Verse 1: “Kuthiwa uma indoda ilahla umkayo, abesemuka abe ngowenye indoda, isayakubuyela kuye na? Lelo zwe belingayikungcoliswa kakhulu na? Kepha wena ofebile nezithandwa eziningi ubuyela kimi,” usho uJehova.
Verse 2: “Phakamisela amehlo akho emadulini angenalutho, ubone; kuphi lapho ongalalwanga khona na? Ngasezindleleni ubahlalele njengomArabiya ehlane, walingcolisa izwe ngobufebe nangobubi bakho.
Verse 3: Ngalokho izihlambi zinqandiwe, nemvula yamuva ayibangakho. Nokho wawunebunzi lesifebe, wala ukuba namahloni.
Verse 4: Awusand' ukukhala kimi ukuthi: ‘Baba, wena ungumngane wobusha bami, na?
Verse 5: Uyakuhlala enentukuthelo njalonjalo, ayigcine kuze kube nini na?’ Bheka, ukhuluma kanjalo; uyenza okubi, uyaphumelela.”
Verse 6: UJehova wathi kimi emihleni kaJosiya inkosi: “Ubonile okwenziwe ngu-Israyeli ohlehlayo na? Ukhuphukele kuzo zonke izintaba eziphakemeyo naphansi kwayo yonke imithi eluhlaza, wafeba khona.
Verse 7: Ngathi uzakubuyela kimi esekwenzile konke lokhu, kodwa akabuyanga; udadewabo okhohlisayo, uJuda, wakubona.
Verse 8: Ngabona ukuthi noma ngangimlahlile u-Israyeli ohlehlayo ngalesi sizathu sokuthi uphingile, ngamnika incwadi yesahlukaniso, udadewabo okhohlisayo, uJuda, akesabanga nokho, kepha waya wafeba naye,
Verse 9: nangokuzwakala kokufeba kwakhe langcoliswa izwe, waphinga nemithi namatshe.
Verse 10: Kepha kukho konke lokhu udadewabo okhohlisayo, uJuda, akabuyelanga kimi ngenhliziyo yonke, kuphela ngokuzenzisa nje,” usho uJehova.
Verse 11: Wayesethi uJehova kimi: “U-Israyeli ohlehlayo ubonakele elungile kunoJuda okhohlisayo.
Verse 12: Hamba umemezele lawa mazwi ngasenyakatho, uthi: “ ‘Buya wena Israyeli ohlehlayo,’ usho uJehova; ‘angiyikuninyakamela, ngokuba nginomusa,’ usho uJehova; ‘angiyakugcina intukuthelo kuze kube phakade.
Verse 13: Yazi kuphela ububi bakho ukuthi uphambukile kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakho, wazihlakaza izindlela zakho kubo abezizwe phansi kwayo yonke imithi eluhlaza; anililalelanga izwi lami,’ ” usho uJehova.
Verse 14: “Buyani, bantwana abahlehlayo,” usho uJehova, “ngokuba ngingumyeni wenu, nginithabathe, abe munye emzini, babe babili emndenini, nginiyise eSiyoni,
Verse 15: ngininike abelusi ngokwenhliziyo yami, abayakunalusa ngokwazi nangokuhlakanipha.
Verse 16: Kuyakuthi lapho nanda, nichume ezweni, ngalezo zinsuku,” usho uJehova, “bangasayikusho ukuthi: ‘Umphongolo wesivumelwano sikaJehova;’ awuyikungena enhliziyweni, abayikuwukhumbula; abayikuwuswela, akusayikwenziwa omusha.
Verse 17: Ngalolo suku bayakulibiza iJerusalema ngokuthi isihlalo sobukhosi sikaJehova; izizwe zonke ziyakubuthana kulo, kulo igama likaJehova eJerusalema; azisayikuhamba ngenkani yezinhliziyo zazo ezimbi.
Verse 18: Ngalezo zinsuku indlu yakwaJuda iyakuya endlini yakwa-Israyeli, ziphume kanyekanye ezweni lasenyakatho, ziye ezweni engalinika oyihlo libe yifa labo.
Verse 19: “Mina bengithi: “ ‘Ngiyakukubeka kanjani phakathi kwabantwana, ngikuphe izwe elinxanelekayo, ifa elihle kakhulu ezizweni!’ Ngathi: Niyakungibiza ngokuthi ‘Baba’, ningabuyi ekungilandeleni.
Verse 20: Impela njengomfazi emkhohlisa umyeni, kanjalo ningikhohlisile nina ndlu ka-Israyeli,” usho uJehova.
Verse 21: Izwi liyezwakala emadulini angenalutho, ukukhala nokukhuleka kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli, ngokuba bayihlanekezele indlela yabo, bakhohlwa uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo.
Verse 22: “Buyani nina bantwana abahlehlayo, ngikuphulukise ukuhlehla kwenu.” “Bheka, sesifikile kuwe, ngokuba unguJehova uNkulunkulu wethu.
Verse 23: Impela amagquma ayize kanye nomsindo wasezintabeni. Ngokwempela ukusindiswa kuka-Israyeli kukuJehova uNkulunkulu wethu.
Verse 24: UBosheti uqedile umshikashika wawobaba kwasebusheni bethu, izimvu zabo, nezinkomo zabo, namadodana abo, namadodakazi abo.
Verse 25: Masilale phansi namahloni, ihlazo lethu lisisibekele, ngokuba sonile kuJehova uNkulunkulu wethu, thina nawobaba, kusukela ebusheni bethu kuze kube namuhla, asililalelanga izwi likaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu.”