Eyokuqala EyamaKhosi

22 Kwahlala iminyaka emithathu kungelampi phakathi kwamaSiriya labako-Israyeli. 2 Ngomnyaka wesithathu inkosi yakoJuda uJehoshafathi+ yavakatshela u-Ahabi inkosi yako-Israyeli.+ 3 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yakhuluma lezinceku zayo yathi: “Angithi liyakwazi ukuthi iRamothi-giliyadi+ ngeyethu? Kodwa lokhu sidonda ukuyithatha enkosini yeSiriya.” 4 Ngemva kwalokho yathi kuJehoshafathi: “Uzahamba lami yini siyehlasela iRamothi-giliyadi?” UJehoshafathi waphendula inkosi yako-Israyeli wathi: “Mina lawe singabantu banye, abantu bami ngabakho lamabhiza ami ngawakho.”+

5 UJehoshafathi waqhubeka wathi enkosini yako-Israyeli: “Kodwa ngicela uqale ubuze+ ukuthi uJehova uthini.”+ 6 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yasiqoqa abaphrofethi abangaba ngu-400 yababuza yathi: “Ngihambe yini ngiyekulwa leRamothi-giliyadi kumbe ngingayi?” Bona bayiphendula bathi: “Hamba nkosi ngoba uJehova uzakwenza ukuthi uyinqobe.”

7 UJehoshafathi wasesithi: “Kanti lapha akulamphrofethi kaJehova yini sibuze lakuye?”+ 8 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yaphendula uJehoshafathi yathi: “Ukhona oyedwa esingabuza kuye ukuthi uJehova uthini+ kodwa ngiyamzonda+ ngoba kakaze aphrofethe okuhle ngami, uhlala ephrofetha okubi kuphela.+ NguMikhaya indodana ka-Imla.” Kodwa uJehoshafathi wathi: “Inkosi kayingatsho njalo.”

9 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yasibiza esinye isiphathamandla sayo sesigodlweni yathi kuso: “Phangisa uyethatha uMikhaya indodana ka-Imla.”+ 10 Inkosi yako-Israyeli loJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda babehlezi ezihlalweni zobukhosi begqoke izembatho zesikhosini. Babesesizeni* esisegedini leSamariya futhi bonke abaphrofethi babephrofetha phambi kwabo.+ 11 UZedekhiya indodana kaKhenana wenza impondo zensimbi wasesithi: “Nanku okutshiwo nguJehova, ‘AmaSiriya uzawahlaba ngempondo lezi uze uwaqede.’” 12 Bonke abaphrofethi babephrofetha okufananayo besithi: “Hamba eRamothi-giliyadi, uzanqoba. UJehova uzayinikela esandleni senkosi.”

13 Isithunywa esasithunywe ukuyabiza uMikhaya sathi kuye: “Bonke abaphrofethi bakhuluma okuhle enkosini futhi bayavumelana. Ngicela lawe ukhulume amazwi anjengawabo, ukhulume okuhle.”+ 14 Kodwa uMikhaya wathi: “Ngifunga ngoJehova uNkulunkulu ophilayo, mina ngizakhuluma loba yini uJehova azangitshela yona.” 15 UMikhaya wafika enkosini, inkosi yasimbuza yathi: “Mikhaya, sihambe yini siyekulwa leRamothi-giliyadi kumbe singayi?” Yena wahle waphendula wathi: “Hamba uzanqoba. UJehova uzanikela iRamothi-giliyadi esandleni senkosi.” 16 Inkosi yasisithi kuye: “Ufuna ngikufungise kuze kube kangaki ukuthi ungangitsheli olunye ulutho kodwa ukhulume iqiniso ebizweni likaJehova?” 17 UMikhaya wasesithi: “Ngibona bonke abako-Israyeli besabalele ezintabeni+ njengezimvu ezingelamelusi. UJehova uthe, ‘Abantu laba abalankosi, omunye lomunye kabuyele emzini wakhe ngokuthula.’”

18 Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi: “Angikutshelanga yini ukuthi kasoze aphrofethe okuhle ngami kodwa uzakhuluma okubi kuphela?”+

19 UMikhaya wasesithi: “Zwana ilizwi likaJehova: Ngibone uJehova ehlezi esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi,+ lonke ibutho elisemazulwini limi eduze kwakhe ngakwesokudla lakwesenxele.+ 20 UJehova wasesithi, ‘Ngubani ozaqila u-Ahabi ukuze ahambe ayefela eRamothi-giliyadi?’ Omunye ubekhuluma lokhu, omunye ekhuluma lokhuya. 21 Enye ingilosi+ yasihamba yayakuma phambi kukaJehova yathi, ‘Mina ngizamqila.’ UJehova waseyibuza wathi, ‘Uzamqila njani?’ 22 Yona yaphendula yathi, ‘Ngizahamba kuye ngenze bonke abaphrofethi bakhe bamqambele amanga.’+ UNkulunkulu wathi, ‘Uzamqila sibili futhi icebo lakho lizaphumelela. Hamba uyekwenza okutshoyo.’ 23 Yikho uJehova wenze ukuthi bonke abaphrofethi bakho bakuqambele amanga.+ Kodwa iqiniso yikuthi uJehova uthe uzakwehlelwa ngumonakalo.”+

24 UZedekhiya indodana kaKhenana walanda uMikhaya wamtshaya esihlathini wathi: “Umoya kaJehova udlule njani kimi wayakhuluma lawe?”+ 25 UMikhaya wasephendula wathi: “Ngelanga ozangena ngalo endlini engaphakathi usiyacatsha uzabona ukuthi lokho kwenzakale njani.” 26 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi: “Thathani uMikhaya lihambe laye ku-Amoni umphathi wedolobho lakuJowashi indodana yenkosi. 27 Libatshele lithi, ‘Inkosi ithi: “Fakani umuntu lo ejele,+ limnike ukudla okuncane* lamanzi amalutshwana ngize ngiphenduke ngokuthula.”’” 28 Kodwa uMikhaya wathi: “Nxa ungaphenduka ngokuthula, uJehova uyabe engakhulumanga lami.”+ Wasephinda wathi: “Ngithemba lonke liyawezwa amazwi ami.”

