Izitha Zivukela Abantu bakaBaba wethu
Kufika ibutho elikhulu kakhulu, futhi impendulo kaJehoshafati iwukuzila ukudla nomthandazo kuBaba wethu ophetha ngokuthi, asazi ukuthi senzeni, kodwa amehlo ethu akuwe. Utshelwa ukuthi impi akuyona eyakhe. Abahlabeleli bahola ukumasha, futhi abahlaseli bayabhubhisana bodwa.
20 1Ngemva kwalokho, amaMowabi nama-Amoni, kanye namanye amaMewuni, beza ukuzokulwa noJehoshafati. 2Kweza izithunywa zabika kuJehoshafati zathi: “Impi enkulu iyeza izokulwa nawe, ivela ngaphesheya koLwandle Olufile, ivela e-Edomi, isivele iseHazazoni-thamari” (i-Eni-gedi). 3UJehoshafati wesaba, ngakho wazimisela ukufuna uBaba wethu, wamemezela ukuzila ukudla kulo lonke elakwaJuda. 4AbakwaJuda bahlangana ukuze bafune uBaba wethu; bevela kuyo yonke imizi yakwaJuda beza ukuzomfuna.
5UJehoshafati wasukuma ebandleni lakwaJuda naseJerusalema, endlini kaBaba wethu, phambi kwegceke elisha. 6Wathi: “Awu, Baba wethu, Nkulunkulu wokhokho bethu, awuyena yini uBaba wethu osezulwini? Ubusa yonke imibuso yezizwe. Amandla nobukhulu kusesandleni sakho; akekho ongamelana nawe. 7Baba wethu, awuzange yini uxoshe abantu baleli zwe phambi kwabantu bakho u-Israyeli, walinika kuze kube phakade inzalo ka-Abhrahama umngane wakho? 8Bahlala kulo, bakwakhela indlu engcwele kulo ngenxa yegama lakho, bethi: 9uma kufika phezu kwethu inhlekelele—inkemba yokwahlulela, isifo, noma indlala—sizokuma phambi kwale ndlu naphambi kwakho, ngokuba igama lakho likule ndlu, sikhale kuwe osizini lwethu, wena uzozwa usisindise. 10Manje: ama-Amoni, amaMowabi, neNtaba yaseSeyiri—owawungavumeli u-Israyeli ukuba abahlasele ekuphumeni kwakhe eGibhithe; u-Israyeli wabafulathela, akababhubhisa. 11Bheka ukuthi basiphindisela kanjani, beza ukuzosixosha efeni owasinika lona ukuba silidle. 12Baba wethu, awuyikubahlulela yini? Asinamandla okumelana nale mpi enkulu eza izokulwa nathi; asazi ukuthi senzenjani, kodwa amehlo ethu akuwe.”
13Bonke abakwaJuda bema lapho phambi kukaBaba wethu, kanye nezingane zabo ezincane, namakhosikazi abo, nabantwana babo.
14UMoya kaBaba wethu wehlela phezu kukaJahaziyeli indodana kaZekariya, indodana kaBhenaya, indodana kaJeyiyeli, indodana kaMathaniya, umLevi wohlanga luka-Asafa, phakathi kwebandla.
15Wathi: “Lalelani, nina nonke bakwaJuda, nani bahlali baseJerusalema, nawe Nkosi Jehoshafati. Nakhu okushiwo uBaba wethu kini: ‘Ningesabi futhi ningethuki ngenxa yale mpi enkulu—impi akusiyo eyenu kodwa ngekaBaba wethu. 16Kusasa yehlani niyokulwa nabo: bakhuphuka ngommango waseZizi; niyobafica ekupheleni kwesigodi, bebhekene nehlane laseJeruweli. 17Anidingi ukuyilwa le mpi. Thathani izindawo zenu, nime niqine, nibone uBaba wethu enisindisa, nina bakwaJuda naseJerusalema. Ningesabi futhi ningadangali. Phumani niyokulwa nabo kusasa, ngokuba uBaba wethu unani.’”
