2 UMakhabhizi 4

₁USimoni obekukhulunywe ngaye ngaphambili, owayehambe wakhuluma ngemali emelene nezwe lakhe, wakhuluma kabi ngo-Oniyase, ethi nguye ogqugquzele uHeliyodorusi futhi nguye odale lamashwa. ₂Walokotha ukukhomba indoda eyayisiza umuzi ngemali, le ndoda yayingumvikeli wabafowabo, futhi inentshisekelo ngomthetho. ₃Inzondo yakhe yaqhubeka kangangoba kwaba khona ababulawa ngabathile bekhonjwe nguye uSimoni. ₄U-Oniyase wabona ukuthi ubutha bukhulu nokuthi u-Apoloniyase indodana kaMenesithewusi, futhi engumbusi waseKholesiriya kanye naseFonesiya wayeyibhebhethekisa le nzondo kaSimoni. ₅Ngakho-ke wanxusa enkosini, engamangaleli muntu kodwa eqonde ukuba kusimame umphakathi nabantu bonke. ₆Ngokuba wabona ukuthi ngaphandle kokuba ayibonise inkosi, ezomphakathi zazingasoze ziphinde zixazululwe ngokuthula, nokuthi uSimoni ngeke abuyeke ubulima bakhe.

₇Lapho uSelewukhusi esefile, u-Antiyokhusi owayebizwa ngokuthi ngu-Ephifanesi wathatha isihlalo sobukhosi; uJasoni umfowabo ka-Oniyase waba ngumphristi omkhulu ngobuqili, ₈eyethembisile inkosi lapho exoxa nayo amathalente angamakhulu amathathu namashumi ayisithupha esiliva, nakwesinye isikhwama semali wethembisa amathalente ayisishiyagalombili. ₉Ngaphezu kwalokhu wethembisa ukukhokha ikhulu namashumi amahlanu ngaphezulu uma enikwa imvume yokuba akhe ngegunya lakhe inkundla yemidlalo yokuzivocavoca nokuba akhethe izinsizwa ezisezintsha ukuba zenze lokho, nokuba abenze abantu baseJerusalema babe yizakhamizi zase-Antiyokhi.

₁₀Lapho inkosi isivumile, naye esephethe, kachithanga sikhathi wabaguqula abantu bakhe ebaguqulela endleleni yamaGriki yokuphila. ₁₁Wabeka eceleni konke ukubonelelwa kwabaJuda, ababekuthole ngoJohani uyise ka-Ewupolemusi, owathunywa wahamba wayokwenza ubungani nesivumelwano nabaseRoma; futhi wachitha zonke izindlela zokuphila ezisemthethweni waqalisa imikhuba emisha ephambene nomthetho. ₁₂Kwamthokozisa ukuba aqale indawo yokuzivocavoca eduze nje nenqaba, futhi waphoqa izinsizwa ezihloniphekile ukuba zigqoke isigqoko samaGriki. ₁₃Kwaba khona nokuguqulwa kwezinto zibe ngesiGriki futhi kwanda kakhulu nokuthatha izindlela zabezizwe ngenxa yobubi bukaJasoni, owayenobubi futhi engeyena umphristi omkhulu ngokweqiniso.

₁₄Lokhu kwadala ukuba abaphristi bangabe besaba nokweneliswa ngumsebenzi wabo e-althare. Bayibukela phansi indawo engcwele bayeka ukwenza imihlatshelo, bakhawuleza ukuba bayoba yingxenye yokwakwenzeka kungekho emthethweni, nasekuzwaneni amandla okwakwenzelwa enkundleni emuva kophawu lokujikijelwa kwediskusi, ₁₅bakuphoxa ukuhlonishwa okwakwaziswa ngokhokho babo, bagcizelela ukuhlonishwa ngendlela yamaGriki. ₁₆Ngenxa yalesi sizathu behlelwa yinhlekelele bengazelele, nalabo abazindlela zabo babezilandela futhi befisa ukubalingisa baphenduka izitha zabo ezinkulu babajezisa. ₁₇Akuyona into encane ukukhombisa ukungawuhloniphi umthetho kaNkulunkulu, lokhu sizokubona ngokusobala kokuzolandela.

