< 1 Amakhosi 22 >
1 Kwathatha iminyaka kungelampi phakathi kwe-Aramu le-Israyeli.
2 Kodwa ngomnyaka wesithathu uJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda wayabonana lenkosi yako-Israyeli.
3 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yayike yakhuluma lezikhulu zayo isithi, “Alikwazi na ukuthi eleRamothi Giliyadi ngelethu kodwa asikenzi lutho ukuze silithathe ezandleni zenkosi yase-Aramu?”
4 Ngakho yasicela uJehoshafathi isithi, “Ungahamba lami na ukuze siyehlasela eRamothi Giliyadi?” UJehoshafathi ephendula inkosi yako-Israyeli wathi, “Mina ngikanye lawe, abantu bami banjengabakho, amabhiza ami anjengawakho.”
5 Kodwa uJehoshafathi waphinda wathi enkosini yako-Israyeli, “Akubuze kuThixo kuqala.”
6 Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli yahlanganisa abaphrofethi abangaba ngamakhulu amane yasibabuza isithi, “Ngihambe ngiyehlasela iRamothi Giliyadi yini, loba ngiyekele na?” Abaphrofethi bathi, “Hamba ngoba iNkosi izayinikela esandleni sakho.”
7 Kodwa uJehoshafathi wabuza wathi, “Kambe kakusela mphrofethi kaThixo lapha esingabuza kuye na?”
8 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi, “Ukhona oyedwa esingabuza uThixo ngaye kodwa ngiyamzonda ngoba kakaze aphrofethe okuhle ngami, uhlala ekhuluma okubi. Ibizo lakhe nguMikhaya indodana ka-Imla.” UJehoshafathi wathi, “Inkosi kayimelanga itsho njalo.”
9 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yasibiza omunye wezikhulu zayo yathi kuye, “Phangisa ungilethele uMikhaya indodana ka-Imla.”
10 Bembethe izembatho zabo zobukhosi, inkosi yako-Israyeli loJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda babehlezi ezihlalweni zabo zobukhosi esizeni sokubhulela amabele esangweni laseSamariya labo bonke abaphrofethi bephrofetha phambi kwabo.
11 UZedekhiya indodana kaKhenana wayekhande impondo zensimbi, wasesithi, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, uthi: ‘Ngempondo lezi uzagwaza ama-Aramu uwabhubhise.’”
12 Bonke abaphrofethi babevele bephrofetha okufananayo besithi, “Hlasela iRamothi Giliyadi unqobe, ngoba uThixo uyinikile esandleni senkosi.”
13 Isithunywa esasithunywe ukuyabiza uMikhaya sathi kuye, “Khangela, abanye abaphrofethi bafakaza bengela kuthandabuza ukuthi inkosi izanqoba. Lawe vumelana labo, ukhulume okuyithokozisayo.”
14 Kodwa uMikhaya wathi, “Njengokutsho kukaThixo, mina ngizayitshela lokho engikuthunywe nguThixo.”
15 Ekufikeni kwakhe, inkosi yambuza yathi, “Mikhaya, sihambe siyehlasela iRamothi Giliyadi yini, loba ngiyekele na?” Yena waphendula wathi, “Hlasela njalo unqobe, ngoba uThixo uzalinikela ezandleni zakho nkosi.”
16 Inkosi yathi kuye, “Kumele ngikufungise kangaki ukuze ungangikhohlisi kodwa ungitshele iqiniso ebizweni likaThixo?”
17 Ngakho uMikhaya waphendula wathi, “Ngabona u-Israyeli wonke ehlakazekile ezintabeni njengezimvu ezingelamelusi, kulapho uThixo athi ‘Lababantu abalamkhomkheli. Yekela bonke babuyele emakhaya ngokuthula.’”
18 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi, “Angikutshelanga yini ukuthi uvele kaphrofethi okuhle ngami, kodwa okubi kuphela?”
19 UMikhaya waqhubekela phambili wathi, “Ngakho zwana ilizwi likaThixo elithi, Ngabona uThixo ehlezi esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi lamabutho wonke asezulwini emi ngakwesokunene sakhe lakwesokhohlo sakhe.
20 Njalo uThixo wathi, ‘Ngubani ozahugela u-Ahabi ekuhlaseleni iRamothi Giliyadi ukuze ayefela khonale na?’ Omunye waqamba lokhu, lomunye okwakhe.
21 Ekucineni kwavela umoya, wema phambi kukaThixo wathi, ‘Mina ngizamhuga.’
22 UThixo wabuza wathi, ‘Uzakwenza ngandlela bani?’ Umoya waphendula wathi, ‘Ngizahamba ngiyekuba ngumoya wokuqamba amanga emilonyeni yabo bonke abaphrofethi bakhe.’ UThixo wathi, ‘Uzaphumelela ukumhuga. Hamba-ke uyekwenza lokho.’
23 Ngakho khathesi uThixo usefake umoya wenkohliso emilonyeni yabaphrofethi bakho bonke laba. UThixo usekumisele ukubhujiswa.”
24 Kusenjalo uZedekhiya indodana kaKhenana wasondela, wamwakala uMikhaya ebusweni. Wabuza wathi: “Umoya kaThixo wasuka njani kimi ungena kuwe na?”
25 UMikhaya waphendula wathi, “Uzazibonela mhla uzakuyacatsha endlini engaphakathi.”
26 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yalaya yathi, “Thathani uMikhaya limbuyisele ku-Amoni obusa idolobho lakoJowashi indodana yenkosi.
