17. UJeremiya ke ubhekise kukumkani uZedekiya wenjenje: “Utsho uNdikhoyo uThixo onamandla onke onguThixo kaSirayeli ukuthi: ‘Ukuba uyaphuma ngoku uzinikezele kubaphathi-mkhosi bokumkani waseBhabheli, ubomi bakho buya kusinda, nesi sixeko singàtshatyalaliswa ngomlilo, usinde kunye nentsapho yakho.
18. Kodwa ukuba uyala ukunizikezela kubaphathi-mkhosi bokumkani waseBhabheli, esi sixeko siya kunikezelwa esandleni samaKaledi, asitshise siphele, nawe ungasindi kuwo.’ ”
19. Uphendule ngelithi ukumkani uZedekiya: “Ndoyika amaJuda aselezinikezele kumaKaledi, hleze nam ndinikezelwe kuwo ngamaKaledi, aze wona andiphathe gadalala.”
20. Uthe uJeremiya: “Akayi kukunikezela. Thobela uNdikhoyo wena ngokwenza le nto ndikuxelela yona, xa ufuna ukulungelwa, usindise nobomi bakho.
21. Kodwa ke ukuba uyala ukuzinikezela, uNdikhoyo undityhilele ukuba
22. bonke abafazi abasesebhotwe lokumkani wakwaJuda baya kusiwa kumaphakathi okumkani waseBhabheli. Abo bafazi bothi kuwe:“ ‘Bakulukuhle weyela abo gxa bakho bebhongo.Ngoku inkal' ixing' etyeni – bakushiye kwesinomhlwa.’
23. “Bonke abafazi bakho nabantwana bakho baya kusiwa kumaKaledi. Wena akuyi kuphuncula esandleni sawo: uya kubanjwa ngukumkani waseBhabheli, nesi sixeko sitshatyalaliswe ngomlilo.”
24. Emva koko uthe ukumkani uZedekiya kuJeremiya: “Uze ungayithethi mntwini le ncoko yethu, ukuba akufuni kufa.
25. Kodwa ke xa zithe iziphathamandla zeva ukuba bekhe sadibana, zize ke zithi kuwe: ‘Sixelele, ubusithini kukumkani, waza yena wathini kuwe? Ukuba uthethe konke, asiyi kukubulala,’
26. uze uthi: ‘Bendiye kucenga ukumkani ukuba angandibuyiseli kulaa ndlu kaJonatan, kuba ndoyika ukufela khona.’ ”
27. Zaya kuJeremiya zonke iziphathamandla, zafika zambuza ngencoko yakhe nokumkani. Wazixelela konke athe ukumkani aze azixelele kona. Azibanga nakumphikisa kuba yayingavelwanga bani incoko yakhe nokumkani.