₁₈Ngenkathi imidlalo eyenzeka njalo eTire eminyakeni emihlanu nenkosi ikhona, ₁₉uJasoni ongcolileyo wathumela izithunywa, ezazikhethwe njengezakhamizi zase-Antiyokhi ezazihlala eJerusalema, ukuba zihambise amadrakhma angamakhulu amathathu esiliva ukuze abe ngumhlatshelo kuHekhulesi. Labo ababethwele imali, bakubona kungcono ukuba bangayisebenziseli imihlatshelo, ngokuba kwakungeyona into efanelekile, kodwa ukuba bayisebenzisele okunye. ₂₀Ngale mali owayebathumile wayeqonde ukuba iyoba ngeyomhlatshelo kuHekhulesi, kodwa ngesinqumo sababeyithwele yasetshenziselwa ukwakha imikhumbi yempi. ₂₁Lapho u-Apoloniyase indodana kaMenesithewusi ethunyelwe eGibhithe emkhosini wokubekwa kukaFilomethori inkosi, u-Antiyokhusi wezwa ukuthi uFilomethori wayesephenduke waba nesihluku embusweni wakhe, waqala ukulungisela ukuphepha kwakhe. Ngakho-ke lapho efika eJopha wedlulela eJerusalema. ₂₂Wemukelwa ngelikhulu isasasa nguJasoni kanye nomuzi wonke, wangeniswa kungubu wenyewenye bokukhanya nenhlokomo. Wayesedlula nempi yakhe balibangisa eFonesiya.

₂₃Emva kwesikhathi esiyiminyaka emithathu uJasoni wathumela uMenelawusi, umfowabo kaSimoni okukhulunywe ngaye ngaphambili, ukuba athwale imali ayise enkosini ukuze aqedele ababevumelene ngakho. ₂₄Kodwa yena, lapho ethulwa enkosini, wazibonakalisa njengomuntu onegunya waze wazitholela ubuphristi obukhulu, ekhipha uJasoni ngamathalente angama-300 esiliva. ₂₅Emva kokuthola umyalelo wenkosi wabuya kungekho lutho olwalungamenza abe ngumphristi omkhulu, kodwa wabuya enephakuphaku lokulwa, nolaka ongathi ngolwesilwane sasendle. ₂₆Ngakho-ke uJasoni owathi emuva kokugudluza umfowabo naye wasuswa ngenye indoda, waxoshwa wayobhaca ezweni lakwa-Amoni. ₂₇Nakuba uMenelawusi waqhubeka ukuphatha lesi sikhundla, wayengakhokhi njalo yonke imali ayeyethembisile enkosini. ₂₈USositratusi, owayengumphathi wenqaba, waqhubeka wayifuna le mali, ngokuba kwakungumsebenzi wakhe ukuqoqa intela, ngakho-ke inkosi yababiza bobabili mayelana nalolu daba. ₂₉UMenelawusi washiya umfowabo uLisimakhusi ukuba ambambele isikhundla sobuphristi obukhulu, uSositratusi yena washiya uKhratesi umkhuzi wamabutho aseKhupro.

₃₀Kusenjalo, kwenzeka ukuba abantu baseTasu nabaseMaluwota bavukele umbuso ngenxa yokuba imizi yabo yayinikezwe ku-Antiyokhusi isancinza senkosi, njengesipho. ₃₁Ngakho-ke inkosi yahamba ngokushesha ukuyobhula umlilo, ishiya u-Andronikhusi, indoda eyayinesikhundla esiphakeme, ukuba iyibambele. ₃₂Kepha uMenelawusi, ecabanga ukuthi usethole ithuba elihle, weba ezinye zezitsha zegolide zethempeli wazinikeza u-Andronikhusi; ezinye izitsha, njengoba kwenzeka, wayezidayisele abaseTire kanye nemizi eyakhelene nabo.

