Ukunqoba kukaJehoshafati izitha zakhe
1Kwathi emva kwalokho kwafika abantwana bakwaMowabi nabantwana bakwa-Amoni benabanye bamaMehuni kuJehoshafati, beyokulwa.
2Kwafika abanye, bamtshela uJehoshafati, bathi: “Kusondela kuwe isixuku esikhulu sivela phesheya kolwandle e-Aramu; bheka, sebeseHasasoni Thamari eliyi-Eni Gedi.” 3UJehoshafati wayeseshaywa luvalo, wabhekisa ubuso bakhe ukumfuna uJehova, wamemezela ukuzila ukudla kulo lonke lwakwaJuda. 4UJuda wabuthana ukucela ukusizwa nguJehova; baphuma emizini yonke yakwaJuda, bafika ukumfuna uJehova.
5UJehoshafati wema ebandleni lakwaJuda nelaseJerusalema endlini kaJehova phambi kwegceke elisha, 6wathi: “Jehova Nkulunkulu wawobaba, wena awusiye uNkulunkulu ezulwini, awusiye umbusi wemibuso yonke yabezizwe, na? Esandleni sakho kukhona amandla negunya, akakho ongamelana nawe. 7Awuxoshanga yini, Nkulunkulu wethu, abakhileyo kuleli zwe phambi kwabantu bakho u-Israyeli, wanika lona inzalo ka-Abrahama umngane wakho kuze kube phakade, na? 8Bahlala kulo, bakwakhela kulo indlu engcwele ibe ngeyegama lakho, bethi: 9‘Uma sehlelwa ngokubi, inkemba, nokwahlulelwa, nesifo, nendlala, siyakuma phambi kwale ndlu naphambi kwakho, ngokuba igama lakho likule ndlu, sikhale kuwe ekuhluphekeni kwethu, uyakuzwa, usisindise.’
10“Bheka, manje abantwana bakwa-Amoni nabakwaMowabi nabasentabeni yaseSeyiri, ongavumelanga u-Israyeli ukubangenela ekuphumeni kwakhe ezweni laseGibithe, kepha wabachezukela, akabachithanga, 11bheka, ukusivuza kwabo ukuba bafike ukusixosha efeni lakho osinike lona ukuba silidle. 12Nkulunkulu wethu, awuyikubahlulela na? Ngokuba asinamandla ebusweni balesi sixuku esikhulu esisifikelayo; futhi asazi ukuthi siyakwenze njani, kodwa amehlo ethu akuwe.”
13Wonke uJuda wayemi phambi kukaJehova, nezingane zabo, nawomkabo, namadodana abo.
14Kwase kufika uMoya kaJehova phezu kukaJahaziyeli kaZakariya kaBenaya kaJehiyeli kaMathaniya umLevi, emadodaneni ka-Asafa phakathi kwebandla, 15wathi: “Yizwani nina nonke bakwaJuda, nabakhileyo eJerusalema, nawe nkosi Jehoshafati: usho kanje kini uJehova, uthi: ‘Ningesabi, ningapheli amandla ngenxa yalesi sixuku esikhulu, ngokuba impi ayisiyo eyenu, ngekaNkulunkulu. 16Yehlelani kubo kusasa; bhekani, bayakukhuphuka ngommango waseSisi; niyakubafumana ekugcineni kwesigodi ngaphambi kwehlane laseJeruweli. 17Akusikho okwenu ukulwa kule mpi; zihleleni, nime, nibone ukunisindisa kukaJehova, nina Juda neJerusalema; ningesabi, ningapheli amandla; phumelani kubo kusasa, ngokuba uJehova unani.’ ”
18Wayesekhothama uJehoshafati, ubuso bakhe bubheke phansi; wonke uJuda nabakhileyo eJerusalema bawa phambi kukaJehova bekhuleka kuJehova. 19AmaLevi abantwana bamaKohati nawabantwana bamaKorahi asukuma ukumdumisa uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ngezwi elikhulu kakhulu.
