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.” ’ ”
The Fall of Jerusalem
1 In the tenth month of the ninth year that Zedekiah was king of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia came with his whole army and attacked Jerusalem. 2 On the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah's eleventh year as king, the city walls were broken through.
( 3 When Jerusalem was captured, all the high officials of the king of Babylonia came and took their places at the Middle Gate, including Nergal Sharezer, Samgar Nebo, Sarsechim, and another Nergal Sharezer. )
4 When King Zedekiah and all his soldiers saw what was happening, they tried to escape from the city during the night. They left by way of the royal garden, went through the gateway connecting the two walls, and escaped in the direction of the Jordan Valley. 5 But the Babylonian army pursued them and captured Zedekiah in the plains near Jericho. Then they took him to King Nebuchadnezzar, who was in the city of Riblah in the territory of Hamath, and there Nebuchadnezzar passed sentence on him. 6 At Riblah he put Zedekiah's sons to death while Zedekiah was looking on, and he also had the officials of Judah executed. 7 After that, he had Zedekiah's eyes put out and had him placed in chains to be taken to Babylonia. 8 Meanwhile, the Babylonians burned down the royal palace and the houses of the people and tore down the walls of Jerusalem. 9 Finally Nebuzaradan, the commanding officer, took away as prisoners to Babylonia the people who were left in the city, together with those who had deserted to him. 10 He left in the land of Judah some of the poorest people, who owned no property, and he gave them vineyards and fields.
Jeremiah's Release
11 But King Nebuchadnezzar commanded Nebuzaradan, the commanding officer, to give the following order: 12 “Go and find Jeremiah and take good care of him. Do not harm him, but do for him whatever he wants.” 13 So Nebuzaradan, together with the high officials Nebushazban and Nergal Sharezer and all the other officers of the king of Babylonia, 14 had me brought from the palace courtyard. They put me under the care of Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan, who was to see that I got home safely. And so I stayed there among the people.
Hope for Ebedmelech
15 While I was still imprisoned in the palace courtyard, the Lord told me 16 to tell Ebedmelech the Ethiopian that the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, had said, “Just as I said I would, I am going to bring upon this city destruction and not prosperity. And when this happens, you will be there to see it. 17 But I, the Lord, will protect you, and you will not be handed over to the people you are afraid of. 18 I will keep you safe, and you will not be put to death. You will escape with your life because you have put your trust in me. I, the Lord, have spoken.”