2 UMakhabhizi 14

₁Emva kweminyaka emithathu, kwafika umbiko kuJudase wokuthi uDemetriyu indodana kaSelewukhusi ufinyelele ngomkhumbi echwebeni laseTripholisi kanye nempi enamandla nemikhumbi, ₂walidla lonke lelo lizwe, ehambisana no-Antiyokhusi kanye noLusiyase umqaphi wakhe. ₃U-Alkhimusi othile, owayengumphristi omkhulu ngaphambili kodwa owazingcolisa ngenhloso ngesikhathi sokuzahlukanisa, wabona ukuthi yayingekho indlela yokuba aphephe, noma yokuba aphinde abe nesabelo e-althare, ₄ngakho-ke waya enkosini uDemetriyu ngomnyaka we-151, wafike wayipha umqhele wegolide kanye namasundu, nangaphandle kwalezi zipho wabuye wamnika izipho zamagatsha omnqumo ejwayelekile asethempelini. Ngalolo lusuku kashongo lutho. ₅Kepha wabuye wathola elinye ithuba elaqhuba icebo lakhe lokusangana lapho emenywa nguDemetriyu emhlanganweni woMkhandlu futhi ecelwa ukuba akhulume ngezinhloso nangokucatshangwa ngabajuda.

Waphendula wathi: ₆“Labo bamaJuda ababizwa ngokuthi ngamaHasidi, abaholwa nguJudase Makhabhizi, bayayiqhuba impi futhi bedala nokwehlukana, abawunikile umbuso ukuthula. ₇Ngakho-ke udumo lokhokho bami ngilubeke eceleni, ngikhuluma ngobuphristi obukhulu, kepha manje ngize lapha, ₈okokuqala, ngokuba ngikhathazekile ngalokho okuyintando yenkosi, okwesibili, ngokuba ngibakhathalela abesizwe sakithi. Ngoba ngenxa yobulima balabo esengikhulume ngabo, isizwe sonke sakithi sinezinkinga eziningi kakhulu. ₉Njengoba nkosi uyazi imininingwane eqondene nalolu daba, inkosi mayibe nozwelo isicabangele isizwe sakithi futhi ibonise isihawu esikhombisa kwezinye izizwe. ₁₀Ngokuba uma nje esaphila uJudase, angeke umbuso wakuthola ukuthula.”

₁₁Lapho esekushilo lokhu, abangani benkosi bonke ababemzonda uJudase, bashesha ukuyenza inkosi uDemetriyu ithukuthele kakhulu. ₁₂Wakhetha ngokushesha uNikhanori, owayengumkhuzi wezindlovu, wammisa ukuba abe ngumbusi waseJudiya, wayesemthuma ukuba ahambe aye khona, ₁₃emyalile ukuba ambulale uJudase futhi awahlakaze amabutho akhe, nokuba amise u-Alkhimusi abe ngumphristi omkhulu wethempeli elikhulu. ₁₄Abezizwe bonke ababebalekile eJudiya, bebalekela uJudase, bashesha bazihlanganisa noNikhanori, becabanga ukuthi noma yini embi eyehlela abajuda iyobalethela ukunotha nenqubekela phambili bona.

₁₅Ngenkathi abajuda ezwa ngokuza kukaNikhanori nangoquqaba lwabezizwe olwase luhambisana naye, azithela ngothuli emakhanda awo akhuleka kuYe owamisa abantu bakhe kuze kube phakade futhi olimelayo ifa lakhe ukuba azibonakalise. ₁₆Ngokuyalwa ngumholi wabo bashesha baphuma lapho babhekana nabo empini esigodini saseDesawu. ₁₇USimoni umfowabo kaJudase, wayekade ebhekanile noNikhanori, kodwa wehlulwa okwesikhashana ngenxa yokuthi isitha samzuma. ₁₈Nakuba kunjalo, lapho uNikhanori ezwa ngobuqhawe bukaJudasi kanye namabutho akhe, nesibindi sabo empini belwela izwe lakubo, wakubalekela ukuba asebenzise impi nokuchitheka kwegazi.

₁₉Ngakho-ke wathumela uPosidoniyase, noTheyodothusi kanye noMathathiyase ukuba baye konikeza izethembiso zobungani futhi nabo babuye nezinye ezivela kubaJuda. ₂₀Kwathi sekuboniswene ngemibandela yonke ngokupheleleyo, kanjalo nabaholi bazisa abantu, futhi sekubonakala sengathi bamqondo munye, bavumelana ukwenza isivumelwano. ₂₁Abaholi bamisa usuku lapho beyohlangana khona bona bebodwa. Kwaphuma inqola yamahhashi kuleyo naleyo mpi; kwase kubekwa izihlalo ezihloniphekile endaweni yazo.

₂₂UJudase wamisa amabutho ahlomile ezindaweni ezithile ezibalulekile futhi elungele nokubhekana nayinoma yibuphi ubuqili obungahle buvele esitheni; ngakho-ke baba nakho ukubonisana. ₂₃UNikhanori wahlala eJerusalema futhi akenza lutho olwalungenza bamxwaye, kodwa wakhulula abantu abaningi ababebuthene lapho. ₂₄Wakuqikekela ukuthi uJudase kasuki phambi kwakhe; waze wathumbeka ngenxa yokunotha kukaJudase. ₂₅Wamgqugquzela ukuba aganwe futhi abe nabantwana; nembala-ke uJudase waganwa wakha, waphila njengabanye.

