1 UMakhabhizi 3

₁Ngakho-ke indodana yakhe uJudase owayebizwa ngelikaMakhabhizi, waba ngumkhuzi wempi emva kwakhe. ₂Bonke abafowabo nabo bonke ababelandele uyise bamsiza; bamlwela u-Israyeli ngenkulu injabulo. ₃Walukhulisa udumo lwabantu bakubo. Wafaka isivikelo sakhe sesifuba wafana nezimu loqobo; wathatha izikhali zakhe zempi waphuma ukuyokulwa izimpi, evikela isikhungo sabo ngenkemba yakhe. ₄Izenzo zakhe zazifana nezengonyama uqobo; njengebhongo lengonyama libhodlela ukudla kwalo.

₅Waphuma ukuthungatha bonke labo ababephule umthetho; wabashisa ngomlilo bonke ababekhathaza abantu bakhe. ₆Izaphulamthetho zahlehlisa okwezinqama ziyocasha ngenxa yovalo ezazinalo ngaye; bonke abenzi bokubi bashaqeka; bophulwa abaningi ngesandla sakhe. ₇Wacasula amakhosi amaningi, kodwa uJakobe wathokoza ngezenzo zakhe, futhi ukukhunjulwa kwakhe kubusisekile kuze kube phakade.

₈Wadabula imizi yakwaJuda; wadicilela phansi konke ukungalungi ezweni lakubo; ngalokho lwaphenguleka ulaka olwalubhekene no-Israyeli. ₉Wayedumile kuze kube semikhawulweni yomhlaba; waqoqa bonke ababelengela ekufeni. ₁₀U-Apoloniyase waqoqela ndawonye bonke abezizwe kwaba ngumbutho omkhulu kusukela eSamariya ukuba balwe no-Israyeli. ₁₁Lapho uJudase ezwa ngalokhu, waphuma ukumhlangabeza, wamehlula, wambulala. Abaningi balimala abanye bafa, kwathi abasele babaleka. ₁₂Babutha impango yabo, uJudase yena wathatha inkemba ka-Apoloniyase, wasebenzisa yona empini kwaze kwaba sekufeni kwakhe.

₁₃Lapho uSeroni, umkhuzi wempi yaseSiriya ezwa ukuthi uJudase usebuthe impi enkulu kakhulu, ihlangene namabutho abevele enaye futhi aphuma naye ukuya empini, ₁₄wathi: “Ngizakuzenzela igama futhi ngithole ukuhlonishwa nodumo embusweni. Ngizakuphuma ngilwe noJudase nabangani bakhe, abedelela umyalo wenkosi.”

₁₅Yaphuma futhi impi enamandla yamadoda angena nkulunkulu ukuba iyokumsiza, ukuze abuyisele ku-Israyeli. ₁₆Lapho esesondela ekwenyukeni kwase Bethi-horoni, uJudase waphuma ukuyobhekana naye ehamba nedlanzana lempi. ₁₇Kepha lapho bebona impi ababezobhekana nayo, bathi kuJudase: “Kungenzeka kanjani ukuba thina, siyidlanzana nje elingaka, sibhekane nempi enkulu neluquqaba olunamandla angaka? Futhi asinamandla ngokuba asikaze sidle lutho kulokhu kusile.”

₁₈UJudase waphendula wathi: “Kulula ukuba abaningi bavinjezelwe yidlanzana nje, ngokuba phambi kwezulu awukho umehluko phakathi kwabaningi nabayidlanzana. ₁₉Ukunqoba akuncikile ebungakweni bempi, kodwa amandla avela ezulwini. ₂₀Beza ukuzobhekana nathi begcwele ubujaka nobunswelaboya ukuze basichithe thina nabafazi bethu kanye nabantabethu, nokuba basephuce impahla yethu. ₂₁Kepha thina silwela ukuphila kwethu kanye nemithetho yethu. ₂₂Yena uqobo uyakubacoboshisa phambi kwethu; ngakho-ke nina maningabesabi.”

₂₃Lapho eseqedile ukukhuluma, waphuma ngokushesha ukuyobhekana noSeroni nempi yakhe, ngakho-ke bacoboshiswa phambi kwakhe. ₂₄Babahubha babewukisa umehlelo wase Bhethi-horoni kwaze kwasemathafeni akhona, amakhulu ayisishiyagalombili awa ngenkemba, kwathi abaseleyo, babalekela ezweni lamaFilistiya. ₂₅UJudase nabafowabo baqala ukwesatshwa kakhulu, okwenza ukuba bonke abezizwe abakhelene nabo bahlalele ovalweni olukhulu. ₂₆Udumo lwakhe lwafinyelela enkosini, futhi nabezizwe babekhuluma bengayivali imilomo ngezimpi zikaJudase.

₂₇Lapho inkosi u-Antiyokhusi ezwa le mibiko, wathukuthela wagana unwabu; wathumela wabutha futhi onke amabutho embusweni wakhe, kwaba ngenkulu nenamandla impi le. ₂₈Wavula izikhwama zakhe zemali, wakhokhela onke amabutho akhe inkokhelo yonyaka wonke, wabayala ukuba balungele ukubizwa noma nini uma kudingekile. ₂₉Wabona nokuthi imali ebigciniwe seyiphelile, nokuthi intela evela emazweni amanye yayincane ngenxa yokuhlubuka nezinhlekelele ayezidalile ezweni ngokuqeda imithetho eyayibusa abantu ezikhathini ezidlule. ₃₀Waba novalo lokuthi angeke esaba nemali engangaleyo abe enayo ngaphambili, ukuze abhekane nezindleko zakhe nokukhipha izipho njengenjwayezi kunamakhosi ayephambi kwakhe. ₃₁Wakhathazeka kakhulu emqondweni; wabe esezimisela ukugasela ePheresiya ukuyoqoqa intela kulezo zifunda futhi wanquma ukuba kuqoqwe isamba esikhulu.

