U-Asa Uyinkosi KwaJuda; Unqoba AmaKhushe
1U-Abhiya wayeselaliswa kokhokho bakhe, bammbela emzini kaDavide. U-Asa, indodana yakhe waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe. Emihleni yakhe izwe laba nokuthula iminyaka elishumi.
2U-Asa wenza okuhle nokulungileyo phambi kukaSimakade uNkulunkulu wakhe. 3Wasusa ama-althare abezizwe ezindaweni eziphakemeyo, wabhidliza izinsika, wagawula nezingongolo zo-Ashera, 4watshela uJuda ukuba afune uSimakade uNkulunkulu wokhokho babo, agcine umthetho nemiyalo. 5Wasusa kuyo yonke imizi yakwaJuda izindawo eziphakemeyo, nama-althare empepho; umbuso wazola phambi kwakhe. 6Wakha imizi ebiyelweyo kwaJuda, izwe laba nokuthula; kwakungekho ukulwa kuleyo minyaka ngokuba uSimakade wayemnike ukuthula.
7Wathi kubaJuda: “Masakhe le mizi, siyibiyele ngogange, kube nemibhoshongo, izivalo nemigoqo. Izwe kusengelethu, ngokuba simfunile uSimakade uNkulunkulu wethu; simfunile, Yena wasiphumuza nxazonke.”
Base beyakha-ke baphumelela.
8U-Asa wayenamabutho ayizi-300 000, aphatha izihlangu nemikhonto, ayevela kwaJuda, nalawo ayevela kwaBhenjamini eyizi-280 000, ayephatha amahawu, nansala ngeminsalo. Wonke lawo mabutho ayengamaqhawe anamandla.
UZera, UmKhushe Ulwa No-Asa
9UZera, umKhushe, waphuma namabutho ayizi-100 000 nezinqola eziyizi-3 000 ukuba azolwa naye, wafika eMaresha. 10U-Asa waphuma ukuba abhekane naye, wawahlela amabutho akhe esigodini eZefatha, ngaseMaresha.
11U-Asa wakhala kuSimakade uNkulunkulu wakhe, wathi: “Simakade, akekho ngaphandle kwakho ongasiza nongenamandla phakathi kwabaningi. Sisize, Simakade Nkulunkulu wethu, ngokuba sethembele kuwe, siphumile egameni lakho ukuzobhekana nalolu quqaba. Simakade, Wena unguNkulunkulu wethu, mawungahlulwa muntu.”
12USimakade wawashaya amaKhushe phambi kuka-Asa noJuda; amaKhushe abaleka. 13U-Asa nabantu ababenaye, bawaxosha amaKhushe aze afika eGerari, afa wonke amabutho, akwaze kwasala namunye ophilayo, ngokuba abhujiswa phambi kukaSimakade nempi yakhe. Babuyela emuva nempango eningi kakhulu. 14Bayibhubhisa yonke imizi ezungeze iGerari, ngokuba behlelwa wuvalo olwaluvela kuSimakade. AbakwaJuda baphanga yonke imizi ngokuba kwakunempango eningi kuyo. 15Bacekela phansi amathende emfuyo, bathatha izimvu eziningi namakameli, babuyela eJerusalema.
