Ukubanjwa KukaDemetriyu
1Ngomnyaka we-172 inkosi uDemetriyu wabutha amabutho akhe wanikela eMediya ukuyofuna usizo, ukuze akwazi ukulwa noThurufoni. 2Lapho inkosi u-Arisakesi wasePheresiya kanye naseMediya ezwa ukuthi uDemetriyu uhlasele isifunda sakhe, wathumela esinye sezikhulu zempi ukuba simlande sibuye naye ephila. 3Lesi sikhulu saphuma sayehlula ekaDemetriyu, sambamba samusa ku-Arisakesi, owambeka ngaphansi kwabaqaphi.
Ukunconywa KukaSimoni
4Izwe lakwaJuda laba nokuthula
zonke izinsuku zikaSimoni.
Wafuna okuhle ekufunela isizwe sakhe,
ukubusa kwakhe kwakubenelisa,
njengoba yayinjalo nenhlonipho
abayikhombisa kuye zonke izinsuku
zokuphila kwakhe.
5Ukuze aphelelise konke
ukuhlonishwa kwakhe
wathatha iJopha laba yichweba,
wavula nendlela ebheke eziqhingini zolwandle.
6Wavula imingcele yesizwe sakhe,
wakwazi ukuliphatha ngokuphelele izwe.
7Waqoqa inqwaba yabathunjwa;
wabusa phezu kweGazara
kanye beBhethi Zuri enenqaba,
wasusa konke ukungcola kwalo kulo,
futhi kwakungekho ongaphikisana naye.
8Balima amasimu abo ngokuthula;
umhlaba wabanika isivuno esihle,
kanjalo nezihlahla ezazisemathafeni.
9Amadoda amadala ahlala ezitaladini;
axoxa ngezinto ezinhle,
nabasha bavunula ngezinhle zempi.
10Wayigcwalisa imizi ngokudla,
futhi wayinikeza nalokho ekudingayo
ukuze izivikele,
udumo lwakhe lwanda
lwafinyelela emikhawulweni yomhlaba.
11Wenza ukuthula ezweni,
kwathi u-Israyeli wathokoza
ngokuthokoza okukhulu.
12Bonke kwaba yilowo nalowo
wahlala phansi komvini wakhe
nangaphansi kwezihlahla zomvini,
futhi kwakungekho ongabenza besabe.
13Kwakungekho nowayesele ezweni
ukuba alwe nabo,
futhi onke amakhosi acoboshiswa
ezinsukwini zabo.
14Wanikeza usizo kubo bonke
abaswele phakathi kwabantu bakhe;
wawufunisisa umthetho,
wachitha wonke amambuka
nezaphulamthetho.
15Wayenza indawo engcwele
yaba yinhle kakhulu,
wenezela ezitsheni
zasendaweni engcwele.
Ukubambisana Okunobuciko NabaseRoma NabaseSpartani
16Kwezwakala eRoma, kwaze kwafinyelela naseSpartani, ukuthi uJonathani wayefile, bonke badabuka kakhulu. 17Lapho bezwa ukuthi umfowabo uSimoni waba ngumphristi omkhulu endaweni yakhe, nokuthi wayebusa izwe kanye nemizi yalo, 18bambhalela ezibhebheni zethusi ukuba bavuselele ubungani kanye nesivumelwano ababesenze nabafowabo oJudase kanye noJonathani. 19Lezi zincwadi zafundwa phambi komkhandlu eJerusalema. 20Lena yikhophi yencwadi amaSpartani ayithumela: “Ababusi bomuzi waseSpartani babhalela uSimoni umphristi omkhulu kanye nezinhloko nabaphristi kanye nabantu bonke bakwaJuda, abafowethu, siyanibingelela. 21Izithunywa ezazithunyelwe kubantu bethu zisitshelile ngodumo nokuhlonishwa, futhi sithokozile ngokufika kwazo. 22Sikuqophile lokho ezikushilo emiqulwini ephethe ezomphakathi wethu kanje: ‘UNumeniyase indodana ka-Antiyokhusi kanye no-Antipateri indodana kaJasoni, izithunywa zabaJuda zifikile kithi ukuzovuselela ubungani nathi. 23Kubathokozisile abantu bethu ukuwamukela la madoda ngenkulu inhlonipho nokuba sibeke ikhophi yamazwi abo endaweni yokugcina umlando womphakathi, ukuze abantu baseSpartani babe nobufakazi balokhu. Futhi bathumele ikhophi yalokhu kumphristi omkhulu uSimoni.’ ”
24Emva kwalokhu uSimoni wathumela uNumeniyase eRoma ephethe isihlangu esikhulu segolide esisi sindo saso sasiyinkulungwane yomina, ukuze aqinise ubudlelwano namaRoma.
USimoni Uyahlonishwa Ngobuholi Bakhe
25Lapho abantu bezwa ngalezi zinto bathi: “Singambonga kanjani uSimoni namadodana akhe na? 26Ngokuba yena kanye nabafowabo kanye nendlu kayise bamile baqina; balwile bazixosha izitha zika-Israyeli, bamakhela ukuthula.”
