2 UMakhabhizi 12

₁Lapho sesenziwe lesi sivumelwano, uLusiyase wabuyela emuva enkosini, abajuda aqhubeka nempilo yawo elima amasimu. ₂Kepha abanye babaphathi ezindaweni ezahlukene, uThimothewu no-Apoloniyase indodana kaGenayosi, noHironimusi kanye noDemofoni, omunye futhi nguNikhanori umbusi wase Khuphro, kabazange babayekele ukuze baphile ngokuthula. ₃Abantu baseJopha benza izenzo ezimbi ezifana nalezi: bamema abajuda ayehlala phakathi kwabo kanye nomkawo nabantababo, ukuba agibele ezikebheni ababezakhile, enza sengathi abukho ubutha abanabo namaJuda; ₄lokhu kwenziwa ngokuvumelana komuzi ngevoti. Lapho bekwemukela lokhu ngenxa yokuba babefuna ukuphila ngokuthula futhi bengasoli lutho, abantu baseJopha bawathatha olwandle bawaphonsa ngaphandle kwezikebhe bawaminzisa, kwafa angama-200.

₅Lapho uJudase ezwa ngokuhlukunyezwa kwabafowabo, wayala amabutho akhe, ₆futhi wabiza uNkulunkulu, umahluleli olungileyo, wabahlasela ababulali babafowabo. Wathungela ngomlilo ebusuku itheku labo, washisa izikebhe, wabulala labo ababebhace lapho. ₇Ngenxa yokuba amasango ayevaliwe, wahoxa, ehlose ukubuya futhi awubhubhise wonke umphakathi waseJopha. ₈Kepha lapho ezwa kuthiwa nabantu baseJamniya babehlose ukwenze njalo kubaJuda ayehlala phakathi kwabo, ₉wahlasela abaseJamniya ebusuku futhi wathungela ngomlilo itheku labo kanye nemikhumbi yabo, kwaze kwathi ukukhanya kwekloba lomlilo kwabonakala eJerusalema, elalingamastadiyu angama-40.

₁₀Sebehambe ibanga elingamastadiyu angama-500 besuka lapho, beyobhekana noThimothewu, ama-Arabhu alinganiselwa ezinkulungwaneni eziyisihlanu ehambisana nabagibele amahhashi abangama-500 abahlasela. ₁₁Emva kokulwa okunzima uJudase nempi yakhe besizwa nguNkulunkulu banqoba. Omahamba behlala emuva kokwehlulwa kwabo bamncenga uJudase ukuba abe nobungani nabo, bethembisa ukumnika imfuyo nokusiza abantu bakhe nangezinye izindlela. ₁₂UJudase ebona ukuthi kungenzeka babe lusizo ngezindlela eziningi, wavuma ukwenza uxolo nabo; emuva kokuthola isifungo sakhe babuyela emathendeni abo. ₁₃Wabuye wahlasela umuzi mumbe owawuvikelwe ngamadundu enhlabathi nangezingange, futhi kuhlala kuwo lonke uhlobo lwabantu bezizwe. Igama lawo kwakuyiKhaspini.

₁₄Labo ababengaphakathi, bethembe ukuqina kwezingane nobuningi bokudla nezikhali, baziphatha ngokwedelela okukhulu phambi kukaJudase namabutho akhe, bebagcona, bebathuka futhi besho nezinto ezingcolileyo kubo. ₁₅Kodwa uJudase namabutho akhe babiza uMninimandla wonke womhlaba wonke, okwathi nanxa bengenazo izinqama zokudiliza izindonga kanye nezinjini zempi, bakhumbula ukuthi ngezinsuku zawo Joshuwa bawehlula umuzi waseJerikho, ngakho-ke banikela ngokushesha ezingangeni. ₁₆Bawudla umuzi ngokwentando kaNkulunkulu, babulala abanani elingenakubalwa, kwathi ichibi elaliseduze, elalingamastadiyu amabili ububanzi, kwangathi liyakapaka ngokuchichima igazi.

₁₇Lapho sebehambe ibanga elingamastadiyu angama-750 besuka lapho, bafika eKharaka, kubaJuda ayebizwa ngokuthi ngamaThubiyanusi. ₁₈Kabamtholanga uThimothewu kuleso sifunda, ngokuba ngaleso sikhathi wabe esehambile lapho engazange aphumelele ezinhlosweni zakhe, nanxa kwenye indawo ayeshiye ibutho elinamandla amakhulu. ₁₉UDositheyusi kanye noSosipateri, ababengabakhuzi bempi ngaphansi kukaMakhabhizi baphuma bahlasela babhubhisa bonke labo uThimothewu ayebashiye ezinqabeni, amadoda ayengaphezu kwezi-10 000. ₂₀Kepha uMakhabhizi wayihlela impi yakhe yaba yizigaba, wabeka amadoda ukuba aziphathe, wayesephuthuma elandela uThimothewu, owayehamba ne-120 000 amabutho ahamba ngezinyawo, kanye nezi-2 500 agibele emahhashini.

₂₁Lapho uThimothewu ezwa ngokuthi uJudase uyamlandela, wathumela abesifazane nabantwana kanye nempahla endaweni ebizwa ngokuthi iKharnayimi, ngokuba leyo ndawo kwakulukhuni ukuyihlasela uyahlule ngokuba kwakungangeneki kalula ngenxa yobuncane bendlela elibangise khona. ₂₂Kepha kwathi lapho ibutho lokuqala likaJudase liqhamuka, isitha sagcwala ingebhe netwetwe ngokumbona evela Yena obona konke. Babaleka bahlakazeka nezinkalo zonke, ngangoba iningi lalimazana lona lodwa futhi ligwazwa yimikhonto yalo uqobo. ₂₃UJudase waqhubeka ebahubha ngomfutho omkhulu kakhulu, ebulala ngenkemba eziningi izoni, futhi wabulala ababengamashumi amathathu ezinkulungwane. ₂₄Kwayena uThimothewu uqobo wawela ezandleni zoDositheyusi noSosipateri kanye namabutho abo. Wabancenga kakhulu ukuba bamvumele aye kobhaca aphephe, ngokuba wayegcine abazali beningi labo, kanye nabafowabo babanye babo, abangeke benzelwe musa. ₂₅Esekhulume amazwi amaningi wenza isifungo sokubabuyisa bengalinyaziwe, bamkhulula wahamba, ukuze nje basindise abesizwe sakubo.

