1 UMakhabhizi 9

₁Lapho uDemetriyu ezwa ukuthi uNikhanori kanye nempi yakhe baphelile empini, wathumela ngokwesibili uBhakhidesi kanye no-Alkhimusi ezweni lakwaJuda, wathumela futhi kanye nabo impi efanelekile. ₂Bahamba ngendlela eqonde eGalgala baze bakanekisa ngaseMayisalothi e-Arbelosi balidla babulala abantu abaningi. ₃Ngenyanga yokuqala yonyaka we-152, bakanekisa ngaseJerusalema; ₄baphinde basuka balibangisa eBeriya nempi ehamba ngezinyawo eyizi-20 000 kanye negibele amahhashi eyizi-2 000. ₅UJudase yena wayekanise ngase-Elasa ehamba namadoda aqokiwe ayizi-3 000. ₆Lapho bebona ubuningi bempi eyayizobahlasela, bangenwa luvalo, abanye bamonyuka lapho ikanise khona, kwaze kwasala nje amadoda angama800. ₇Lapho uJudase ebona ukuthi iningi lempi yakhe libalekile, nokuthi kwase kusele kancane itholane phezulu, walimala kakhulu emoyeni, ngokuba sasingasekho isikhathi sokuphinda ahlanganise enye. ₈Waphelelwa ngamandla, kodwa wathi kwabaseleyo: “Masisukume sibhekane nezitha zethu. Sinawo amandla okulwa nazo.”

₉Kepha bazama ukuba bamthene amandla, bethi: “Asinawo amandla. Kodwa into esinokuyenza manje ukuba siphephise ukuphila kwethu, ngokuhamba siqoqe abahlobo bethu sibuye futhi sizokulwa nabo; thina, siyingcosana kakhulu.”

₁₀Kepha uJudase wathi: “Makube kude nathi ukwenza ihlazo lobugwala. Uma isikhathi sethu sesifikile, masife ngesibindi sifela abafowethu, sishiye kungekho sizathu nambuzo ngokuhlonipheka kwethu.”

₁₁Impi kaBhakhidesi yase iphuma ekamu yalungela ukubhekana nabo. Abagibele amahhashi behlukaniswa amathimba amabili, kwathi abezindwayimane kanye nabemicibisholo, bahamba phambi kwempi, kanjalo nawo wonke amabutho asekhulile. ₁₂UBhakhidesi wayesophondweni lwesokunene, ezungezwe ngamathimba amabili. Amabutho akhe anikela ahlasela lapho kukhala amacilongo; kwathi amadoda ayehamba noJudase nawo abetha imitshingo yawo. ₁₃Kwazamazama umhlabathi ngenxa yomsindo wempi, ngakho-ke impi yabhekana kusukela ekuseni kwaze kwaba kusihlwa.

₁₄UJudase wabona ukuthi uBhakhidesi namandla empi yakhe kungakwesokunene, ngakho-ke onke amadoda anesibindi ahamba naye. ₁₅Balushaya balucoboshisa uphondo lwesokunene, wayesebahubha kwaze kwaba se-Azotusi. ₁₆Kwathi lapho ababesophondweni lwesokhohlo bebona ukuthi uphondo lwesokunene luqothuliwe, baphenduka balandela uJudase nabempi yakhe ezithendeni. ₁₇Impi yaba nzima kakhulu, kwalimala kwafa abaningi nxazombili. ₁₈UJudase naye wasala kuleyo kwase kuthi abaseleyo babaleka. ₁₉UJonathani noSimoni bamthatha uJudase umfowabo bamngcwaba engcwabeni loyisemkhulu eliseModeyini ₂₀futhi bamlilela. Wonke u-Israyeli walila kakhulu ngoJudase; balila izinsuku eziningi bathi: ₂₁“Liwile kanjalo iqhawe nomsindisi ka-Israyeli!”

₂₂Ezinye izindaba nezenzo zikaJudase, izimpi kanye nezenzo zakhe zobuqhawe, kanye nobukhulu bakhe, azilotshiwe, ngoba ziningi kakhulu.

₂₃Emva kokufa kukaJudase, kwavela imigundatshani kuzo zonke izingxenye zika-Israyeli; zonke izephulamthetho zaphinde zavela. ₂₄Kulezo zinsuku kwavela nendlala enkulu, kwathi izwe lonke labuyela ezitheni. ₂₅UBhakhidesi wakhetha ababengalungile wababeka ukuba baphathe izwe. ₂₆Benza uphenyo bafunisisa ukuthola abangani bakaJudase, babaletha kuBhakhidesi, owaziphindiselela kubo wabukisa ngabo. ₂₇Ngakho-ke kwaba khona ukukhathazeka okukhulu kwa-Israyeli, okungakaze kubonakale selokhu kwaphela izikhathi zabaphrofethi phakathi kwabo.

