2 IZikhronike 20

₁Kwathi emveni kwalokho kwafika abakwaMowabi nabakwa-Amoni nabanye bakwaMehuni bezokulwa noJehoshafathi.

₂Kweza abanye bamazisa ngalokho uJehoshafathi, bathi: “Kuza isixuku esikhulu esivela phesheya kolwandle, e-Aramu; manje sesingaseHazezoni Thamari eliyi-Eni Gedi.”

₃UJehoshafathi wesaba, wayesezinikela, wafuna uSimakade, wamemezela ukuzila ukudla kulo lonke elakwaJuda. ₄UJuda wabuthana ukuba acele usizo kuSimakade. Baphuma kuyo yonke imizi yakwaJuda ukuzofuna uSimakade.

₅UJehoshafathi wema ebandleni lakwaJuda nelaseJerusalema endlini kaSimakade, phambi kwegceke elisha, ₆wathi: “Simakade, Nkulunkulu wokhokho bethu, kanti Wena awusiye yini uNkulunkulu ezulwini, nombusi wemibuso yonke yezizwe na? Esandleni sakho kukhona amandla negunya, akekho ongamelana nawe. ₇Wena Nkulunkulu wethu awuxoshanga yini phambi kwabantu bakho, u-Israyeli, ababakhe kuleli lizwe, walinika abozalo luka-Abhrahama, umngani wakho, kuze kube phakade na? ₈Bahlala kulo, bakwakhela kulo indlu engcwele ukuba ibe ngeyegama lakho, bethi: ₉‘Uma sehlelwa ngokubi, inkemba, ukwehlulelwa, ubhubhane, nendlala, siyakuma phambi kwale ndlu naphambi kwakho, ngokuba igama lakho likule ndlu; sikhale kuwe ekuhluphekeni kwethu, Wena uyakusizwa usisindise.’

₁₀“Ngakho-ke ake ubheke, abakwa-Amoni, abakwaMowabi nabasentabeni iSeyiri, ongamvumelanga u-Israyeli ukuba ababhubhise ngesikhathi ephuma eGibhithe, kunalokho wabachezukela, akaze ababhubhisa. ₁₁Bheka-ke ukuthi basivuza kanjani, bezile ukuzosixosha efeni lakho owasinika lona ukuba silidle. ₁₂Nkulunkulu wethu, awuyukubehlulela yini na? Ngokuba thina asinawo amandla okubhekana nalesi sixuku esikhulu kangaka esizayo. Futhi asazi ukuthi sizokwenzenjani, kodwa amehlo ethu abheke kuwe.”

₁₃UJuda wonke wayemi phambi kukaSimakade kanye nezingane zabo, omkabo nabantwana babo.

₁₄UMoya kaSimakade wafika kuJahaziyeli kaZakhariya kaBhenaya kaJehiyeli kaMathaniya, umLevi, omunye wozalo luka-Asafa, ephakathi kwebandla, ₁₅wathi: “Yizwani nina nonke bakwaJuda, zakhamuzi zaseJerusalema, nawe nkosi Jehoshafathi: usho kanje kini uSimakade, uthi: ‘Ningesabi, ningapheli amandla ngenxa yalesi sixuku esikhulu, ngokuba impi ayisiyo eyenu, ingekaNkulunkulu. ₁₆Kusasa yehlelani kubo; bayobe bekhuphuka ngommango waseZizi; niyakubafumana ekugcineni kwesigodi, phambi kwehlane eJeruweli. ₁₇Akusikho okwenu ukulwa kule mpi; zihleleni, nime, nibone ukunqoba kukaSimakade, nina Juda neJerusalema; ningesabi, ningapheli amandla; phumelani kubo kusasa, ngokuba uSimakade uzakuba nani.’ ”

₁₈UJehoshafathi wayesekhothama, wathi mbo ngobuso emhlabathini. UJuda wonke nezakhamuzi zaseJerusalema bakhothama phambi kukaSimakade, bakhuleka kuSimakade. ₁₉AbaLevi, abozalo lwamaKhohathi nolwamaKhorahi, basukuma badumisa uSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ngezwi elikhulu kakhulu.

