INkosi Ijezisa U-Antiyokhusi
1Ngaleso sikhathi, u-Antiyokhusi wahlehla ngenxa yokudunyazwa ePheresiya. 2Wayengenile emzini obizwa ngokuthi iPersepolisi wazama ukuqola amathempeli nokuba athole igunya lokuphatha umuzi. Ngakho-ke abantu baphuthuma bathatha izikhali ukuze bawuvikele, yabe seyehlulwa kanjalo-ke eka-Antiyokhusi, wagcina ngokuba abaleke u-Antiyokhusi exoshwa yizakhamuzi, zamthela ngelikhulu ihlazo. 3Lapho esese-Ekbathana, zafika kuye izindaba zokuthi kwenzekeni kuNikhanori nasemabuthweni kaThimothewu. 4Eqhutshwa yintukuthelo, wanquma ukubhodlela kubaJuda ngokulinyazwa kwakhe yilabo abamxoshayo. Ngakho-ke wayala amabutho agibele izinqola ukuba ahambe angami aze aluqede uhambo lwakhe. Kepha isahlulelo sasezulwini sasihambisana naye! Ngokuba wathi ekuzigqajeni kwakhe: “Lapho ngifika kulo, ngizakulenza iJerusalema indawo yamangcwaba abajuda.”
5Kodwa iNkosi ebona konke, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, yamshaya ngoswazi olungabonakali, wangenwa yisifo esingelapheki. Kwathi lapho eqeda nje ukukhuluma wakhungathwa ngubuhlungu obumangalisayo esiswini, okwakungekho khambi labo, kungathi uhlatshwa zinsunsu esiswini, 6lobo buhlungu babumfanele, ngokuba wayebahlukumezile abanye ebakhipha esakaza phansi izibilini zabo. 7Nokho kazange ame ngenxa yobujaka bakhe, kodwa kwaba yilapho egcwala okukhulu ukuzigqaja, evutha bhe ulaka ngenxa yabaJuda. Wayala nokuba bakhawuleze kakhulu kunakuqala. Besakhabuzela wawa kanzima enqoleni yakhe, akubangabikho sitho somzimba wakhe esingathintekanga sagcwala ubuhlungu.
8Ngakho-ke lowo owayeziphakamisa ecabanga ukuthi usankulunkulu kangangoba wayengayala ngisho amagagasi olwandle, ecabanga futhi nokuthi wayengalinganisa izintaba esilinganisweni, wathelwa phansi emhlabathini wabuthwa othulini okobulongwe behhashi, uNkulunkulu ekhombisa amandla akhe kubo bonke. 9Ngakho-ke umzimba wendoda engalungile waphethuza izimpethu, isaphila idla anhlamvana, wagcwala ubuhlungu obumangalisayo. Inyama yakhe yabola yanuka, impi yonke yenyanyiswa yileli phunga lokubola. 10Ngenxa yephunga elalingabekezeleleki akekho owakwazi ukuyithwala le ndoda eyayizicabanga ukuthi ingabamba izinkanyezi zezulu.
U-Antiyokhusi Wenza Isethembiso KuSimakade
(1 AMakh 6:8-17)
11Wachotshozwa emoyeni, kwaphela ukuzazisa kwakhe, yabuya ingqondo phansi kwesijeziso sikaNkulunkulu, ngokuba kwakungasekho mzuzu lapho babungamkhungethe ubuhlungu khona. 12Lapho naye engasakwazi ukumelana nephunga lakhe, wakhuluma lawa mazwi: “Kufanelekile ukuzithoba phansi kukaNkulunkulu; izidalwa ezingabantu azifanele zicabange ukuthi zilingana noNkulunkulu.”
