< 2 Amakhosi 3 >
1 UJehoramu indodana kaAhabi waba-ke yinkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli eSamariya ngomnyaka wetshumi lesificaminwembili kaJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda; wabusa iminyaka elitshumi lambili.
2 Wasesenza okubi emehlweni eNkosi, kodwa kungenjengoyise lanjengonina, ngoba wasusa insika kaBhali eyisithombe uyise ayeyenzile.
3 Loba kunjalo wanamathela ezonweni zikaJerobhowamu indodana kaNebati owenza uIsrayeli one, kasukanga kukho.
4 Njalo uMesha inkosi yakoMowabi wayengumfuyi wezimvu, wayethela enkosini yakoIsrayeli amawundlu azinkulungwane ezilikhulu, lezinqama ezizinkulungwane ezilikhulu, loboya bezimvu.
5 Kodwa kwathi uAhabi esefile, inkosi yakoMowabi yavukela inkosi yakoIsrayeli.
6 Inkosi uJehoramu yasiphuma ngalesosikhathi eSamariya, yabala uIsrayeli wonke.
7 Yasihamba yathumela kuJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda isithi: Inkosi yakoMowabi isingivukele; uzahamba lami yini siye koMowabi empini? Wasesithi: Ngizakwenyuka. Nginjengawe, njengabantu bami banjalo abantu bakho, njengamabhiza ami anjalo amabhiza akho.
8 Yasisithi: Sizakwenyuka ngayiphi indlela? Wasesithi: Ngendlela yenkangala yeEdoma.
9 Yasihamba inkosi yakoIsrayeli, lenkosi yakoJuda, lenkosi yeEdoma; sebebhode uhambo lwensuku eziyisikhombisa, kwakungelamanzi ebutho lawezifuyo ezibalandelayo.
10 Inkosi yakoIsrayeli yasisithi: Maye, ngoba uJehova ubize la amakhosi amathathu ukuwanikela esandleni sikaMowabi!
11 Kodwa uJehoshafathi wathi: Kakulamprofethi weNkosi lapha yini esingabuza ngaye iNkosi? Enye yenceku zenkosi yakoIsrayeli yasiphendula yathi: Kukhona lapha uElisha indodana kaShafati owathela amanzi ezandleni zikaElija.
12 UJehoshafathi wasesithi: Ilizwi leNkosi likuye. Ngakho inkosi yakoIsrayeli loJehoshafathi lenkosi yeEdoma behlela kuye.
13 UElisha wasesithi enkosini yakoIsrayeli: Ngilani lawe? Hamba kubaprofethi bakayihlo lakubaprofethi bakanyoko. Kodwa inkosi yakoIsrayeli yathi kuye: Hatshi, ngoba iNkosi ibize lamakhosi amathathu ukuwanikela esandleni sikaMowabi.
14 UElisha wasesithi: Kuphila kukaJehova wamabandla engimi phambi kwakhe, sibili, uba bengingaphakamisi ubukhona bukaJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda, bengingayikukukhangela njalo ngingakuboni.
15 Ngakho-ke ngilethelani umtshayi wechacho. Kwathi umtshayi wechacho eselitshaya, isandla seNkosi saba phezu kwakhe.
16 Wasesithi: Itsho njalo iNkosi: Yenzani lesisihotsha sibe yimigelogelo.
17 Ngoba itsho njalo iNkosi: Kaliyikubona umoya njalo kaliyikubona izulu, kodwa lesisihotsha sizagcwaliswa ngamanzi, ukuze linathe lina, lenkomo zenu lezifuyo zenu.
18 Kodwa lokhu kulula emehlweni eNkosi: Izanikela lamaMowabi esandleni senu.
19 Njalo lizatshaya wonke umuzi obiyelweyo, lawo wonke umuzi okhethekileyo, ligamule sonke isihlahla esihle, ligqibele yonke imithombo yamanzi, lone yonke insimu enhle ngamatshe.
20 Kwasekusithi ekuseni ekunikelweni komnikelo wokudla, khangela-ke, kwafika amanzi evelela endleleni yeEdoma, ilizwe laseligcwaliswa ngamanzi.
21 Wonke amaMowabi esezwile ukuthi amakhosi enyukile ukulwa emelene lawo, abizelwa ndawonye, kusukela kuye wonke obhinca izikhali kusiya phezulu, asesima emngceleni.
22 Asevuka ekuseni kakhulu; ilanga selikhanya phezu kwamanzi, amaMowabi abona amanzi emaqondana lawo ebomvu njengegazi.
23 Asesithi: Ligazi leli; amakhosi achithiwe lokuchithwa, asetshayene. Ngakho-ke, empangweni, Mowabi!
24 Kwathi efika enkambeni yakoIsrayeli, amaIsrayeli asukuma atshaya amaMowabi, aze abaleka esuka phambi kwawo; kodwa angena elizweni atshaya amaMowabi.
25 Asediliza imizi; ngulowo wasephosa ilitshe lakhe kuyo yonke insimu enhle, ayigcwalisa, agqibela yonke imithombo yamanzi, agamula zonke izihlahla ezinhle, kwaze kwasala amatshe ayo eKiri-Haresethi kuphela; kodwa abaphosa ngezavutha bayigombolozela, bayitshaya.
26 Inkosi yakoMowabi isibonile ukuthi impi ilukhuni kakhulu kuyo, yathatha abantu abangamakhulu ayisikhombisa abahwatsha inkemba kanye layo, ukuze ifohlele enkosini yeEdoma, kodwa behluleka.
27 Yasithatha indodana yayo elizibulo eyayizakuba yinkosi esikhundleni sayo, yayinikela yaba ngumnikelo wokutshiswa phezu komduli. Kwasekusiba lolaka olukhulu olumelene loIsrayeli; basebesuka kuyo babuyela elizweni lakibo.
