UHEZEKIYELI 23

₁Ilizwi lakaSomnini lafika kimi lathi: ₂“Ndodana yomuntu, bekukhona besifazana ababili, kumadodakazi womfazi munye. ₃Wona gade angwadla eGibhide; iye, angwadla ebutjheni bawo. Lapho amabelawo apotozwa nobutlawu beengono zawo zancinzwancinzwa. ₄U-Ohola bekulibizo lendodakazi ekulu, udadwabo omlamako kungu-Oholiba. Bona-ke baba ngebami begodu babeletha amadodana namadodakazi. Amabizwabo atjho lokhu: u-Ohola yiSamariya, u-Oholiba yiJerusalema.

₅“U-Ohola wangwadla asese ngowami; wakhanuka iinthandwa zakhe ama-Asiriya, okumadoda akwazi ukulwa ₆embethe okulihlaza komkayi. Gade ababusi neenkhulu, iye, woke kumasokana aqalekako nabakhweli beenjomani. ₇Watjhemeleza ubungwadla bakhe kibo, iye, kiwo woke amadoda akhethekileko we-Asiriya. Wazisilaphaza ngazo zoke iinkanuko anazo, iye, ngawo woke amanyala okubosingazimu. ₈Akhange alise ubungwadla bakhe agade asoloko abenza eGibhide lapha amasokana bekalala naye khona ebutjheni bakhe, ancinzancinza ubutlawu beengono zakhe, athululela ubungwadla bawo phezu kwakhe. ₉Ngalokho ngamnikela ezandleni zeenthandani zakhe, iye, ezandleni zama-Asiriya ebegade awakhanuka. ₁₀Wona-ke abhenulula ubuze bakhe, athatha amadodana namadodakazakhe, yena ambulala ngesabula. Waba sisiga hlangana nabafazi lokha ama-Asiriya ehlisela iingwebo phezu kwakhe.

₁₁“Udadwabo u-Oholiba wakubona lokho, kodwana wadazuka khulu kunaye ekukhanukeni kwakhe nebungwadleni bakhe obugade budlulele bunebukadadwabo u-Ohola. ₁₂Naye wakhanuka ama-Asiriya, ababusi neenkhulu okumadoda akwazi ukulwa begodu embatha kuhle, abakhweli beenjomani. Boke labo kumasokana aqalekako. ₁₃Ngambona bonyana naye usilaphele, bobalili bamdibi munye. ₁₄Kodwana u-Oholiba wathuwelela nobungwadla bakhe. Gade abona imifanekiso yamadoda athalwe ebodeni, iye, iinthombe zamaKasidi ezithalwe ngokubomvu, ₁₅zithekeleze amabhande emadininazo, zikhephuzela ngeengwani eenhloko zazo; zoke zibonakala njengeenduna zepi okusithombe sabantu beBhabheli indabukwawo kungeyenarha yamaKasidi. ₁₆Lokha nabona imifanekiso yamadoda lawo, wawakhanuka bewathumela iinthunywa kiwo enarheni yamaKasidi. ₁₇Abantu beBhabheli beza kuye bangena naye emabhayini, bamsilaphaza ngobungwadla babo. Emva kobana bamsilaphazile, wabafulathela ngokukghabhudlheka. ₁₈Kwathi lokha ubungwadla bakhe bambuka emtarini, iye, lokha ububhunubhunu bakhe nabambukako, ngamfulathela ngokukghabhudlheka kanjengombana ngafulathela udadwabo ngokukghabhudlheka. ₁₉Nanyana kunjalo wathuwelela nobungwadla bakhe, akhumbula imihla yobutjha bakhe yalokha nangwadla enarheni yeGibhide, ₂₀lapha akhanuka khona abomakhwapheni bakhe, abanemithondo efana neyabodumbana ekhihliza njengeyeenjomani. ₂₁Ngalokho wahlulukela ukuziphatha ngameswe kobutjha bakho, lokha amaGibhide ancinzancinza ubutlawu beengono zakho ngenca yokuphuhla kwamabelakho.”

