U-Alkhimusi Umphristi Omkhulu Kanye Nezimpi ZikaNikhanori
1Ngomnyaka we-151, uDemetriyu indodana Seleyukhusi waphuma eRoma, wahamba namadoda ambalwa ngomkhumbi baya emzini othile owawungaselwandle, lapho aqala ukubusa khona. 2Esangena esigodlweni sokhokho bakhe, impi yababamba o-Antiyokhusi noLusiyase yabaletha kuye. 3Kepha lapho ezwa ngalesi senzo, wathi: “Angifuni nje neze ukubabona labo!”
4Ngakho-ke amabutho ababulala. UDemetriyu wabe esethatha isihlalo sobukhosi. 5Kwase kuza kuye onke amambuka, amadoda ayengenankulunkulu akwa-Israyeli; ayeholwa ngu-Alkhimusi, owayefuna ukuba ngumphristi omkhulu. 6Baletha kuye lesi simangalo ngabantu bathi: “UJudase nabafowabo babachithile bonke abangani bakho futhi basixoshile nathi basikhipha ezweni lakithi. 7Ngakho-ke, thumela indoda oyethembayo; mayihambe iyobona yonke incithakalo uJudase ayenzile kithi nasezweni lenkosi. Ngakho-ke inkosi mayibajezise bona nabo bonke ababesekayo.”
8Inkosi yakhetha uBhakhidesi, omunye wabangani benkosi, owayengumbusi wesifunda esingaphesheya komfula; wayeyindoda edumile nephakeme embusweni, futhi ethembekile nasenkosini. 9Yamthumela, yena kanye no-Alkhimusi ongalungile, inkosi eyamenza umphristi omkhulu; yamyala ukuba ayiphindiselele kuba-Israyeli. 10Ngakho-ke baphuma nempi enkulu bagasela ezweni lakwaJuda; wathumela izithunywa kuJudase nabafowabo namazwi angathi ngawokuthula kanti anobunyoka. 11Kepha abawagqizanga qakala lawo mazwi, ngokuba babebonile ukuthi bafike nempi enkulukazi. 12Kwase kufika ku-Alkhimusi nakuBakhidesi iqenjana lababhali lizocela ukuba benze isivumelwano esinobulungiswa. 13AmaHasidi aba ngawokuqala kuba-Israyeli ukufuna ukuthula kubo, 14ngokuba athi: “Umphristi wolibo luka-Aroni ufikile nempi, ngakho-ke ngeke asilimaze.”
15U-Alkhimusi wakhuluma amazwi okuthula kubo futhi wenza isifungo kubo wathi: “Asinakunilimaza nina nabangani benu.”
16Ngakho-ke bamethemba; kodwa wawabamba ngokushesha la madoda ayengamashumi ayisithupha wawabulala ngalusuku lunye, njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi: 17“Inyama yabalungileyo bakho kanye negazi labo balichitha lazungeza iJerusalema futhi kwakungekho muntu wokubangcwaba.”
18Ngakho-ke abantu bonke bagcwala uvalo baba netwetwe ngabo baze bathi: “Alikho iqiniso nobulungisa kulaba bantu, ngokuba basephulile isifungo nesivumelwano abasenzileyo.”
19UBhakhidesi wayesehoxa eJerusalema wayogoba amadlangala eBhethi Zayithi. Wathumela wabamba amadoda amaningi ayembukile, kanye nabanye abantu, wababulala wabaphonsa emgodini omkhulu. 20Wabeka u-Alkhimusi ukuba aphathe izwe, wamshiya nebutho ukuba limsize. UBhakhidesi wayesebuyela emuva enkosini. 21U-Alkhimusi waqala ukusebenza kanzima eqinisa isikhundla sakhe sokuba ngumphristi omkhulu, 22futhi bonke ababehlupha abantu bamlandela. Baphinda balidla elakwaJuda benza umonakalo omkhulu kwa-Israyeli.
23UJudase wabona bonke ububi nomonakalo u-Alkhimusi nabo bonke ayehambisana nabo ayewenza kwa-Israyeli; wawedlula owenziwe ngabezizwe. 24Ngakho-ke uJudase waya kuzo zonke izindawo ezizungezile zaseJudiya, ephindisela kulabo ababembukile futhi wavimbela nalabo ababesemzini ukuba bangaphumi kuwo. 25Lapho u-Alkhimusi ebona ukuthi uJudase nalabo ayehambisana nabo sebenamandla, futhi ebona ukuthi angeke amelane nabo, wabuyela enkosini wafike wakhuluma kabi kakhulu ngabo.
