UJehoshafati Uzihlanganisa no-Ahabi
UJehoshafati uzihlanganisa nendlu ka-Ahabi ngomshado futhi uvuma ukuyolwa eRamoti-Gileyadi, bese ecela umprofethi kaBaba wethu. NguMikhaya yedwa osho lokho akuzwayo ngempela — izimvu ezihlakazekile, umoya wamanga emilonyeni yabaprofethi — futhi umcibisholo odutshulwe nje ngokungahlosile ufakazela ukuthi uqinisile.
18 1UJehoshafati wayenengcebo enkulu nodumo, wazihlanganisa no-Ahabi ngomshado. 2Emva kweminyaka ethile wehlela ku-Ahabi eSamariya, lapho u-Ahabi amhlabela khona izimvu nezinkabi eziningi yena nabantu ababenaye, emncenga ukuba ahlasele iRamoti-Gileyadi. 3U-Ahabi inkosi yakwa-Israyeli wabuza uJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda wathi: “Uzohamba nami yini ukuya eRamoti-Gileyadi?” Waphendula wathi: “Nginjengawe, abantu bami banjengabakho; sihlangana nawe empini.”
4Kodwa uJehoshafati wathi enkosini yakwa-Israyeli: “Funa kuqala izwi likaBaba wethu.”
5Ngakho inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yabutha abaprofethi, amadoda angama-400, yababuza yathi: “Siyohamba yini ukuya eRamoti-Gileyadi empini, noma siyekele na?” Bathi: “Khuphuka, ngokuba uNkulunkulu uyoyinikela esandleni senkosi.”
6Kodwa uJehoshafati wathi: “Akakho yini umprofethi kaBaba wethu osekhona lapha esingabuza kuye?”
7Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafati: “Kusasele indoda eyodwa esingabuza ngayo kuBaba wethu, kodwa ngiyayizonda—ayikaze iprofethe okuhle ngami, kodwa okubi kuphela. NguMikhaya indodana ka-Imla.” UJehoshafati waphendula wathi: “Inkosi mayingasho kanjalo.”
8Khona-ke inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yabiza esinye sezikhulu yathi: “Letha uMikhaya indodana ka-Imla ngokushesha.”
9Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli noJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda bahlala, kwaba yilowo nalowo esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, begqoke izingubo zobukhosi, esibuyeni sokubhulela ngasesangweni laseSamariya, abaprofethi bonke beprofetha phambi kwabo. 10UZedekiya indodana kaKhenahana wenza izimpondo zensimbi wathi: “Usho kanje uNkulunkulu: ‘Ngalezi uyohlaba ama-Aramu uze uwaqede.’”
11Bonke abaprofethi baprofetha okufanayo, bathi: “Khuphuka uye eRamoti-Gileyadi unqobe; uBaba wethu uyoyinikela enkosini.”
12Isithunywa esathunywa ukuyobiza uMikhaya sathi kuye: “Amazwi abaprofethi wonke avuna inkosi. Awakho mawafane nawabo—khuluma okuhle.”
13Kodwa uMikhaya wathi: “Kuphila kukaBaba wethu, ngiyokusho kuphela lokho uBaba wami akushoyo.”
14Esefikile, inkosi yathi: “Mikhaya, siyohamba yini ukuya empini eRamoti-Gileyadi, noma ngiyekele na?” Wathi: “Khuphuka unqobe; bayonikelwa esandleni sakho.”
15Kodwa inkosi yathi kuye: “Izikhathi ezingaki engizokufungisa ngazo ukuba ungitshele iqiniso kuphela egameni likaBaba wethu?”
16UMikhaya wathi: “Ngabona wonke u-Israyeli ehlakazekile ezintabeni, njengezimvu ezingenamalusi. UBaba wethu wathi: ‘Abanankosi; makabuyele yilowo nalowo ekhaya ngokuthula.’”
17Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafati: “Angikutshelanga yini ukuthi ngeke aprofethe lutho oluhle ngami, kodwa okubi kuphela?”
18UMikhaya wathi: “Ngakho yizwa izwi likaBaba wethu: Ngabona uBaba wethu ehlezi esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, onke amabutho ezulu emi ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo sakhe.
19UBaba wethu wathi: ‘Ngubani oyoyenga u-Ahabi inkosi yakwa-Israyeli ukuba akhuphuke ayokuwa eRamoti-Gileyadi?’ Omunye washo lokhu, omunye lokhuya.
20Kweza umoya phambili, wema phambi kukaBaba wethu, wathi: ‘Mina ngiyomyenga.’ UBaba wethu wambuza wathi: ‘Kanjani?’
21Wathi: ‘Ngiyophuma ngibe umoya wamanga emlonyeni wabo bonke abaprofethi bakhe.’ Khona-ke uBaba wethu wathi: ‘Uyomyenga uphinde unqobe. Phuma wenze njalo.’
22Ngakho-ke, uBaba wethu usefake umoya wamanga emlonyeni walaba baprofethi bakho, futhi uBaba wethu usememezele inhlekelele ngawe.”
23Khona-ke uZedekiya indodana kaKhenahana wasondela, washaya uMikhaya esihlathini, wathi: “Uhambe ngayiphi indlela uMoya kaNkulunkulu usuka kimi ukuza ukukhuluma kuwe?”
24UMikhaya wathi: “Uyokubona lokho ngalolo suku lapho ungena ekamelweni elingaphakathi ukuze ucashe.”
25Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi: “Buyisela uMikhaya ku-Amoni umbusi womuzi nakuJowashi indodana yenkosi, 26nithi: ‘Isho kanje inkosi: Faka le ndoda etilongweni ngesabelo esincane sesinkwa namanzi ngize ngibuye ngokuphepha.’”
27UMikhaya wathi: “Uma ngempela ubuya ngokuphepha, uBaba wethu akakhulumanga ngami.” Wabe esethi: “Lalelani, nina nonke bantu!”
U-Ahabi Uyawa Njengoba uBaba Wayeshilo
28Ngakho inkosi yakwa-Israyeli noJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda bakhuphukela eRamoti-Gileyadi. 29Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafati: “Ngiyozifihla ngingene empini, kodwa wena gqoka izingubo zakho zobukhosi.” Ngakho inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yazifihla, bangena empini. 30Inkosi yama-Aramu yayiyalile izinduna zezinqola zayo zempi yathi: “Ningalwi namuntu, omncane noma omkhulu, kodwa nilwe nenkosi yakwa-Israyeli kuphela.”
31Kwathi izinduna zezinqola zempi zibona uJehoshafati, zathi: “Nansiya inkosi yakwa-Israyeli,” zaphendukela ukuba zimlwe. Kodwa uJehoshafati wakhala, uBaba wethu wamsiza, wazenza ukuba zisuke kuye. 32Kwathi izinduna zezinqola zempi zibona ukuthi akusiyo inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, zayeka ukumxosha. 33Enye indoda yanemba ngomnsalo wayo ngokungaqondile, yashaya inkosi yakwa-Israyeli phakathi kwamalunga ezivikelo zayo. Yathi kumshayeli wayo wenqola: “Phenduka ungikhiphe empini; ngilimele.” 34Impi yavutha ngalolo suku. Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yasekelwa yema enqoleni yayo ibhekene nama-Aramu kwaze kwahlwa, yase ifa ngokushona kwelanga.
