U-Ahabi NoJehoshafathi Bahlasela I-Aramu
1UJehoshafathi wayenengcebo nodumo olukhulu, waba nobuhlobo no-Ahabi ngokuganiselana. 2Ngasekugcineni kweminyaka ethile, wehlela eSamariya ku-Ahabi. U-Ahabi wamhlabisa, yena nabantu ababenaye, izimvu nezinkabi eziningi, wamncenga ukuba akhuphuke ahlasele iRamothi Gileyadi. 3U-Ahabi, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, wathi kuJehoshafathi, inkosi yakwaJuda: “Uyakuhamba nami yini, siye eRamothi Gileyadi na?”
Wathi kuye: “Mina nginjengawe, nabantu bami banjengabantu bakho; siyakuba nawe empini.”
4UJehoshafathi wathi enkosini yakwa-Israyeli: “Ake ubuze namhlanje izwi likaSimakade.”
5Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yaqoqa abaphrofethi, amadoda angama-400, yathi kubo: “Sihambe yini siyokulwa neRamothi Gileyadi, noma ngiyeke na?”
Bathi: “Khuphuka, ngokuba uNkulunkulu uyakulinikela esandleni senkosi.”
6Kepha uJehoshafathi wathi: “Akusekho mphrofethi kaSimakade lapha, ukuba sibuze kuye na?”
7Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi: “Kukhona umuntu oyedwa vo esingabuza ngaye kuSimakade, kodwa ngiyamzonda, akaphrofethi lutho oluhle ngami, kepha okubi njalo. NguMikhaya, indodana kaJimila.”
UJehoshafathi wathi enkosini: “Inkosi mayingasho kanjalo.”
8Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yayisibiza enye yezinduna, yathi: “Phuthuma ulande uMikhaya, indodana kaJimila.”
9Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli noJehoshafathi inkosi yakwaJuda babehleli, yilowo nalowo esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi. Babembethe izembatho zabo, behleli esibuyeni esisesikhaleni sesango eSamariya. Bonke abaphrofethi babephrofetha phambi kwabo. 10UZedekiya, indodana kaKhenahana, wayezenzele izimpondo zensimbi, wathi: “Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: ‘Ngalezi zimpondo uyakuwagwaza ama-Aramu uwabhubhise aze aphele nya.’ ”
11Bonke abaphrofethi baphrofetha kanjalo bethi: “Khuphukela eRamothi Gileyadi, unqobe, ngokuba uSimakade uyakulinikela esandleni senkosi.”
12Isithunywa esasiyobiza uMikhaya sakhuluma naye, sathi: “Bonke abaphrofethi bakhulume ngazwi linye baphrofetha okuhle enkosini, sengathi izwi lakho lingaba linye nelabo, ukhulume okuhle.”
13Kepha uMikhaya wathi: “Ngifunga ngiyagomela phambi kukaSimakade, akushoyo uNkulunkulu wami yikhona engizakukukhuluma.”
14Esefikile enkosini, inkosi yathi kuye: “Mikhaya, sihambe yini ukuyokulwa neRamothi Gileyadi, noma ngiliyeke na?”
Wathi: “Khuphukani, nibe nempumelelo; bayakunikelwa esandleni senu.”
15Inkosi yayisithi kuye: “Ngiyakukufungisa kuze kube kangaki ukuba ungakhulumi lutho kimi ngaphandle kweqiniso egameni likaSimakade na?”
16Wayesethi: “Ngabona wonke u-Israyeli ehlakazekile ezintabeni njengezimvu ezingenamelusi. USimakade wathi: ‘Laba abasenawo amakhosi, mabaphindele emuva ngokuthula, kube yilowo nalowo endlini yakhe.’ ”
17Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yayisithi kuJehoshafathi: “Angishongo-ke kuwe ukuthi akaphrofethi lutho oluhle ngami; okubi kuphela na?”
18UMikhaya wathi: “Ngakho-ke yizwani izwi likaSimakade: ngambona uSimakade ehleli esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, ibandla lonke lasezulwini limi ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo sakhe. 19USimakade wathi: ‘Ngubani oyakuyenga u-Ahabi, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, ukuba ikhuphuke ifele eRamothi Gileyadi na?’
“Omunye washo lokhu nomunye washo lokhuya.
20“Kwase kuvela umoya, wema phambi kukaSimakade wathi: ‘Mina ngiyakumyenga.’
“USimakade wathi kuye: ‘Kanjani na?’
21“Wathi: ‘Ngiyakuphuma ngibe ngumoya wamanga emilonyeni yabaphrofethi bakhe bonke.’
“Wathi: ‘Uyakumyenga, futhi umehlule, ngakho hamba wenze kanjalo.’
22“Ngakho-ke uSimakade ufake umoya wamanga emilonyeni yalaba baphrofethi bakho. NguSimakade okhulume okubi ngawe.”
23UZedekiya, indodana kaKhenahama, wasondela wamshaya esihlathini uMikhaya, wathi: “UMoya kaSimakade wasuka nini kimi ukuba akhulume kuwe na?”
24Wathi uMikhaya: “Uyakukubona lokho ngosuku oyongena uphuma ngalo emakamelweni ngamakamelo, ucasha.”
25Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi: “Mthatheni uMikhaya, nimbuyisele ku-Amoni, umbusi womuzi, nakuJowashi, indodana yenkosi, 26uyakuthi kubo: ‘Isho kanje inkosi, ithi: “Fakani lona ejele, nimuphe isinkwa sokuhlupheka namanzi okuhlupheka, ngize ngibuye ngiphephile.” ’ ”
27Wayesethi uMikhaya: “Uma uyobuya ngempela uphephile, uyakube engakhulumanga ngami uSimakade.”
Wathi futhi: “Yizwani nina bantu bonke.”
Ukubulawa Kwenkosi U-Ahabi
28Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli noJehoshafathi, inkosi yakwaJuda, base benyukela eRamathi Gileyadi. 29Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi: “Mina ngizozifihla ngiye ngilwe, kepha wena yembatha izembatho zakho.”
Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yayisizifihla, yahamba yayokulwa.
30Inkosi yase-Aramu yayizidonse ngendlebe izinduna zezinqola zayo, yathi: “Ningalwi namuntu noma ngomncane noma ngomdala, kodwa nenkosi yakwa-Israyeli kuphela.”
31Kwathi lapho izinduna zezinqola zimbona uJehoshafathi, zathi: “Lo yinkosi yakwa-Israyeli.”
Zaphambuka ukuba zilwe nayo, kepha uJehoshafathi wamemeza, uSimakade wamsiza. UNkulunkulu wabasusa kuye. 32Kwathi izinduna zezinqola sezibonile ukuthi akasiyo inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, zabuya ekumlandeleni.
33Kepha umuntu othile wansala umnsalo wakhe ngokungazelele nje, wayihlaba inkosi yakwa-Israyeli lapho kuhlangana khona ibhantshi lensimbi eliyisivikelo sayo, yathi kumshayeli wenqola yayo: “Phenduka ungikhiphe empini, ngokuba sengilinyaziwe.”
34Impi yashisa ngalolo lusuku. Inkosi bayibeka enqoleni yayo maqondana ne-Aramu, kwaze kwaba kusihlwa, yakhothama ngesikhathi sokushona kwelanga.