26Inkosi yase ithumela uNikhanori, omunye ohloniphekile wabantwana benkosi, owayebazonda futhi ebenyanya kakhulu aba-Israyeli, yamyala ukuba abaqothule laba bantu. 27Ngakho-ke uNikhanori wafika nempi enkulu eJerusalema, ngobuqili obukhulu wathumela kuJudase nabafowabo umlayezo wokuthula: 28“Makungabikho kulwa phakathi kwami nawe; ngizofika ngokuthula namadoda ambalwa ukuzokubona ubuso nobuso.”
29Ngakho-ke weza kuJudase wafika babingelelana ngokuthula; kodwa isitha sasizilungisela ukuthumba uJudase. 30Afinyelela kuJudase amahemuhemu okuthi uNikhanori uze ngenhloso engalungile, ngakho-ke wesaba akaze avuma ukuhlangana naye ngokwesibili. 31Lapho uNikhanori ezwa ukuthi icebo lakhe seliyaziwa, wayihlomisa yamhlasela uJudase empini eyabambana eKhafarisalama. 32Kwafa amadoda angama-50 empi kaNikhanori, kwathi abasele babalekela emzini kaDavidi. 33Ngemuva kwalezi zehlakalo uNikhanori wenyukela entabeni iZiyoni. Abanye babaphristi ababesendaweni engcwele kanye namadoda amadala abantu bakwa-Israyeli, aphuma ukubahlangabeza ngokuthula nokuba amkhombise umnikelo wokushiswa owawunikelelwa inkosi. 34Kepha wabahleka usulu, wabaphoxa, futhi wabangcofa ekhuluma ngokuziphakamisa okukhulu, 35futhi ethukuthele wenza lesi sifungo: “Uma uJudase nempi yakhe benganikelwa esandleni sami ngalesi sikhathi, uma nje ngiphilile ngiyakubuya ngiyishise le ndlu.”
Wase ephuma ehamba ethukuthele kakhulu. 36Lapho bezwa lokhu, abaphristi bangena bama phambi kwe althare nethempeli; bakhala bathi: 37“Wayikhetha le ndlu yakho ukuba ibizwe ngegama lakho, nokuba ibe yindlu yomkhuleko nokunxusa yabantu bakho. 38Ziphindiselele kule ndoda nempi yayo, futhi benze bawe ngenkemba; khumbula ukuhlambalaza kwabo, ungabavumeli baphinde baphile.”
39UNikhanori waphuma eJerusalema wakanekisa eBethi Horoni, kwase kufika impi yaseSiriya ukuba izomsiza. 40UJudase yena wakanekisa e-Adasa ekanye namadoda ayizi-3 000. UJudase wayesekhuleka ethi: 41“Lapho izithunywa ezivela enkosini zikhuluma amazwi ayinhlamba, ingelosi yakho yaphuma yazithela phansi ngenkemba izi-195 000 zama-Asiriya. 42Ngakho-ke yicoboshise le mpi phambi kwethu namhlanje; makuthi iningi lazi ukuthi uNikhanori ukhulume kabi nendawo engcwele, ngakho-ke mehlulele njengobubi bakhe.”
43Ngakho-ke yatholana phezulu ngolwe-13 lwenyanga ka-Adari. Impi kaNikhanori yabhuqwa, yena waba ngowokuqala ukufa kule mpi. 44Lapho impi yakhe ibona ukuthi ufile, yalahla phansi ezayo izikhali yangquzuka yabaleka. 45AbaJuda babaxosha usuku lonke, kusuka e-Adasa kuze kuyofika eGazara, futhi lapho bebalandela babelokhu bebetha amacilingo empi. 46Abantu baphuma kuyo yonke imizi ezungeze elakwaJuda bazikaka izitha bazibuyisela kubo ababezixosha, ngakho-ke bonke bawa ngenkemba; akwasala noyedwa wabo. 47AbaJuda base bebutha impango; banquma ikhanda likaNikhanori kanye nesandla sasekhohlo ayeselule ngokukhulu ukuziphakamisa, babuya nakho bakuchoma ngaphandle kweJerusalema.
48Abantu bathokoza kakhulu, bagubha umkhosi ngalolo lusuku, njengosuku lwenjabulo enkulu kakhulu. 49Kwenziwa isimiso sokuthi lolu suku luzakugujwa minyaka yonke ngosuku lwe-13 lweka-Adari. 50Ngakho-ke izwe lakwaJuda laba nokuthula izinsuku ezimbalwa.