₂₈Ngakho-ke bonke abangani bakaJudase bahlangana bathi kuJonathani: ₂₉“Selokhu kufe umfowenu akuvelanga muntu omunye ofana naye ukuphuma abhekane nezitha zethu kanye noBhakhidesi, nokuba abhekane nalabo esizweni sakithi abasizondayo. ₃₀Ngakho-ke manje siyakukhetha namhlanje ukuba uthathe indawo yakhe njengombusi nomholi, ukulwa izimpi zethu.”

₃₁Ngakho-ke uJonathani wabemukela ubuholi ngaleso sikhathi endaweni yomfowabo uJudase.

₃₂Lapho uBhakhidesi ezwa ngalokhu, wazama ukumbulala, ₃₃kodwa uJonathani nomfowabo uSimoni nabo bonke ababenaye bezwa ngalokhu, babalekela ehlane laseTekhowa bakanisa ngasemanzini echibi lika-Asafari. ₃₄UBhakhidesi wezwa ngalokhu ngosuku lwesabatha, wase yena nayo yonke impi yakhe ewela iJolidani. ₃₅Ngakho-ke uJonathani wathumela umfowabo njengomholi wezinkumbi wabancenga abaseNabateyani, ababengabangani bakhe, ukuba bamnike imvume yokuba agcine kubo inqwaba yempahla ababenayo. ₃₆Kepha umndeni kaJambiri owawuvela eMedaba waphumela obala wambamba uJohani nakho konke ayenakho, wahamba nakho.

₃₇Emva kwalezi zinto kwabikwa kuJonathani nomfowabo uSimoni: “Umndeni kaJambiri ugubha umkhosi omkhulu womshado, futhi baqhuba umakoti, indodakazi yomunye wezikhulu zaseKhanani, besuka eNadabathi baphelezelwa yisixuku esikhulu.”

₃₈Bekhumbula ukuthi umfowabo uJohani wabulawa kanjani, bakhuphuka bazifihla ngaphansi kwentaba. ₃₉Babheka babona isinyokotho esinomsindo omkhulu futhi sithwele impahla eningi. Nomkhwenyana waphuma kanye nabangani bakhe nabafowabo ukubahlangabeza beshaya amathamborini futhi behambisana nabaculi kanye nezikhali eziningi. ₄₀Base bebaphuthuma bevuka lapho babebhace khona baqala ukubabulala. Iningi lalimala neningi lafa, abaseleyo babalekela ezintabeni; abaJuda ayesethatha yonke impahla yabo. ₄₁Ngakho-ke umshado waphenduka isililo kanjalo nezwi labaculi babo laphenduka iculo elinzima lomngcwabo. ₄₂Emveni kokuba sebeziphindisele ngokupheleleyo ngegazi lomfowabo, babuyela kweliphansi laseJordani elalihlala liswakeme futhi ligcwele amanzi. ₄₃Lapho uBhakhidesi ezwa ngalokhu, weza nempi enkulu ngosuku lwesabatha wafinyelela ogwini lomfula iJolidani.

₄₄UJonathani wathi kulabo ababenaye: “Masiphakame manje silwele ukuphila kwethu, ngokuba namhlanje izinto azifani nanjengoba zazinjalo ngaphambili. ₄₅Ngokuba bheka! Impi iphambi kwethu nangemuva kwethu, amanzi eJolidani angapha nangapha kwethu, kanjalo nameva nehlathi elicinene, akukho ndawo esingaphendukela kuyo. ₄₆Ngakho-ke masikhale siphakamisele izwi lethu ezulwini, sicele ukuba sikhululwe ezandleni zezitha zethu.”

₄₇Ngakho-ke impi yaqala, uJonathani welula isandla sakhe eshaya uBhakhidesi, kodwa wavika wase ebuyela emuva kwempi. ₄₈UJonathani nempi yakhe base bephonseka emfuleni iJolidani babhukuda bawelela ngaphesheya, kodwa isitha asiliwelanga iJolidani ukuze sibahlasele. ₄₉Kwawa ngalolo lusuku amadoda ayinkulungwane empi kaBhakhidesi.

