Verse 1: Izwi elafika kuJeremiya livela kuJehova ngomnyaka weshumi kaSedekiya inkosi yakwaJuda, owawungumnyaka weshumi nesishiyagalombili kaNebukadinesari.
Verse 2: Ngaleso sikhathi impi yenkosi yaseBabele yalivimbezela iJerusalema; uJeremiya umprofethi wayevalelwe egcekeni letilongo elalisendlini yenkosi yakwaJuda,
Verse 3: lapho uSedekiya inkosi yakwaJuda ebemvalele khona ngokuthi: “Uprofethelani uthi: ‘Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Bheka, ngiyakuwunikela lo muzi esandleni senkosi yaseBabele, iwuthathe,
Verse 4: uSedekiya inkosi yakwaJuda angaphunyuki esandleni samaKaledi, kepha anikelwe nokunikelwa esandleni senkosi yaseBabele, akhulume nayo umlomo nomlomo, amehlo akhe awabone amehlo ayo,
Verse 5: yona imyise uSedekiya eBabele, abe khona lapho ngize ngimhambele, usho uJehova; noma nilwa namaKaledi, aniyikuphumelela na?’ ”
Verse 6: UJeremiya wathi: “Izwi likaJehova lafika kimi, lathi:
Verse 7: Bheka, uHanameli indodana kaShalumi uyihlokazi uyakufika kuwe, athi: ‘Zithengele insimu yami ese-Anathoti, ngokuba ilungelo lokuyihlenga lingelakho ukuba uyithenge.’
Verse 8: “Wayesefika kimi uHanameli indodana kababekazi egcekeni letilongo njengezwi likaJehova, wathi kimi: ‘Ake uyithenge insimu yami ese-Anathoti elisezweni lakwaBenjamini, ngokuba ilungelo lefa lingelakho, nokuhlenga kungokwakho; zithengele lona.’ “Ngase ngazi ukuthi leli zwi lavela kuJehova.
Verse 9: Ngayithenga insimu ese-Anathoti kuHanameli indodana kababekazi, ngamlinganisela imali, amashekeli ayishumi nesikhombisa esiliva.
Verse 10: Ngaloba incwadi, ngayinamathelisa, ngazifakazisela, ngamlinganisela imali ngesilinganiso.
Verse 11: Ngayithatha incwadi yokuthenga, enamathelisiweyo enemithetho nezimiso, nevulekileyo,
Verse 12: nganikela incwadi yokuthenga kuBaruki indodana kaNeriya kaMahaseya ngaphambi kukaHanameli indodana kababekazi naphambi kofakazi ababelobe incwadi yokuthenga naphambi kwabo bonke abaJuda ababehlala egcekeni letilongo.
Verse 13: “Ngamyala uBaruki phambi kwabo, ngathi:
Verse 14: ‘Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Thatha lezi zincwadi, le ncwadi yokuthenga enamathelisiweyo nale ncwadi evulekileyo, uzifake ezitsheni zebumba ukuba zihlale izinsuku eziningi.
Verse 15: Ngokuba usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Kuyakubuye kuthengwe izindlu namasimu nezivini kuleli zwe.’
Verse 16: “Sengiyinike uBaruki indodana kaNeriya incwadi yokuthenga ngakhuleka kuJehova, ngathi:
Verse 17: “E, Nkosi Jehova, bheka, wena wenzile izulu nomhlaba ngamandla akho amakhulu nangengalo yakho eyeluliweyo; akukho lutho olukwahlulayo
Verse 18: wena owenza umusa kubo abayizinkulungwane, ophindisela ububi bawoyise esifubeni sabantwana babo emva kwabo, ogama lakho linguNkulunkulu omkhulu oyiqhawe, uJehova Sebawoti,
Verse 19: omkhulu emaswini, onamandla ezenzweni, omehlo akho avulekele zonke izindlela zabantu ukuba unike, kube yilowo nalowo njengezindlela zakhe nanjengezithelo zemisebenzi yakhe;
Verse 20: owamisa izibonakaliso nezimangaliso ezweni laseGibithe kuze kube namuhla nakwa-Israyeli naphakathi kwabanye abantu, wazenzela igama njenganamuhla,
Verse 21: wabakhipha abantu bakho u-Israyeli ezweni laseGibithe ngezibonakaliso nangezimangaliso, nangesandla esinamandla, nangengalo eyeluliweyo, nangengebhe enkulu,
Verse 22: wabanika leli zwe, njengalokho afunga koyise ukubanika lona, izwe elichichima ubisi nezinyosi;
Verse 23: bangena balidla, kepha kabalilalelanga izwi lakho, abahambanga emthethweni wakho, abenzanga lutho lwakho konke owabayala ngakho ukuba bakwenze; ngalokho ubehlisele konke lokhu okubi.
