2 ImiLando 20 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

UJehoshafati unqoba amaMowabi lamaAmoni

¹ Ngemva kwalokho amaMowabi lamaAmoni labanye bamaMewuni baphuma ukuyahlasela uJehoshafati.

² UJehoshafati wabikelwa ukuthi impi enkulu izemhlasela ivela eEdoma phetsheya kolwandle, isiseHazazoni‐Tamari, okutsho iEngedi.

³ UJehoshafati wethuka, wazimisela ukuyidinga iNkosi uNkulunkulu, wamemezela ukuba kuzilwe ukudla kulo lonke lakoJuda.

⁴ AbakoJuda baphuma kuyo yonke imizi yakoJuda babuthana ukucela iNkosi uNkulunkulu ukuba ibasize.

⁵ UJehoshafati wema ebandleni lakoJuda lelaseJerusalema ethempelini, ngaphambi kweguma elitsha,

⁶ wathi: Nkosi, Nkulunkulu wabokhokho, wena kawusuye uNkulunkulu osezulwini na? Kawubusi yonke imibuso yezizwe na? Esandleni sakho kukhona amandla wonke, ukuba kungabi khona ongamelana lawe.

⁷ Wena, Nkulunkulu wethu, kawubaxotshanga yini abantu balelilizwe phambi kwabantu bakho uIsrayeli, walinika inzalo kaAbrahama umngane wakho ukuba libe ngelayo kuze kube nininini na?

⁸ Bahlala kilo, bakwakhela wena indawo engcwele ibe ngeyebizo lakho, bathi:

⁹ Uba sisehlelwa yibubi, impi loba ukutshaywa loba umkhuhlane loba indlala, sizakuma phambi kwalindlu laphambi kwakho, ngoba ibizo lakho lidunyiselwa kulindlu, sikhale kuwe osizini lwethu, wena uzakusizwa usikhulule.

¹⁰ Nampake abantu bamaAmoni labaseMowabi labasentabeni iSeyiri ongavumelanga wena abakoIsrayeli ukuba babahlasele ekuphumeni kwabo eGibithe, ababayekela ukubabulala;

¹¹ khangelake, basibonga ngokuzasixotsha endaweni owasinika yona.

¹² Nkulunkulu wethu, wena kawuyikubahlulela na? Ngoba thina kasilawo amandla ukulwa lalimpi enkulu kangaka ezekusihlasela; kasikwazi esingakwenza, kodwa sikhangele kuwe.

¹³ Bonke abakoJuda babemi phambi kweNkosi uNkulunkulu labomkabo labantwana babo.

¹⁴ Umoya wayo wehlela kuJahaziyeli indodana kaZekariya kaBenaya kaJeyiyeli kaMathaniya, umLevi wakoAsafi, ephakathi kwebandla.

¹⁵ Wathi: Lalelani lina lonke abakoJuda labaseJerusalema, lawe nkosi Jehoshafati; iNkosi ithi: Lingesabi litshaywe luvalo ngenxa yalimpi enkulu, ngoba ukulwa kakusikho okwenu, kungokukaNkulunkulu.

¹⁶ Kusasa phumani liyekulwa labo; bazakhwela ngomqanso waseZizi; lizabafumanisa ekupheleni kwesihotsha ngasempumalanga kwenkangala yaseJeruweli.

¹⁷ Kakusini lodwa elizakulwa kulimpi; manini liqine, lizakubona ukunqoba iNkosi ezakulenzela khona, lina abakoJuda labaseJerusalema. Lingesabi litshaywe luvalo; kusasa phumani liyekulwa labo, iNkosi izakuba lani.

¹⁸ UJehoshafati wathi mbo ngobuso phansi, labo bonke abakoJuda labaseJerusalema baziwisela phansi phambi kweNkosi uNkulunkulu, bayikhonza.

¹⁹ AmaLevi abakoKohathi labakoKora asukuma ayidumisa iNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ngelizwi elikhulu.

