo ne ng'umba dze bathu nge moto ngono bakaliga makuma e Jerusalema. 9 Ipapo Nebuzaradani, ntungamili we balindi kasengela bathu bose bakabe basala mu nzi nkulu, ibo bakabe ban'tobela ne bakabe basala kabatapila ku Bhabhiloni.
10 Koga Nebuzaradani ntungamili we balindi wakasiya bamwe bashayi bakabe basina tjabo mu shango ye Juda ngono kabapa minda ye mizhambi ne minda zhuba ilelo zwalo.
11 Ngono Nebukadineza mambo we Bhabhiloni kapa ndaulo Nebuzaradani ntungamili we balindi ngekwa Jeremiya eti, 12 “Untole ngono un'tjengete kwazo, usitongon'kubadza koga unthamile tjimwe ne tjimwe tjaanokudwa.” 13 Ndizo Nebuzaradani ntungamili we balindi na Nebushazibhani ntungamili we balauli be babhayani na Nerigalisharezeri ntungamili nkulu we balauli be babhayani ne makulukota wose a mambo we Bhabhiloni, 14 bakatola Jeremiya mu nsha we babhayani ngono bakampa Gedaliya nkololo wa Ahikamu nkololo wa Shafani kuti ban'yise ku nzi uwe. Ndizo kagala pakati kwe bathu bakanyi kukwe.
15 Dama la Yahwe lakazha kuna Jeremiya atjakazhaliligwa mu nsha we balindi liti, 16 “Yenda unobudza Ebedimeleki we N'khushi uti, ‘Yahwe Masimbawose Ndzimu we Iziraela bakati, “Bona ndowoshingikadza matama angu ngekwe nzi iwoyu nkulu ndithama tjakabipa kusi bubuya ngono kowoshingikala mu mesho awo mu zhuba ilelo. 17 Koga iwe ndowokusunungula mu zhuba, kojalo Yahwe. Ndizo awotolongwa mu maboko e balume baunotja. 18 Ngoti nge malebeswa ndowokutjidza ndizo autobulawa nge thumo koga unowopudzumuka nge butjilo gugo ngoti unogalabgwe mu ndili, kojalo Yahwe.” ’ ”
Jerusalem Is Captured by the Babylonians
(Jeremiah 52.4-162 Kings 25.1-12)1-3 In the tenth month of the ninth year that Zedekiah was king of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army began their attack on Jerusalem. They kept the city surrounded for a year and a half. Then, on the ninth day of the fourth month of the eleventh year that Zedekiah was king, they broke through the city walls.
After Jerusalem was captured, Nebuchadnezzar's highest officials, including Nebo Sarsechim and Nergal Sharezer from Simmagir, took their places at Middle Gate to show they were in control of the city.
4 When King Zedekiah and his troops saw that Jerusalem had been captured, they tried to escape from the city that same night. They went to the king's garden, where they slipped through the gate between the two city walls and headed toward the Jordan River valley. 5 But the Babylonian troops caught up with them near Jericho. They arrested Zedekiah and took him to the town of Riblah in the land of Hamath, where Nebuchadnezzar put him on trial, then found him guilty, 6 and gave orders for him to be punished. Zedekiah's sons were killed there in front of him, and so were the leaders of Judah's ruling families. 7 Then his eyes were poked out, and he was put in chains, so he could be dragged off to Babylonia.
8 Meanwhile, the Babylonian army had burned the houses in Jerusalem, including the royal palace, and they had broken down the city walls. 9 Nebuzaradan, the Babylonian officer in charge of the guards, led away everyone from the city as prisoners, even those who had deserted to Nebuchadnezzar. 10 Only the poorest people who owned no land were left behind in Judah, and Nebuzaradan gave them fields and vineyards.
11 Nebuchadnezzar had given the following orders to Nebuzaradan: 12 “Find Jeremiah and keep him safe. Take good care of him and do whatever he asks.”
13 Nebuzaradan, Nebushazban, Nergal Sharezer, and the other officers of King Nebuchadnezzar 14 sent some of their troops to bring me from the courtyard of the royal palace guards. They put me in the care of Gedaliah son of Ahikam and told him to take me to my home. And so I was allowed to stay with the people who remained in Judah.
The Lord Promises To Protect Ebedmelech
15 While I was a prisoner in the courtyard of the palace guard, the Lord told me to say 16 to Ebedmelech from Ethiopia:
I am the Lord All-Powerful, the God of Israel. I warned everyone that I would bring disaster, not prosperity, to this city. Now very soon I will do what I said, and you will see it happen. 17-18 But because you trusted me, I will protect you from the officials of Judah, and when Judah is struck by disaster, I will rescue you and keep you alive. I, the Lord, have spoken.