Verse 24: “Bheka, amaduli asefike emzini ukuba umuzi uthathwe; ngenxa yenkemba nendlala nesifo umuzi unikelwe esandleni samaKaledi alwa nawo; kwenzekile owakukhulumayo; bheka, usuyakubona.
Verse 25: Wena Nkosi Jehova, noma umuzi unikelwe esandleni samaKaledi, washo kimi, wathi: ‘Zithengele insimu ngemali, uzifakazisele.’ ”
Verse 26: Lase lifika izwi likaJehova kuJeremiya, lithi:
Verse 27: “Bheka, nginguJehova uNkulunkulu wenyama yonke, kukhona okungahlulayo na?
Verse 28: Ngalokho usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Bheka, ngiyakuwunikela lo muzi esandleni samaKaledi nasesandleni sikaNebukadinesari, inkosi yaseBabele, awuthathe.
Verse 29: AmaKaledi alwa nalo muzi ayakufika, awuthungele lo muzi ngomlilo, awushise kanye nalezo zindlu abashisele uBali impepho phezu kwezimpahla zazo, bathululela abanye onkulunkulu iminikelo yokuphuzwa ukuba bangicunule.
Verse 30: “Ngokuba abantwana bakwa-Israyeli nabantwana bakwaJuda benzile okubi kuphela emehlweni ami kwasebuntwaneni babo, ngokuba abantwana bakwa-Israyeli bangicunulile kuphela ngemisebenzi yezandla zabo, usho uJehova.
Verse 31: Ngokuba lo muzi uvuse intukuthelo yami nokufutheka kwami, kusukela osukwini abawakha ngalo kuze kube namuhla, ukuba ngiwususe ebusweni bami,
Verse 32: ngenxa yakho konke okubi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli nabantwana bakwaJuda abakwenzileyo ukuba bangicunule, bona namakhosi abo, nezikhulu zabo, nabapristi babo, nabaprofethi babo, namadoda akwaJuda, nabakhileyo eJerusalema.
Verse 33: Bangifulathele, abangibhekanga; noma ngabafundisa ngibaxwayisa njalonjalo, abalalelanga ukuba bamukele ukulaywa.
Verse 34: Kepha bazibeka izinengiso zabo endlini ebizwa ngegama lami ukuba bayingcolise.
Verse 35: Bazakha izindawo eziphakemeyo zikaBali ezisesigodini sendodana kaHinomu ukuba badabulise amadodana abo namadodakazi abo emlilweni kuMoloki, engingabayalanga ngakho, nokungangenanga enhliziyweni ukuthi bayakusenza lesi sinengiso ukuze bamonise uJuda.
Verse 36: “Ngalokho manje usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ngalo muzi enithi ngawo: ‘Unikelwe esandleni senkosi yaseBabele ngenkemba, nangendlala, nangesifo,’ uthi:
Verse 37: Bheka, ngiyakubabutha emazweni onke lapho ngibaxoshele khona ngentukuthelo yami, nangokufutheka kwami, nangolaka olukhulu, ngibabuyisele kule ndawo, ngibenze ukuba bahlale belondekile,
Verse 38: babe ngabantu bami, mina ngibe nguNkulunkulu wabo,
Verse 39: ngibanike inhliziyonye nendlelanye ukuba bangesabe zonke izinsuku, kube kuhle kubo nakubantwana babo emva kwabo.
Verse 40: Ngiyakwenza nabo isivumelwano esiphakade, ukuze ngingabuyi ekubalandeleni, ngibenzele okuhle, ngibeke ezinhliziyweni zabo ukungesaba, ukuze bangasuki kimi.
Verse 41: Ngiyakuthokoza ngabo, ngibenzele okuhle, ngibatshale ngeqiniso kuleli zwe ngayo yonke inhliziyo yami nangawo wonke umphefumulo wami.
Verse 42: “Ngokuba usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Njengalokhu ngehlisele phezu kwalaba bantu konke lokhu okubi, kanjalo ngiyakubehlisela konke okuhle engikukhulume kubo.
Verse 43: Amasimu ayakuthengwa kuleli zwe enisho ngalo ukuthi liyincithakalo, lapho kungekho muntu nazilwane khona, nokuthi linikelwe esandleni samaKaledi.
Verse 44: Amasimu ayakuthengwa ngemali, kulotshwe encwadini, kunamatheliswe, kufakazelwe ngofakazi ezweni lakwaBenjamini, nasemaphethelweni aseJerusalema, nasemizini yakwaJuda, nasemizini yasezintabeni, nasemizini yasehlanzeni, nasemizini yaseningizimu, ngokuba ngiyakukubuyisa ukuthunjwa kwabo, usho uJehova.”