U-Aleksandriyu Omkhulu
1Emva kokuba u-Aleksandriyu indodana kaFiliphu, umMakhedoniya owayevela ezweni laseKitimu, eyinqobile inkosi uDariyu yamaPheresiya namaMede, walandela esihlalweni sobukhosi. Phambilini wayekade eyinkosi yaseHelada okusho iGrisi. 2Walwa izimpi wanqoba izinqaba eziningi, wabhubhisa amakhosi omhlaba. 3Waqhubekela emikhawulweni yomhlaba, waphanga izizwe eziningi; kwase kuba nokuthula emhlabeni ngesikhathi sakhe, waziphakamisa, nenhliziyo yakhe yakhukhumala kakhulu. 4Wamisa impi enamandla amakhulu futhi wabusa phezu kwamazwe, nezizwe kanye namakhosi, bonke bakhokha intela kuye.
5Emva kwalokhu wakhwelwa ngukugula okukhulu waze wacabanga ukuthi uzakufa. 6Ngakho-ke wabiza zonke izikhulu zakhe ezihloniphekile, ezazikhule naye kwasebusheni bakhe, wazehlukanisela umbuso wakhe esaphila. 7Emva kokuba u-Aleksandriyu esebuse iminyaka eyishumi-nambili, wafa. 8Ngakho-ke iziphathimandla zakhe zaqala ukubusa, yileso naleso endaweni esabelwe yona. 9Zonke zafaka imiqhele yobukhosi emva kokufa kwakhe, kanjalo nenzalo yazo emva kwazo iminyaka eminingi; zenza ububi obuningi emhlabeni.
U-Antiyokhusi Ephifanesi NamaJuda Angamahlubuka
10Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi kwavela impande eyonakele kakhulu, u-Antiyokhusi Ephifanesi, indodana yenkosi u-Antiyokhusi; wayengowayethunjelwe eRoma. Waqala ukubusa ngomnyaka wekhulu namashumi amathathu nesikhombisa embusweni wamaGriki. 11Ngalezo zinsuku kwavela kwa-Israyeli amavukelambuso, adukisa abaningi, ethi: “Masihambe senze isivumelwano nabezizwe abasihaqileyo, ngokuba selokhu sazehlukanisa nabo sesehlelwe izinhlekelele eziningi.”
12Lesi siphakamiso sabathokozisa abaningi. 13Ngakho-ke abaningi baya ngokushesha enkosini, eyayibagunyazile ukuba bagcine izimiso zabezizwe. 14Ngakho-ke bakha indawo yokuvocavoca imizimba eJerusalema, ngokwenqubo yabezizwe, 15bashabalalisa ukusokwa, futhi basilahla isivumelwano esingcwele. Bazihlanganisa nabezizwe bazinikela ekwenzeni okubi.
U-Antiyokhusi Uhlasela IGibhithe
16Lapho u-Antiyokhusi ebona ukuthi umbuso wakhe usumile wasimama, wazimisela ukuba yinkosi nasezweni laseGibhithe, ukuze ayibuse yomibili le mibuso. 17Ngakho-ke wahlasela iGibhithe ngempi enamandla amakhulu, ngezinqola nezindlovu kanye nabagibele amahhashi nangemikhumbi eminingi. 18Wabhekana nenkosi uPhitholemi empini, yagqibuka ekaPhitholemi, yena wathi galo yephuka, abaningi balimala kulempi kanti abanye abaningi basala enkundleni. 19Badla imizi eyizinqaba yezwe lase Gibhithe, baphanga impango eningi yezwe.
U-Antiyokhusi Uhlupha Futhi Ubulala AbaJuda
20Emva kokunqoba iGibhithe, u-Antiyokhusi wabuyela emuva ngomnyaka we-143. Wakhuphuka nempi enamandla amakhulu wabhekana nelakwa-Israyeli, wafika eJerusalema. 21Ngokukhulu ukuzigqaja wangena endaweni engcwele, wathatha i-althare legolide nezibani zalo nazo zonke izitsha zayo. 22Wathatha futhi netafula lesinkwa soBukhona, izindebe zomnikelo wokuphuzwayo, izitsha, izithunqiso zempepho, izihenqo, umqhele, kanye nayo yonke imihlobiso yegolide ephambi kwethempeli; walihlubula konke okwalo. 23Wathatha izitsha zegolide nesiliva ezidula kakhulu; waphanga nengcebo eningi efihliwe, izandla zakhe ezafinyelela kuyo.
24Wakubutha konke waya nakho ezweni lakubo. Wachitha igazi eliningi, wakhuluma ngokukhulu ukwedelela nokuzigqaja. 25U-Israyeli walila kakhulu kuyo yonke imiphakathi yakhe. 26Ababusi nabadala babhongisa okwezinkunzi begquma bekhala, izintombi nezinsizwa zaphela amandla, kwaze kwashabalala nobuhle babesifazane babo. 27Wonke umyeni walila; nabesifazane abagonqile bakhihla isililo. 28Ngisho izwe lonke laqala ukungqingqizela ngenxa yabakhileyo kulo, indlu kaJakobe yembathiswa ngehlazo.
