1. UJeremiya waviwa nguShefatiya unyana kaMatan, noGedaliya unyana kaPashure, noYukali unyana kaShelemiya, bekunye noPashure kaMalkiya, xa wayebhekisa kubantu jikelele esithi:
2. “Utsho *uNdikhoyo ukuthi: ‘Umntu oya kusala kwesi sixeko uza kufa ngekrele, yindlala, nangubhubhani, kanti ke lowo uzinikezelayo kumaKaledi uya kusinda, aphile.’
3. Kaloku utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: ‘Esi sixeko siza kunikezelwa esandleni somkhosi wokumkani waseBhabheli oza kusithimba.’ ”
4. Emva koko iziphathamandla ezo zathi kukumkani: “Lo mfo makafe, kuba utyhafisa amajoni ashiyekileyo apha esixekweni, kwakunye nabantu bonke, ngezi zinto azithethayo. Akabanqweneleli buhle abantu; ubanqwenelela ububi.”
5. “Usezandleni zenu; mna kumkani andinakuphikisana nani,” waphendula ngelitshoyo ukumkani uZedekiya.
6. Bamthatha ke uJeremiya, baya kumfaka emhadini owawusenkundleni yabalindi kwaMalekiya unyana kakumkani. Bamthoba ngentambo ukumsa ezantsi kuloo mhadi owawungenamanzi, iludaka lodwa. Watshona kwelo daka ke uJeremiya.
7. Zaya kufika kwigosa lasebhotwe uEbhedi-meleki, owayengumKushe, ezo ndaba zokuba uJeremiya weyehliselwe emhadini. Kwathi ukumkani esahleli ngakwiSango lakwaBhenjamin,
8. uEbhedi-meleki waya apho kuye evela ebhotwe, wafika wathi:
9. “Noko, mhlekazi, imbi yonke le nto yenziwe ngala madoda kumshumayeli uJeremiya, ukweyelisela umntu emhadini apho aya kulamba afele khona xa kungasekho kutya esixekweni.”
10. Ukumkani wathi kumKushe uEbhedi-meleki: “Thatha amashumi amathathu amadoda, uye kunyula umshumayeli uJeremiya kuloo mhadi, engekafeli apho.”
11. Wanduluka ke naloo madoda uEbhedi-meleki, waya nawo kwigumbi elalisebhotwe ngaphantsi kwendlu enguvimba wasebhotwe. Wathatha amadlavu apho, wawathobela emhadini kuJeremiya, ebotshwe ngentambo.
12. Ke uEbhedi-meleki umKushe wathi kuJeremiya: “Faka la madlavu emakhwapheni, ukuze ungatyatyulwa ziintambo.” enjenjalo ke uJeremiya,
13. baza bona bamrhola emhadini ngezo ntambo. UJeremiya wahlala enkundleni yabalindi.
14. Emva koko ukumkani uZedekiya wathi makaye kubizwa umshumayeli uJeremiya, asiwe kumnyango wesithathu wendlu *kaNdikhoyo. Uthe akufika uJeremiya, ukumkani wathi: “Ndifuna ukukubuza into; uze ungandifihleli.”