13Kwathi lo mfo owayeyisinengiso esikhulu wenza isifungo eNkosini, eyayingasenasikhathi sakhe, ethi, 14umuzi ongcwele ayephuthuma ukuyowubhubhisa awenze indawo yamangcwaba, wamemezela ukuthi usukhululekile; 15namaJuda ayewabona engafanele ukuba angangcwatshwa, kodwa ayenqume ukuwaphonsa ngaphandle nezingane zawo, ukuze adliwe zilwane zasendle nezinyoni zezulu, usezakubenza bonke, balingane nezakhamizi zase-Athene; 16nokuthi indawo engcwele, ayeyiphangile ngaphambili, uyakuyigcwalisa ngeminikelo emihle kakhulu, abuyise nazo zonke izitsha ezingcwele, konke lokhu useyakukwenza ngokuphindiwe, kuthi nazo zonke izindleko zokwenza imihlatshelo zikhokhelwe esikhwameni sakhe sentela; 17futhi ngaphezu kwakho konke lokhu naye uzakuba ngumJuda futhi uyowuhambela wonke umhlaba ememezela amandla kaNkulunkulu.
U-Antiyokhusi Ubhalela AbaJuda
18Lapho ubuhlungu bakhe bungehli, ngokuba isahlulelo sikaSimakade sasehliselwe ngokufanele kuye, waphelelwa yilo lonke ithemba, wabhalela abajuda le ncwadi, eyayifana nesinxuso. Nakhu okwakusencwadini: 19“Kuzo izakhamuzi ezethembekile zabaJuda, u-Antiyokhusi inkosi yabo kanye nabakhuzi bempi bedlulisa ukubingelela okuvela enhliziyweni kanye nezilokotho ezinhle zempilo nenqubekela phambili. 20Uma nina nezingane zenu niphilile nezindaba zenu ziyilokho enifisa zibe yikho, ngiyathokoza. Njengoba ithemba lami lisezulwini, 21ngilukhumbula ngothando udumo lwenu kanye nokulunga kwenu. Ngisendleleni ngivela ePheresiya ngihlaselwe ngukugula okubi kakhulu, futhi ngikubone kufanele ukuba kengicabangisise ngokuphepha kukaSimoni wonkuwonke. 22Alingiphelele nokho ithemba ngenxa yokugula kwami, ngokuba nginethemba elihle lokuphinda ngisinde kulokhu kugula, 23kodwa ngabona ukuthi ngenkathi ubaba ethathe uhambo olukuya emazweni asenhla, wamisa ozakumlandela, 24ukuze, uma kukhona okumehlelayo engazelele noma kutholakale izindaba ezingezinhle, abantu bonke embusweni bangabi nakukhathazeka, ngokuba bayobe bazi ukuthi umbuso ushiywe kubani.
25“Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngiyazi ukuthi amakhosi asemingceleni yezwe ahlala elilangazelela kangakanani ithuba efuna nokubona ukuthi kuyokwenzekani. Ngakho-ke ngikhombe indodana yami u-Antiyokhusi, ebengivele ngihlala ngimshiya ephethe futhi engimncome kakhulu kini uma ngisuke ngiphuthume emazweni asenhla, ukuba abe yinkosi; futhi naye sengimbhalele lokho engikubhale kule ncwadi. 26Ngakho-ke ngiyanigqugquzela nginingcenga ukuba nikhumbule yonke imisebenzi yomphakathi neyangasese esinenzele yona bese nibugcina ubudlelwano obuhle, yilowo nalowo kimi nasendodaneni yami. 27Ngokuba nginesiqiniseko sokuthi iyakulandela inqubo yami futhi iyakuniphatha ngesandla esingenasihluku nangobunene.”
28Ngakho-ke lo mbulali nomhlambalazi, wathi esebubekezelele ubuhlungu obumangalisayo, njengalokho ayenza kwabanye, wafa ngendlela edabukisa kakhulu, efela ezintabeni ezweni angalazi. 29UFiliphu omunye wababesesigodlweni sakhe wathatha isidumbu wakhe wasibuyisela ekhaya; kwathi nokho ngokwesaba indodana ka-Antiyokhusi, walifulathela elakubo wayokhonzela inxiwa kuPhitholemi Filomethori waseGibhithe.
