Iqiniso likaBaba wethu nabaprofethi abaqamba amanga
Abaprofethi abangamakhulu amane bathembisa u-Ahabi ukunqoba eRamoti-Gileyadi; nguMikhaya yedwa obika umkhandlu kaBaba wethu nomoya wamanga othunyelwe phakathi kwabo, futhi uboshwa adliswe isinkwa namanzi. U-Ahabi ulwa ezifihlile, umcibisholo odutshulwe nje umthola, futhi izinja zikhotha igazi lakhe njengoba kwakubikiwe.
22 1Iminyaka emithathu kwakungekho mpi phakathi kwe-Aramu no-Israyeli. 2Kodwa ngonyaka wesithathu uJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda wehlela enkosini yakwa-Israyeli. 3Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi ezincekwini zayo: “Niyazi ukuthi iRamoti-Gileyadi ingeyethu, kodwa asenzi lutho ukuyihluthula esandleni senkosi yase-Aramu?” 4Wabuza uJehoshafati: “Uzohamba nami ukuyokulwa neRamoti-Gileyadi na?” UJehoshafati wathi enkosini yakwa-Israyeli: “Nginjengawe, abantu bami banjengabantu bakho, amahhashi ami anjengamahhashi akho.”
5UJehoshafati wabe esethi enkosini yakwa-Israyeli: “Ake ubuze kuqala izwi likaBaba wethu.”
6Ngakho inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yabutha abaprofethi, cishe amadoda angama-400, yabuza: “Ngiye empini neRamoti-Gileyadi, noma ngiyeke na?” Bathi: “Khuphuka, ngokuba iNkosi uBaba wethu uyakuyinikela esandleni senkosi.”
7Kodwa uJehoshafati wathi: “Akusekho yini umprofethi kaBaba wethu lapha esingambuza?”
8Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafati: “Kusekhona indoda eyodwa esingabuza ngayo kuBaba wethu, kodwa ngiyayizonda—ayilokothi ingiprofethele okuhle, kodwa ingozi kuphela: uMikhaya indodana ka-Imla.” UJehoshafati wathi: “Inkosi mayingasho njalo.”
9Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yabe isibiza isikhulu, yathi: “Letha uMikhaya indodana ka-Imla ngokushesha.”
10Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli noJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda babehlezi, yilowo nalowo esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, begqoke izingubo zabo zobukhosi, esibuyeni esisesangweni laseSamariya, kuthi bonke abaprofethi baprofetha phambi kwabo. 11UZedekiya indodana kaKhenahana wenza izimpondo zensimbi, wathi: “Usho kanje uNkulunkulu: ‘Ngalezi uyakuwahlaba ama-Aramu uze uwaqede.’” 12Bonke abaprofethi baprofetha okufanayo, bathi: “Khuphukela eRamoti-Gileyadi unqobe; uNkulunkulu uyakuyinikela inkosi.”
13Isithunywa esasithunywe ukubiza uMikhaya sathi kuye: “Bheka, abaprofethi ngazwi linye bathembisa inkosi impumelelo. Izwi lakho malivumelane nelabo—thembisa impumelelo.”
14Kodwa uMikhaya wathi: “Kuphila kukaBaba wethu, lokho uBaba wethu akushoyo kimi, yikho engiyakukukhuluma.”
15Esefikile, inkosi yabuza: “Mikhaya, siye empini neRamoti-Gileyadi, noma siyeke na?” Wathi: “Khuphuka unqobe; uBaba wethu uyakuyinikela esandleni senkosi.”
16Inkosi yathi: “Kukangaki ngikufungisa ukuba ungitshele iqiniso kuphela egameni likaBaba wethu?”
17Wathi: “Ngabona wonke u-Israyeli ehlakazekile ezintabeni, njengezimvu ezingenamalusi. UBaba wethu wathi: ‘Laba abanankosi; yilowo nalowo makabuyele ekhaya ngokuthula.’”
18Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafati: “Angikutshelanga yini ukuthi ngeke angiprofethele okuhle, kodwa ingozi kuphela?”
19UMikhaya wathi: “Ngakho yizwa izwi likaBaba wethu: Ngabona uBaba wethu ehlezi esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, lonke ibandla lasezulwini limi eceleni kwakhe, ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo sakhe.
20UBaba wethu wathi: ‘Ngubani oyakuyenga u-Ahabi ukuba akhuphuke ayokuwa eRamoti-Gileyadi na?’ Omunye washo lokhu, omunye washo lokhuya.
21Khona kwasondela umoya, wema phambi kukaBaba wethu, wathi: ‘Mina ngiyakumyenga.’
22UBaba wethu wabuza: ‘Ngayiphi indlela na?’ Wathi: ‘Ngiyakuphuma ngibe umoya wamanga emlonyeni wabo bonke abaprofethi bakhe.’ UBaba wethu wathi: ‘Uyakumyenga uphumelele. Phuma ukwenze lokho.’
23Ngakho-ke manje uBaba wethu usefake umoya wamanga emlonyeni wabo bonke laba baprofethi bakho, futhi uBaba wethu umemezele ingozi ngawe.”
24Khona uZedekiya indodana kaKhenahana wasondela, washaya uMikhaya esihlathini, wathi: “Udlule ngayiphi indlela uMoya kaNkulunkulu ukuphuma kimi ukuba ukhulume nawe na?”
