Jeremiah 52
1 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became the King [of Judah]. He ruled in Jerusalem for eleven years. His mother was Hamutal, the daughter of [a man named] Jeremiah from Libnah [town].
UZedekhiya waba yinkosi eleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lanye, njalo wabusa eJerusalema okweminyaka elitshumi lanye. Ibizo likanina lalinguHamuthali indodakazi kaJeremiya waseLibhina.
2 Zedekiah did [many] things that Yahweh says are evil, like [his father] Jehoiakim had done.
Wenza okubi emehlweni kaThixo, njengalokho okwakwenziwe nguJehoyakhimi.
3 [The events that are summarized here happened] because Yahweh was angry with [the people of] Jerusalem and [of other places in] Judah, and finally he (exiled them/forced them to go to other countries) [and said that he did not want to have anything to do with] them any more. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
Kwakungenxa yokuthukuthela kukaThixo ukuze kwenzakale konke lokhu eJerusalema lakoJuda, njalo ekucineni kwabangela ukuthi uThixo abachithe. Ngalokho uZedekhiya wayihlamukela inkosi yaseBhabhiloni.
4 [So, ] on January 15, when Zedekiah had been ruling for almost nine years, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon led his entire army to attack Jerusalem. They surrounded the city and built dirt ramps up to the top of the city walls [to enable them to attack the city].
Ngakho ngenyanga yesificamunwemunye yokubusa kukaZedekhiya, ngosuku lwetshumi lwenyanga yetshumi, uNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, waya eJerusalema lebutho lakhe lonke. Bahlala ngaphandle kwedolobho, bakha izinqaba zokulivimbezela kuzozonke inhlangothi zalo.
5 They continued to surround Jerusalem until Zedekiah had been ruling for almost eleven years.
Idolobho lavinjezelwa kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka wetshumi lanye kaZedekhiya inkosi.
6 When Zedekiah had been ruling for almost eleven years, by July 18 of that year, the (famine/lack of food) in the city had become very severe, and there was no [more] food for the people [to eat].
Ngosuku lwesificamunwemunye lwenyanga yesine indlala yayisinzima edolobheni, abantu bengaselakudla.
7 Then [the soldiers of Babylonia] broke through [a section of] the city wall, and all the [Israeli] soldiers fled. But because the city was surrounded by soldiers from Babylonia, [Zedekiah and the Israeli] soldiers [waited until] it became dark. Then they left the city through the gate between the two walls behind the king’s garden. Then they ran towards the Jordan River Valley.
Umduli wedolobho wafohlwa, ibutho lonke labaleka. Basuka edolobheni ebusuku bephuma ngesango eliphakathi kwemiduli emibili, phansi kwesivande senkosi, lanxa nje amaKhaladiya ayeligombolozele idolobho. Babaleka beqonde e-Arabha,
8 But the soldiers of Babylonia pursued King Zedekiah, and they caught up with him on the plains near Jericho. [He was alone because] all his men had deserted him and had scattered.
kodwa ibutho lamaKhaladiya laxotshana lenkosi uZedekhiya layamfica emagcekeni aseJerikho. Wonke amabutho akhe ehlukana laye njalo ahlakazeka,
9 The soldiers of Babylonia took him to the king of Babylon, who was at Riblah in the Hamath [region]. There the king of Babylon told [his soldiers what] they should do to punish Zedekiah.
yena wathunjwa. Wasiwa enkosini yaseBhabhiloni eRibhila elizweni laseHamathi, lapho eyamgwebela khona.
10 They forced Zedekiah to watch while they killed his sons and all the officials from Judah.
Khona eRibhila inkosi yaseBhabhiloni yabulala amadodana kaZedekhiya emehlweni akhe; yabulala lezikhulu zakoJuda zonke.
11 [Then] they gouged out Zedekiah’s eyes. They fastened him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon. They put him in a prison, and he remained there until the day that he died.
Emva kwalokho, yamkhupha amehlo uZedekhiya, yambopha ngamaketane ethusi, yamusa eBhabhiloni, lapho eyamfaka khona entolongweni kwaze kwafika usuku lokufa kwakhe.
12 On August 17 of that year, which was when King Nebuchadnezzar had been ruling for almost 19 years, Nebuzaradan, who was the captain of the king’s bodyguards and one of the king’s officials, arrived in Jerusalem.