₃₃Lapho u-Oniyase esezwe kahle ngakho konke lokhu, wakuveza obala, eseqale yena ngokuphuma waya endaweni engcwele yaseDafune eduze ne-Antiyokhi. ₃₄Ngakho-ke uMenelawusi wadonsela u-Andronikhusi eceleni wamnxusa ukuba abulale u-Oniyase. U-Andronikhusi wafika ku-Oniyase, egcwele ubuqili, wamnikeza izithembiso ezifungelwe futhi wamnika isandla sakhe sokunene; wamncenga nanxa ayesamsola ukuba aphume endaweni engcwele, kwathi ngoba wayengenandaba nobulungisa, wamgudluza ngokushesha endleleni.

₃₅Ngenxa yalesi sizathu akulilanga abajuda nje kuphela, kodwa nabaningi bezinye izizwe balila bengenelisiwe ngokubulawa kwale ndoda. ₃₆Lapho inkosi ibuya eKhilikhiya, abajuda okulowo muzi amangala kuyo mayelana nendlela engagculisi abulewe ngayo u-Oniyase, kanjalo namaGriki akuzwakalisa ukwenyanyiswa yilesi senzo esiyicala. ₃₇Ngakho-ke u-Antiyokhusi waba nokudabuka okukhulu enhliziyweni wagcwala nomunyu, futhi wakhala ngenxa yokuzithiba nesimilo esihle sika-Oniyase. ₃₈Evutha bhe ulaka, wamehlisa u-Andronikhusi esikhundleni, wadabula izingubo zakhe, wamuzungezisa umuzi wonke emusa lapho ayenze khona lesi senzo esibi ku-Oniyase, wafike wambulalela lapho lo mfo owayengumbulali. INkosi yambuyiselela kanjalo ngesijeziso esasimfanele.

₃₉Lapho uLisimakhusi esenzile izenzo eziningi ezingamahlazo edudana noMenelawusi, nalapho imibiko ngabo seyande kakhulu, abantu bahlangana bamelana noLisimakhusi, ngokuba laba base bentshontshe izitsha zegolide eziningi. ₄₀Ngenxa yokuba izihlwele zazibila zigcwele ulaka, uLisimakhusi wahlomisa amadoda ayizinkulungwane ezintathu wahlasela, ibutho lakhe lalihola ngu-Awuranusi, indoda eyase ikhulile kakhulu ngeminyaka kanjalo nangobulima. ₄₁Kepha lapho bezwa ukuthi uLisimakhusi uyawahlasela, amanye athatha amatshe, amanye izinduku, abanye athatha umlotha owawukhona lapho, bawuthela kungathi basangene kuLisimakhusi namabutho akhe. ₄₂Ngaleyo ndlela balimaza abaningi, futhi babulala abanye, abaseleyo babaxosha; leli sela lezinto zasethempelini balibulala eduze nasendaweni yokulonda imali.

₄₃UMenelawusi naye wamangalelwa ngalolu daba. ₄₄Lapho inkosi ifika eThire, amadoda amathathu athunyelwe yizigele afika alubika lolu daba. ₄₅Kepha uMenelawusi owayevele esefana nowehluliwe, wethembisa uPhitholemi indodana kaDorimenesi enkulu inkokhelo yokumthenga ukuze aguqule umqondo wenkosi. ₄₆Ngakho-ke uPhitholemi wayidonsela eceleni inkosi kwangathi baya ehlonzini bayozikhulula, wayicindezela inkosi ukuba iguqule umqondo wayo. ₄₇UMenelawusi owayeqale konke lokhu, wakhululwa kukho konke abemangalelwe ngakho, inkosi yase inqumela intambo la madoda ayenokukhululwa uma ayezikhalele kumaSikhithiyani.

₄₈Bonke labo ababekhulumele imizi nezigodi kanye nezitsha ezingcwele, bathola ukulahlwa ngecala nokujeziswa ngokungafanele. ₄₉Ngakho-ke nanxa abaseThire, bekhombisa ukusenyanya isenzo sokubalahla ngecala, nokho babangcwaba ngenkulu inhlonipho. ₅₀Kepha uMenelawusi, ngenxa yobugovu balabo ababeziphathimandla, waqhubeka ephethe, wakhula ekwenzeni ububi, kunguye owenza amacebo amabi ngabahlobo nabesizwe sakhe.