Bible Reading Plan – Day 154

₁Ke uYoshafati unyana ka-Asa wangena esikhundleni sikayise, waza ke wawomeleza umkhosi wakhe ukuze angoyiswa nguSirayeli. ₂Wamisa umkhosi kuzo zonke izixeko ezinqatyisiweyo zakwaJuda; wamisa amabutho kwaJuda nakwiidolophu zakwaEfrayim ezazithinjwe nguyise uAsa.

₃*UNdikhoyo ke waba naye uYoshafati kuba wayehamba ngeendlela uyise awayehamba ngazo kuqala. Wayengabuzisi kooBhali, ₄koko efunana noThixo kayise, ehamba ngemiyalelo yakhe yonke, engazilandeli izenzo zamaSirayeli. ₅UNdikhoyo wawuzinzisa phantsi kwakhe umbuso wakhe, waza wonke uJuda wazisa izipho kuye, waza ke wasisityebi, futhi wahlonelwa. ₆Wayezinikezele ngentliziyo yakhe yonke kwiindlela zikaNdikhoyo; ngaphezu koko ke wazitshitshisa iindawo eziphakamileyo zonqulo kunye neentsika zika-Ashera kwelakwaJuda.

₇Ke kaloku ngonyaka wesithathu wolawulo lwakhe uYoshafati wathumela la maphakathi ukuba aye kufundisa kwiidolophu zakwaJuda: uBhen-rhayili, uObhadiya, uZakariya, uNataniyeli, noMikaya. ₈Ayekhatshwa ngaba baLevi: uShemaya, uNetaniya, uZebhadiya, uAsaheli, uShemiramoti, uYehonatan, uAdoniya, uLabhiya, uTobhiya, noTobhi-adoniya, nababingeleli uElishama noYoram. ₉Babephethe incwadi yomthetho kaNdikhoyo, baza ke bafundisa kulo lonke elakwaJuda, bazijikeleza iidolophu zakhona, bafundisa abantu.

₁₀Ke kaloku uNdikhoyo watsho wahlonelwa zizo zonke izikumkani zemihlaba ejikeleze uJuda, ngaloo ndlela ke akwabikho sizwe sikathaza uYoshafati ngemfazwe. ₁₁AmaFilistiya athile arhuma ngezipho nangesiliva, aza ama-Arabhu amzisela imihlambi: amawaka asixhenxe anamakhulu asixhenxe eenkunzi zeegusha, namawaka asixhenxe anamakhulu asixhenxe eebhokhwe.

₁₂UYoshafati waya esomelela ngokomelela. Wakha iinqaba nezixeko ezingoovimba kwaJuda, ₁₃kananjalo umphako omninzi ewugcina kwiidolophu zakwaJuda. Wayenawo namajoni anamava, ewagcina eJerusalem. ₁₄Nalu uludwe lwawo ngokwemilibo:

₁₉La ke ngamadoda awayesebenzela ukumkani, ngaphandle kwalawo awayehlaliswa kwizixeko ezinqatyisiweyo kulo lonke elakwaJuda.

₁Ke kaloku uYoshafati wayemkhulu ngobutyebi nesidima, waza wazihlobanisa noAhabhi ngobulawu. ₂Emva kweminyaka ke waya kutyelela uAhabhi eSamariya. UAhabhi ke wamxhelela iigusha ezininzi, ngokunjalo neenkomo, esenzela yena neqela lakhe; kananjalo wamcenga ukuba ahlasele iRamoti yaseGiliyadi. ₃UAhabhi ukumkani wakwaSirayeli wacela uYoshafati wathi: “Uya kuhamba nam na, silwe neRamoti yaseGiliyadi?”

UYoshafati wathi: “Mna nawe sibanye; abantu bam ngabantu bakho. Siya kuba kunye kule mfazwe.” ₄Kodwa ke uYoshafati waleka ngelithi kukumkani wakwaSirayeli: “Khawuqale ubuzise *kuNdikhoyo.”

₅Ngoko ke ukumkani wakwaSirayeli waqokelela abashumayeli abangamakhulu amane, wabuza wathi: “Singaya kulwa na neRamoti yaseGiliyadi, okanye ndirhoxe?”

Bathi: “Yiya; uThixo uza kuyinikela esandleni sikakumkani.”

₆Kambe ke uYoshafati wathi: “Akusekho mshumayeli kaNdikhoyo na apha esinokubuza kuye?”

₇Ukumkani wakwaSirayeli wathi kuYoshafati: “Kusekho indoda enye esingabuzisa ngayo kuNdikhoyo, kodwa ke mna ndiyithiyile, kuba ayishumayeli okuhle ngokubhekisele kum, soloko ibububi bodwa. Igama layo nguMika, unyana kaImla.”

UYoshafati wathi: “Hayi bo, ukumkani makangathethi njalo.”