27 Liyekuthi, ‘Inkosi ithi: Valelani umuntu lo entolongweni lingamniki lutho ngaphandle kwesinkwa lamanzi ngize ngiphenduke ngokuhle.’”
28 UMikhaya waqonqosela wathi: “Nxa ungaphenduka kuhle, uThixo uyabe engakhulumanga ngami.” Waqhubeka wathi, “Lani lonke bantu abambisiseni amazwi ami!”
29 Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli loJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda baya eRamothi Giliyadi.
30 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi: “Mina ngizakuya empini ngizazifihla ngokulahlisa isimo sami, kodwa wena gqoka ezakho ezobukhosi.” Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli yazifihla ngokulahlisa isimo sayo yangena empini.
31 Inkosi yase-Aramu yayilaye abalawuli bayo bezinqola zokulwa abangamatshumi amathathu lambili yathi, “Lina lingalwi lamuntu, loba eyisikhulu loba engumuntukazana, ngaphandle kwenkosi yako-Israyeli.”
32 Abalawuli bezinqola zokulwa bathe bebona uJehoshafathi, bahle bathi “Ngempela le yiyo kanye inkosi yako-Israyeli.” Abalawuli bezinqola zokulwa basebehlasela uJehoshafathi, yena wahlaba umkhosi,
33 baphanga babona ukuthi kwakungasiyo inkosi yako-Israyeli bahle bayekela ukuxotshana laye.
34 Umuntu othile wakhokha umtshoko wakhe watshoka engaqondanga muntu umtshoko wayaciba inkosi yako-Israyeli emkenkeni wesihlangu sayo. Inkosi yasisithi kumtshayeli wenqola yokulwa: “Phendula inqola yakho ungisuse lapha. Sengilimele.”
35 Kwalwiwa impi kanzima ilanga lonke. Inkosi yayeyanyiswe enqoleni yayo yokulwa ikhangele ama-Aramu. Igazi lamanxeba ayo lagelezela phansi enqoleni yokulwa, kwathi Ngalokhokuhlwa yafa.
36 Ekutshoneni kwelanga kwamenyezelwa kuyo yonke impi ukuthi: “Abantu bonke kababuyele emizini yakibo, bonke kababuyele lowo lalowo elizweni lakibo!”
37 Ngakho inkosi yafa yasiwa eSamariya, yangcwatshwa khona.
38 Inqola yokulwa bayigezisela esizibeni seSamariya (endaweni eyayigezela izifebe), izinja zakhotha igazi layo, njengokutsho kwelizwi likaThixo.
39 Konke okunye ngempilo langokubusa kuka-Ahabi lakho konke akwenzayo, ukwakha isigodlo esasiceciswe ngempondo zezindlovu, lamadolobho ayevikelwe okwenqaba, akulotshwanga na egwalweni lwembali yamakhosi ako-Israyeli?
40 U-Ahabi wangcwatshwa laboyise. Ubukhosi bakhe bathathwa yindodana yakhe u-Ahaziya.
41 UJehoshafathi indodana ka-Asa waba yinkosi yakoJuda ngomnyaka wesine wokubusa kuka-Ahabi inkosi yako-Israyeli.
42 UJehoshafathi waba yinkosi eleminyaka engamatshumi amathathu lemihlanu yokuzalwa, wabusa eJerusalema okweminyaka engamatshumi amabili lemihlanu. Ibizo likanina kungu-Azubha indodakazi kaShilihi.
43 Kukho konke ayekwenza wayesenyathelweni likayise u-Asa njalo kazange aphambuke; wenza konke okuhle emehlweni kaThixo. Kodwa izindawo eziphakemeyo zokukhonzela kazisuswanga, abantu babelokhu benikela imihlatshelo, betshisa impepha khonapho.
44 UJehoshafathi wahlalisana ngokuthula lenkosi yako-Israyeli.
45 Okwenzakala ekubuseni kukaJehoshafathi, ukuphumelela kwakhe kanye lokunqoba ezimpini, akulotshwanga na encwadini yembali yamakhosi akoJuda?
46 Waqeda insalela yabesilisa ababefeba emathempelini ayelokhu esasele lapho langemva kokubusa kukayise u-Asa.
47 Kwakungaselankosi e-Edomi, umsekeli nguye owayebusa.
48 UJehoshafathi wakha imikhumbi yokuthutha igolide e-Ofiri, kodwa ayizange isebenze olwandle, yahle yahlikizeka, yabhidlikela e-Eziyoni-Gebheri.
49 Ngalesosikhathi u-Ahaziya indodana ka-Ahabi wathi kuJehoshafathi, “Yekela abantu bami bahambe labakho olwandle,” kodwa uJehoshafathi wala.
50 Ngakho uJehoshafathi waphumula labokhokho bakhe, wangcwatshwa kanye labo emzini kaDavida uyise. UJehoramu indodana yakhe wabusa esikhundleni sakhe.
51 U-Ahaziya indodana ka-Ahabi waba yinkosi yako-Israyeli eSamariya ngomnyaka wetshumi lesikhombisa wokubusa kukaJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda, yena-ke wabusa ko-Israyeli okweminyaka emibili.
52 Wona emehlweni kaThixo, ngoba wahamba enyathelweni likayise lelikanina walandela njalo izindlela zikaJerobhowamu indodana kaNebhathi, owabangela u-Israyeli ukuthi enze isono.
53 Wasebenzela uBhali njalo wamkhonza wathukuthelisa uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, njengalokhu okwakwenziwe nguyise.
