UJehotjhafathi uzihlanganisa no-Arhabi ukulwa ipi
1UJehotjhafathi bekanomnotho omnengi begodu adumile. Wakha ubuhlobo no-Arhabi ngomtjhado.
2Emva kweminyaka ethize wakhamba wayokuthekela kwa-Arhabi eSamariya. U-Arhabi wahlabisa uJehotjhafathi nabantu akhamba nabo izimvu neenkomo ezinengi bewamtjitjizela bonyana asahlele iRamothi eGiliyadi. 3U-Arhabi ikosi yakwa-Israyeli wabuza uJehotjhafathi ikosi yakwaJuda wathi: “Uzakuphuma nami siyokusahlela iRamothi eGiliyadi na?”
UJehotjhafathi wathi: “Ngithi nginawe! Amajonami ngewakho! Sizakubambisana nawe epini.”
4Kodwana uJehotjhafathi wabuye wathi ekosini yakwa-Israyeli: “Buza kuSomnini mantange.”
5Yeke ikosi yakwa-Israyeli yabizela ndawonye abaphorofidi abamakhulu amane wamadoda. Yababuza yathi: “Singaphuma siyokusahlela iRamothi eGiliyadi namkha ngihlale na?”
Baphendula bathi: “Ayisahlele! UZimu uzayinikela esandleni sekosi.”
6Kodwana uJehotjhafathi wabuza wathi: “Akunamphorofidi kaSomnini uZimu eduzapha esingabuza kuye na?”
7Ikosi yakwa-Israyeli yaphendula yathi: “Awa, ukhona yena ongasibuzela kuZimu, into nje mina uyangikghabhudlha ngombana azange akhe aphorofide into ehle ngami, sewuhlala asaphorofida kumbi ngami. Batjho nguMikaya umsa kaYimla.”
UJehotjhafathi wathi: “Akusikuhle bonyana ikosi ikhulume njalo.”
8Yeke ikosi yakwa-Israyeli yabiza esinye seenkhulu zayo yathi kiso: “Rhaba, uze noMikaya umsa ka-Yimla loyo!”
9Ikosi yakwa-Israyeli noJehotjhafathi ikosi yakwaJuda bebahlezi eenhlalweni zabo zobukhosi eselelweni, ebungenweni besango leSamariya, bavunule baphelele ngezobukhosi, kuthe swi abaphorofidi phambi kwabo basemmoyeni wokuphorofida. 10UTsedekhiya umsa kaKenana gade enze iimpondo zesimbi wathi: “Nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini, ‘Ngeempondwezi uzakutlhofoza ama-Aramu abe aphele nya.’ ”
11Boke abaphorofidi abanye nabo bebafakazela isiphorofidwesi bathi: “Sahlela iRamothi eGiliyadi bewuhlule ngombana uZimu uzayinikela ezandleni zekosi.”
12Isithunywa ebesiyokubiza uMikaya sathi kuye: “Qala, abaphorofidaba bakhuluma ngalizwi linye, boke baboniswa okuhle ngekosi. Vumelana nabo nawe ukhulume njengabo.”
13Kodwana uMikaya wathi: “Ngiyaqinisa phambi kwakaSomnini ngithi ngizokukhuluma kwaphela lokho uZimami athi angikutjho.”
14Kwathi lokha nafikako ikosi yambuza yathi: “Wena ongangoMikaya, singaphuma siyokusahlela iRamothi eGiliyadi namkha njani?”
Waphendula wathi: “Iye, sahlela iRamothi eGiliyadi uyihlule ngombana bazakunikelwa esandleni sakho.”
15Ikosi yathi kuye: “Ngikufungise kangaki bonyana ungitjele iqiniso kwaphela ebizweni lakaSomnini uZimu na?”
16Yeke uMikaya wathi:
“Ngibone woke u-Israyeli ahlakazeka emibundwini
njengezimvu ezingenamelusi.
UZimu wathi, ‘Abantwaba abanamelusi.
