2 Lesilo sasifanana nengwe, tinyawo taso tatifanana netelibhele, umlomo waso wawufanana newelibhubesi. Nyokangwenya wasinika emandla akhe, nesihlalo sakhe sebukhosi, nemagunya akhe lamakhulu.
Wagucuka wababuka; wamemeta, abacalekisa ngelibito laSimakadze. Kwabe sekuchamuka emabhele lamabili aphuma ehlatsini, adladlabula lababengema-42 balabo bafana.
Ngephule emlonyeni welibhubesi, ungisindzise etimphondvweni tetinyatsi.
Kuncono kubhekana nelibhele lelitfukutseliswe kwemukwa bantfwabalo, kunekubhekana nesilima lesiphishaneke ngebulima baso.
Njengelibhubesi lelibhodlako nelibhele lelihhongako, unjalo umbusi lomubi lobusa bantfu labeswele.
Kubhodla kwabo kufanana nekwemabhubesi, yebo, babhodla njengemabhubesi lamancane, atsi ahhonga abe abamba imphango yawo, ayetfwale ahambe nayo kubete longayisindzisa.
UmTopiya angasigucula yini sikhumba sakhe nome ingwe emabala ayo? Nani ningeke nikwente lokuhle, ngobe senetayele kwenta lokubi.
Ngako-ke batawuhlaselwa libhubesi leliphuma ehlatsini, batawuphangwa yimphisi lephuma ehlane, ingwe itawubalalela endleleni edvutane nemadolobha abo; itemdzabudzabula abe ticucu nome ngubani lotsi uyaphuma, ngobe kuhlubuka kwabo kukhulu, nekweduka kwabo kunyenti.
Bayawulandzela Simakadze; uyawubhodla njengelibhubesi. Nakabhodla, bantfwabakhe bayawuta batfutfumela, bachamuka ngasenshonalanga.
Naku-ke lokushiwo nguSimakadze, utsi: “Njengemelusi asindzisa emlonyeni welibhubesi imilente lemibili yekugcina nome sicu sendlebe yelizinyane, ayakuhlwitfwa kanjalo nema-Israyeli lambalwa, lawo lasahlala eSamariya, emaphetselweni emibhedze yawo, lasahlala acuphele etihlalweni tawo tekuphumula.”
Kuyawuba shangatsi ngumuntfu lobalekele libhubesi, wase utitsela etikwelibhele; kube shangatsi ngumuntfu longene endlini yakhe wabeka tandla takhe elubondzeni, kusuke inyoka imlume.
“Emahhashi abo agijima kwendlula tingwe, esabeka kwendlula timphisi ebusuku. Emasotja abo lagibela emahhashi agijima ashiye inyosi. Bagibeli babo bemahhashi bachamuka khashane. Bandiza njengelusweti naluhlwitsa kudla.
Kodvwa iNkhosi yema nami yangicinisa kuze inshumayelo yami ipheleliselwe ngami, nebetive beve. Ngako-ke ngakhululwa emlonyeni welibhubesi.
Zitsani, nilindze. Sitsa senu, Sathane, siyajangaza emkhatsini wenu njengelibhubesi lelibhodlako, sitfungatsa lesingahle simmite.
Watsi kube nyokangwenya abone kutsi sewulahlelwe phansi emhlabeni, watingela lomfati labetele indvodzana.
Lenyoka yona yacitsa emanti ngemlomo wayo, kwaba sengatsi ngewemfula, alandzela lomfati, kuze atewumkhukhula lamanti.
Nyokangwenya lomkhulu walahlelwa phansi, leya nyoka yasemandvulo, lebitwa ngekutsi nguMhlebi nome nguSathane, uMkhohlisi wemhlaba wonkhe. Wajikijelwa phansi emhlabeni kanye netingilosi takhe.
Sasebentisa onkhe emandla esilo sekucala ngeligunya laso; saphocelela umhlaba nabo bonkhe labahlala kuwo kutsi bakhonte lesilo sekucala leselashwa saphiliswa encebeni laso lekufa.
Bantfu bakhonta lonyokangwenya, ngobe emandla akhe abewanike lesilo; lesilo basikhonta batsi: “Ngubani longalwa naso?”
Ingilosi yesihlanu yatfululela sitja sayo esihlalweni sebukhosi sesilo; umbuso waso wehlelwa bumnyama, bantfu batiluma tilwimi ngenca yebuhlungu.
“Letimphondvo letilishumi lotibonile tingemakhosi lalishumi lasengakacali kubusa, kodvwa ayakwemukeliswa emandla ekubusa kanye nesilo sikhashana nje.
Kodvwa lesilo satfunjwa, kanye nemphrofethi wemanga labenta tibonakaliso tekudukisa labo labaneluphawu lwesilo nalabasikhonta ngekukhotsamela lomfanekiso waso. Bobabili bajikijelwa baphila echibini lemlilo lelivutsa sibabule.
Ngiyati lapho uhlala khona; uhlala lapho Sathane anesihlalo sakhe sebukhosi khona. Libito lami ulibambisisile, awuzange ungihlubuke ngisho namhlazane Antipasi, fakazi wami lowetsembekile, abulawa emkhatsini wenu, lapho kuhlala khona Sathane.
Yabamba nyokangwenya, inyoka lendzala, lekutsiwa nguMhlebi nome nguSathane; yambopha ngeluketane iminyaka leyinkhulungwane.