20Bavuka ekuseni, baphuma baya ehlane laseThekhowa; ekuphumeni kwabo uJehoshafati wema, wathi: “Ngizweni, Juda nani bakhileyo eJerusalema! Kholwani nguJehova uNkulunkulu wenu, niyakuqiniswa; kholwani ngabaprofethi bakhe, niyakuphumelela.” 21Eselulekene nabantu wamisa abayakuhlabelela kuJehova ukuba bamdumise behlotshisiwe ngobungcwele, besaphuma ngaphambi kwempi, bathi: “Bongani uJehova, ngokuba umusa wakhe umi phakade.”
22Lapho sebeqala ukuhalalisa nokudumisa, uJehova wabeka abaqamekeli babantwana bakwa-Amoni, nabakwaMowabi, nabaseSeyiri, ababefikele uJuda, banqotshwa. 23Abantwana bakwa-Amoni nabakwaMowabi bamelana nabakhileyo entabeni yaseSeyiri ukuba babachithe, babaqothule; sebebaqedile abakhileyo eSeyiri basiza, kwaba yilowo nalowo, ngokubulalana bodwa.
24UJuda esefike embonisweni wasehlane, babheka isixuku; bheka, babe yizidumbu nje eziwele phansi, akusindanga noyedwa. 25Lapho uJehoshafati nabantu bakhe befika ukuqoqa impango kubo, bafumanisa phakathi kwabo ubuningi bengcebo nezidumbu nezinto ezinxanelekayo, bazihlubulela zona, kwaze kwangabakho ongazithwala; kwaba yizinsuku ezintathu beqoqa impango, ngokuba yayiningi kangaka. 26Ngosuku lwesine babuthana esiGodini saseBerakha,* ngokuba bambonga uJehova khona; ngalokho igama laleyo ndawo labizwa ngokuthi isiGodi saseBerakha kuze kube namuhla.
27Base bebuya bonke abantu bakwaJuda nabaseJerusalema, uJehoshafati ephambi kwabo, ukuba babuyele eJerusalema ngentokozo, ngokuba uJehova wayesebathokozisile phezu kwezitha zabo. 28Bafika-ke eJerusalema benezingubhu namahabhu* namacilongo endlini kaJehova.
29Ingebhe ngoNkulunkulu yaba phezu kwayo yonke imibuso yamazwe, lapho isizwile ukuthi uJehova wayelwile nezitha zakwa-Israyeli. 30Umbuso kaJehoshafati wawusuzola, ngokuba uNkulunkulu wakhe wamnika ukuphumula nxazonke.
31UJehoshafati wabusa-ke phezu kukaJuda; wayeneminyaka engamashumi amathathu nanhlanu ekuqaleni kwakhe ukubusa; wabusa iminyaka engamashumi amabili nanhlanu eJerusalema; igama likanina lalingu-Azuba indodakazi kaShilehi. 32Wahamba ngendlela ka-Asa uyise, kaphambukanga kuyo, ekwenza okulungile emehlweni kaJehova. 33Kepha izindawo eziphakemeyo azisuswanga; futhi abantu babengabhekisanga izinhliziyo zabo kuNkulunkulu wawoyise.
34Ezinye izindaba zikaJehoshafati, ezokuqala nezokugcina, bheka, zilotshiwe ezindabeni zikaJehu indodana kaHanani ezifakwe encwadini yamakhosi akwa-Israyeli.
35Emva kwalokho uJehoshafati, inkosi yakwaJuda, wazihlanganisa no-Ahaziya inkosi yakwa-Israyeli; yena wayekwenza okubi impela; 36wazihlanangisa naye ukwenza imikhumbi yokuya eTharishishi; bayenza imikhumbi e-Esiyoni Geberi. 37U-Eliyezeri indodana kaDodavahu waseMaresha waprofetha ngoJehoshafati ngokuthi: “Ngenxa yokuba uzihlanganisile no-Ahaziya, uJehova uyakudiliza imisebenzi yakho.” Yaphuka-ke imikhumbi, yathiyeka ukuya eTharishishi.