₃₂Washiya uLusiyase, indoda eyayigqamile yozalo lwasebukhosini, ephethe izindaba zonke zenkosi kusukela emfuleni i-Yufrathe kuze kube semingceleni yeGibhithe. ₃₃ULusiyase wanikwa futhi umsebenzi wokunakekela indodana ka-Antiyokhusi aze abuye, ₃₄washiya kuLusiyase ingxenye engaba nguhhafu yamabutho akhe kanye nezindlovu, wamnikeza futhi umyalo ngakho konke ayekudinga. Maqondana nezakhamizi zaseJerusalema naseJudiya, ₃₅uLusiyase wayalwa ukuba athumele ibutho azishabalalise ebusweni bomhlaba, achithe amandla ka-Israyeli kanye nensali yalo; akuqede ukukhunjulwa kwabo kulelo lizwe, ₃₆nokuba akhise abezizwe kulo lonke izwe labo, futhi alehlukanise ngokwenza unkatho.

₃₇Inkosi yathatha enye ingxenye yamabutho yalishiya elase-Antiyokhi, ihlalankosi; kwakungomnyaka wekhulu namashumi amane-nesikhombisa. Wanqamula umfula i-Yufrathe wadabula ezimfundeni ezingenhla.

₃₈ULusiyase wakhetha uPhitholemi indodana kaDorimenesi kanye noNikhori kanye noGogiyase amadoda ayenekhono ayengabanye babangani benkosi ₃₉wabathuma kanye namabutho ahamba ngezinyawo angama-40 kanye nezi-7 000 zamabutho agibele amahhashi, wabathuma ukuba baye ezweni lakwaJuda balibhubhise, njengoba inkosi yayiyalile.

₄₀Ngakho-ke baphuma kanye nayo yonke lempi, lapho befika khona bagoba amadlangala ethafeni eduze ne-Emawuse. ₄₁Lapho abathengisi bendawo bezwa lokho okwashiwo kubo, babutha isiliva negolide ngobuningi balo kanye nezibopho bahamba bayokanekisa ukuze bazitholele ama-Israyeli njengezigqila. Kwafika futhi namabutho avela eSiriya kanye naseFilistiya ahlangana nabo. ₄₂UJudase nabafowabo babona ukuthi isimo sase sibucayi kakhulu nokuthi impi yayikanise ezweni lakubo. Bezwa futhi nokuthi inkosi iyale ukuthi kwenziweni kubantu ukuze bababhubhise kungasali muntu. ₄₃Ngakho-ke bathi omunye komunye: “Asibuyise abantu bakithi abahlakazekile, futhi sibalwele abantu bakithi kanye nendawo engcwele.”

₄₄Ngakho-ke ibandla lahlanganela ukulungiselela impi, nokukhuleka licele umusa nesihawu. ₄₅“IJerusalema likhala ibhungezi kuhle kwehlane; akukho noyedwa kubantu balo ophuma engena. Indawo engcwele idilizelwe phansi, abezizwe bathathe nenqaba; isiyindawo yabezizwe. Ukuthokoza kususiwe kuJakobe; akusezwakali ukukhala komtshingo nohabu.”

₄₆Base bebuthana ndawonye baya eMizpha, elibhekene neJerusalema, ngokuba ezikhathini ezedlule kwakunendawo yokukhuleka ka-Israyeli. ₄₇Bazila ukudla ngalolo suku, bembatha ezamasaka futhi bazihuqa ngomlotha emakhanda, baklebhula izingubo zabo. ₄₈Bavula incwadi yomthetho ukuze bezwe izindaba abezizwe ababezibuza ezithixweni zabo. ₄₉Baletha futhi nezambatho zabaphristi, nezithelo zolibo lokuqala kanye nokweshumi, baze bavusa amaNaziri ayeseziphelelisile izinsuku zawo; ₅₀bakhala kakhulu bebhekise ezulwini, bethi: “Sizokwenze njani ngalezi zinto na? Sizozishonisaphi na? ₅₁Indawo yakho engcwele iwiselwe phansi yangcoliswa, abaphristi bakho bayalila ngenxa yokuhlazeka kwabo. ₅₂Nampa abezizwe bahlangene ukuze basibhubhise; uyawazi amacebo abo ngathi. ₅₃Sizakumelana kanjani nabo uma wena ungasisizi na?”

₅₄Base bebetha imitshingo bakhamuluka ngezwi elikhulu. ₅₅Emva kwalokhu uJudase waqoka abaholi babantu, ababezophatha abayizinkulungwane, abangamakhulu, nabangamashumi ayisihlanu, nabayishumi. ₅₆Labo ababakha izindlu, noma betshala izivini noma begcwele uvalo, wabayala ukuba babuyele emakhaya, njengokuyaliwe emthethweni.

₅₇Yase iphuma impi yakanekisa ngaseNingizimu ye-Emawuse ₅₈uJudase wathi: “Zibambeni ziqine, nime isibindi. Hlalani nilunge ngokuba ekuseni sizakubhekana nalaba bezizwe ababuthene lapha ukuzolwa nathi nokuzosibhubhisa bachithe nendawo engcwele. ₅₉Kungcono ukuba sife silwa kunokubona zonke lezi zinto ezimbi zehlela isizwe sethu kanye nendawo yethu engcwele. ₆₀Kepha njengoba intando yakhe ezulwini injalo, uyokwenza kanjalo.”