₅₀UBhakhidesi wase ebuyela eJerusalema, wakha imizi eqinile eJudiya: izinqaba eJerikho, e-Emmawuse, eBhethi Horoni, eBhetheli, eTiminathi, ePharathoni kanye naseTefoni, kwakunezingange ezinde namasango kanye nemigoqo. ₅₁Wayesebeka amabutho kuyo ukuze ahluphe u-Israyeli. ₅₂Waqinisa futhi nomuzi waseBhethi-zuri nowaseGazara kanye nombhoshongo, wabeka amabutho kuyo kanye nokudla. ₅₃Wathumba amadodana amadoda ayedumile ezwe, wawagcina egadiwe eJerusalema.

₅₄Ngomnyaka wekhulu namashumi amahlanu nantathu, ngenyanga yesibili, u-Alkhimusi wakhipha umyalo wokuba kubhidlizwe udonga olwalwehlukanise ingxenye ephakathi yendawo engcwele. Wayidabula nemisebenzi yabaphrofethi! ₅₅Esaqala ukuyicekela phansi imisebenzi yabo, washaywa ngaleso sikhathi u-Alkhimusi wabe usunqindeka kanjalo umsebenzi, washaywa uhlangothi akabe esakhuluma. Wayengakwazi nakukhuluma gama noma ukunikeza umyalo mayelana nendlu yakhe. ₅₆U-Alkhimusi wafa, esebuhlungwini obukhulu. ₅₇Lapho uBhakhidesi ebona ukuthi u-Alkhimusi ufile, wabuyela enkosini, izwe lakwaJuda laba nokuthula iminyaka emibili.

₅₈Kwase kuthi bonke abangenamthetho baceba icebo bathi: “Niyabona, uJonathani namabutho akhe bahleli ngokuthula nangokuzethemba. Ngakho-ke manje masibuyise uBhakhidesi, ukuze ababambe bonke ngabusuku bunye.”

₅₉Bahamba babonisana naye. ₆₀Waqala ukuza nenkulu impi le, futhi wathumela izincwadi ngesinyelela kubo bonke ababambisene naye eJudiya, ebazisa ukuba babambe uJonathani namabutho akhe, kodwa kabakwazanga ukukwenza, ngokuba icebo labo lase laziwa. ₆₁Ibutho likaJonathani labamba amadoda angamashumi amahlanu ezwe ayehola laba ababebanyonyobela lawabulala. ₆₂Kwase kuthi uJonathani kanye namabutho akhe, noSimoni bemuka lapho baya eBhethibhasi elisehlane; wakha izingxenye zalo ezazibhidliziwe, waliqinisa.

₆₃Lapho uBhakhidesi ekuzwa lokhu, wabutha onke amabutho akhe, wathumela umyalo kumadoda onke ayeseJudiya. ₆₄Ngakho-ke weza wakanekisa eBhethibhasi; walwa nalo izinsuku eziningi futhi wenza nemishini yempi yokudiliza ugange. ₆₅Kepha uJonathani washiya umfowabo uSimoni emzini lapho esaphumile nedlanzana lamabutho. ₆₆Wachitha u-Odomera kanye nabafowabo kanye nabantu base Phasironi emathendeni abo. ₆₇Waqala futhi nokuhlasela waya empini namabutho akhe. USimoni namabutho akhe baphuma isinyelela emuzini bathungela ngomlilo imishini yempi. ₆₈Balwa noBhakhidesi, bamehlula. Bamcindezela kakhulu ngokuba icebo lakhe kanye nohambo lwakhe lwalube yize. ₆₉Wabathukuthelela kakhulu labo ababemgqugquzele ukuba eze ezweni, wabulala abaningi babo. Wase enquma ukubuyela ezweni lakubo.

₇₀Lapho uJonathani ezwa ngalokhu, wathumela izithunywa kuye ukuba enze uxolo naye nokuba akhulule abathunjiweyo. ₇₁Wavuma, wenza njengoba ethembisile, wafunga futhi kuJonathani ukuthi akanakuzama ukumbulala uma nje esaphila. ₇₂Wabuyisela kuye abathunjwa ayebathathile ezweni lakwaJuda, wayesephenduka wabuyela ezweni lakubo, kaphindanga wabuyela kwelakwaJuda. ₇₃Ngakho-ke ukulwa kwema kwa-Israyeli. UJonathani wakha eMikhimashi waqala ukwehlulela abantu; wabhubhisa bonke ababengenankulunkulu kwa-Israyeli.