29Emva kweminyaka emibili inkosi yathumela umqoqintela kuyo yonke imizi yakwaJuda, wafika eJerusalema nempi enkulu. 30Ngokukhohlisa wakhuluma amazwi okuthula kubo, nabo bakholwa ngakushoyo, kodwa ngokushesha wawuhlasela umuzi, maye bengazelele, wabulala izinkumbi zika-Israyeli. 31Waphanga umuzi, wawuthungela ngomlilo, wadiliza izindlu zawo kanye nezindonga zawo. 32Wathumba abesifazane nabantwana, waphanga imfuyo eningi. 33Wase ewuqinisa umuzi kaDavidi ngothango oluqine kakhulu nangezikanekiso eziqinile, umuzi waphenduka inqaba. 34Wabeka lapho abantu abagcwele ukona, abesilisa ababeyimidlwembe. Konke lokhu kwaqinisa isandla sakhe; 35bagcwalisa izikhali kanye nokudla, baqoqa yonke impango yeJerusalema eyayigcinwe lapho, baba yisinengiso esikhulu, 36ngokuba inqaba yaphenduka ukubhujiswa kwendawo engcwele, isitha esibi sika-Israyeli ngezikhathi zonke. 37Macala onke endawo engcwele bachitha igazi labangenacala; bangcolisa ngisho indawo engcwele imbala. 38Ngenxa yabo izakhamuzi zaseJerusalema zabaleka; umuzi waphenduka isidleke sezihambi; ngisho abazelwe kuwo abawazanga, kwathi inzalo yawo yawulaxaza. 39Indawo engcwele yasala yodwa njengogwadule; imicimbi yalo yaphenduka isililo, amasabatha alo aba yisinengiso, nodumo lwalo lwaba yisicunulo. 40Ihlazo lalo lakhula ngangodumo lwalo; ukuphakanyiswa kwalo kwaphenduka Isililo. 41Inkosi yase ilobela wonke umbuso wayo ibazisa ukuthi bonke bamelwe babe muntu munye, 42nokuthi bonke bamelwe badele amasiko abo.
43Bonke abezizwe basemukela lesi siyalo senkosi. Abaningi ngisho naku-Israyeli imbala bayemukela inkolo yakhe ngokuthokoza; banikela imihlatshelo ezithombeni, balingcolisa isabatha. 44Inkosi yase ithumela izincwadi ngezithunywa eJerusalema nakuyo yonke imizi yakwaJuda; ibayala ukuba balandele imikhuba eyayingejwayelekile ezweni lakubo: 45ukuvimba ukwenziwa kweminikelo yokushiswa kanye nemihlatshelo neminikelo yokuphuzwayo endaweni engcwele, nokuba kungcoliswe izindawo ezingcwele nemikhosi 46ukungcolisa izindawo ezingcwele nabaphristi, 47ukwakha ama-althare nezindawo ezingcwele nezikhumbuzo zezithixo, ukunikela ngeminikelo yezingulube kanye nezinye izilwane ezingcolileyo 48nokuba bashiye amadodana abo engasokiwe. Babefanele bazenze isinengiso ngakho konke okungcolileyo nokungahlanzekile 49ukuze bawukhohlwe umthetho futhi baguqule zonke izimiso. 50Yenezela Yathi: “Nayimuphi ongawulaleli umyalo wenkosi uyokufa nokufa.”
51Wabhalela umbuso wakhe wonke ngamagama anjalo. Wamisa abahloli phezu kwabantu bonke, wayala ukuba imizi yonke yakwaJuda inikele iminikelo umuzi ngomuzi. 52Abantu abaningi, bawushiya umthetho, bazihlanganisa nabo, benza okubi ezweni; 53baxoshela wonke u-Israyeli ekubhaceni, washiya zonke izindawo abenazo. 54Ngolweshumi nanhlanu lwenyanga kaKislevi, ngomnyaka wekhulu namashumi amane nanhlanu, bamisa isinengiso esenyanyekayo e-althare leminikelo yokushiswa. Bakha futhi nama-althare emizini ezungeze elakwaJuda 55banikela ngempepho eminyango yezindlu nasezitaladini. 56Izincwadi zomthetho abazifumana bazidabula izicucu bazishisa emlilweni. 57Nayimuphi owafunyanwa enencwadi yesivumelwano, noma yimuphi owayebambelele emthethweni, wanqunyelwa ukuba afe ngokwesimiso senkosi. 58Basebenzisa udlame olukhulu ukubhekana no-Israyeli, nabo bonke ababefunyaniswa izinyanga ngezinyanga emizini yabo.
59Ngolwamashumi amabili nanhlanu lwenyanga banikela e-althare elaliphezu kwe-althare leminikelo. 60Njengokwesimiso senkosi, babulala bonke abesifazane ababesoke izingane zabo, 61kanye nemindeni yabo nabo bonke ababebasokile; balengisa izinsana ezintanyeni zawonina. 62Kepha iningi kwa-Israyeli laba liqinile futhi linqumile ezinhliziyweni zalo ukungadli ukudla okungcolile. 63Baqoma ukufa kunokungcoliswa ngokudla noma ukungcolisa isivumelwano esingcwele, futhi kwenzeka ukuba bafe. 64Ulaka olukhulu lukaNkulunkulu lwehlela aba-Israyeli.