²⁰ Basebevuka ekuseni, baya enkangala yaseTekowa; ekuphumeni kwabo uJehoshafati wema wathi kibo: Ngilalelani lina abakoJuda labaseJerusalema. Thembani iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu, lizakuqina; likholwe abaprofethi bayo, lizaphumelela.

²¹ Kwathi esekhulumisene labantu wakhetha labo abazahlabelela iNkosi, bayidumise begqoke izambatho ezingcwele, behamba phambi kwebutho behlabela besithi: Ibongeni iNkosi, uthando lwayo olungapheliyo lumi kuze kube nininini.

²² Kwathi lapho beqalisa ukuhlabela lokudumisa, iNkosi uNkulunkulu yabeka abantu bokucathamela abaseAmoni labaseMowabi labasentabeni iSeyiri ababezahlasela abakoJuda, babehlula.

²³ AbaseAmoni labaseMowabi basukela abasentabeni yaseSeyiri, bababulala babaqeda du; sebebabulele babaqeda abaseSeyiri, baphendukelana babulalana.

²⁴ AbakoJuda sebefikile enqabeni yokulinda esenkangala bayiqaza impi, babona izidumbu kuphela eziwele phansi; kakukho loyedwa owaphephayo.

²⁵ Kwathi uJehoshafati labantu bakhe sebezebutha impango bafumanisa inkomo ezinengi, lempahla, lezigqoko, lezinto eziligugu, bazithathela zona baze bahluleka ukuzithwala. Bathatha insuku ezintathu ukubutha impango ngoba yayinengi kakhulu.

²⁶ Ngosuku lwesine babuthana esihotsheni saseBeraka, bayibonga khona iNkosi; ngakho leyondawo yathiwa yisihotsha saseBeraka kuze kube lamhla.

²⁷ Basebebuyake bonke abantu bakoJuda labaseJerusalema beholwa nguJehoshafati, babuyela eJerusalema bethokoza, ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu yabanika ukuthokoza ngezitha zabo.

²⁸ Bangena eJerusalema betshaya amachacho lemihubhe lezimpondo zokukhaliswa, baya ethempelini.

²⁹ Ukuyesaba iNkosi uNkulunkulu kwehlela phezu kwayo yonke imibuso yamazwe lapho isiwile ukuba iNkosi yamlwela uIsrayeli ezitheni zakhe.

³⁰ Umbuso kaJehoshafati waba lokuthula, ngoba uNkulunkulu wakhe wamnika ukuthula inxa zonke.

Ukubusa kukaJehoshafati

³¹ UJehoshafati wasebusake koJuda, wayeseleminyaka engamatshumi amathathu lanhlanu lapho eqalisa ukubusa; wabusa eJerusalema iminyaka engamatshumi amabili lanhlanu. Ibizo likanina lalinguAzuba indodakazi kaShilihi.

³² Walandela indlela zikaAsa uyise, kaphambukanga kuzo, wenza okulungileyo phambi kweNkosi.

³³ Kodwa indawo eziphakemeyo zokukhonzela kazivalwanga; abantu babengazinikeli kuNkulunkulu wabokhokho babo.

³⁴ Ezinye indaba zikaJehoshafati, kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kube sekucineni, zilotshiwe ezingwalweni zezindaba zikaJehu indodana kaHanani ezibhalwe ogwalweni lwamakhosi akoIsrayeli.

³⁵ Emva kwalokho uJehoshafati inkosi yakoJuda wazihlanganisa loAhaziya inkosi yakoIsrayeli owayesenza okubi.

³⁶ Wahlangana laye ekwenzeni imikolo yokuya eTarshishi, bayakhela eEziyoni‐Geberi.

³⁷ UEliyezeri indodana kaDodavahu waseMaresha wakhuluma loJehoshafata esithi: Ngoba uzihlanganisile wena loAhaziya, iNkosi izakuchitha lokho okwenzileyo. Ngakho imikolo yephuka, yahluleka ukuya eTarshishi.