1 UMakhabhizi 12

₁UJonathani ebona ukuthi isikhathi siyamvuna, wakhetha amadoda wawathumela eRoma ukuba aqinise futhi avuselele ubungani nabo. ₂Wathumela incwadi efanayo nakwabaseSpartani nezinye izindawo. ₃Ngakho-ke baya eRoma bafike bangena endlini yezigele bathi: “Umphristi omkhulu uJonathani kanye nesizwe sabaJuda, basithumile ukuba sizovuselela ubungani kanye nesivumelwano nobudlelwano obukhona nani.”

₄AmaRoma ayesebanikeza izincwadi eziya kubantu ezindaweni zonke, bebacela ukuba bazivumele lezi zithunywa zibuyele ezweni lakwaJuda ngokuthula. ₅Lena yikhophi yencwadi uJonathani ayeyibhalele abaseSpartani: ₆“Umphristi omkhulu uJonathani, isigungu sesizwe, abaphristi, nabo bonke abantu bakwaJuda bayababingelela abafowabo amaSpartani. ₇Esikhathini esedlule kwathunyelwa incwadi kumphristi omkhulu u-Oniyase ivela ku-Ariyusi, owayeyinkosi phakathi kwenu, isho ukuthi ningabafowethu, njengoba isho le ncwadi ehambisana nalena. ₈U-Oniyase wazemukela izithunywa ngenkulu inhlonipho, wayemukela nencwadi eyayiqukethe isiphakamiso esingananazi sesivumelwano sobuhlobo.”

₉“Ngakho-ke nanxa singekho isidingo salezi zinto, ngenxa yokuba sineziNcwadi ezingcwele ezandleni zethu ezisigqugquzelayo, ₁₀sinqume ukuba sithumele, ukuze sivuselele ubuhlobo bethu kanye nobungani nani, ukuze kungabikho okusehlukanisa nani, ngokuba sekwedlule isikhathi eside kakhulu nani nagcina ukusithumelela eyenu incwadi. ₁₁Sinikhumbula njalo izikhathi ngezikhathi, lapho sinemikhosi, nangezinye izinsuku ezifanele lapho sinikela imihlatshelo, nasemikhulekweni yethu, njengokuba kufanelekile ukuba sikhumbule abafowethu. ₁₂Futhi siyathokoziswa ludumo lwenu. ₁₃Kodwa maqondana nathi ziningi izinhlupheko nezimpi ebezisizungezile; amakhosi asizungezile asihlasele alwa nathi. ₁₄Sasingathandi ukuba sinicasule nina kanye nabo bonke omana bethu nabangani bethu ngalezi zimpi, ₁₅ngokuba sinalo usizo oluvela ezulwini olusisizayo, ngakho-ke sahlengwa ezitheni zethu, nezitha zethu zathotshiswa. ₁₆Ngakho-ke sikhethe uNumeniyase indodana ka-Antiyokhusi kanye no-Antipateri indodana kaJasoni, sabathumela eRoma ukuyovuselela ubungani nesivumelwano sethu esidala nabo. ₁₇Sibayalile futhi ukuba beze kuwe ukuze bakubingelele bethule kuwe le ncwadi evela kithi emayelana nokuvuselela ubudlelwano bethu bobundeni. ₁₈Ngakho-ke siyanincenga sithumeleleni impendulo kulokhu.”

₁₉Lena yikhophi yencwadi abayithumela ku-Oniyase: ₂₀“Inkosi u-Ariyusi wamaSpartani, kumphristi omkhulu u-Oniyase, ngiyakubingelela. ₂₁Kutholakele emibhalweni ukuthi amaSpartani namaJuda bangabafowabo futhi bangabomndeni ka-Abhrahama. ₂₂Futhi sifundile lokhu, ngakho-ke siyacela nisibhalele nisazise ukuthi nihleli kanjani; ₂₃thina ngakolwethu uhlangothi sinibhalela sinazisa ukuthi imfuyo yenu nempahla yenu kungokwethu, nokwethu kungokwenu. Ngakho-ke siyayala ukuba izithunywa zethu zinazise kanjalo.”

₂₄Ngalesi sikhathi uJonathani wezwa ukuthi abakhuzi bempi kaDemetriyu base bebuyile nempi enkulu kuneyakuqala, ukuba balwe naye. ₂₅Ngakho-ke waphuma walishiya iJerusalema, wahlangana nabo esifundeni saseHamathi, ngokuba akabanikanga thuba lokuba bahlasele izwe lakhe. ₂₆Wathumela izinhloli ekamu labo, lapho zibuya zamlandisa ukuthi isitha siyazihlela ukuze sihlasele abajuda ebusuku. ₂₇Kwathi ukuba lishone ilanga, uJonathani wayala amabutho akhe ukuba ame ngomumo, nokuba ahlale ehlomile ubusuku bonke elindele ukulwa, futhi wamisa izikanekiso zazungeza ikamu.