29 Inkosi yako-Israyeli loJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda basuka baya eRamothi-giliyadi.+ 30 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi: “Ngizahamba empini ngizifihlile ukuze banganginanzeleli ukuthi ngingubani, kodwa wena kumele ugqoke izembatho zakho zesikhosini.” Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi isisiya empini yatshintsha izigqoko zayo+ ukuze abantu bangayinanzeleli. 31 Inkosi yeSiriya yayitshele izinduna zamabutho ezingu-32 ezazikhokhela amabutho ayehamba ngezinqola+ yathi: “Lingalwi lamuntu, kungaba ngomncane loba omkhulu. Lina lihlasele inkosi yako-Israyeli kuphela.” 32 Izinduna zamabutho ayehamba ngezinqola zathi zibona uJehoshafathi zahle zathi: “Nansi inkosi yako-Israyeli.” Ngakho zatshibilika zamhlasela, uJehoshafathi waqalisa ukukhala ecela uncedo. 33 Izinduna zamabutho zathi zibona ukuthi ayisiyo inkosi yako-Israyeli zahle zaphenduka zayekela ukumxotshanisa.

34 Enye indoda yatshoka umtshoko ingaqondanga muntu, umtshoko wayagwaza u-Ahabi inkosi yako-Israyeli lapho okwakuhlangana khona insimbi zejazi lakhe lempi. Ngakho inkosi yathi kulowo owayetshayela inqola: “Tshibilika ungikhiphe lapho okuliwa khona ngoba bangilimaze kubi.”+ 35 Balwa ilanga lonke kwaba nzima. Inkosi babelokhu beyijekile enqoleni ikhangele amaSiriya. Igazi elaliphuma enxebeni lagelezela enqoleni njalo kwathi sekuntambama inkosi yafa.+ 36 Ilanga lathi selisiyatshona kwamenyezelwa enkambeni kwathiwa: “Bonke abantu ababuyele emadolobheni akibo! Bonke ababuyele ezindaweni zabo!”+ 37 Yafa njalo inkosi, basebeyithwala bayisa eSamariya bayingcwaba khona. 38 Bathi begezisa inqola echibini leSamariya izinja zakhotha igazi lika-Ahabi njalo amawule abuya azogeza khonapho* njengoba nje uJehova wayetshilo.+

39 Yonke imbali ka-Ahabi, lakho konke akwenzayo, lokwakha kwakhe indlu* ngempondo zendlovu+ kanye lamadolobho wonke awakhayo, kubhaliwe ebhukwini lembali yamakhosi ako-Israyeli. 40 U-Ahabi wafa,+ indodana yakhe u-Ahaziya+ yasisiba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.

41 UJehoshafathi+ indodana ka-Asa waba yinkosi yakoJuda ngomnyaka wesine wokubusa kuka-Ahabi inkosi yako-Israyeli. 42 UJehoshafathi wayeleminyaka engu-35 ngesikhathi esiba yinkosi njalo wabusa eJerusalema okweminyaka engu-25. Unina kwakungu-Azubha indodakazi kaShilihi. 43 UJehoshafathi waqhubeka elandela konke okwakusenziwa nguyise u-Asa+ futhi kazange aphambuke, wenza okulungileyo phambi kukaJehova.+ Kodwa izindawo eziphakemeyo* azizange zidilizwe futhi abantu babelokhu betshisa imihlatshelo njalo benikela ezindaweni eziphakemeyo.+ 44 UJehoshafathi wahlalisana ngokuthula lenkosi yako-Israyeli.+ 45 Yonke imbali kaJehoshafathi lobuqhawe bakhe lezimpi azilwayo, kubhaliwe ebhukwini lembali yamakhosi akoJuda. 46 UJehoshafathi wasusa wonke amawule esilisa+ ayesele elizweni ngensuku zikayise u-Asa.+

47 Ngalesosikhathi kwakungelankosi ko-Edomi,+ kwakubusa omunye wabasekeli benkosi.+

48 UJehoshafathi wenza imikhumbi yeThashishi* ukuze iyethwala igolide+ e-Ofiri, kodwa ayisahambanga ngoba yabhidlikela e-Eziyoni-gebheri.+ 49 Yikho lapho u-Ahaziya indodana ka-Ahabi atshela khona uJehoshafathi wathi: “Izinceku zami azihambe lezakho ngemikhumbi.” Kodwa uJehoshafathi wala.

50 UJehoshafathi wafa+ wangcwatshwa emangcwabeni abokhokho bakhe edolobheni likaDavida ukhokho wakhe. Indodana yakhe uJehoramu+ yaba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.

51 U-Ahaziya+ indodana ka-Ahabi waba yinkosi yako-Israyeli eSamariya ngomnyaka wesi-17 wokubusa kukaJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda futhi wabusa ko-Israyeli iminyaka emibili. 52 Waqhubeka esenza okubi phambi kukaJehova, elandela okwakusenziwa nguyise+ lonina+ kanye lalokho okwenziwa nguJerobhowami indodana kaNebhathi owabangela ukuthi abako-Israyeli bone.+ 53 Waqhubeka ekhonza uBhali+ njalo emkhothamela, ethukuthelisa uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli+ njengalokho okwakusenziwa nguyise.