27Lokhu bakuqopha esibhebheni sethusi bakubeka ezinsikeni ezisentabeni iZiyoni. Lena yikhophi yalokho abakubhala: “Ngosuku lwe-19 lwenyanga ka-Eluli, ngomnyaka we-172, okwakungunyaka wesithathu womphristi omkhulu uSimoni, emkhandlwini wabantu bakaNkulunkulu, 28okungumkhandlu omkhulu wabaphristi kanye nabantu nezinhloko zesizwe kanye nabaphathi bezindawo ezingaphandle komuzi, kwamenyezelwa lokhu okulandelayo kithi: 29‘Lokhu kuhlala kwenzeka izimpi njalo ezweni, uSimoni indodana kaMathathiyase, umphristi wamadodana kaJowaribi, kanye nabafowabo, bazinikela ezingozini futhi bamelana nezitha zesizwe sethu, ukuze indawo engcwele kanye nomthetho kugcinwe; basilethele isizwe sethu udumo olukhulu. 30UJonathani wahlanganisa izizwe waba ngumphristi wazo omkhulu, wafa wase ebuyela koyisemkhulu. 31Lapho izitha zabo zinquma ukuhlasela izwe labo zithathe indawo engcwele, 32kwavela uSimoni wasilwela isizwe sakhe. Wachitha imali yakhe enkulu; wahlomisa amabutho esizwe sakhe wawakhokhela amaholo awo. 33Waqinisa imizi yaseJudiya, kanye neBethi-zuri emingceleni yelaseJudiya lapho kwakugcinwa khona izikhali zezitha zabo phambilini, wabeka amabutho lapho. 34Waliqinisa futhi neJopha, elingaselwandle, kanye neGazara, elisemngceleni we-Azotusi, lapho isitha sasihlala khona phambilini. Wahlalisa abajuda lapho, wabanikeza kuleyo mizi konke okwakufanelekile ukuze ivuselelwe le mizi. 35Abantu babona ukwethembeka kukaSimoni Simoni kanye nodumo ayeluzuzele isizwe sakhe, bamenza umholi wabo kanye nomphristi omkhulu, ngokuba wayenze zonke lezi zinto ngenxa yobulungisa nokwethembeka akukhombisa esizweni sakubo. 36Ezinsukwini zakhe kwaba nenqubekela phambili phansi kwesandla sakhe, kwaze kwathi abezizwe badingiswa ezweni, njengoba kwaba njalo kulabo ababesemzini kaDavidi eJerusalema, ababezakhele inqaba ababevama ukuba baphume kuyo bangcolise indawo kanye nendawo engcwele, benze nomonakalo omkhulu ekuhlanzekeni kwalo. 37Wahlalisa abaJuda kulo waliqinisa ukuze libe ngukuphepha kwezwe nokomuzi, wakha izingange zalo zaphakama. 38Ngenxa yalezi zinto, inkosi uDemetriyu wakuqinisa ukuthi uSimoni abe ngumphristi omkhulu, 39wamenza waba ngomunye wabangani bakhe, wamhlonipha kakhulu. 40Ngokuba wayezwile ukuthi abajuda abizwa ngamaRoma ngokuthi abangani bawo kanye nomana nabafowabo, nokuthi amaRoma amukela izithunywa zikaSimoni ngenhlonipho enkulu. 41Abajuda kanye nabaphristi bawo anqume ukuthi uSimoni abe ngumholi kanye nomphristi wabo omkhulu kuze kube phakade, kuze kuvele umphrofethi othembekile, 42nokuthi abe ngumbusi phezu kwabo, kube nguye ophethe endaweni engcwele futhi akhethe abazosebenza khona nabazophatha ezweni balonde izikhali kanye nezinqaba baqaphe nendawo engcwele, 43nokuba ahlonishwe yibo bonke, kuthi zonke izivumelwano esizweni zibhalwe egameni lakhe, embathe ezibukhwebezane kanye negolide. 44Akukho noyedwa kubantu noma kubaphristi oyovunyelwa ukuba aguqule nesisodwa salezi nqumo noma aphikisane nalokho akushoyo, noyobiza umhlangano ezweni ngaphandle kwemvume yakhe, noma embathe ezibukhwebezane afake nendondo yegolide. 45Oyokwenza okuphambene nalezi zinto noma amelane nokunye kwakho uyobhekana nesijeziso.’ ”
46Bonke abantu bavuma ukumnika uSimoni igunya lokuba enze njengoba benqumile. 47Ngakho-ke uSimoni wakwemukela lokhu futhi wavuma ukuba ngumphristi omkhulu, nokuba ngumkhuzi wempi kanye nenhloko yabaJuda nabaphristi, nokuba ngumvikeli wabo bonke. 48Bayala futhi ukuba kuqoshwe lesi sinqumo ezibhebheni zethusi, sibekwe endaweni ebonakalayo ekungeneni endaweni engcwele, 49nokuba kugcinwe ikhophi yaso endaweni yengcebo, ukuze uSimoni kanye namadodana akhe babe nawo.