₂₈Lapho isitha sizwa ukuthi uJonathani nempi yakhe babekulindele ukulwa, sethuka sagcwala ingebhe ezinhliziyweni zaso; ngakho-ke babasa imililo ekamu labo base behoshuka kuleyo ndawo. ₂₉Kepha uJonathani nempi yakhe kabezanga kwaze kwaba sekuseni, ngokuba babelokhu bebona umlilo uvutha. ₃₀Ngakho-ke uJonathani wayesebalandela, kodwa kabaficanga, ngokuba base beze bawela umfula i-Elewutherusi. ₃₁UJonathani waphendukela engxenye walwa nama-Arabhu ayebizwa ngokuthi ngamaZabadayeni, wawehlula waphanga impahla yawo. ₃₂Wayesesuka ekamu waya eDamaseku, wadabula sonke leso sifunda. ₃₃USimoni naye waphuma wadabula ezweni waze wayofika e-Askaloni nasezinqabeni ezakhelene nalo. Wajikela eJopha walithelekela lingazelele, ₃₄ngokuba wayezwile ukuthi bakulungele ukunikela ngenqaba yabo kulabo ayebathumile uDemetriyu. Wabeka ibutho lapho ukuba liwulinde. ₃₅Lapho uJonathani ebuya wabiza izinhloko zabantu wahlela nazo ukuba kwakhiwe izinqaba eJudiya, ₃₆kwakhiwe ubonda lwaseJerusalema lube lude kunalokho olwaluyikho, nokuba kwakhiwe isithiyo eside phakathi kwenqaba kanye nomuzi, esizoyehlukanisa nomuzi, ukuze amabutho akuyo angakwazi ukuthenga noma adayise. ₃₇Bahlangana ndawonye ukuba bavuselele umuzi; ingxenye yobonda ngasempumalanga yabe seyawa, bayilungisa ingxenye eyayibizwa ngokuthi iKhaphenatha. ₃₈USimoni wabuye wakha ne-Adida eliseSefeyila; waliqinisa wafaka amasango ngamabhawoti.

₃₉Kwase kuthi uThurufoni wazama ukuzenza inkosi yase-Asiya wafaka umqhele ekhanda lakhe, ezama ukuvukela inkosi u-Antiyokhusi. ₄₀Wayesaba ukuthi uJonathani angahle angamvumeli ukwenze njalo, kodwa alwe naye, ngakho-ke wayelokhu ezama ukumbamba nokumbulala, futhi waphuma waya eBhethi-shani. ₄₁UJonathani waphuma ukubhekana naye ehamba namabutho ayewaqokile ayizi-40 000, naye wafika eBhethi Shani. ₄₂Lapho uThurufoni ebona ukuthi uze nempi enkulu, wesaba ukubhekana naye. ₄₃Ngakho-ke wamemukela ngolukhulu udumo futhi wamncoma kubo bonke abangani bakhe, wamupha nezipho, wayala abangani bakhe namabutho akhe ukuba amhloniphe njengoba ehlonipha yena. ₄₄Wayesethi kuJonathani: “Ubahlupheleni bonke laba bantu sibe singekho empini na? ₄₅Babuyisele emuva emakhaya abo, uzikhethele amadoda ambalwa ukuba asale nawe, bese uhamba nami siye ePhitholemi. Ngizakulinikela kuwe kanye nezinye izinqaba namabutho asele kanye nazo zonke izikhulu, bese ngiphenduka ngibuyele ekhaya. Ngokuba yileso sizathu ngilapha.”

₄₆UJonathani wamethemba wenza njengoba eshilo; wawemukisa amabutho, abuyela ezweni lakwaJuda. ₄₇Wasala namadoda ayizi-3 000, ayizi-2 000 wawashiya eGalile, kwathi inkulungwane eyodwa yahamba naye. ₄₈Kepha lapho uJonathani engena ePhitholemi bavala amasango base bembamba, babulala ngenkemba bonke ababengene naye. ₄₉UThurufoni wayesethumela amabutho nabagibele amahhashi eGalile kanye nasethafeni elikhulu ukuba babulale wonke amabutho kaJonathani. ₅₀Kepha babona ukuthi uJonathani ubanjiwe wabulawa yena nawo onke amadoda ayehamba naye, base beqinisana idolo, baphuma behamba beyisinyokotho, belungele ukulwa. ₅₁Lapho ababalandelayo bebona ukuthi bazimisele ukulwela ukuphila, baphenduka babuyela emuva. ₅₂Ngakho-ke bonke bafinyelela ezweni lakwaJuda bephephile, bamlilela uJonathani nabangani bakhe futhi behlalele ovalweni olukhulu, u-Israyeli wonke walila kakhulu. ₅₃Zonke izizwe ezibazungezile zazama ukubabhubhisa, ngokuba zathi: “Abasenamholi namsizi. Ngakho-ke masilwe nabo sibaqede ebusweni bomhlaba kuze kuphela nokukhunjulwa kwabo phakathi kwesintu.”