Umbuso ka-Arhazi
1U-Arhazi gade aneminyaka ematjhumi amabili lokha naba yikosi. Wabusa eJerusalema iminyaka elitjhumi namithandathu. Azange afuze uyisemkhulu uDavida, wenza ubumbi phambi kwakaSomnini. 2Wakhamba eendleleni zamakhosi wakwa-Israyeli, naye wenza iinthombembazwa kobana alotjhe aboBhali. 3Watjhisa nemihlabelo emrhobeni weBheni-Hinomu wenza umhlabelo ngabantwabakhe emlilweni, walandela iindlela ezinyenyisako zezizwe uSomnini aziqotjhako phambi kwama-Israyeli. 4Wenza imihlabelo bewatjhisa netjhwalo eendundumeni, eenqongolweni zeentatjana nangaphasi komunye nomunye umuthi ohlaza.
5Ngalokho uSomnini uZimakhe wamnikelela ngekosi ye-Aramu. Ama-Aramu amhlula abe abopha nabantu bakhe abanengi abaletha eDamaseku. Godu uZimu wamnikela ezandleni zekosi yakwa-Israyeli, yona yalimaza amabuthwakhe khulu. 6UPhekharhi umsa kaRemaliya wabulala zoke iingorho zakwaJuda eziziinkulungwana ezilikhulu namatjhumi amabili ngelanga linye ngombana uJuda wahlubuka uSomnini uZimu waboyisemkhulu. 7UZikiri olibutho lakwa-Efrayimu wabulala uMaseya indodana yekosi, u-Azrikhamu isikhulu esiphethe isigodlo no-Elikhana osisandla sekosi. 8Ama-Israyeli athumba iinkulungwana ezimakhulu amabili zabafazi, amadodana namadodakazi wabafowabo, okutjho bakwaJuda. Athatha nentundu yepango ayibuyisela eSamariya.
9ESamariyapho gade kuhlala umphorofidi kaSomnini okuthiwa ngu-Odedi. Waphuma wahlangabeza ibutho nalibuyela eSamariya wathi kilo: “Ngebanga lokobana uSomnini uZimu waboyihlomkhulu gade athukuthelele bakwaJuda, wabanikela ezandleni zenu. Nabangenela nabulala abanye babo ngesihluku esathinta izulu. 10Nje-ke senisophe nokwenza amadoda nabafazi bakwaJuda nebeJerusalema kobana babe makhobokenu. Aninazono nina njengabo phambi kwakaSomnini uZimenu na? 11Lalelani-ke lapha! Godusani abafowenu esele nibathumbilekwaba, nakungasinjalo ubukhali bakoSomnini buzakuba phezu kwenu.”
12Abanye babarholi bakwa-Efrayimu, u-Azariya umsa kaJehorhanani, uBherekiya umsa kaMetjhilemothi, uHezekhiya umsa kaTjhalumu no-Amasa umsa kaRhadilayi bavimba labo ababuya epini 13bathi: “Ningalethi iimbotjhwezo lapha. Nakungasinjalo sizakuba nomlandu phambi kwakaSomnini uZimu. Ningathi nibona bonyana sinezonokazi ezinengi nemilandu khibe nina nisafuna ukungezelela khonapho? Qalani, itukuthelo kaSomnini iphezu kwaka-Israyeli.”
14Yeke ibutho lathukulula iimbotjhwa kanye nepango phambi kweenkhulu kanye nehlangano yoke. 15Kwasuka amadoda agade abalwe ngamabizo athatha izambatho epangwenapho embesa iimbotjhwa ebegade zibulanzi. Anikela iimbotjhwa izambatho namapatlagwana. Azipha ukudla nokuselwako abe azesa namancebazo ngamafutha. Kwathi zoke lezo egade zibogaboga azikhweza kibodumbana. Aphekelela iimbotjhwezo eJerikho, idorobho lamaSundu, emkhawulweni webekhabo. Nje-ke wona abuyela eSamariya.
16Ngesikhatheso ikosi u-Arhazi yabawa isizo ekosini ye-Asiriya 17ngombana ama-Edomu abuye asahlela uJuda abe athatha neembotjhwa, 18godu namaFilista ahlangula amadorobho ngeentatjaneni zangetjingalanga nerhalawumbeni elingesewula yakwaJuda. Athumba abe athatha iBhethe-Tjhemetjhi, i-Ayaloni, iGederothi, iSoko nemizanayo, iTimina nemizanayo kanye neGimizo nemizanayo kwaba ziindawo zawo.
19USomnini waguqisa uJuda ngebanga laka-Arhazi ikosi yakwa-Israyeli, ngombana waliselela ubukhohlakali kwaJuda begodu wakhambelela ngokungathembeki phambi kwakaSomnini. 20UTigilathi-Pileseri ikosi ye-Asiriya weza kuye kodwana wamfaka edakeni kunobana amsize. 21Nanyana u-Arhazi gade ahlangule amagugu wethempeli lakaSomnini, isigodlo kanye nemizi yamakhosana wawanikela ikosi ye-Asiriya, azange kumsize ngalitho.
22Ikosi u-Arhazi lo lokha naseenhluphekweni wangezelela ukukhambelela kwakhe kokungathembeki kuZimu: 23Wenzela abosingazimu beDamaseku imihlabelo, okubosingazimu babantu abamhlulako ngombana wadlumbana wathi: “Njengombana abosingazimu bamakhosi wama-Aramu bawasizile nje, yeke ngizabahlabela ukuze nami bangisize.” Kodwana ngibo abamwisako bebawisa no-Israyeli.
24U-Arhazi wabuthelela ipahla esethempelini lakaZimu wayikghadlha yaba ziinquqwana. Wavala iminyango yethempeli lakaSomnini wajamisa ama-aldari ejikeni elinye nelinye leendledlana zeJerusalema. 25Wakha iindunduma emzini omunye nomunye kwaJuda bonyana enzele abosingazimu imihlabelo yokutjhiswa. Ngokwenza njalo wahlabekisa uSomnini uZimu waboyisemkhulu.
26Ezinye izehlakalo zokubusa kwakhe kanye neendlela zakhe zoke, ukusuka ekuthomeni bekube sekupheleni, kutlolwe encwadini yamakhosi wakwaJuda newakwa-Israyeli. 27U-Arhazi wahlongakala, wabulungwa kiboyisemkhulu edorobheni leJerusalema, kodwana azange abekwe emazindleni wamakhosi wakwa-Israyeli. UHezekhiya indodanakhe wathatha ubukhosi emva kwakhe.