₂₆UJudase yena wayesephikelela eKhanayimi ukuyolihlasela lona kanye nethempeli lika-Atargatisi, wabulala lapho abantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nanhlanu. ₂₇Lapho esebabhubhise wabachitha laba, wahlasela e-Efroni, umuzi ovikeleke kakhulu lapho uLusiyase ayehlala khona nezindimbane zabantu bezizwe zonke. Izinsizwa ezazinesibindi zama zabhekana nalo, zazivikela ngesikhulu isibindi; futhi kulo muzi kwakukhona izinjini eziningi zempi kanye nontuluntulu ababegcinwe kuwo. ₂₈Kepha abaJuda abiza uMninimandla wonke ukuze ngosizo lwakhe achithe amandla ezitha zabo. Awunqoba awudla umuzi, abulala nakhona ababeyizinkulungwane ezinga-25 zalabo ababehlala kuwo. ₂₉Besuka lapho, baphikelela emzini waseSkuthoni, elingamastadiyu angama-600 kusuka eJerusalema. ₃₀Kepha abaJuda ayehlala lapho afakaza ngomoya omuhle abantu bomuzi waseSkuthoni abawukhombisa kubo nangendlela ababaphatha kahle ngayo ngezikhathi zobunzima babo. ₃₁Bababonga base bebagqugquzela ukuba bahlale njalo nasesikhathini esizayo benalo moya esizweni sakubo. Base bekhuphukela eJerusalema, njengoba umkhosi wamaviki wawususondele.

₃₂Emva komkhosi kaPhentekhosti, baphuthuma ukuyobhekana noGogiyase umbusi wase-Idumeya, ₃₃owaphuma namabutho ayizi-3 000 ahamba ngezinyawo kanye nama-400 agibele amahhashi. ₃₄Lapho itholana phezulu impi, kwawa abambalwa kweyamaJuda. ₃₅Kepha uDosiyase othizeni, owayengomunye wamabutho kaBhakhenori, owayegibele ihhashi futhi eyindoda enamandla amakhulu, wambamba uGogiyase, embamba ngengubo yakhe wamdonsa ngamandla amakhulu, efisa ukuyithatha iphila le ndoda eyayiqalekisiwe. Kwaqhamuka omunye wabagibele amahhashi waseThirashiya wagenca ingalo kaDosiyase; waphunyuka kanjalo-ke uGogiyase, wabaleka waze wayofika eMarisa. ₃₆Njengoba u-Esdrini namabutho akhe babekade belwa isikhathi eside futhi base bekhathele, uJudase wayibiza iNkosi ukuba izibonakalise ingumana wabo nomholi wabo empini.

₃₇Washaya iziqubulo, wahuba amahubo empi ngolimi lokhokho bakhe; wayesenikela khona wayolwa namabutho kaGogiyase, bawabhadama engalindele, wawahlakaza wawaxosha. ₃₈UJudase wayesehlanganisa impi yakhe waya emzini wase-Adulamu. Njengoba kwakusondela usuku lwesikhombisa, bazihlambulula njengokwesiko, balugcina usuku lwesabatha belapho. ₃₉Ngosuku olulandelayo, njengoba kwase kufanelekile, uJudase namabutho akhe bahamba bayobutha izidumbu zalabo ababesale empini nokuba bazibuyise ziyolala kanye nezabafowabo emangcwabeni okhokho babo.

₄₀Kwathi ngaphansi kwesiphuku salowo nalowo owayengcwatshwa, bathola izimpawu ezingcwele zezithixo zaseJamniya, ezazingavunyelwe ngumthetho ukuba zigqokwe ngabajuda. Kwabakhanyela bonke ukuthi yisona sizathu la madoda ewile empini. ₄₁Ngakho-ke bonke bazidumisa izindlela zikaSimakade, uMahluleli olungileyo, owembula ngisho izinto ezifihlakele; ₄₂base beguqukela ekunxuseni, bekhuleka ukuba isono esenziwe yilaba sesulwe siphele. UJudase wayeseyala abantu ukuba bazigcine bengenasono, ngokuba babonile ngamehlo abo okwenzekileyo ngenxa yesono salabo abawa empini.

₄₃Waqoqa futhi nomnikelo, umuntu ngomuntu, kwaze kwahlangana izi-2 000 zesiliva zamadrakhima, wazithumela eJerusalema ukuze kutholakale ngazo umnikelo wesono. Ngokwenza lokhu wenza kahle, nangokuhloniphekayo, ekhumbula ukuthi kukhona ukuvuka kwabafileyo. ₄₄Ngokuba uma ngabe ayengakulindele ukuthi labo ababewile empini bayophinda bavuke, kwakuyofana nokuchitha isikhathi nobulima ukukhulekela abafileyo. ₄₅Kepha uma ayebuka kulowo mvuzo omuhle abawubekelwe bonke labo abalale belungile, okwakungukucabanga okungcwele nokuhle kakhulu. Ngakho-ke wabanxusela ebashwelezela abangasekho, ukuze bakhululwe ezonweni zabo.