Eyokuqala EyamaKhosi 20:1-43
20 Inkosi yeSiriya+ uBheni-hadadi+ yaqoqa lonke ibutho layo yayahlangana lamanye amakhosi angu-32 kanye lamabutho awo lamabhiza lezinqola zawo zempi. UBheni-hadadi wasuka wayavimbezela+ iSamariya+ efuna ukuyihlasela.
2 Wathuma izithunywa ku-Ahabi+ inkosi yako-Israyeli wathi zifike zithi kuye: “Nanku okutshiwo nguBheni-hadadi,
3 ‘Isiliva sakho legolide lakho ngokwami, futhi ngizathatha abafazi bakho abahle lamadodana akho amahle.’”
4 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yaphendula yathi: “Okutshoyo kuliqiniso nkosi yami, mina ngingowakho futhi lempahla yami yonke ngeyakho.”+
5 Izithunywa lezo zaphenduka futhi ku-Ahabi zathi: “Nanku okutshiwo nguBheni-hadadi, ‘Ngikuthumele ilizwi ngisithi kuwe: “Isiliva sakho legolide lakho ngokwami futhi uzanginika abafazi bakho lamadodana akho.”
6 Kusasa ngesikhathi lesi ngizathumela izinceku zami kuwe zizohlolisisa indlu yakho lezindlu zezinceku zakho, zithathe yonke impahla yakho eligugu.’”
7 Inkosi yako-Israyeli ithe isizwa lokho yabiza bonke abadala besizwe yathi kubo: “Ngicela lilalele lizwe ukuthi umuntu lo uzimisele njani ukusidalela uhlupho. Uthe ufuna ngimnike abafazi bami, lamadodana ami, lesiliva sami legolide lami futhi angizange ngale.”
8 Abadala kanye labantu bonke bathi kuye: “Ungamlaleli futhi ungakuvumi lokho akutshoyo.”
9 Ngakho watshela izithunywa zikaBheni-hadadi wathi: “Lifike lithi enkosini yami, ‘Konke okukhulume kuqala, othe inceku yakho ikwenze izakwenza, kodwa lokhu okunye angisoze ngikwenze.’” Yikho izithunywa zasuka zayatshela uBheni-hadadi lokho ezazikutsheliwe.
10 UBheni-hadadi wasethumela ilizwi ku-Ahabi wathi: “Onkulunkulu abangijezise kabuhlungu nxa ngingayitshabalalisanga iSamariya. Ngizayilobisa kuze kungasali ngitsho lenhlabathi engagcwala izandla zabantu abangilandelayo!”
11 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yaphendula yathi: “Mtsheleni lithi, ‘Lowo ogqoka izembatho zakhe zempi akumelanga azigqaje njengalowo ozikhiphayo esevela empini.’”+
12 UBheni-hadadi wathi esizwa lokho ngesikhathi ezinathela lamanye amakhosi ematendeni abo, wahle wathi ezincekwini zakhe: “Lungelani ukuhlasela!” Ngakho balungela ukuhlasela idolobho.
13 Kusenjalo omunye umphrofethi waya ku-Ahabi+ inkosi yako-Israyeli wathi kuye: “Nanku okutshiwo nguJehova, ‘Uyalibona yini ibutho leli elikhulu? Ngizalinikela esandleni sakho lamuhla. Lapho-ke uzakwazi ukuthi mina nginguJehova.’”+
14 U-Ahabi wabuza wathi: “Uzasebenzisa bani?” Umphrofethi wasesithi: “Nanku okutshiwo nguJehova, ‘Ngizasebenzisa izinceku zabaphathi bezabelo.’” U-Ahabi wasebuza wathi: “Manje ngubani ozahlasela kuqala?” Yena wamphendula wathi: “Nguwe!”
15 Ngakho u-Ahabi wabala izinceku zabaphathi bezabelo wathola ukuthi zingu-232. Ngemva kwalokho wabala wonke amadoda ako-Israyeli, ayengu-7 000.
16 Basuka emini enkulu ngesikhathi uBheni-hadadi ezinathela edakwa ematendeni elamakhosi angu-32 ayemncedisa empini.
17 Izinceku zabaphathi bezabelo zaphuma kuqala, uBheni-hadadi wahle wathuma izithunywa. Izithunywa zamtshela zathi: “Kulamadoda afikileyo avela eSamariya.”
18 UBheni-hadadi wasesithi: “Nxa beze ngokuthula bathumbeni lingababulali. Nxa bezokulwa, lakho kumele libathumbe lingababulali.”
19 Kodwa izinceku zabaphathi bezabelo kanye lamabutho azo bathi bephuma edolobheni,
20 baqalisa ukubulala amabutho eSiriya. Amabutho eSiriya abaleka,+ abako-Israyeli bawaxotshanisa. Inkosi yeSiriya uBheni-hadadi yabaleka ngebhiza ilamanye amabutho ayegade amabhiza.
21 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yaphuma yaqhubeka ibulala amabutho ayegade amabhiza kanye lamabutho ayegade izinqola zempi. Yawatshaya yawabhuqa amaSiriya.
22 Ngemva kwesikhathi umphrofethi+ walanda inkosi yako-Israyeli wathi kuyo: “Hamba uyeqinisa ibutho lakho ubone ongakwenza+ ngoba umnyaka ozayo uzathi uqala nje inkosi yeSiriya izakuhlasela.”+
23 Izinceku zenkosi yeSiriya zathi kuyo: “UNkulunkulu wabo nguNkulunkulu wezintaba, yikho besinqobile, kodwa nxa singalwa labo endaweni eligceke sizabanqoba.