Ngosuku lwetshumi ngenyanga yesihlanu, ngomnyaka wetshumi lasificamunwemunye kaNebhukhadineza inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, uNebhuzaradani umlawuli wabalindi besikhosini, owayesebenzela inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, wafika eJerusalema.
13 He [commanded his soldiers to] burn down the temple of Yahweh, the king’s palace, and all the houses in Jerusalem. They [also] destroyed all the important buildings [in the city].
Wathungela ithempeli likaThixo ngomlilo, lesigodlo senkosi lezindlu zonke zaseJerusalema. Zonke izindlu eziqakathekileyo wazitshisa.
14 Then he supervised the soldiers from Babylonia while they tore down the walls on all sides of Jerusalem.
Lonke ibutho laseBhabhiloni elalingaphansi komlawuli wabalindi besikhosini layidiliza yonke imiduli eyayigombolozele iJerusalema.
15 Then Nebuzaradan (forced to go/exiled) [to Babylon] some of the poorest people, those Israelis who had said they would support the king of Babylon, the rest of the craftsmen, and other people who had remained in Jerusalem.
UNebhuzaradani umlawuli wabalindi wathatha abanye babayanga bokucina wabasa ekuthunjweni lalabo ababesele edolobheni, lenengi lezingcwethi kanye lalabo abasebeye enkosini yaseBhabhiloni.
16 But Nebuzaradan allowed some of the very poor people to remain [in Judah] to take care of the vineyards and fields.
Kodwa uNebhuzaradani watshiya inengi labantu ababengabayanga bokucina elizweni ukuba basebenze ezivinini lasemasimini.
17 The soldiers from Babylonia broke [into pieces] the [huge] bronze pillars that were in front of the temple, and the [large] bronze water tank, and the [ten bronze water] carts, and they took all the bronze to Babylon.
AbeBhabhiloni baphahlaza izinsika zethusi lezinti zezibane loLwandle lwethusi, okwakusethempelini likaThixo. Bathwalela ithusi lelo eBhabhiloni.
18 They also took away the basins [for holding the ashes from the burned sacrifices], the shovels [for cleaning out the ashes], the tools for snuffing out the wicks of the lamps, the basins [for holding the blood of the sacrificed animals], the dishes [for incense], and all the [other] bronze items that were used when sacrifices were made at the temple.
Bathatha njalo imbiza, lamafotsholo, lezindlawu lemiganu yezichelo, lezinditshi lazozonke izitsha zethusi ezazisetshenziswa enkonzweni yasethempelini.
19 Nebuzaradan also [told his soldiers to] take away the small bowls, the dishes for burning incense, the basins, pots, lampstands, bowls [for incense], and the bowls used for pouring out the wine offerings. They took all the other items that were made of pure gold or silver.
Umlawuli wabalindi besigodlo wathatha izinditshi, izitsha zokutshisela impepha, imiganu yezichelo, imbiza, izinti zezibane, izinditshi lemiganu okusetshenziswa eminikelweni yokunathwayo konke okwakwenziwe ngegolide elicengekileyo loba isiliva.
20 The bronze from the two pillars, the [large water] tank and the twelve statues of oxen that were beneath it, and the water carts, was more/heavier than they could weigh. Those things had been made for the temple during the time that Solomon was the king.
Ithusi elalivela ensikeni ezimbili, loLwandle lelenkunzi zethusi ezilitshumi lambili ezazingaphansi kwalo kanye lelezidindi ezisusekayo konke okwakwenzelwe ithempeli likaThixo yinkosi uSolomoni, kwakulesisindo esasingelinganiswe.
21 Each of the pillars was (27 feet/8 meters) tall and (18 feet/5.5 meters) around. They were hollow, and each had sides/walls that were (3 in./8 cm.) thick.
Ubude bensika ngayinye babuzingalo ezilitshumi lasificaminwembili, ubuqatha buzingalo ezilitshumi lambili, uhlonzi luyiminwe emine njalo ilomhome.
22 The bronze head on the top of each pillar was (7-1/2 feet/over 2 meters) high and was decorated all around with a bronze [network of figures that represented] pomegranates.
Isiduku sethusi phezu kwenye insika sasizingalo ezinhlanu ubude baso njalo siceciswe ngomeluko lamaphomegranathi ethusi nxazonke. Enye insika, lamaphomegranathi ayo, layo yayinjalo.
23 There was a total of 100 figures of pomegranates on the network at the top, 96 of which could be seen from the ground.
