UJeremiya 52
1 UZedekhiya wayeleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lanye esiba yinkosi, wabusa iminyaka elitshumi lanye eJerusalema; lebizo likanina lalinguHamuthali, indodakazi kaJeremiya weLibhina.
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].
2 Wasesenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi, njengakho konke akwenzayo uJehoyakhimi.
Zedekiah did [many] things that Yahweh says are evil, like [his father] Jehoiakim had done.
3 Ngoba ngenxa yokuthukuthela kweNkosi kwenzeka eJerusalema loJuda yaze yabaphosela khatshana lobuso bayo; uZedekhiya wasevukela inkosi yeBhabhiloni.
[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.
4 Kwasekusithi ngomnyaka wesificamunwemunye wokubusa kwakhe, ngenyanga yetshumi, ngolwetshumi lwenyanga, uNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni wafika, yena lebutho lakhe lonke, ukumelana leJerusalema; basebemisa inkamba bemelene layo, bayakhela izinqaba zokuvimbezela bemelene layo inhlangothi zonke.
[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].
5 Ngokunjalo umuzi wangena ekuvinjezelweni kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka wetshumi lanye wenkosi uZedekhiya.
They continued to surround Jerusalem until Zedekiah had been ruling for almost eleven years.
6 Ngenyanga yesine, ngolwesificamunwemunye lwenyanga, lapho indlala yayiqinile phakathi komuzi, abantu belizwe kababanga lokudla.
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].
7 Basebewufohlela umuzi; wonke amadoda empi asebaleka, aphuma emzini ebusuku, ngendlela yesango, phakathi kwemiduli emibili, elisesivandeni senkosi (amaKhaladiya ayemelene lomuzi inhlangothi zonke), ahamba ngendlela yegceke.
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.
8 Kodwa ibutho lamaKhaladiya laxotshana lenkosi, lafica uZedekhiya emagcekeni eJeriko; lebutho lakhe lonke lahlakazeka lisuka kuye.
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.
9 Basebeyibamba inkosi, bayenyusela enkosini yeBhabhiloni eRibila elizweni leHamathi, eyakhuluma izigwebo kuyo.
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.
10 Inkosi yeBhabhiloni yasibulala amadodana kaZedekhiya emehlweni akhe, futhi yazibulala lazo zonke iziphathamandla zakoJuda eRibila.
They forced Zedekiah to watch while they killed his sons and all the officials from Judah.
11 Yasiphumputhekisa amehlo kaZedekhiya, yambopha ngamaketane ethusi amabili, ukuze inkosi yeBhabhiloni imuse eBhabhiloni, yamfaka entolongweni, kwaze kwaba lusuku lokufa kwakhe.
[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.
12 Njalo ngenyanga yesihlanu, ngolwetshumi lwenyanga (lo umnyaka wawungumnyaka wetshumi lesificamunwemunye wenkosi uNebhukadirezari inkosi yeBhabhiloni), uNebuzaradani induna yabalindi, eyayimi phambi kwenkosi yeBhabhiloni, wangena eJerusalema.
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.
13 Watshisa indlu kaJehova, lendlu yenkosi, lezindlu zonke zeJerusalema lezindlu zonke zabakhulu wazitshisa ngomlilo.
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].
14 Lebutho lonke lamaKhaladiya, elalilenduna yabalindi, labhidliza yonke imiduli yeJerusalema inhlangothi zonke.
Then he supervised the soldiers from Babylonia while they tore down the walls on all sides of Jerusalem.
15 UNebuzaradani induna yabalindi wasethumba abathile kwabangabayanga babantu, lensali yabantu eyayisele emzini, lalabo ababehlamukile, ababehlamukele enkosini yeBhabhiloni, labaseleyo bexuku.
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.
16 Kodwa uNebuzaradani induna yabalindi watshiya abanye kwabangabayanga belizwe ukuthi babe ngabaphathi bezivini labalimi.
But Nebuzaradan allowed some of the very poor people to remain [in Judah] to take care of the vineyards and fields.
17 Lensika zethusi ezazisendlini yeNkosi, lezisekelo, lolwandle lwethusi olwalusendlini yeNkosi, amaKhaladiya akuphahlaza, athwala lonke ithusi lakho alisa eBhabhiloni.
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.
18 Athatha izimbiza, lamafotsholo, lezindlawu, lemiganu yokufafaza, lezinkezo, lazo zonke izitsha zethusi abakhonza ngazo,
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.