25UMikhaya wathi: “Uyakubona ngalolo suku lapho ungena ekamelweni elingaphakathi ukuyozicashisa.”
26Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi: “Thatha uMikhaya umbuyisele ku-Amoni umbusi wedolobha nakuJowashi indodana yenkosi, 27uthi: ‘Isho kanje inkosi: Valelani le ndoda ejele, niyinike isinkwa namanzi kuphela ngize ngibuye ngokuthula.’”
28UMikhaya wathi: “Uma ngempela ubuya ngokuthula, uBaba wethu akakhulumanga ngami.” Wathi futhi: “Yizwani, nina zizwe zonke!”
U-Ahabi uwa njengoba uBaba ekushilo
29Ngakho inkosi yakwa-Israyeli noJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda bakhuphukela eRamoti-Gileyadi. 30Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafati: “Ngiyakuzifihla ngiye empini, kodwa wena gqoka izingubo zakho zobukhosi.” Ngakho inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yazifihla, yangena empini.
31Inkosi yase-Aramu yayibayale abaholi bezinqola zempi abangamashumi amathathu nambili, yathi: “Ningalwi namuntu, omncane noma omkhulu—kuphela inkosi yakwa-Israyeli.”
32Kwathi lapho abaholi bezinqola bebona uJehoshafati, bathi: “Impela lena yinkosi yakwa-Israyeli.” Baphendukela kuye ukuba balwe naye, uJehoshafati wamemeza. 33Kwathi lapho abaholi bezinqola bebona ukuthi akusiyo inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, babuyela emuva, bayeka ukumsukela. 34Kwathi enye indoda yanweba umnsalo wayo ingaqondile, yashaya inkosi yakwa-Israyeli phakathi kwamalunga ezivikelo zempi. Inkosi yathi kumshayeli wayo wenqola: “Phenduka ungikhiphe empini—ngilimele.” 35Impi yanda ngalolo suku, inkosi yasekelwa enqoleni yayo ibhekene nama-Aramu. Kusihlwa yafa. Igazi lenxeba layo lagobhozela phansi enqoleni. 36Ekushoneni kwelanga kwedlula isimemezelo ekampini, sithi: “Yilowo nalowo makaye emzini wakhe, yilowo nalowo makaye ezweni lakhe!”
37Ngakho inkosi yafa, yalethwa eSamariya, bayingcwaba inkosi eSamariya. 38Bayigeza inqola echibini laseSamariya, izinja zakhotha igazi lakhe, namawule ageza khona, njengokusho kukaBaba wethu.
39Ezinye izenzo zika-Ahabi—konke akwenza, isigodlo sendlovu nayo yonke imizi ayakha—akubhaliwe yini encwadini yeziKhronike zamakhosi akwa-Israyeli? 40Ngakho u-Ahabi walala noyise, u-Ahaziya indodana yakhe waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
UJehoshafati uhamba phambi kukaBaba
41UJehoshafati indodana ka-Asa waba yinkosi yakwaJuda ngonyaka wesine ka-Ahabi inkosi yakwa-Israyeli. 42UJehoshafati wayeneminyaka engamashumi amathathu nanhlanu lapho eba yinkosi, wabusa iminyaka engamashumi amabili nanhlanu eJerusalema. Unina kwakungu-Azuba indodakazi kaShilehi. 43Walandela yonke indlela kayise u-Asa, akaphambukanga kuyo, wenza okulungileyo emehlweni kaBaba wethu. Nokho, izindawo eziphakemeyo zazisekhona; abantu babelokhu benikela imihlatshelo beshisa impepho khona. 44UJehoshafati wenza nokuthula nenkosi yakwa-Israyeli.
45Ezinye izenzo zikaJehoshafati, namandla awabonisa, nokulwa kwakhe izimpi—akubhaliwe yini encwadini yeziKhronike zamakhosi akwaJuda? 46Insali yezifebe zamadoda zasethempelini ezazisele kusukela ezinsukwini zikayise u-Asa, wazisusa ezweni. 47Kwakungekho nkosi e-Edomi; umphathi wabusa njengenkosi. 48UJehoshafati wakha imikhumbi yaseTharishishi ukuba iye e-Ofiri ukuyolanda igolide, kodwa ayizange ihambe; yaphuka e-Eziyoni-Geberi. 49Khona u-Ahaziya indodana ka-Ahabi wathi kuJehoshafati: “Izinceku zami mazihambe ngemikhumbi nezakho,” kodwa uJehoshafati wenqaba. 50UJehoshafati waphumula noyise, wangcwatshwa nabo eMzini kaDavida uyise, indodana yakhe uJehoramu waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
U-Ahaziya uthukuthelisa uBaba
51U-Ahaziya indodana ka-Ahabi waqala ukubusa phezu kuka-Israyeli eSamariya ngonyaka weshumi nesikhombisa kaJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda, wabusa iminyaka emibili phezu kuka-Israyeli. 52Wenza okubi emehlweni kaBaba wethu, ehamba ngendlela kayise, nangendlela kanina, nangendlela kaJerobowamu indodana kaNebati, owaholela u-Israyeli esonweni. 53Wakhonza uBhali, wamdumisa, wathukuthelisa uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, njengoba uyise ayenzile.