Omunye nomunye akaziyele kwakhe ngokuthula.’ ”
17Ikosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehotjhafathi: “Uyabona-ke! Angithi ngikutjelile bonyana abe akunalitho elihle angaliphorofida ngami? Into ayaziko sekungikhuluma kumbi.”
18UMikaya waragela phambili wathi: “Yeke lalela okwatjhiwo nguSomnini nangimbona ahlezi esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi aphahlwe mkhambathi woke wezulwini, ngesigomeni nangesinceleni sakhe 19asithi, ‘Ngubani ongayokuyenga u-Arhabi ikosi yakwa-Israyeli bonyana asahlele iRamothi eGiliyadi ukuze aziphekelele yena ekufeni?’ Omunye watjho lokhu nomunye watjho lokhuya. 20Khonapho kwavela omunye womkhambathi wajama phambi kwakaSomnini wathi, ‘Ngizamyenga.’ USomnini wabuza wathi, ‘Uzamyenga njani?’ 21Yena wathi, ‘Ngizakukhamba fese ngibe mumoya wamala emilonyeni yabo boke abaphorofidi bakhe.’ USomnini wathi, ‘Awa, yeke nakunjalo uzakuphumelela ukumyenga. Khamba-ke ufese wenze njalo.’ 22Nje-ke, qala uSomnini ubeke ummoya wamala emilonyeni yabaphorofidi bakhwaba. USomnini ukuhlelele ihlekelele.”
23Yeke uTsedekhiya umsa kaKenana wakhuphuka wafese wamukula uMikaya emhlathini wathi: “Kuzenjani bonyana ummoya obuya kuSomnini usuke kimi uzokukhuluma kuwe?”
24UMikaya wathi: “Uzakwazi mhlana uyokubhaca elawini elisemsamo.”
25Ikosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi: “Thathani uMikaya lo nimbuyisele ku-Amoni oyinduna yedorobho nakuJowatjhi umntwanekosi; 26bese nithi, ‘Ikosi ithi: Phoselani umrhali lo ngesikhungweni, nimuphe isikwana nethosana lamanzi ngamalanga kufikela bengibuye ngisaphephile.’ ”
27UMikaya wathi: “Nange ngambala ungabuya uphephile, uZimu uzabe angakakhulumi ngami.”
(Umphorofidi lo ufaniswa nowathi: “Yizwani noke nina bantu!”)
28Yeke ikosi yakwa-Israyeli noJehotjhafathi ikosi yakwaJuda bakhuphukela eRamothi eGiliyadi. 29Ikosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehotjhafathi: “Ngizakungena epini ngokuzitjhatjhanisa, kodwana wena yembatha izambatho zakho zobukhosi.” Yeke ikosi yakwa-Israyeli yazitjhatjhanisa, yangena epini.
30Ikosi yama-Aramu gade iyale iinduna zayo zeenkarana yathi: “Ningalwi nomunye ngaphandle kwekosi yakwa-Israyeli.”
31Kuthe lokha iinduna zeenkarana nazibona uJehotjhafathi zathi: “Sayibamba inyamazana! Ngiyo ikosi yakwa-Israyeli!” Zajika bonyana zimthelekele. Kodwana uJehotjhafathi warhuwelela, uSomnini wamsiza. UZimu waphambukisa iindunezo bona zisuke kuye. 32Kwathi bona iinduna zeenkarana zingalemuka bonyana akusiyo ikosi yakwa-Israyeli, zalisa ukumkhweza ummango.
33Kodwana khonapho kwase kuba nomunye odumuza umsebakhe angakanqophi muntu, wanemba ikosi yakwa-Israyeli hlangana nomphetho wesiphanga sembaji yepi. Ikosi leyo yathi kumtjhayeli wekarana: “Jikisa ikarana ungikhuphe epinapha, nakhu sele ngikhubele khulu.”
34Ipi yadlondlobala mhlokho, ikosi yakwa-Israyeli yazisama ekaraneni iqale ngehlangothini lama-Aramu bekwahlwa. Kwathi nakutjhinga ilanga yahlongakala.