19 lemiganu, lezitsha zokuthwala umlilo, lemiganu yokufafaza, lezimbiza, lezinti zezibane, lezinkezo, lemiganu yomnikelo wokuthululwa; okwakuligolide golide lokwakuyisiliva siliva induna yabalindi yakuthatha.
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.
20 Insika zombili, ulwandle olulodwa, lenkabi zethusi ezazilitshumi lambili ezazingaphansi kwezisekelo inkosi uSolomoni eyayikwenzele indlu yeNkosi; ithusi lazo zonke lezizitsha lalingelakulinganiswa ngesisindo.
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.
21 Mayelana lezinsika, ubude bensika eyodwa babuzingalo ezilitshumi lesificaminwembili, lentambo yezingalo ezilitshumi lambili yayigombolozela, lohlonzi lwayo lwaluyiminwe emine, yayilomwolo.
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.
22 Lesiduku esiphezu kwayo sasilithusi, lobude besiduku esisodwa babuzingalo ezinhlanu, lembule, lamapomegranati phezu kwesiduku inhlangothi zonke; konke kwakulithusi. Lensika yesibili yayilokufanana lalezi, lamapomegranati.
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.
23 Njalo kwakulamapomegranati angamatshumi ayisificamunwemunye lesithupha eceleni; wonke amapomegranati ayelikhulu phezu kwembule inhlangothi zonke.
There was a total of 100 figures of pomegranates on the network at the top, 96 of which could be seen from the ground.
24 Induna yabalindi yasithatha uSeraya umpristi oyinhloko, loZefaniya umpristi owesibili, labalindi bombundu labo bobathathu.
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].
25 Yasithatha emzini umthenwa othile owayengumphathi phezu kwamadoda empi, lamadoda ayisikhombisa kulabo ababona ubuso benkosi, atholakala emzini, lomabhalane wenduna yebutho eyayibuthela abantu belizwe emabuthweni, lamadoda angamatshumi ayisithupha abantu belizwe, ayetholakala phakathi komuzi.
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.
26 UNebuzaradani induna yabalindi wasebathatha, wabasa enkosini yeBhabhiloni eRibila.
Nebuzaradan took them all to the king of Babylon, [who was still] at Riblah.
27 Inkosi yeBhabhiloni yasibatshaya, yababulalela eRibila elizweni leHamathi. Ngokunjalo uJuda wathunjwa esuswa elizweni lakhe.
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.
28 Laba ngabantu uNebhukadirezari abathumbayo: Ngomnyaka wesikhombisa, amaJuda azinkulungwane ezintathu lamatshumi amabili lantathu;
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.
29 ngomnyaka wetshumi lesificaminwembili kaNebhukadirezari, kwasuka eJerusalema imiphefumulo engamakhulu ayisificaminwembili lamatshumi amathathu lambili;
Then, when he had been ruling for almost 18 years, his [soldiers] took 832 [more Israeli people to Babylonia].
30 ngomnyaka wamatshumi amabili lantathu kaNebhukadirezari, uNebuzaradani induna yabalindi wathumba amaJuda, imiphefumulo engamakhulu ayisikhombisa lamatshumi amane lanhlanu; yonke imiphefumulo yayizinkulungwane ezine lamakhulu ayisithupha.
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].
31 Kwasekusithi ngomnyaka wamatshumi amathathu lesikhombisa wokuthunjwa kukaJehoyakhini inkosi yakoJuda, ngenyanga yetshumi lambili ngolwamatshumi amabili lanhlanu lwenyanga, uEvili-Merodaki inkosi yeBhabhiloni, ngomnyaka wokuqala wokubusa kwakhe, waphakamisa ikhanda likaJehoyakhini inkosi yakoJuda, wamkhupha entolongweni,
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.
32 wasekhuluma kuhle laye, wabeka isihlalo sakhe sobukhosi phezu kwesihlalo sobukhosi samakhosi ayelaye eBhabhiloni.
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].
33 Wasentshintsha izigqoko zokubotshwa kwakhe; njalo wadla isinkwa phambi kwayo njalonjalo insuku zonke zempilo yakhe.
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.
34 Mayelana lesabelo sakhe, isabelo esimiyo wasinikwa yinkosi yeBhabhiloni, into yosuku ngosuku lwayo, kwaze kwaba lusuku lokufa kwakhe, zonke insuku zempilo yakhe.
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.
