2 UMakhabhizi 15

₁Lapho uNikhanori ezwa ukuthi uJudase namabutho akhe babesesifundeni saseSamariya, wenza icebo lokuba abahlasele ngokunyenya ngosuku lwesabatha. ₂Lapho abaJuda ababephoqiwe ukuba bamlandele bethi kuye: “Musa ukubhubhisa kabuhlungu nangobuqaba obungaka, kodwa hlonipha usuku olwamiswa lwahlonipheka phezu kwezinye lwabusiswa nguye obona konke”, ₃le ndoda eqalekiswe ngokuphindiwe yabuza ukuthi ukhona yini onamandla ezulwini owayeyalile ukuba lugcinwe usuku lwesabatha. ₄Bamphendula bathi: “NguNkulunkulu ophilayo uqobo, uSomandla ezulwini, owasiyala ukuba sigcine usuku lwesikhombisa,” ₅waphendula wathi: “Yimi ongusomandla lapha emhlabeni, ngakho ngiyaniyala ukuba nithathe izikhali niqede umsebenzi wenkosi.”

Nokho kaphumelelanga ukuba afeze icebo lakhe elibi.

₆Lo Nikhanori ndini, ekuziphakamiseni nokuzigqaja kwakhe wayezimisele ukwakha isikhumbuzo sokunqoba uJudase namabutho akhe. ₇Kepha uMakhabhizi kazange angabaze ukuthi uyoluthola usizo kuNkulunkulu. ₈Wawayala amabutho akhe ukuba angabesabi abezizwe, kodwa ukuba akhumbule izikhathi ezedlulileyo lapho uNkulunkulu wayebalethela ngazo usizo luvela ezulwini, nokuba bakulindele ukunqoba uSomandla azobanika khona. ₉Wabagqugquzela ngokulotshwe emthethweni nakubaphrofethi, futhi wabakhumbuza ngayo yonke imizabalazo abaphumelela kuyo, wabenza balangaza kakhulu.

₁₀Esebaqunge isibindi, wabe esabayala futhi ebaluleka ngobuqili babezizwe kanye nokwephula kwabo izithembiso. ₁₁Wabahlomisa kwaba yilowo nalowo hhayi nje ukuba bethembe izihlangu nemikhonto kodwa ngamazwi abagqugquzelayo, wabaqunga isibindi ngokubatshela iphupho lakhe, elalingumbono nje owawumfishane owawufanele ukuba bawukholwe. ₁₂Akubona kwakuyilokhu, u-Oniyase owayekade engumphristi omkhulu, indoda elungile nehloniphekile, futhi eyayingaziphakamisile, imnene, eyayikhuluma ngokufanele futhi ikhuliswe yaqeqeshwa ekwenzeni izinto ezisezingeni eliphezulu kusukela ebuncaneni bayo, wayekhulekela sonke isizwe sakwaJuda evule izandla zakhe. ₁₃Kwaphinde ngayo leyo ndlela kwavela omunye, owayehlukile ngenxa yezinwele zakhe ezimpunga nangesithunzi ayenaso, futhi engowasebukhosini enegunya. ₁₄U-Oniyase wakhuluma naye, ethi: “Lena yindoda ewuthandayo umndeni ka-Israyeli futhi ebakhulekela njalo abantu kanye nomuzi ongcwele, uJeremiya umphrofethi kaNkulunkulu.”

₁₅UJeremiya welula isandla sakhe sokunene wanikeza uJudase inkemba yegolide, ngenkathi emnikeza wakhuluma kuye wathi: ₁₆“Thatha le nkemba engcwele iyisipho esivela kuNkulunkulu, futhi ngayo uyakucekela phansi izitha zakho.”

₁₇Begqugquzelwa ngamazwi kaJudase, ayemahle futhi efaka ugqozi, evusa isibindi emiphefumulweni yabancane, bazimisela ukuba bangabe besalinda kodwa bahlasele ngesibindi, nokuba baluhlaziye lolu daba, ngokulwa ngesibindi ngezandla zabo, ngokuba umuzi nendawo engcwele kanye nethempeli kwakuzulelwa ngamanqe. ₁₈Ukukhathazeka kwabo ngabafazi babo nezingane zabo, nangabafowabo nodadewabo nezihlobo zabo kwaba yisisindo esikhulu; babekhathazeke kakhulu nangethempeli elingcwele. ₁₉Labo ababesalile emzini nabo babekhathazeke kakhulu ngokubhekana nesitha ewathangeni lokhalo.

