U-Antiyokhusi Uphanga Ithempeli
1Ngasona lesi sikhathi u-Antiyokhusi wahlasela iGibhithe okwesibili. 2Kwenzeka-ke ukuba, cishe izinsuku ezingamashumi amane, kuvele phezu komuzi impi yabagibele amahhashi ayecwebezelisa okwegolide entweza emkhathini, ihambisana nempi eyayihlome iphelele ngemicibisholo, nangezinkemba ezikhokhiwe, 3amabutho agibele amahhashi ayehlelwe kahle, ehlasela ephindelela kulelicala nakuleliya, ephakamise amahawu, kunyakaza imikhonto, bejikijela amamisayili, kubenyezela negolide elicakwe kuwo, kanye nezikhali zalo lonke uhlobo. 4Ngakho-ke wonke umuntu wakhuleka ukuba lokhu abakubonayo kube yisibunge esihle.
UJasoni Uhlasela IJerusalema
5Lapho kuvela amahemuhemu angamanga okuthi u-Antiyokhusi ufile, uJasoni wathatha amadoda angengaphansi kwenkulungwane wagasela emuzini wawuhlasela. Lapho amabutho ayesogangeni esephoqeke ukuba ahlehle kwaze kwagcina ngokuba umuzi uthathwe, uMenelawusi wacasha enqabeni. 6Kepha uJasoni waqhubeka ngomkhulu umfutho ebulala abantu bakubo, kungamkhanyeli ukuthi impumelelo evela ngokuphendukela abegazi lakho iyishwa elikhulu, ebe ezitshela ukuthi umisa izikhumbuzo zokunqoba phezu kwezitha hhayi phezu kwabakubo. 7Kakwazanga nokho ukuba athathe izintambo zombuso; ekugcineni wathola ukudumazeka emacebeni akhe, wabaleka futhi waya ezweni lakwa-Amoni.
8Ekugcineni wafa kabuhlungu kabi: wamangalelwa ku-Areta wama-Arabhu; wayebaleka esuka emuzini ngomuzi; exoshwa yiwo wonke umuntu; ezondwa njengophambene nomthetho; futhi ezondwa njengohluphe abezwe lakhe nabantu bakubo; waze wafumana indawo eGibhithe. 9Yena lowo owayehlupha futhi owaxosha abaningi emazweni abo wabaxoshela ekudingisweni, wafela naye ekudingisweni, nanxa ayehlele ukuhamba aye kumaLakhedayemoni ngethemba lokuthola ukuvikeleka ngenxa yobuhlobo phakathi kwabo. 10Yena lowo owayexoshe abaningi, walala edindilizile kungekho ongamlilela; kazange abe namngcwabo futhi katholanga naliba angabekwa kulo.
U-Antiyokhusi Uhlasela IJerusalema
11Lapha udaba lokuthi kwenzekeni lufinyelela enkosini, yaluthatha ngokuthi lusho ukuthi iJudiya liyamvukela. Ngakho-ke ibila ngaphakathi, yalishiya iGibhithe yawuthelekela umuzi ungazelele. 12Yayala amabutho ayo ukuba acekele phansi ngenkemba noma ngubani ahlangana naye nokuba abulale labo abangena ezindlini zabo. 13Ngakho-ke kwaba khona ukubulawa kwabancane nabadala, abafana, amakhosikazi, nezingane, kwabulawa izintombi nezinsana. 14Ngezinsuku nje ezintathu kwabulawa izi-80 000, abayizi-40 000 bafa ibambene mahlanze, kwathi inani elilinganayo nabafayo ladayiswa laba yizigqila.
15U-Antiyokhusi engenelisiwe yilokhu, wazama ukungena ethempelini elingcwele kakhulu emhlabeni wonke eholwa nguMenelawusi, owayelimbuka emthethweni kanye nasebantwini nezwe lakubo. 16Wazithatha izitsha ezingcwele ngezandla zakhe ezingcolile, washanela ngezandla ezinukubezekile iminikelo yokubonga izifungo, eyayenziwe ngamanye amakhosi eyenzela ukukhulisa ubuhle nodumo lwethempeli. 17Umoya ka-Antiyokhusi waphakama wajabula kakhulu, akabonanga ukuthi iNkosi yayithukuthele isikhashana nje ngenxa yalabo ababehlala emzini, nokuthi lokhu kwakuyisona sizathu okwakungathi iyayiyekela indawo engcwele. 18Uma kwakungeyikho ukuthi babehlanganyela ezonweni eziningi, le ndoda yayiyothola ukushayeka okubuhlungu, ibuyiselwe emuva ifika nje ngenxa yesenzo sayo sokwedelela, njengoba kwenzeka kuHeliyodorusi owayethunyelwe yinkosi uSelewukhusi ukuba azohlola indawo yengcebo.
19Kepha uNkulunkulu kasikhethanga isizwe ngenxa nje yendawo engcwele, kodwa wayikhetha ngenxa yesizwe. 20Ngakho-ke indawo uqobo nayo yahlanganyela ezinhlekeleleni ezehlela isizwe futhi nangasemuva kwalokho yahlanganyela ezinzuzelweni zaso; lokho okwakulahliwe ekuthukutheleni kukaSomandla kwaphinde kwabuyiswa futhi sekunenkazimulo yonke lapho iNkosi seyibuyisene nabantu bayo.
IJerusalema Liyahlaselwa Futhi
21Ngakho-ke u-Antiyokhusi wathwala ethempelini amathalente angama-1 800, waya nawo e-Antiyokhi, ecabanga ekuziphakamiseni kwakhe ukuthi angabhukuda ezweni ahambe elwandle, ngoba ingqondo yakhe yayiphakeme kakhulu. 22Washiya ababusi ukuze bacindezele abantu: eJerusalema, washiya uFiliphu ngokuzalwa owayengowaseFrigiya futhi kuyiqaba leli eliluhlaza eledlula yena u-Antiyokhusi; 23eGerizimu, kwakungu Andronikhusi; ngaphandle kwalaba nguMenelawusi, owahlukumeza abesizwe sakhe ngaphezu kokuba benza abanye. Ekwenyanyeni kwakhe abantu bakwaJuda: 24u-Antiyokhusi wathumela u-Apoloniyase umkhuzi wabaseMisiyane, nempi engangezi-20 000, futhi wamyala ukuba abulale wonke amadoda amadala nokuba athengise ngabesifazane nabafanyana njengezigqila.
25Lapho efika lo mlisa eJerusalema, wazenzisa sengathi uze ngokuthula, walinda kwaze kwaba yisabatha; lapho efumanisa abajuda engekho emsebenzini wayala amabutho akhe ukuba ehle enyuka emzini ehlomile. 26Wabulala ngenkemba bonke labo abaphuma ukuzobabona, wase enikela emzini nempi yakhe wabulala abantu abaningi kakhulu. 27Kepha uJudase Makhabhizi, enabanye abayisishiyagalolunye, babalekela ehlane, futhi wazigcina lapho nabangani bakhe bephila ezintabeni njengoba kwenza izilwane zasendle; baqhubeka bedla okumila ehlane, ukuze bangahlanganyeli ekungcoleni.
