uBawo wethu Unika Uloyiso phezu kwaMowabhi
Ookumkani abathathu baphelelwa ngamanzi besilwa namaMowabhi, waza uYehoshafati wacela umprofeti. UElisha, oya kumjonga uYoram ngenxa kaYehoshafati kuphela, uyalela ukuba kumbiwe imisele; uBawo wethu uthumela amanzi ngaphandle kwemvula, aze abonakale njengegazi kumaMowabhi. Loo mkhankaso uphela ngedini lomntwana.
3 1UYoram unyana kaAhabhi waba ngukumkani kumaSirayeli kwaSamari ngomnyaka weshumi elinesibhozo wokumkani uYehoshafati wakwaYuda, walawula iminyaka elishumi elinamibini. 2Wenza okubi emehlweni kaBawo wethu, noko kungenjengoyise nonina, kuba wasisusa isimiso sikaBhahali awasenzayo uyise. 3Kodwa wanamathela ezonweni zikaYarobheham unyana kaNebhati, owakhokelela amaSirayeli esonweni; akaguquka kuzo.
4UMesha ukumkani wakwaMowabhi wayefuya izimvu, waza wahlawula ukumkani wakwaSirayeli ngamawaka alikhulu eemvana, neenkunzi zezimvu ezingamawaka alikhulu, noboya bazo. 5Kodwa akufa uAhabhi, ukumkani wakwaMowabhi wasiphakamisa isandla kukumkani wakwaSirayeli. 6Waphuma ke ukumkani uYoram kwaSamari ngelo xesha, wawabala onke amaSirayeli. 7Wahamba, wathumela ilizwi kukumkani uYehoshafati wakwaYuda, wathi: “Ukumkani wakwaMowabhi undigwilikele. Uya kuhamba nam na siye kulwa namaMowabhi?” Waphendula wathi: “Ndiya kunyuka. Mna ndifana nawe, abantu bam ngabakho, namahashe am ngawakho.”
8Wathi: “Siya kunyuka ngayiphi na indlela?” Waphendula wathi: “Ngendlela yentlango yakwaEdom.”
9Waphuma ke ukumkani wakwaSirayeli nokumkani wakwaYuda nokumkani wakwaEdom. Bahamba ngendlela ejikelezayo iintsuku ezisixhenxe, kungekho manzi ombutho nawezilwanyana ezibalandelayo. 10Wathi ukumkani wakwaSirayeli: “Yoo! Kaloku uBawo wethu ubabizile ndawonye aba kumkani bathathu ukuze nje abanikele esandleni samaMowabhi.” a a v10 Nkqu nalo kumkani ongathembekanga, okhawuleza ukubeka ityala, usengowosapho lomnqophiso — ubiza kanye uBawo lowo angamthembiyo.
11Kodwa wathi uYehoshafati: “Akukho mprofeti kaBawo wethu na apha, ukuze sibuzise kuBawo wethu ngaye?” Waphendula omnye wabakhonzi bokumkani wakwaSirayeli wathi: “Ukho uElisha unyana kaShafati, lowo wagalela amanzi ezandleni zikaEliya.”
12Wathi uYehoshafati: “Unalo ilizwi likaBawo wethu.” Behla ke baya kuye ukumkani wakwaSirayeli, noYehoshafati, nokumkani wakwaEdom.
13Wathi uElisha kukumkani wakwaSirayeli: “Yintoni na phakathi kwam nawe? Yiya kubaprofeti bakayihlo nabakanyoko.” Wathi ukumkani: “Hayi—uBawo wethu ubabizile aba kumkani bathathu ukuba abanikele kumaMowabhi.”
14Wathi uElisha: “Ehleli nje uBawo wemikhosi yasezulwini, lo ndimkhonzayo, ukuba bendingambeki uYehoshafati ukumkani wakwaYuda, bendingayi kukhangela kuwe, ndingakubuki. 15Ngoku ke ndiziseleni umntu obetha uhadi.” Kwathi, akubetha loo mntu, safika kuye isandla sikaBawo wethu.
16Wathi: “Utsho uBawo wethu ukuthi: Yenzani lo mfula uzale yimisele. 17Kuba utsho uBawo wethu ukuthi: Aniyi kubona moya namvula, kodwa lo mfula uya kuzala ngamanzi, nisele—nina, nemfuyo yenu, nezilwanyana zenu. 18Le yinto encinci emehlweni am; uya kuwanikela namaMowabhi esandleni senu. 19Niya kuwuxabela wonke umzi onqatyisiweyo nawo wonke umzi onyuliweyo, niwugawule wonke umthi olungileyo, nivingce yonke imithombo yamanzi, nonakalise onke amasimi alungileyo ngamatye.”
20Kwathi kusasa, ngexesha lomnikelo wokudla, akuthi gqi amanzi evela ngecala lakwaEdom, lazala ilizwe ngamanzi.
21Onke amaMowabhi eva ukuba ookumkani benyukile beza kulwa nawo, aza ahlanganisana onke amadoda akhulileyo anokuxhoba nangaphezulu; ema emdeni. 22Avuka kusasa; lakhanya ilanga phezu kwamanzi, aza amaMowabhi awabona amanzi phambi kwawo ebomvu njengegazi. 23Athi: “Ligazi! Ookumkani balwa, elowo wabulala omnye. Ngoku, Mowabhi, masiye emaxhobeni!”
24Kodwa akufika eminqubeni yamaSirayeli, asuka amaSirayeli awaxabela amaMowabhi, aza asaba phambi kwawo. Angena amaSirayeli ezweni, ewaxabela amaMowabhi esahamba. 25Ayidiliza imizi. Kuyo yonke intsimi elungileyo elowo waphosa ilitye lakhe wada wayigubungela. Avingca yonke imithombo yamanzi, awugawula wonke umthi olungileyo, asala kuphela amatye aseKire-haresete, awarhawulwa ngabaphosi bamatye, awaxatyelwa. 26Wathi ukumkani wakwaMowabhi akubona ukuba imfazwe yayinamandla kunaye, wathabatha amadoda angamakhulu asixhenxe arhola ikrele ukuze agqobhoze aye kukumkani wakwaEdom, kodwa akaba nako. 27Waza wathabatha owamazibulo wakhe, oyindlalifa yakhe, wamnikela njengedini elinyukayo phezu kodonga. Kwavela umsindo omkhulu kumaSirayeli, aza emka kuye, abuyela ezweni lawo.
