2 IZikhronike 17

17 ¹Indodana yakhe uJehoshafati yaba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe, yaziqinisa yamelana no-Israyeli. ²Wamisa amabutho kuwo wonke amadolobha avikelekile akwaJuda, nezinqaba ezweni lakwaJuda, nasemadolobheni akwa-Efrayimi ayewathumbile uyise u-Asa. ³UBaba wethu wayenoJehoshafati, ngokuba wahamba ngezindlela zokuqala zikayise uDavide, engabafuni oBhali. ⁴Kodwa wafuna uBaba uyise ayemkhonza, walalela imiyalo yakhe, hhayi izenzo zakwa-Israyeli. ⁵Ngakho uBaba wethu wawuqinisa umbuso esandleni sakhe; wonke uJuda waletha izipho kuJehoshafati, waba nengcebo enkulu nodumo. ⁶Inhliziyo yakhe yayizinikele ezindleleni zikaBaba wethu; wasusa izindawo eziphakeme nezinsika zika-Ashera kwaJuda. ^a a v6 Izindawo eziphakeme kwakuyizindawo zokukhonzela ezisemaqophweni ezintabeni ezazisetshenziselwa ukukhonza izithombe; izinsika zika-Ashera kwakuyizinto zenkolo ezibaziwe zokhuni ezanikelwa kunkulunkulukazi wamaKhanani u-Ashera.

⁷Ngonyaka wesithathu wokubusa kwakhe wathuma izikhulu zakhe uBheni-hayili, u-Obadiya, uZakariya, uNethaneli, noMikhaya ukuba zifundise emadolobheni akwaJuda, ⁸namaLevi kanye nazo: uShemaya, uNethaniya, uZebadiya, u-Asaheli, uShemiramoti, uJehonathani, u-Adoniya, uThobiya, uThobi-adoniya; kanye nabo abapristi u-Elishama, uJehoramu. ⁹Bafundisa kulo lonke elakwaJuda, bephethe iNcwadi yoMyalo kaBaba wethu, behamba kuwo wonke amadolobha akwaJuda, befundisa abantu.

¹⁰Ukwesaba uBaba wethu kwehlela phezu kwayo yonke imibuso eyayizungeza uJuda, ngakho ayizange ilwe noJehoshafati. ¹¹Abanye amaFilisti baletha izipho kuJehoshafati nesiliva njengentela; ama-Arabhu aletha imihlambi: izinqama ezi-7 700, nezimpongo ezi-7 700. ¹²UJehoshafati waya eba namandla kakhulu, wakha izinqaba namadolobha okugcina kwaJuda. ¹³Wayenemithamo eminingi emadolobheni akwaJuda, namaqhawe anamandla eJerusalema. ¹⁴Ukubalwa kwawo ngokwezindlu zokhokho: kwaJuda, izinduna zezinkulungwane—u-Adna induna, kanye naye amaqhawe anamandla angu-300 000; ¹⁵eceleni kwakhe kwakunguJehohanani induna, kanye naye abangu-280 000; ¹⁶olandela kwaba ngu-Amasiya indodana kaZikri, owazinikela ngokuzithandela kuBaba wethu, kanye naye amaqhawe anamandla angu-200 000. ¹⁷KwaBhenjamini: u-Eliyada, iqhawe elinamandla, kanye naye abangu-200 000 behlomile ngomnsalo nehawu; ¹⁸eceleni kwakhe uJehozabadi, kanye naye abangu-180 000 behlomele impi. ¹⁹Lawa madoda ayekhonza inkosi, ngaphandle kwalabo ayebamise emadolobheni avikelekile kulo lonke elakwaJuda.