₂₂Yeke wena Oholiba, nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini uSomandla: “Qala, sele ngizokuvuza iinthandani zakho kobana zijamelane nawe, iye, lezo owazifulathela ngokukghabhudlheka; ngizozibuyisa mahlangothi woke kobana zijamelane nawe: ₂₃AmaBhabheli namaKasidi woke, iPekhodi, iTjhowa neKhowa akanye nama-Asiriya woke. Ngizokubuyisa amasokana aqalekako, ababusi neenkhulu zoke, iinduna nabosaziwako, iye, boke abakhwele iinjomani. ₂₄Boke labo bazakufikela, bavela etlhagwini ngeenkarana zepi nangeenkoloyana zokuthutha kanye newoma labantu. Bazakuvimbezela mahlangothi woke bahlome ngeenhlangu, ngamakhande nangeenkupuru. Ngizakubeka amandla wokugweba kibo bese bona bakugweba ngeengwebo zabo. ₂₅Ngizakunqombisa isikhwele sami kuwe ukuze bakuphathe ngobudlova. Bazakuqunta ipumulo neendlebe zakho kuthi abaseleko bakho babulawe ngesabula. Bazakuthumba amadodana namadodakazakho, nalokho okuseleko kwakho kudliwe mlilo. ₂₆Bazakuhlubulisa izambatho zakho bakuthathele ubuphaziphazi bakho. ₂₇Ngendlela leyo ngizakuphelisa ukuziphatha ngameswe kwakho nobungwadla bakho owabuya nabo eGibhide ukuze ungasaphakamiseli amehlwakho kibo namkha ukhumbule iGibhide godu.”

₂₈Mbala, nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini uSomandla: “Qala, sele ngizokunikela ezandleni zalabo obazondako, iye, ezandleni zalabo owabafulathela ngokukghabhudlheka. ₂₉Bona bazakuphatha ngezondo, bathathe zoke iinthukuthuku zomsebenzakho, bakutjhiye ubulanzi, iye, ubhunubhunu ukuze ubungwadla bakho nawuzinekileko bube semtarini. Ukuziphatha kwakho ngameswe nobungwadla bakho ₃₀ngikho okukwenze waba nje; iye, ubungwadla bakho ngokudlhemadlhema ngemva kwezizwe nokuzisilaphaza ngamanyalazo okubosingazimu. ₃₁Ulandele indlela kadadwenu, ngalokho ngizakunikela ikaphakhe esandleni sakho.”

₃₂Nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini uSomandla:

₃₆USomnini wathi kimi: “Ndodana yomuntu, u-Ohola no-Oholiba uzabagweba na? Yeke, memezela kibo iinkghabhudlho zabo ₃₇okutjho bonyana bahlobongile neengazi zisezandleni zabo. Ngamanyala okubosingazimu babo bahlobongile begodu badabulisa emlilweni abantwana abangibelethela bona, babenza ukudla kwabosingazimu babo. ₃₈Godu benze lokhu kimi: Basilaphaze ithempeli lami kwathi khonokho baqabhela namaSabatha wami. ₃₉Lokha nabenza umhlabelo ngabantwababo emanyaleni okubosingazimu babo, khona mhlokho bangena endawenami ecwengileko bayisilaphaza. Iye, ngilokho abakwenze ngethempelini lami. ₄₀Baze bathumela ngitjho nesithunywa kobana kubizwe amadoda asuka kude. Lokha isithunywa nasithunywako, qalani, eza amadoda lawo, iye, lawo owahlamba ngenca yawo wabe wazitjhatjha amehlo bewazihlobisa ngobuphaziphazi. ₄₁Wahlala phezu kwesihlalo esimtofotofo, kubekwe itafula phambi kwaso egade ubeke itjhwalo namafuthami we-oliva, ₄₂godu bekunetjhada lesiqubuthu sabantu ebebazigedlile ngedorobheni.

“Ukwengeza emadodeni ebegade ahlangana nesiqubuthu sabantu lawo, kwalethwa amaSeba athethwe erhalawumbeni. Wona afaka iinkhono emikhonweni neenhlohlo ezihle eenhloko zabafazi ababilaba. ₄₃Nje-ke ngathi, ‘Ikanuko yokuhlobonga isesekhona erathenelo! Manje azokungwadla nalo, nalo lingwadle nawo. ₄₄Mbala, angena kilo njengalokho amadoda angena engwadleni. Ngendlela enjalo, angena ku-Ohola no-Oholiba okubafazi abaziphatha ngameswe. ₄₅Kodwana amadoda aqotho wona azabagweba ngesimiso somthetho wokuhlobonga nangesomthetho wokuphalaza iingazi ngombana baziinhlobongi begodu izandla zabo zineengazi.’

₄₆“Yeke, nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini uSomandla: ‘Butha ihlangano ejamelene nabo, benze babe sisiga sokwesatjwa nepango. ₄₇Nje-ke ihlangano izabakhanda ngamatje beyibaqobe ngeensabula zayo. Izakubulala amadodana namadodakazabo beyitjhise izindlu zabo.

₄₈“ ‘Ngizakuthanyela ukuziphatha ngameswe enarheni ukuze boke besifazi bakwazi ukuyaleka bangasangwadli njengombana nenzile. ₄₉Ihlangano izanibetha ngeswazi elifanele ukuziphatha kwenu ngameswe begodu nizakuthwala isibetho sesono samanyalenu okubosingazimu. Ngalokho nizakwazi bonyana nginguSomnini uSomandla.’ ”