₈Ngoko ke ukumkani wakwaSirayeli wabiza elinye lamaphakathi akhe, wathi kulo: “Khawuleza uze noMika, unyana kaImla.”

₉Ke kaloku ukumkani wakwaSirayeli noYoshafati ukumkani wakwaJuda babevethe ezobukhosi, bengqendeve ezihlalweni zabo esandeni sokubhula esikufuphi nesango laseSamariya, nabashumayeli belapho phambi kwabo beshumayela. ₁₀Ke uZedekiya, unyana kaKenana, wayenze iimpondo ngentsimbi, waza ke wathi: “Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: ‘Ngezi mpondo ùya kuwahlaba uwatshabalalise ama-Aram.’ ” ₁₁Nabanye ke abashumayeli bashumayela kwaloo nto, besithi: “Phakathi! Yihlasele iRamoti yaseGiliyadi. Uza kuyoyisa, kuba uNdikhoyo uyinikele esandleni sikakumkani.”

₁₂Ke isigidimi esasiphuthume uMika sathi kuye: “Uyabona ke, abanye abashumayeli batsho ngazwi-nye kukumkani ukuthi uza kuphumelela. Nawe ke uze ungaphikisani nabo, koko uthethe okuhle.”

₁₃UMika ke yena wathi: “Ekho nje uNdikhoyo, ndiza kuthetha kuphela loo nto andixelela yona uThixo wam!”

₁₄Akuba efikile ke, ukumkani wathi kuye: “Mika, singaya kulwa na neRamoti yaseGiliyadi, okanye ndirhoxe?”

UMika wathi: “Phakathi! Yihlasele; uya kuyoyisa, kuba baza kunikelwa esandleni senu!”

₁₅Ukumkani wathi kuye: “Koda kube kangaphi ndikufungisa ndisithi musa ukundixelela nto yimbi ngaphandle kwenyaniso egameni likaNdikhoyo?”

₁₆UMika wathi: “Ewe, uSirayeli ndimbone ethe saa ezintabeni, engathi ziigusha ezingenamalusi; waza uNdikhoyo wathi: ‘Aba bantu abanankosi, ngoko ke elowo nalowo makagoduke ngoxolo.’ ”

₁₇Ukumkani wakwaSirayeli wathi kuYoshafati: “Bendingatshongo na kuwe ukuba lo mfo akaze ashumayele into entle ngam, koko zezimbi zodwa!”

₁₈Ke uMika waqhuba wathi: “Ngoko ke liveni ilizwi likaNdikhoyo. UNdikhoyo ndimbone ehleli esihlalweni sakhe, umkhosi wonke wasezulwini umi ngasekunene nangasekhohlo kwakhe. ₁₉Waza ke yena wathi: ‘Yaz' ukuba ngubani na oya kulukuhla uAhabhi aze ahlasele iRamoti yaseGiliyadi, khon' ukuze afele khona?’ Omnye uthethe ngolu hlobo, waza ke omnye wathetha ngoluya. ₂₀Ekugqibeleni ke kuvele moya uthile, wema phambi koNdikhoyo, wathi: ‘Ndiya kumlukuhla mna.’ ₂₁‘Uya kumlukuhla kanjani?’ ubuzile uNdikhoyo. Umoya lowo uthe: ‘Ndophuma ndiye ndibe ngumoya wobuxoki emlonyeni wabo bonke abashumayeli.’ Waza ke uNdikhoyo wathi: ‘Hamba ke, wenjenjalo; uya kuphumelela ekumlukuhleni.’ ₂₂Ke ngoku uNdikhoyo ufake umoya wobuxoki emilonyeni yabo bonke aba bashumayeli bakho. Ewe, uNdikhoyo ukumisele intlekele.”

₂₃Wasuka ke uZedekiya unyana kaKenana waya kuMika, wafika wamqhwaba ngempama, wathi: “Ugqithe phi na kum loo moya kaNdikhoyo ukuba aye kuthetha kuwe?”

₂₄UMika wathi: “Loo nto uya kuyiqonda mhla waya kuzimela kwigumbi elingaphakathi.”

₂₅Ukumkani wakwaSirayeli wathi: “Mthatheni uMika lo, nimse kuAmon usibonda wesixeko noYowashe unyana kakumkani, ₂₆nithi: ‘Utsho ukumkani ukuthi: Valelani lo mfo entolongweni, angatyi nto ngaphandle komxheshwana wesonka namanzi, ndide ndibuye ndiphilile.’ ”

₂₇Ke uMika wathi: “Ukuba ngaba ungabuya uphilile, woba uNdikhoyo engathethanga ngomlomo wam.” Waza ke wongezelela ngelithi: “Wagqaleni la mazwi xa ninonke, bantundini!”

