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.”
15. UJeremiya yena uthe kuZedekiya: “Ukuba ndikuxelele akuyi kundibulala kodwa? Ukanti nokuba ndingakucebisa, soze undiphulaphule.”
16. Ukumkani uZedekiya wafunga ngasese enoJeremiya, wenjenje: “Ekho nje uNdikhoyo, kanye lo usinika ubomi, andiyi kukubulala, ndingayi kukunikela esandleni sâbo bazungula ubomi bakho.”
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.”