2 iziKronike 18 - IBHAYIBHELI ELINGCWELE

O-Ahabi noJehoshafati bahlasela i-Aramu. Ukufa kuka-Ahabi

¹ UJehoshafati wayenengcebo nodumo olukhulu, wahlangana ngobuhlobo no-Ahabi.

² Ngasekugcineni kweminyaka ethile wehlela ku-Ahabi eSamariya. U-Ahabi wamhlabela yena nabantu ababenaye izimvu nezinkabi eziningi, wamncenga ukuba akhuphukele eRamoti Gileyadi.

³ U-Ahabi inkosi yakwa-Israyeli wathi kuJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda: “Uyakuhamba nami, siye eRamoti Gileyadi, na?” Wathi kuye: “Mina nginjengawe, abantu bami banjengabantu bakho; siyakuba nawe empini.”

⁴ UJehoshafati wathi enkosini yakwa-Israyeli: “Ake ubuze namuhla izwi likaJehova.”

⁵ Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yayisibutha abaprofethi, amadoda angamakhulu amane, yathi kubo: “Sihambe siye yini eRamoti Gileyadi ukulwa, noma ngiliyeke na?” Bathi: “Khuphukani, ngokuba uNkulunkulu uyakulinikela esandleni senkosi.”

⁶ Kepha uJehoshafati wathi: “Akusekho mprofethi kaJehova lapha ukuba sibuze kuye na?”

⁷ Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafati: “Kusekhona umuntu munye esingabuza ngaye kuJehova, kodwa ngiyamzonda, ngokuba akazange aprofethe okuhle ngami, kepha okubi njalo; nguMikhaya indodana kaJimila.” Wathi uJehoshafati: “Inkosi mayingasho njalo.”

⁸ Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yayisibiza induna, yathi: “Landa masinyane uMikhaya indodana kaJimila.”

⁹ Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli noJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda babehlezi, kwaba yilowo nalowo esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, bembethe izambatho zabo, behlezi esibuyeni ngasesikhaleni sesango laseSamariya; bonke abaprofethi baprofetha phambi kwabo.

¹⁰ USedekiya indodana kaKhenahana wazenzela izimpondo zensimbi, wathi: “Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: ‘Ngalezi uyakuqhubukusha ama-Aramu aze aphele.’ ”

¹¹ Bonke abaprofethi baprofetha kanje, bathi: “Khuphukela eRamoti Gileyadi, ube nempumelelo, ngokuba uJehova uyakulinikela esandleni senkosi.”

¹² Isithunywa ebesihambile ukumbiza uMikhaya sakhuluma kuye, sathi: “Bheka, amazwi abaprofethi mahle enkosini ngamlomo munye; ngalokho izwi lakho malibe njengelinye labo, ukhulume okuhle.”

¹³ Kepha uMikhaya wathi: “Kuphila kukaJehova, lokhu uNkulunkulu wami akushoyo, lokhu ngiyakukhuluma khona.”

¹⁴ Esefikile enkosini, inkosi yathi kuye: “Mikhaya, sihambe silwe neRamoti Gileyadi, noma ngiliyeke na?” Wathi: “Khuphukani, nibe nempumelelo; bayakunikelwa esandleni senu.”

¹⁵ Yayisithi kuye inkosi: “Ngiyakukufungisa izikhathi ezingaki ukuba ungakhulumi lutho kimi ngaphandle kweqiniso egameni likaJehova na?”

¹⁶ Wayesethi: “Ngabona wonke u-Israyeli ehlakazekile ezintabeni njengezimvu ezingenamalusi; uJehova wathi: ‘Laba abasenankosi; mababuyele, kube yilowo nalowo endlini yakhe ngokuthula.’ ”

¹⁷ Yayisithi inkosi yakwa-Israyeli kuJehoshafati: “Angishongo yini kuwe ukuthi akayikuprofetha okuhle ngami, okubi kuphela, na?”

¹⁸ UMikhaya wathi: “Ngalokho yizwani izwi likaJehova: Ngambona uJehova ehlezi esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, nebandla lonke lasezulwini limi ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo sakhe.

¹⁹ UJehova wathi: ‘Ngubani oyakuyenga u-Ahabi inkosi yakwa-Israyeli ukuba akhuphuke, afele eRamoti Gileyadi na?’ Omunye washo ukuthi nomunye ukuthi.

²⁰ Kwavela umoya, wema phambi kukaJehova, wathi: ‘Mina ngiyakumyenga.’ UJehova wathi kuye: ‘Ngantoni na?’

²¹ “Wathi: ‘Ngiyakuphuma ngibe ngumoya wamanga emilonyeni yabaprofethi bakhe bonke.’ “Wathi: ‘Uyakumyenga, futhi uyakumahlula; hamba, wenze njalo.’

²² “Bheka, ngalokho uJehova ubekile umoya wamanga emilonyeni yalaba baprofethi bakho; uJehova ukhulumile okubi ngawe.”

²³ USedekiya indodana kaKhenahana wayesesondela, wamshaya uMikhaya esihlathini, wathi: “UMoya kaJehova wasuka kimi ngaphi ukuba akhulume kuwe na?”

²⁴ Wathi uMikhaya: “Bheka, uyakukubona ngalolo suku oyakungena ngalo emakamelweni ngamakamelo ukuba ucashe.”

²⁵ Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi: “Mthatheni uMikhaya, nimbuyisele ku-Amoni umbusi womuzi nakuJowashi indodana yenkosi,

²⁶ nithi: ‘Isho kanje inkosi, ithi: Fakani lona etilongweni, nimuphe isinkwa sokuhlupheka namanzi okuhlupheka, ngize ngibuye ngokuphila.’ ”

²⁷ Wayesethi uMikhaya: “Uma ubuya impela ngokuphila, uyakube engakhulumanga ngami uJehova.” Wathi futhi: “Yizwani nina bantu bonke.”

²⁸ Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli noJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda base bekhuphukela eRamoti Gileyadi.

²⁹ Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafati: “Ngiyakuziguqula, ngingene ekulweni, kepha wena wembathe izambatho zakho.” Yayisiziguqula inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, bangena ekulweni.

³⁰ Kepha inkosi yase-Aramu ibiyalile izinduna zezinqola zayo ngokuthi: “Ningalwi namuntu, omncane noma omkhulu, kuphela nenkosi yakwa-Israyeli yodwa.”

³¹ Kwathi lapho izinduna zezinqola sezibonile uJehoshafati, zathi: “Yena uyinkosi yakwa-Israyeli;” zase ziphenduka ukuba zilwe nayo, kepha uJehoshafati wamemeza, uJehova wamsiza; uNkulunkulu wazimukisa kuye.

³² Kwathi sezibonile izinduna zezinqola ukuthi yena akasiyo inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, zabuya ekumlandeleni.

³³ Kepha umuntu othile wansala umnsalo wakhe ngokungazeleli nje, wayihlaba inkosi yakwa-Israyeli enhlanganisweni yebhantshi lensimbi; yathi kumshayeli: “Phenduka, ungikhiphe empini, ngokuba ngikhutshaziwe.”

³⁴ Ukulwa kwaqina ngalolo suku; inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yasekelwa enqoleni yayo malungana nama-Aramu kwaze kwaba kusihlwa, yafa ngesikhathi sokushona kwelanga.