2 UMakhabhizi 1

₁“AbaJuda aseJerusalema nalawo asezweni laseJudiya, kubahlobo babo abangamaJuda ezweni laseGibhithe, ukuthula nothando. ₂Sengathi uNkulunkulu anganenzela okuhle, futhi sengathi angasikhumbula isivumelwano no-Abhrahama no-Isaka noJakobe, izinceku zakhe ezithembekileyo. ₃Makaninike nonke inhliziyo yokumdumisa nokwenza intando yakhe ngenhliziyo eqinisileyo nomoya ovumayo. ₄Makavule inhliziyo yenu emithethweni nasemiyalweni yakhe, aniphe ukuthula. ₅Makayizwe imithandazo yenu, abuyisane nani, futhi makanganishiyi ngesikhathi sobunzima nesobubi. ₆Siyanikhulekela njengamanje lapha. ₇Ngomnyaka we-169 wokubusa kukaDemetriyu, thina baJuda sanibhalela ngesikhathi sobunzima esasisehlele ngaleyo minyaka, emuva kokuba uJasoni nethimba lakhe bevukele umuzi ongcwele kanye nombuso; ₈bashisa amasango bachitha negazi labaningi abangenacala. Sakhuleka enkosini yasizwa, sanikela ngemihlatshelo nangeminikelo yokusanhlamvu, sakhanyisa izibani sakhipha nezinkwa. ₉Ngakho-ke manje bonani ukuthi niyawugcina umkhosi wamadokodo ngenyanga kaKislevi ngomnyaka we-188.”

₁₀“Abantu baseJerusalema nabaseJudiya, nomkhandlu wezigele kanye noJudase: ku-Aristobulusi, ongowozalo lwabaphristi abagcotshiwe, umfundisi wenkosi uPhitholemi, nakuwo abajuda aseGibhithe, Siyanibingelela sinifisela impilo enhle. ₁₁Simbonga kakhulu uNkulunkulu osihlengile ezingozini eziningi ezimbi, nangokusimela kwakhe sibhekene nenkosi, ₁₂ngokuba ubaxoshile bonke abebemelene nathi belwa nomuzi ongcwele. ₁₃Lapho umholi efika ePheresiya nempi eyayinkulu kungathi akukho muntu ongamelana nayo, benziwa izitokwe ethempelini likaNaniya ngenxa yecebo elidukisayo elenziwa ngabaphristi bakankulunkulu uNaniya. ₁₄U-Antiyokhusi ezenzisa sengathi uqonde ukuganwa nguye, wafika kuleyo ndawo nabangani bakhe, ukuzothatha ingcebo yalo eningi njengelobolo. ₁₅Lapho abaphristi bethempeli likaNaniya sebeyibekile yonke ingcebo, esefikile no-Antiyokhusi namadoda ambalwa, bangana ngaphakathi kobonda lwendawo engcwele, balivala ithempeli lapho eqeda nje ukungena. ₁₆Bavula umnyango ofihlakele ophahleni, babajikijela ngamatshe bamshaya umholi namadoda ayehamba nawo; babanquma izitho ezithile, banquma namakhanda bawaphonsa kubantu ngaphandle. ₁₇Makadunyiswe ngakho konke uNkulunkulu wethu, olethe ukwahlulelwa kwalabo abaziphathe ngokungcola.”

₁₈Njengoba ngolwama-25 kwekaKhislevi sizobe sigubha umkhosi wokuhlanjululwa kwethempeli, sikubone kufanelekile ukuba sinazise, ukuze nani nigubhe umkhosi wamadokodo kanye nomkhosi womlilo owanikezwa lapho uNehemiya, owakha ithempeli kanye ne-althare, enikela imihlatshelo. ₁₉Ngokuba lapho okhokho bethu beya ekuthunjweni ePheresiya, abaphristi abalungileyo baleso sikhathi bathatha omunye womlilo wase-althare bawufihla emgodini womthombo owawomile, lapho abaqikekela khona ukuba leyo ndawo ingaziwa muntu. ₂₀Kepha lapho sekudlule iminyaka eminingi, kukuhle kuNkulunkulu, uNehemiya egunyaziwe yinkosi yasePheresiya, wathumela abenzalo yabaphristi ababewufihlile umlilo ukuba beze bawuthathe. Lapho besibikela ukuthi abawutholanga umlilo kodwa bafica amanzi alugqinsi, wabayala ukuba bawakhe beze nawo. ₂₁Kepha lapho sekulethwa lokho okwakuzosetshenziswa ekunikeleni, uNehemiya wayala abaphristi ukuba bachele umlilo nakho konke okusetafuleni lemihlatshelo ngala manzi. ₂₂Lapha sekwenziwe lokho futhi sekwedlule isikhashana, kwathi lapho kuvela ilanga, elalikade lembozwe ngamafu likhanya, kwadunqa umlilo omkhulu, owamangalisa bonke. ₂₃Ngenkathi umhlatshelo usha, abaphristi banikela imikhuleko, bekhulekela abaphristi nabantu bonke. UJonathani wahola, kwathi bonke abanye bamvumela, njengoba noNehemiya enza.

₂₄Umkhuleko wawuthi: “Nkosi! Nkosi Nkulunkulu, Mdali wezinto zonke, uyesabeka futhi unamandla, ulungile unesihawu, wena wedwa Nkosi unesihe, ₂₅wena wedwa uyachichima, wena wedwa ulungile, unamandla, uphakade. Uyamophula u-Israyeli ebubini bonke; wabakhetha okhokho futhi wabangcwelisa. ₂₆Wemukele lo mkhuleko wabantu bakho u-Israyeli, usigcine isabelo sakho usenze sibe ngcwele. ₂₇Babuthele ndawonye abantu bakithi abahlakazekile, ukhulule labo abacindezelweyo phakathi kwabezizwe, ubheke bonke abaliwayo nababukelwa phansi, wenze ukuba abezizwe bazi ukuthi unguNkulunkulu wethu. ₂₈Bajezise labo abacindezelayo futhi begcwele ubujaka nempakamo. ₂₉Bagxilise abantu bakho endaweni yakho engcwele, njengoba ayethembisile uMose.”

₃₀Abaphristi base becula amaculo. ₃₁Lapho izinto zonke zomhlatshelo sezishile, uNehemiya wayala ukuba amanzi ayesele athelwe etsheni elikhulu. ₃₂Sekwenziwe lokhu, ilangabi lavutha lakhuphuka; kodwa lapho ukukhanya okuvela e-althare kukhanya, lacima. ₃₃Sekuzwakele ngakho konke lokhu, kwabikwa enkosini yamaPheresiya ukuthi, endaweni lapho abaphristi ababethunjiwe bafihla khona umlilo, kuvele uketshezi alusebenzisile uNehemiya nabambisene nabo ukuba bashise umhlatshelo. ₃₄Inkosi yaluhlolisisa lolu daba, yayibiyela indawo yayenza yaba ngcwele. ₃₅Inkosi yabapha izipho bonke labo ababenogazi ibathanda. ₃₆UNehemiya nabambisene nabo bakubiza lokhu ngokuthi: “iNefuthari”, okusho “ukuhlanzwa”, kodwa abantu abaningi bakubiza ngokuthi: “nafutha”.