¹ Leli lizwi lelafika kuJeremia liphumela kuSimakadze ngemuva kwekutsi Nebuzaradani, umphatsi wemabutfo enkhosi, amkhulula eRama. Waye wamfumana Jeremia aboshwe ngemaketanga phakathi kwabo bonkhe lababoshiwe baseJerusalema naseJuda lababetawusiwa eBhabhulona. ² Umphatsi lomkhulu wamthatfwa Jeremia watsi kuye: "Simakadze Nkulunkulu wakho ube wakhipha lesihlengo kuleli zwe. ³ Ngako Simakadze wakwenta. Wenta njengobe watsi, ngobe nina nobe nine nonile kuye ningamlambeleli. Yingakho loku kukwenzekile kini. ⁴ Kodvwa manje bheka! Ngikukhululele namuhla emaketanga lawa emsandleni wakho. Uma kulungile emehlweni akho kutsi uhambe nami eBhabhulona, woza, ngitakunakekela. Kodvwa uma kungakafaneli emehlweni akho, ungawozi. Bheka sonkhe lesifundza phambi kwakho. Hamba lapho kulungile khona kuwena." ⁵ Ngesikhatsi Jeremia engaphendvuli, Nebuzaradani watsi: "Hamba uye kuGedaliya indvodzana ya-Ahikam indvodzana yaShafan, lenkhosi yaseBhabhulona yambeke kutsi abe ngumphatsi wemadolobha aseJuda. Hlala naye phakatsi kwabantfu noma hamba lapho kulungile khona kuwena." Umphatsi wemabutfo wamnika lokudla nesipho, wabe esemdedela. ⁶ Ngako Jeremia waya kuGedaliya indvodzana ya-Ahikam eMizipa. Wahlala naye phakatsi kwabantfu labashiywe ezweni. ⁷ Lamanye emaphoyisa emabutfo aseJuda lalisezindzaweni zasemaphandleni—kanye nemabutfo abo—atfola kutsi inkosi yaseBhabhulona yente Gedaliya indvodzana ya-Ahikam abe ngumbusi welive. Bamfaka kutsi abe ngumphatsi wemadvodza, bafati nebantfwana labampofu kakhulu ezweni, labangakasiwa eBhabhulona. ⁸ Base baye kuGedaliya eMizipa. Laba bantfu bekungu-Ishmayeli indvodzana ya-Netaniya; Johani naJonathani, bantfwana baKareya; Seraya indvodzana ya-Tanhuneti; bantfwana ba-Efai lomDanduluthe; naJazaniya indvodzana yaMakathe—kanye nemabutfo abo. ⁹ Gedaliya indvodzana ya-Ahikam indvodzana yaShafan wafunga kubona nakumabutfo abo watsi: "Ningesabi kukhonza emaphoyisa aseKhaldaya. Hlalani ezweni nikhonze inkosi yaseBhabhulona, niphile kahle. ¹⁰ Bheka, ngihlala eMizipa ukuze ngihlangane nemaKhaldaya lawele kithi. Ngako vunani wayini, titselo nemafutha nibeke emabhakedeni enu. Hlalani emadolobha lenawena." ¹¹ Ngako onkhe emaJuda aseMowabi, phakatsi kwabantfu base-Ammon, nase-Edoni, nakuyo yonkhe indzawo atfola kutsi inkosi yaseBhabhulona ivumele lasele kwaJuda kutsi ahlale, yambeka Gedaliya indvodzana ya-Ahikam indvodzana yaShafan kutsi abaphatsise. ¹² Ngako bonkhe emaJuda abuya kuyo yonkhe indzawo labekasakazeke kuyo. Babuyela ezweni lakwaJuda, kuGedaliya eMizipa. Bavuna wayini netitselo ngobuningi. ¹³ Johani indvodzana yaKareya kanye nabo bonkhe emaphoyisa emabutfo asemaphandleni beya kuGedaliya eMizipa. ¹⁴ Batsi kuye: "Uyati yini kutsi Bhalisi inkosi yase-Ammon utfumele Ishmayeli indvodzana yaNetaniya kutsi akubulale?" Kodvwa Gedaliya indvodzana ya-Ahikam akakakholelwa. ¹⁵ Ngako Johani indvodzana yaKareya wakhuluma naGedaliya ngasese eMizipa watsi: "Ngivumele ngihambe ngibulale Ishmayeli indvodzana yaNetaniya. Ngeke umuntfu angati. Kungani akubulale? Kungani uvumele bonkhe labakutjelwe kwaJuda basakazeke bese lasele liyabhubha?" ¹⁶ Kodvwa Gedaliya indvodzana ya-Ahikam watsi kuJohani indvodzana yaKareya: "Ungenzi loku, ngobe ukhuluma emanga nge-Ishmayeli."