2 Amakhosi 25
1 Kwasekusithi ngomnyaka wesificamunwemunye wokubusa kwakhe, ngenyanga yetshumi, ngolwetshumi lwenyanga, uNebhukadinezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni wafika, yena lebutho lakhe lonke emelene leJerusalema, wamisa inkamba maqondana layo; bayakhela imiduli yokuvimbezela emelene layo inhlangothi zonke.
It happened that in the ninth year of the reign of King Zedekiah, in the tenth month, and on the tenth day of the month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came with all his army against Jerusalem. He camped opposite it, and they built a siege wall around it.
2 Umuzi wangena ekuvinjezelweni kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka wetshumi lanye wenkosi uZedekhiya.
So the city was besieged until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah's reign.
3 Ngolwesificamunwemunye lwenyanga yesine indlala yasisiba lamandla phakathi komuzi, njalo kwakungelakudla kwabantu belizwe.
On the ninth day of the fourth month of that year, the famine was so severe in the city that there was no food for the people of the land.
4 Umuzi wasufohlelwa. Wonke amadoda empi asebaleka ebusuku ngendlela yesango phakathi kwemiduli emibili eyayiseduze lesivande senkosi, (amaKhaladiya ayemelene-ke lomuzi inhlangothi zonke); inkosi yasihamba ngendlela yamagceke.
Then the city was broken into, and all the fighting men fled at night by the way of the gate between the two walls, by the king's garden, although the Chaldeans were all around the city. The king went in the direction of the Arabah.
5 Ibutho lamaKhaladiya laselixotshana lenkosi, layifica emagcekeni eJeriko; ibutho layo lonke laselihlakazeka lisuka kuyo.
But the army of Chaldeans pursued King Zedekiah and overtook him in the plains of the Jordan River valley near Jericho. All his army was scattered away from him.
6 Aseyibamba inkosi, ayenyusela enkosini yeBhabhiloni eRibila, akhuluma ukwahlulela kwayo.
They captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where they passed sentence on him.
7 Abulala amadodana kaZedekhiya phambi kwamehlo akhe, akhupha amehlo kaZedekhiya, ambopha ngamaketane ethusi amabili, amusa eBhabhiloni.
As for Zedekiah's sons, they slaughtered them before his eyes. Then he put out his eyes, bound him in bronze chains, and brought him to Babylon.
8 Langenyanga yesihlanu ngolwesikhombisa lwenyanga (okungumnyaka wetshumi lesificamunwemunye wenkosi uNebhukadinezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni) kwafika uNebuzaradani induna yabalindi, inceku yenkosi yeBhabhiloni, eJerusalema.
Now in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan, a servant of the king of Babylon and commander of his bodyguards, came to Jerusalem.
9 Wasetshisa indlu kaJehova lendlu yenkosi lazo zonke izindlu zeJerusalema; layo yonke indlu yesikhulu wayitshisa ngomlilo.
He burned the house of Yahweh, the king's palace, and all the houses of Jerusalem; also every important building in the city he burned.
10 Lebutho lonke lamaKhaladiya elalilenduna yabalindi ladilizela phansi imiduli yeJerusalema inhlangothi zonke.
As for all the walls around Jerusalem, all the army of the Babylonians who were under the commander of the bodyguard destroyed them.
11 Njalo insali yabantu ababesele emzini, labahlamuki ababehlamukele enkosini yeBhabhiloni, lensali yexuku, uNebuzaradani induna yabalindi yabathumba.
As for the rest of the people who were left in the city, those who had deserted to the king of Babylon, and the remainder of the population—Nebuzaradan, the commander of the bodyguard, took them away into exile.
12 Kodwa induna yabalindi yatshiya ebayangeni belizwe ukuba ngabaphathi bezivini labalimi.
But the commander of the bodyguard did leave some of the poorest of the land to work the vineyards and fields.
13 Lensika zethusi ezazisendlini yeNkosi, lezisekelo, lolwandle lwethusi olwalusendlini yeNkosi, amaKhaladiya akuphahlaza, athwalela ithusi lakho eBhabhiloni.
As for the bronze pillars that were in the house of Yahweh, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of Yahweh, the Chaldeans broke them into pieces and carried the bronze back to Babylon.
14 Lezimbiza, lamafotsholo, lezindlawu, lenkezo, lezitsha zonke zethusi, abasebenza ngazo, akuthatha.
The pots, shovels, lamp trimmers, spoons, and all the utensils of bronze with which the priests had served in the temple—the Chaldeans took them all away.
15 Lezitsha zokuthwala umlilo lemiganu yokufafaza, okwakuligolide golide lokwakuyisiliva siliva, induna yabalindi yakuthatha.
The pots for removing ashes and the bowls that were made of gold, and those made of silver—the captain of the king's guard took them away as well.
16 Insika zombili, ulwandle olulodwa, lezisekelo, uSolomoni ayekwenzele indlu yeNkosi, ithusi lazo zonke lezizitsha lalingelakulinganiswa ngesisindo.
The two pillars, the sea, and the stands that Solomon had made for the house of Yahweh contained more bronze than could be weighed.
