2 UMakhabhizi 11

₁Masinyane emuva kwalokhu, uLusiyase, umlondi wenkosi kanye nomhlobo wayo, owayephethe uhulumeni, ethukutheliswe ngokwakwenzekile, ₂wabutha amabutho ahamba ngezinyawo ayizi-8 000 kanye nabo bonke abagibele amahhashi weza ukuzohlasela abaJuda. Wayehlose ukuwenza umuzi ube likhaya lamaGriki, ₃nokuba enze kube khona intela yethempeli njengoba enza ezindaweni ezingcwele zezinye izizwe, nokuba ubuphristi obukhulu kube yinto ezothengwa ngemali minyaka yonke. ₄Kazange awagqize qakala amandla kaNkulunkulu, kodwa wayegcwele okukhulu ukuphakama ngenxa yezi-10 000 zamabutho ahamba ngezinyawo, nenkulungwane yabagibele amahhashi, kanye nezindlovu ezingama-80. ₅Ehlasela eJudiya wasondela eBhethi-zuri, elalingumuzi ovikelekile amastadiyu ayisihlanu kusuka eJerusalema, walicindezela kakhulu. ₆Lapho uMakhabhizi namabutho akhe bezwa ukuthi uLusiyase uhlasele izinqaba, bona kanye nabo bonke abantu, balila bekhala izinyembezi, bakhuleka eNkosini ukuba ithumele ingelosi yayo ukuba imhlenge u-Israyeli.

₇UMakhabhizi uqobo waba ngowokuqala ukuthatha izikhali, wabagqugquzela abanye ukuba banikele ukuphila kwabo ukuze bayosiza abahlobo babo. Ngakho-ke baphuthuma ndawonye baya khona. ₈Belapho, beseseduzane neJerusalema, kwavela indoda egibele ihhashi phambi kwabo, igqoke ezimhlophe futhi iyaluzisa izikhali zayo zegolide. ₉Bamdumisa uNkulunkulu onesihawu bendawonye, futhi baqiniswa ezinhliziyweni, bakulungela ukubhekana hhayi nje nabantu kuphela, ngisho nezilwane zasendle, nezingange zensimbi imbala. ₁₀Baqhubeka empini, belekelelwa ubukhona bezulu, ngokuba iNkosi yaba nomusa kubo. ₁₁Baziphonsisa okwezingonyama ezitheni zabo, bacekela phansi izinkulungwane eziyishumi nanye zamabutho kanye nabagibele amahhashi abayi-1 600, babaphoqa ukuba babaleke. ₁₂Iningi labo labaleka lingasembethe lutho futhi lilimele, kanti uLusiyase uqobo waphunyuka wabaleka ethelwe ngehlazo.

₁₃Njengoba kwaku ngumuntu ohlakaniphile, wacabanga ngokwehlulwa okwakumehlele, kwamkhanyela ukuthi amaHebheru ayengathinteki ngokuba uNkulunkulu uSomandla wayelwa ngakuwo. Ngakho-ke wathumela kubo, ₁₄wabancenga ukuba balungise udaba phakathi kwabo benze nesivumelwano esinobulungisa, ethembisa ukuthi uyakuyincenga inkosi, ayiphoqe ukuba ibe ngumngani wabo. ₁₅UMakhabhizi ekuthanda ukuba kube nokuthula kwabo bonke, wakuvuma konke uLusiyase ayekusho. Inkosi yavuma zonke izicelo egameni lamaJuda uMakhabhizi ayezibhalile wazithumela ngoLusiyase.

₁₆Incwadi uLusiyase ayeyibhalele abajuda yayithi: “ULusiyase kubantu bakwaJuda, ngiyanibingelela. ₁₇UJohani no-Absalomu abathunyelwa kimi, banginikile incwadi yenu esayiniwe futhi babuzisisa nangalokho okubhalwe kuyo. ₁₈Sengiyazisile inkosi ngakho konke ebekudinga ngiyazise khona, futhi ikuvumile lokho engakwazi ukukwenza. ₁₉Uma niyobugcina ubudlelwano phakathi kwenu nohulumeni, ngiyozama esikhathini esizayo ukulwela inhlalakahle yenu. ₂₀Maqondana nalezo zinto kanye nemininingwane ngazo, ngiyale la madoda nezithunywa zami ukuba axoxe nani. ₂₁Nisale kahle. Ngonyaka we-148, ngolwamashumi amabili nane lukaDiyosi waseKhorinte.”

₂₂Incwadi yenkosi yayithi: “Inkosi u-Antiyokhusi kumfowabo uLusiyase, ngiyakubingelela. ₂₃Njengoba ubaba esaya konkulunkulu, siyafisa ukuba abantu bombuso wethu bahlale ngokuthula lapho benakekela izidingo zabo. ₂₄Sizwile ukuthi abajuda kawavumi ukuguqukela emasikweni ethu esiGriki njengoba babeshilo obaba, kodwa baqoka eyabo indlela futhi bacela ukuba namasiko abo bavunyelwe ukuwagcina. ₂₅Ngokunjalo, njengoba sifisa ukuba nalesi sizwe sikhululeke singaphazanyiswa, sinquma ukuthi ithempeli labo libuyiselwe kubo futhi baphile ngokwamasiko awoyisemkhulu. ₂₆Ngakho-ke uyobe wenze kahle, ukuba uthumele izwi kubo futhi ubanike isethembiso sobungani, ukuze bayazi inqubo yethu futhi bakhululeke, baqhubeke nempilo yabo ngokuthokoza.”

₂₇Esizweni incwadi yenkosi yayithi: “Inkosi u-Antiyokhusi esigeleni sabaJuda nakuwo wonke amanye abaJuda, ngiyaningelela. ₂₈Uma niphila, kuyinto esiyilangazelelayo leyo. Nathi siyaphila. ₂₉UMenelawusi usitshelile ukuthi nifisa ukubuyela ekhaya niyobhekana nezindaba zenu. ₃₀Ngakho-ke labo abayobuyela ekhaya ngolwamashumi amathathu kuKhantikhusi siyobanikeza isiqiniseko sobungani bethu kanye nemvume yethu ephelele ₃₁ukuze abajuda athokoze ngokudla kwawo nangemithetho yawo, njengoba kwakunjalo ngaphambili, futhi akukho noyedwa wabo oyohlukunyezwa okungahle kwenzeke ngenxa yokungazi. ₃₂Futhi ngimthumele uMenelawusi ukuba azonigqugquzela. ₃₃Nisale kahle. Ngonyaka we-148, ngolweshumi nanhlanu kuKhantikhusi.”

₃₄AbaseRoma babuye bathumela incwadi kubo eyayinala mazwi: “UKhwintusi Memiyusi kanye noTitusi Maniyusi izithunywa zamaRoma, kubantu bakwaJuda, siyanibingelela. ₃₅Maqondana nalokho uLusiyase umhlobo wenkosi anivumele kukho, nathi siyanivumela. ₃₆Kepha mayelana nalezo ndaba anqume ukuzedlulisela enkosini, uma senicabangisisile ngazo, thumelani omunye ngokushesha ukuze sixoxe senze iziphakamiso ezifanele kini. Ngokuba njengamanje sisendleleni siqonde e-Antiyokhi. ₃₇Ngakho-ke sheshisani nithumele izithunywa ukuze sazi ukuthi ninqumeni. ₃₈Nisale kahle. Ngonyaka wekhulu namashumi amane nesishiyagalombili, ngolweshumi nanhlanu kuKhantikhusi.”