22. Kubona kuyakuthathwa isiqalekiso yibo bonke abathunjwa bakwaJuda abaseBabele ngokuthi: ‘UJehova makakwenze ukuba ube njengoSedekiya no-Ahabi abosiwa ngomlilo yinkosi yaseBabele,’
23. ngokuba benzile ubuwula kwa-Israyeli, baphinga nabafazi babakhelwane babo, bakhuluma amazwi amanga egameni lami engingabayalanga ngawo; yimi engikwaziyo, ngingufakazi,” usho uJehova.
24. KuShemaya waseNehelamu uyakusho ukuthi:
25. “Usho kanje uJehova Sebawoti, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Ngenxa yokuba uthumile egameni lakho izincwadi kubo bonke abantu baseJerusalema, nakuZefaniya indodana kaMahaseya, umpristi, nakubo bonke abapristi, ngokuthi:
26. ‘UJehova ukubeke umpristi esikhundleni sikaJehoyada umpristi ukuba nibe yizinduna zabo bonke abantu abahlanyayo nabaprofethayo endlini kaJehova ukuze ubafake esitokisini* nasemaketangeni;
27. manje awumsolanga ngani uJeremiya wase-Anathoti, oprofetha kini na?
28. Ngokuba ngalokho uthumile kithi eBabele, wathi: Kuse kude; yakhani izindlu, nihlale kuzo; tshalani amasimu, nidle izithelo zawo.’ ”
29. UZefaniya umpristi wayifunda le ncwadi ezindlebeni zikaJeremiya umprofethi.
30. Lase lifika izwi likaJehova kuJeremiya, lithi:
31. “Thuma kubo bonke abathunjwa, uthi: ‘Usho kanje uJehova ngoShemaya waseNehelamu, uthi: Ngenxa yokuba uShemaya eprofethile kini, mina ngingamthumile, wanenza ukuba nethembe emangeni,