17 Ubude bensika eyodwa babuzingalo ezilitshumi lesificaminwembili, lesiduku phezu kwayo sasilithusi, lokuphakama kwesiduku kuzingalo ezintathu, lomsebenzi ophothiweyo, lamapomegranati phezu kwesiduku inhlangothi zonke, konke kungokwethusi. Lensika yesibili yayilokunje, ilomsebenzi ophothiweyo.
The height of the first pillar was eighteen cubits, and a capital of bronze was on top of it. The capital was three cubits high, with latticework and pomegranates all around on the capital, all made of bronze. The other pillar and its latticework were the same as the first.
18 Induna yabalindi yasithatha uSeraya umpristi oyinhloko loZefaniya umpristi wesibili, labalindi bombundu womnyango abathathu.
The commander of the bodyguard took Seraiah the chief priest, together with Zephaniah, the second priest, and the three gatekeepers.
19 Lemzini yasithatha induna eyayimiswe phezu kwamadoda empi, lamadoda amahlanu ayesebusweni benkosi ayeficwe emzini, lomabhalane omkhulu webutho eyayibuthela abantu belizwe emabuthweni, lamadoda angamatshumi ayisithupha abantu belizwe ayeficwe phakathi komuzi.
From the city he took prisoner an officer who was in charge of soldiers, and five men of those who advised the king, who were still in the city. He also took prisoner the king's army officer responsible for drafting men into the army, along with sixty important men from the land who were in the city.
20 UNebuzaradani induna yabalindi wasebathatha laba wabasa enkosini yeBhabhiloni eRibila.
Then Nebuzaradan, the commander of the bodyguard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.
21 Inkosi yeBhabhiloni yasibatshaya yababulalela eRibila elizweni leHamathi. Ngokunjalo uJuda wathunjwa esuswa elizweni lakhe.
The king of Babylon put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. In this way, Judah went out of its land into exile.
22 Abantu abasala-ke elizweni lakoJuda, uNebhukadinezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni owayebatshiyile, wabeka phezu kwabo uGedaliya indodana kaAhikhamu indodana kaShafani.
As for the people who remained in the land of Judah, those whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, he put Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, in charge of them.
23 Kwathi zonke induna zamabutho, zona labantu bazo, sezizwile ukuthi inkosi yeBhabhiloni ibeke uGedaliya abe ngumbusi, zeza kuGedaliya eMizipa: Ngitsho oIshmayeli indodana kaNethaniya loJohanani indodana kaKareya loSeraya indodana kaTanihumethi umNetofa loJahazaniya indodana yomMahakathi, zona labantu bazo.
Now when all the commanders of the soldiers, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, they went to Gedaliah at Mizpah. These men were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maakathite—they and their men.
24 UGedaliya wasefunga kuzo lakubantu bazo wathi kuzo: Lingesabi ukuba zinceku zamaKhaladiya; hlalani elizweni, likhonze inkosi yeBhabhiloni, njalo kuzakuba kuhle kini.
Gedaliah made an oath to them and to their men, and said to them, “Do not be afraid of the Chaldean officials. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.”
25 Kodwa kwathi ngenyanga yesikhombisa, kwafika uIshmayeli indodana kaNethaniya indodana kaElishama, owenzalo yesikhosini, lamadoda alitshumi elaye, basebemtshaya uGedaliya waze wafa, lamaJuda lamaKhaladiya ayelaye eMizipa.
But it happened that in the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama, from the royal family, came with ten men and attacked Gedaliah. Gedaliah died, along with the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah.
26 Abantu bonke-ke, kusukela komncinyane kuze kuye komkhulu, lenduna zamabutho, basebesuka baya eGibhithe, ngoba besaba amaKhaladiya.
Then all the people, from the least to the greatest, and the commanders of the soldiers, arose and went to Egypt, because they were afraid of the Babylonians.
27 Kwasekusithi ngomnyaka wamatshumi amathathu lesikhombisa wokuthunjwa kukaJehoyakhini inkosi yakoJuda, ngenyanga yetshumi lambili, ngolwamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa lwenyanga, uEvili Merodaki inkosi yeBhabhiloni, ngomnyaka aba yinkosi ngawo, waphakamisa ikhanda likaJehoyakhini inkosi yakoJuda emkhupha entolongweni.
It happened later in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, that Awel-Marduk king of Babylon released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. This happened in the year that Awel-Marduk began to reign.
28 Wasekhuluma kuhle laye, wamisa isihlalo sakhe sobukhosi phezu kwesihlalo sobukhosi samakhosi ayelaye eBhabhiloni.
He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat more honorable than that of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.
29 Wasentshintsha izigqoko zokubotshwa kwakhe; wasesidla isinkwa njalonjalo phambi kwakhe insuku zonke zempilo yakhe.
Awel-Marduk removed Jehoiachin's prison clothes, and Jehoiachin ate regularly at the king's table for the rest of his life.
30 Lesabelo esimiyo, isabelo esimiyo esiqhubekayo sanikwa yena yinkosi, into yosuku ngosuku lwayo, zonke izinsuku zempilo yakhe.
A regular food allowance was given to him every day for the rest of his life.