₂₈Ngoko ke ukumkani wakwaSirayeli noYoshafati ukumkani wakwaJuda benyuka baya eRamoti yaseGiliyadi. ₂₉Ukumkani wakwaSirayeli wathetha noYoshafati, wathi: “Mna ndiza kungena kweli dabi ndinxibe ngendlela eya kundenza ndingaqondakali ukuba ndingukumkani, kodwa ke wena nxiba ezobukhosi.” Ke ukumkani wakwaSirayeli wazenza mntu wumbi, waza ke waya apho edabini.

₃₀Ke ukumkani wama-Aram waziyalela iingqwayi-ngqwayi zeenqwelo zakhe wathi: “Ze ningalwi naye nawuphi na omnye umntu, nokuba ngomncinci, nokuba ngomkhulu, yilwani nokumkani wakwaSirayeli yedwa.”

₃₁Zithe ke iingqwayi-ngqwayi zeenqwelo zakubona uYoshafati, zacinga zathi: “Nguye lo ukumkani wakwaSirayeli.” Ngoko ke zaphethuka zafunzela kuye, kodwa uYoshafati wasuka wakhala, waza ke uNdikhoyo wamhlangula. Ewe, uThixo wenza ukuba zirhoxe zimke ngakuye; ₃₂kaloku zathi iingqwayi-ngqwayi ezo zakuqonda ukuba akanguye ukumkani wakwaSirayeli, zayeka ukumsukela.

₃₃Kambe ke joni lithile lasuka lajolisa nje ngokungakhathali ngotolo, suka lachana ukumkani wakwaSirayeli, utolo lwangena ekudibaneni kwezikhuselo awayezinxibile. Ukumkani wathetha nomqhubi wenqwelo yakhe, wathi: “Bandingxwelerhile; yijike inqwelo, siphume edabini.” ₃₄Idabi laqhuba ke yonke loo mini, wabe yena ukumkani wakwaSirayeli emi ebambelele enqwelweni yakhe, ejongise ngakuma-Aram kwada kwahlwa. Kambe ke ukutshona kwelanga wafa.

₁Ke kaloku uYoshafati ukumkani wakwaJuda wabuyela ebhotwe eJerusalem esindile, ₂waza ke wahlangatyezwa yimboni uYehu unyana kaHanani, wathi kukumkani: “Ngaba kulungile ukuba usize isikhohlakali, ubathande abo bamthiyileyo *uNdikhoyo? Ngenxa yesi senzo ke ingqumbo kaNdikhoyo iphezu kwakho. ₃Kambe ke kukho le ndawana ikuthethelelayo, le yokuba wazisusa iintsika zika-Ashera kweli lizwe, waza wena wazimisela ukufunana noThixo.”

₄UYoshafati wahlala eJerusalem, wabuya wahamba-hamba phakathi kwabantu, athi eseBheshebha, abe ekweleentaba zakwaEfrayim. Abantu wababuyisela *kuNdikhoyo uThixo wooyise. ₅Wamisela abagwebi kuzo zonke izixeko ezinqatyisiweyo zakwaJuda. ₆Wathi kubo: “Zigqaleni ngenyameko izinto enizenzayo. Kaloku ezo zigqibo nizenzayo anizenzeli abantu, koko nizenza egameni likaNdikhoyo. Yena ke uhlala enani nanini na nisiwisa isigwebo. ₇Ngoko ke mhloneleni uNdikhoyo. Ze nigwebe ngenyameko, kuba yena uNdikhoyo uThixo wethu akayenzi into engekho mthethweni; akanagobe, yaye ke akanyobeki.”

₈NaseJerusalem ke uYoshafati wamisela abanye abaLevi nababingeleli neentloko zezindlu zakwaSirayeli, ukuze baphuhlise umthetho kaNdikhoyo, balamle iimbambano. Ke babehlala eJerusalem. ₉Wabayalela ngolu hlobo: “Sebenzani ngentembeko nangomxhelo wenu wonke, nimhlonela uNdikhoyo. ₁₀Kumbandela ngamnye oza kuni uphuma kumawenu ahlala ezixekweni (nokuba ngumcimbi wokuphalala kwegazi, okanye izinto eziphathelele emthethweni, imiyalelo, imimiselo, okanye imiqathango ethile) nina balumkiseni bangamoni uNdikhoyo, kungenjalo ingqumbo yakhe yoba phezu kwenu namawenu lawo. Yenzani loo nto ke ukuze ningoni.

₁₁“Umbingeleli omkhulu uAmariya nguye oya kunongamela kwimicimbi ephathelele kuNdikhoyo; kanti ke yena uZebhadiya unyana kaIshmayeli wonongamela kweziphathelele kukumkani. Ke bona abaLevi boba ngabaququzeleli benu. Yomelelani nizimisele! Ngamana ke uNdikhoyo wangakubo bonke abenza okulungileyo.”