Emaceleni kwakulamaphomegranathi angamatshumi ayisificamunwemunye munye lesithupha; esewonke amaphomegranathi ayengaphezu kobufikifiki obabuzungezile, ayelikhulu.
24 When Nebuzaradan [returned to Babylon], he took [with him as prisoners] Seraiah the Supreme Priest, Zephaniah who was Seraiah’s deputy, and the three men who guarded the entrances [to the temple].
Umlawuli wabalindi wathumba uSeraya induna yabaphristi, loZefaniya umsekeli wakhe kanye labalindi bomnyango abathathu.
25 He found [some other] people who were [hiding] in the city. [So] from them he took a commander of the army [of Judah], seven of the king’s advisors, the army commander’s chief secretary who was in charge of recruiting [soldiers for the army], and 60 [other] soldiers.
Kulabo ababelokhu besedolobheni wathatha isikhulu esasiphethe amadoda okulwa, labacebisi besikhosini abayisikhombisa. Wathatha lonobhala owayeyinduna eyayiphethe ukubuthwa kwabantu elizweni kanye labanye abantu bakhe abangamatshumi ayisithupha ababeficwe edolobheni.
26 Nebuzaradan took them all to the king of Babylon, [who was still] at Riblah.
UNebhuzaradani umlawuli wabathatha bonke wabasa enkosini yaseBhabhiloni eRibhila.
27 There at Riblah in the Hamath region, the king of Babylon commanded that they [all] be executed. [Many of the people of] Judah were (forced to leave/exiled from) their own land.
Khonale eRibhila, elizweni laseHamathi, inkosi yathi kabaqunywe. Ngakho abakoJuda baya ekuthunjweni kude lelizwe labo.
28 The number of people who were captured and sent to Babylon at that time, when Nebuchadnezzar had been ruling for almost seven years, was 3,023.
Nanka amanani abantu uNebhukhadineza abasa ekuthunjweni: ngomnyaka wesikhombisa, amaJuda azinkulungwane ezintathu lamatshumi amabili lantathu;
29 Then, when he had been ruling for almost 18 years, his [soldiers] took 832 [more Israeli people to Babylonia].
ngomnyaka kaNebhukhadineza wetshumi lasificaminwembili mibili, abantu beJerusalema abangamakhulu ayisificamunwemunye lamatshumi amathathu lambili;
30 When he had been ruling almost 23 years, he sent Nebuzaradan [to Jerusalem again], and he brought back 745 [more Israelis to Babylonia]. That was a total of 4,600 Israelis [who were taken to Babylonia].
ngomnyaka wakhe wamatshumi amabili lantathu, amaJuda angamakhulu ayisikhombisa lamatshumi amane lanhlanu asiwa ekuthunjweni nguNebhuzaradani umlawuli wabalindi ekubusweni kwezizwe ezinengi. Bebonke kwakungabantu abazinkulungwane ezine lamakhulu ayisithupha.
31 After King Jehoiachin of Judah had been in prison [in Babylon] for almost thirty-seven years, Evil-Merodach became the king of Babylon. He was kind to Jehoiachin and ordered that he be released from prison. That was on March 31 of the year that Evil-Merodach became king.
Ngomnyaka wamatshumi amathathu lesikhombisa uJehoyakhini inkosi yakoJuda esekuthunjweni, ngomnyaka u-Evili-Merodakhi aba yinkosi yaseBhabhiloni ngawo, wakhulula uJehoyakhini inkosi yakoJuda, wamkhupha entolongweni ngosuku lwamatshumi amabili lanhlanu lwenyanga yetshumi lambili.
32 He [always] spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and gave him a position in which he was honored more than [all] the other kings [who had been exiled/taken to Babylon].
Wakhuluma laye ngomusa, wamnika isihlalo esihloniphekayo esasingaphezu kwezamanye amakhosi ayelaye eBhabhiloni.
33 He [supplied new clothes] for Jehoiachin, to replace the clothes that he had been wearing in prison. [He also allowed] Jehoiachin to eat with him every day, all during the rest of his life.
Ngakho uJehoyakhini wakhupha izigqoko zakhe zasentolongweni, wadla lenkosi izikhathi zonke okwempilo yakhe yonke.
34 Every day, the King [of Babylon] gave him some money [to buy the things that he needed. That continued] until the day that Jehoiachin died.
Nsuku zonke inkosi yaseBhabhiloni yayinika uJehoyakhini isabelo esimisiweyo malanga wonke empilweni yakhe, kwaze kwafika ilanga lokufa kwakhe.