₂₀Bavuka ekuseni, baphuma baya ehlane eThekhowa. Ngesikhathi bephuma, uJehoshafathi wasukuma, wathi: “Ngilaleleni, Juda nani zakhamuzi zaseJerusalema! Methembeni uSimakade uNkulunkulu wenu, niyakuqiniswa. Bethembeni abaphrofethi bakhe, niyakuphumelela.”

₂₁Eselulekene nabantu, wabeka abayakuhlabelela kuSimakade bevunule ngobungcwele, behamba phambi kwamabutho, bethi: “Bongani uSimakade, ngokuba umusa wakhe umi phakade.”

₂₂Kwathi ukuba baqale ukuhalalisa nokudumisa, uSimakade wababekela abazobalalela unyendle abakwa-Amoni, abakwa-Mowabi, nabasentabeni iSeyiri ababephumele ukumelana noJuda, banqotshwa bonke. ₂₃Abakwa-Amoni nabakwaMowabi bamelana nezakhamuzi zasentabeni iSeyiri, bababhubhisa baphela nya. Kwathi sebeziqothule nya zonke izakhamuzi zaseSeyiri, base bephenduka babulalana bodwa.

₂₄UJuda efika embonisweni ehlane, waphenduka wabuka ngalapho kwakunesixuku khona; bheka, kwakulele izigingqane zezidumbu zidindilize phansi, kungekho noyedwa ophunyukile. ₂₅UJehoshafathi namabutho akhe kwathi lapho befika ukuba babuthe impango kubo, bafumanisa kubo ingcebo eningi kakhulu abangakwazanga ukuyithwala. ₂₆Ngosuku lwesine babuthana esiGodini iBherakha, bambonga lapho uSimakade. Igama laleyo ndawo labizwa ngokuthi yisigodi iBherakha, kuze kube namuhla.

₂₇UJehoshafathi wabahola bonke abantu bakwaJuda nabaseJerusalema babuyela eJerusalema ngentokozo, ngokuba uSimakade wayebathokozisile ngokwehlula izitha zabo. ₂₈Bafika eJerusalema bephethe izingubhu, amahabhu, namacilongo, bangena endlini kaSimakade.

₂₉Uvalo ngoNkulunkulu lwehlela yonke imibuso yamazwe lapho bezwa ukuthi uSimakade wayelwe nezitha zika-Israyeli. ₃₀Umbuso kaJehoshafathi waba nokuthula ngenxa yokuthi uNkulunkulu wakhe wayemnike ukuphumula nxazonke.

₃₁UJehoshafathi wabusa kwaJuda; wayeneminyaka engama-35 lapho eqala ukubusa. Wabusa iminyaka engama-25 eJerusalema. Igama likanina kwakungu-Azubha, indodakazi kaShilekhi. ₃₂Wahamba ngendlela ka-Asa, uyise, kaphambukanga kuyo, wenza okulungile phambi kukaSimakade. ₃₃Kepha-ke azisuswanga izindawo eziphakemeyo, futhi nabantu kabazibhekisanga izinhliziyo zabo kuNkulunkulu wokhokho babo.

₃₄Ezinye izindaba zikaJehoshafathi, ezakuqala nezakamuva; bheka, zilotshiwe ezindabeni zikaJehu, indodana kaHanani, ezifakwe encwadini yamakhosi akwa-Israyeli.

₃₅Emveni kwalokho uJehoshafathi, inkosi yakwaJuda, wenza isivumelwano no-Ahaziya, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli; yena wenza okubi impela. ₃₆Wazihlanganisa nayo ukuze bakhe imikhumbi yokuya eTharishishi; babeyakhela e-Eziyoni Gebheri. ₃₇U-Eliyezeri, indodana kaDodavahu waseMeresha, waphrofetha ngoJehoshafathi, wathi: “Ngenxa yokuba uzihlanganise no-Ahaziya, uSimakade uyakuyidiliza imisebenzi yakho.”

Leyo mikhumbi yephuka, ayikwazanga ukuya eTharishishi.