24 Okunye ongakwenza yikubeka ababusi* kube yibo abakhokhela amabutho kulokuthi akhokhelwe ngamakhosi.+
25 Kanti njalo qoqa amanye amabutho, inani lawo lilingane lenani lamabutho afele empini. Udinge inani lamabhiza lelezinqola elilingana lalelo owawulalo. Sizakulwa labo endaweni eligceke futhi sizabanqoba loba sekutheni.” Inkosi yazilalela izinceku zayo yenza lokho ezaziyicebise khona.
26 Ekuqaliseni komnyaka uBheni-hadadi waqoqa amaSiriya waya e-Afekhi+ esiyakulwa labako-Israyeli.
27 Abantu bako-Israyeli labo babuthana. Banikwa imiphako basebesuka bayadibana lamaSiriya. Bafika bamisa inkamba yabo yaqondana leyamaSiriya. Abako-Israyeli babengathi yimihlambi yembuzi emibili emincane, amaSiriya wona emanengi egcwele indawo yonke.+
28 Kusenjalo umuntu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso walanda inkosi yako-Israyeli wathi kuyo: “Nanku okutshiwo nguJehova: ‘AmaSiriya athe, “UJehova nguNkulunkulu wezintaba hatshi owamagceke,” yikho ngizanikela lonke ibutho leli elikhulu ezandleni zenu+ futhi lina lizakwazi ukuthi mina nginguJehova.’”+
29 Amabutho aqhubeka esezinkambeni zawo ezazikhangelene okwamalanga ayisikhombisa. Ngelanga lesikhombisa impi yaqala. Abako-Israyeli babulala amabutho eSiriya angu-100 000 ngelanga elilodwa.
30 Amanye amabutho abaleka ayangena edolobheni le-Afekhi,+ kodwa angu-27 000 awelwa ngumduli afa. UBheni-hadadi laye wabaleka waya edolobheni wafika wangena kwenye indlu wacatsha phakathi.
31 Izinceku zakhe zathi kuye: “Sizwe kuthiwa amakhosi ako-Israyeli alesihawu.* Yikho sicela usivumele ukuthi sizithandele ngezembatho zamasaka futhi sifake lezintambo emakhanda siphume siye enkosini yako-Israyeli, mhlawumbe izakuyekela ingakubulali.”+
32 Ngakho bazithandela ngezembatho zamasaka bafaka lezintambo emakhanda, basebesiya enkosini yako-Israyeli bafika bathi: “Inceku yakho uBheni-hadadi ithi, ‘Ngicela ungangibulali.’” U-Ahabi wasephendula wathi: “Kanti usaphila? Ungumfowethu.”
33 Amazwi la aba yisiqinisekiso emadodeni la futhi amkholwa u-Ahabi asesithi: “UBheni-hadadi ngumfowenu.” U-Ahabi wasesithi: “Hambani liyemthatha.” Ngemva kwalokho uBheni-hadadi waphuma waya kuye, u-Ahabi wasemgadisa enqoleni.
34 UBheni-hadadi wathi kuye: “Ngizabuyisela kuwe amadolobho ubaba awathathela uyihlo futhi ungazenzela amamakethe* eDamaseko njengoba ubaba laye wenza njalo eSamariya.”
U-Ahabi waphendula wathi: “Ngizakuyekela uhambe ngenxa yokuthi wenze isivumelwano lesi lami.”
Ngakho u-Ahabi wenza isivumelwano loBheni-hadadi wasemyekela wahamba.
35 Ilizwi likaJehova lafika komunye wamadodana abaphrofethi,*+ wasesithi kumngane wakhe: “Ngicela ungitshaye.” Kodwa umngane wakhe wala ukumtshaya.
36 Ngakho wathi kuye: “Uzathi usuka nje lapha ubulawe yisilwane ngoba awuzange ulilalele ilizwi likaJehova.” Umngane wakhe wathi esesukile wahlangana lesilwane sambulala.
37 Umphrofethi wathola enye indoda wasesithi kuyo: “Ngicela ungitshaye.” Indoda leyo yamtshaya yamlimaza.
38 Wasuka waya emgwaqweni wayalindela inkosi ezivale ngebhanditshi emehlweni.
39 Inkosi yathi isedlula, umphrofethi wayimemeza wathi kuyo: “Inceku yakho ibilapho impi ebitshisa khona futhi kufike enye indoda kimi iletha omunye umuntu yathi, ‘Linda umuntu lo. Nxa singathi sesimfuna simswele, wena nguwe ozabulawa esikhundleni sakhe+ kumbe ubhadale ngethalenta* elilodwa lesiliva.’
40 Inceku yakho ithe isabamba lokhu lalokhuya, umuntu lowo wanyamalala.” Inkosi yako-Israyeli yamphendula yathi: “Leso yiso isijeziso sakho, wena ngokwakho uzahlulele.”
41 Umphrofethi wakhipha ibhanditshi emehlweni, inkosi yako-Israyeli yasinanzelela ukuthi ngomunye wabaphrofethi.+
42 Wasesithi enkosini: “Nanku okutshiwo nguJehova, ‘Njengoba uyekele umuntu engithe umbulale waphunyuka,+ wena nguwe osuzakufa esikhundleni sakhe+ njalo abantu bakho yibo abazakufa esikhundleni sabantu bakhe.’”+
43 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi ikuzwa lokhu yadana kakhulu yasuka yaya eSamariya+ ubuso bayo buhlobile.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kumbe, “ogavena.”
^ Kumbe, “alothando oluqotho.”
^ Kumbe, “ungazikhethela imigwaqo.”
^ “Amadodana abaphrofethi” kwakungabe kungabaphrofethi ababefundiswa umsebenzi wabo bendawonye kumbe iqembu elalibizwa ngalelobizo.
^ Ithalenta lalingamakhilogremu angu-34,2. Khangela iSengezo ku-B14.
