1Ilizwi lafika kuJeremiya mayelana labantu bonke bakoJuda ngomnyaka wesine kaJehoyakhimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi yakoJuda, okwakungumnyaka wokuqala kaNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni.
2Ngakho uJeremiya umphrofethi wathi kubo bonke abantu bakoJuda lakubo bonke abahlala eJerusalema:
3Okweminyaka engamatshumi amabili lantathu, kusukela ngomnyaka wetshumi lantathu kaJosiya indodana ka-Amoni inkosi yakoJuda kuze kube yilolusuku, ilizwi likaThixo lafika kimi njalo ngalikhuluma kini njalonjalo, kodwa kalilalelanga.
4Lanxa uThixo wathumela zonke izinceku zakhe abaphrofethi kini njalonjalo, kalilalelanga njalo kalinakanga.
5Bathi, “Phendukani khathesi, omunye lomunye wenu, ezindleleni zenu ezimbi lasezenzweni zenu ezimbi, lihlale elizweni uThixo alinika lona kanye labokhokho benu kuze kube nininini.
6Lingalandeli abanye onkulunkulu ukuba libasebenzele njalo libakhonze; lingangithukuthelisi ngalokho okwenziwa yizandla zenu. Lapho-ke angiyikulehlisela okubi.”
7“Kodwa kalingilalelanga,” kutsho uThixo, “njalo lingithukuthelisile ngokwenziwa ngezandla zenu, lazehlisela okubi.”
8Ngakho uThixo uSomandla uthi: “Ngenxa yokuthi kalilalelanga amazwi ami,
9ngizabiza bonke abantu basenyakatho lenceku yami uNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni,” kutsho uThixo, “njalo ngizabaletha ukuba bamelane lelizwe leli labahlala kulo kanye lezizwe zonke eziseduze lalo. Ngizababhubhisa ngokupheleleyo ngibenze babe yinto eyesabekayo leyokuklolodelwa, lencithakalo yanini lanini.
10Ngizasusa phakathi kwabo imisindo yokuthokoza lokuthaba, lelizwi lomlobokazi lelomyeni, lomsindo wamatshe okuchola kanye lokukhanya kwesibane.
11Ilizwe leli lonke lizakuba yinkangala ephundlekileyo, lezizwe lezi zizasebenzela inkosi yaseBhabhiloni iminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa.
12Kodwa lapho iminyaka engamatshumi ayisikhombisa isiphelile, ngizayijezisa inkosi yaseBhabhiloni lesizwe sayo, ilizwe lamaKhaladiya, ngenxa yobubi babo,” kutsho uThixo, “njalo ngizalenza lichitheke kokuphela.
13Ngizakwehlisela phezu kwelizwe lelo zonke izinto engazitshoyo ngalo, konke okulotshwe encwadini le okwaphrofethwa nguJeremiya ezizweni zonke.
14Lazo uqobo zizathunjwa yizizwe ezinengi lamakhosi amakhulu; ngizaphindisela kubo mayelana lezenzo zabo langemisebenzi yezandla zabo.”
15UThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli wathi kimi, “Yamukela esandleni sami inkezo le egcwele iwayini lolaka lwami unathise zonke izizwe engikuthuma kuzo.
16Zingalinatha, zizadiyazela zihlanye ngenxa yenkemba engizayithumela phakathi kwazo.”
17Ngakho ngayithatha inkezo esandleni sikaThixo ngazinathisa zonke izizwe ayengithume kuzo:
18IJerusalema lamadolobho akoJuda, amakhosi akhona kanye lezikhulu, ukubenza babe yincithakalo lento eyesabekayo yokuklolodelwa lokuqalekiswa, njengoba benjalo lamhla;
19uFaro inkosi yaseGibhithe, lezinceku zakhe, lezikhulu zakhe kanye labantu bakhe bonke,
20labantu bonke bezizweni abakhonale;
21e-Edomi, leMowabi kanye le-Amoni;
22wonke amakhosi aseThire, leSidoni;
23eDedani, leThema leBhuzi labo bonke abasezindaweni ezikhatshana;
24wonke amakhosi ase-Arabhiya lawo wonke amakhosi abantu bezizweni abahlala enkangala;
25amakhosi wonke aseZimri, le-Elamu leMediya;
26lawo amakhosi asenyakatho, eduze lakhatshana, elandelana, yonke imibuso esemhlabeni.
27“Lapho-ke batshele uthi, ‘UThixo uSomandla, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli uthi: Nathani, lidakwe lihlanze, njalo liwe lingavuki futhi ngenxa yenkemba engizayithumela phakathi kwenu.’
28Kodwa bangala ukwamukela inkezo esandleni sakho ukuba banathe, batshele uthi, ‘UThixo uSomandla uthi: Kumele liyinathe!
29Khangelani, sengiqalisile ukuletha umonakalo edolobheni elileBizo lami, njalo lina lizaphutha impela ukujeziswa na? Kaliyikuphutha ukujeziswa ngoba ngizakwehlisela inkemba phezu kwabo bonke abahlala emhlabeni, kutsho uThixo uSomandla.’
30Khathesi-ke phrofetha wonke amazwi la ngabo uthi kubo:
31Ukuxokozela kuzazwakala emikhawulweni yomhlaba,
32Nanku akutshoyo uThixo uSomandla:
33Ngalesosikhathi labo ababulewe nguThixo bazakuba sezindaweni zonke kusukela komunye kusiya komunye umkhawulo womhlaba. Kabayikukhalelwa loba babuthwe kumbe bangcwatshwe, kodwa bazakuba njengezibi emhlabathini.
34Khalani lilile lina belusi;
35Abelusi laba kabayikuba lalapho abangabalekela khona,
36Zwanini ukukhala kwabelusi,
37Lamadlelo alokuthula azatshabalaliswa
38Njengesilwane uzaphuma esikhundleni sakhe,