₂₆Lapho u-Alkhimusi ebona ukuthula nokuphathana kahle kwabo, wathatha isivumelwano esasenziwe waya naso kuDemetriyu. Wamtshela ukuthi uNikhanori wayengethembekile embusweni, ngoba wayekhombile imbuka ukuba lithathe isihlalo emuva kwakhe. ₂₇Inkosi ayithukuthelisa la manga avela kuleli xoki, yambhalela uNikhanori, isho ukuthi ayenelisiwe yisivumelwano futhi imyala ukuba athumele kuyo ngokushesha e-Antiyokhi uMakhabhizi eboshiwe. ₂₈Lapho ufika lo mbiko kuNikhanori, wakhathazeka kakhulu kangangoba waphoqeka ukusesula isivumelwano kube kungekho okuyiphutha ayekwenzile. ₂₉Ngenxa yokuba wayengenakuyiphikisa inkosi, wafuna futhi wenza icebo lokuthi wayengakufeza kanjani okufiswa yinkosi.

₃₀UMakhabhizi waqala ukubona ukuthi uNikhanori wayesenokuzibamba okuningi endleleni abaphathana ngayo, nokuthi wayesenesihluku lapho ekhuluma naye kunokwase kujwayelekile, futhi kumkhanyela ukuthi lokhu kuzibamba kuqubuka ezinhlosweni ezithile, wabutha amadoda amaningi emabuthweni akhe, wabaleka wayobhaca esuka phambi kukaNikhanori. ₃₁UNikhanori esebona ukuthi uMakhabhizi umehlule ngokuhlakanipha, waya ethempelini elingcwele lapho abaphristi besanikela imihlatshelo njengokujwayelekile, wabayala ukuba bambuyisele kuye uMakhabhizi.

₃₂Lapho sebenze isifungo sokuthi kabazi ukuthi iphi le ndoda ayifunayo, ₃₃welula isandla sakhe wasibhekisa ngase-althare, wenza lesi sifungo: “Uma ningamlethi kimi uJudase eboshiwe, ngiyakuyibhidliza le ndawo kaNkulunkulu kanye ne-althare, ngakhe lapha ithempeli elihle likaDiyonisusi.”

₃₄Esekushilo lokhu, waphuma wahamba. Abaphristi base belula izandla zabo bezibhekisa ezulwini bambiza uMvikeli othembekile wesizwe sakubo, bethi: ₃₅“Nkosi yakho konke, nakuba kungekho okuntulayo, kodwa kwakuthokozisa ukuba kube khona leli thempeli elihlala ubukhona bakho phakathi kwethu. ₃₆Ngakho-ke wena oNgcwele, Nkosi yobungcwele bonke, ivikele ingunaphakade lendlu ingangcolisiwe, ehlala ihlanjululwa njalo njalo.”

₃₇Othile owaziwa ngelikaRazisi, ongomunye wamadoda amadala aseJerusalema, wagxekwa kuNikhanori njengomunye othanda isizwe sakubo futhi ethathelwa phezulu ngenxa yokulunga kwakhe, ebizwa nangoyise wamaJuda. ₃₈Ngezikhathi ezidlule, lapho kungakabikho ukuhlangana nabezizwe, wayekade emangalelwe ngokuthi ugcwele ubuJuda, nokuthi wayezibeke ebucayini obukhulu ngenxa yobuJuda. ₃₉UNikhanori efisa ukukhombisa ubutha anabo kubaJuda, wathumela amabutho angaphezu kwama-500 ukuba ayombamba; ₄₀ngokuba wacabanga ukuthi ngokubamba le ndoda uyosilimaza sonke isizwe.

₄₁Ngesikhathi amabutho esezokuwuthatha umbhoshongo, eselwa nokuvula isango elingena egcekeni, ayala ukuba kulethwe umlilo nokuba kushiswe amasango. Ebona ukuthi sebemzungezile, uRazisi wawela enkembeni yakhe, ₄₂ekhetha ukufa ngokuhlonipheka kunokuba awele ezandleni zezoni ahlukunyezwe kabi kunokufanele ukuhlonipheka kwakhe. ₄₃Ngesikhathi kubhuduzelwa, kawelanga ngqo enkembeni, kodwa wagijima wakhwela ogangeni lomuzi waziphonsa phansi esixukwini ngesibindi. ₄₄Ngenkathi bona behlehla ngokushesha, kwavuleka isikhala awela kuso. ₄₅Esaphila futhi egcwele intukuthelo, wasukuma, nanxa igazi laliphophoza emanxebeni akhe ayemabi, wagijima wadabula kuso isixuku; kwathi esefike wama etsheni elilugedla, ₄₆esophe nakakhulu, wazidabula isisu, wathatha izibilini zakhe ngezandla zombili, waziphonsa esixukwini, eyibiza iNkosi yokuphila nomoya ukuba izibuyisele kuye futhi. Wafa kanjena-ke uRazisi.