₂₀Bonke besalindele ukubhekana nodaba oluphambi kwabo, kanjalo nesitha sesishoshela eduze silungela ukulwa, izindlovu sezimiswe zalungela ukuhlasela, namabutho esephakwe ngokufanele, ₂₁uMakhabhizi wabuka uquqaba olwaluphambi kwakhe nezinhlobo nhlobo zezikhali ababeziphethe, nobungozi bezindlovu, welulela izandla zakhe ezulwini wayibiza iNkosi eyenza izimangaliso; ngokuba wayazi ukuthi ukunqoba kulabo abakufanele, akutholakali nje ngezikhali kodwa ngokuba kunqume iNkosi uSomandla. ₂₂Wayibiza iNkosi ekhuleka ngala mazwi: “Nkosi wayithumela ingelosi yakho ngesikhathi sikaHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda, futhi yabulala izinkulungwane eziyikhulu namashumi ayisishiyagalombili nanhlanu ekamu likaSenakheribi. ₂₃Ngakho-ke thumela manje, Somandla wezulu, ingelosi yakho ukuba izovuvuzela uvalo netwetwe phambi kwethu. ₂₄Sengathi ngamandla engalo yakho laba bahlambalazi bezizwe, abeze ukuzolwa nendawo yakho engcwele bangacekelwa phansi.”

Waphela kanjalo-ke umkhuleko wakhe. ₂₅UNikhanori namabutho akhe beza beshaya imitshingo yempi behuba namahubo empi, ₂₆kodwa uJudase wabhekana neyesitha impi ngezinxuso kuNkulunkulu nangemikhuleko. ₂₇Ngakho-ke balwa ngezandla zabo bekhuleka ezinhliziyweni zabo, badicilela phansi ngenkemba okungenani abayizi-35 000, futhi bathokoziswa kakhulu yindlela azibonakalisa ngayo uNkulunkulu. ₂₈Lapho sekuphelile ukulwa sebebuyela emuva bethokoza, bambona uNikhanori elele efile, egqoke zonke ezempi. ₂₉Ngakho-ke kwaba khona umsindo omangalisayo kwaze kwangathi kunokuzamazama, beyidumisa iNkosi uSomandla ngolimi lokhokho babo.

₃₀Ngakho-ke le ndoda eyayisivikela isizwe sakubo ngomzimba nangomphefumulo wayo, indoda eyabugcina ubuhle bobusha bayo nokulunga kubafowabo, yabayala ukuba banqume ikhanda nengalo kaNikhanori baye nalo eJerusalema. ₃₁Lapho efika khona wabiza bonke abesizwe sakubo wabahlanganisa nabaphristi bephambi kwe-althare, wathumela kwabizwa nalabo ababesezinqabeni. ₃₂Wabakhombisa ikhanda likaNikhanori owayengalungile kanye nesandla sakhe esingcolile, ayeselule ngokuzigqaja esongela indawo engcwele kaNkulunkulu uSomandla. ₃₃Wanquma nolimi lukaNikhanori ongalungile wabatshela ukuthi uzakulunika izinyoni zezulu njengokudla bese elengisa lezi zinto ezingumvuzo wobulima bakhe zibhekane nendawo engcwele.

₃₄Kwase kuthi bonke babheka ezulwini, bayidumisa iNkosi eyazibonakalisa kubo, bethi: “Ubusisiwe lowo oyigcinile indawo yakhe ingangcoliswanga!”

₃₅UJudase walengisa ikhanda likaNikhanori enqabeni, endaweni esobala nebonakalayo njengophawu kubo bonke losizo lukaNkulunkulu kubo. ₃₆Bonke bavumelana ngevoti ukuba lolu suku lungaze lwedlula lungakhunjulwanga, kodwa ukuba balugubhe olwamashumi amathathu enyangeni yeshumi nambili inyanga ebizwa ngo-Adari ngolimi lwaseSiriya, usuku olungaphambi koluka Moridekhayi.

₃₇Lena yiyona ndlela izinto ezagcina zenzeke ngayo mayelana noNikhanori, kusukela ngaleso sikhathi umuzi waba sezandleni zamaHebheru. Ngakho-ke sengizoyiphetha lapha indaba yami. ₃₈Uma ixoxwe kahle futhi uqondwa umgomo wayo, yilokho okulangazelwa ngumphefumulo wami; uma ingaxoxekanga kahle futhi ingalulethi ugqozi, hhiya bengizame konke okusemandleni ami. ₃₉Ngokuba njengoba kuyingozi ukuphuza iwayini wedwa, noma, futhi ukuphuza amanzi odwa, kunjalo newayini uma lixutshwe namanzi limtoti futhi liyanambitheka futhi liphelelisa nokujabula komuntu, injalo nendlela exoxwa ngayo indaba, inokuzithokozisa izindlebe zabayifundayo. Sesifinyelele esiphethweni.