18UJehoshafati wakhothama ubuso bakhe bubheke phansi, bonke abakwaJuda nabantu baseJerusalema bawa phansi bakhuleka phambi kukaBaba wethu. 19AmaLevi avela kumaKohati nakumaKora asukuma ukuba adumise uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ngezwi elikhulu eliphakeme.
20Ekuseni kakhulu baphuma baya ehlane laseThekowa. Bathi besaphuma, uJehoshafati wama wathi: “Ngizweni, nina bakwaJuda nabantu baseJerusalema. Thembani uBaba wenu niyoqina; thembani abaprofethi bakhe niyophumelela.”
21Esebonisene nabantu, uJehoshafati wabeka abahlabeleli bakaBaba wethu ukuba badumise ubukhazikhazi bakhe obungcwele, behamba phambi kwempi, bethi: “Bongani uBaba wethu, ngokuba uthando lwakhe oluthembekileyo lumi phakade.” 22Bathi beqala ukuhlabelela nokudumisa, uBaba wethu wamisa abacathami ukuba bahlasele ama-Amoni, namaMowabi, nabantu beNtaba yaseSeyiri ababehlasela uJuda, base beshaywa phansi. 23Ama-Amoni namaMowabi avukela abantu beNtaba yaseSeyiri ukuba abachithe ababhubhise; kwathi lapho abantu baseSeyiri sebeqediwe, ama-Amoni namaMowabi ajikelana abulalana.
24Kwathi lapho abakwaJuda befika endaweni yokubuka ehlane, babheka ngasempini enkulu, babona kuphela izidumbu ziwele phansi—akekho owayephunyukile. 25UJehoshafati nabantu bakhe beza ukuzophanga abafileyo, bathola impahla eningi, nezingubo, nezinto eziyigugu—okuningi kakhulu ukuba kuthwalwe, ngakho ukukuqoqa kwathatha izinsuku ezintathu.
26Ngosuku lwesine, bahlangana eSigodini saseBheraka badumisa uBaba wethu khona lapho—ngakho sibizwa ngokuthi iSigodi saseBheraka kuze kube namuhla. a a v26 Igama elithi Bheraka lisho “isibusiso” — isigodi saqanjwa ngenxa yokudumisa abakwaJuda abakuphakamisela uBaba wethu khona. 27Bonke amadoda akwaJuda naseJerusalema, kuhola uJehoshafati, babuyela eJerusalema ngenjabulo, ngokuba uBaba wethu wabajabulisa phezu kwezitha zabo. 28Bangena eJerusalema namahabhu, nemihubhe, namacilongo, baya endlini kaBaba wethu. 29Ukwesaba uBaba wethu kwehlela phezu kwayo yonke imibuso eyayakhelene nabo lapho bezwa ukuthi uBaba wethu walwa nezitha zika-Israyeli. 30Ngakho umbuso kaJehoshafati waba nokuthula, ngokuba uBaba wakhe wamnika ukuphumula nxazonke.
Inkosi Eyahamba Ngezindlela zikaBaba wethu
31UJehoshafati wabusa phezu kukaJuda, wabekwa inkosi eneminyaka engamashumi amathathu nanhlanu, wabusa iminyaka engamashumi amabili nanhlanu eJerusalema; unina kwakungu-Azuba indodakazi kaShilehi. 32Wahamba ezindleleni zikayise u-Asa, akaze aphambuke, wenza okulungileyo emehlweni kaBaba wethu. 33Kodwa izindawo eziphakemeyo zasala; abantu babengakazibeki izinhliziyo zabo kuNkulunkulu wokhokho babo.
34Ezinye izenzo zikaJehoshafati, kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kube sekugcineni, zilotshiwe emibhalweni kaJehu indodana kaHanani, etholakala eNcwadini yamaKhosi akwa-Israyeli.
35Ngemva kwalokho uJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda wenza isivumelwano no-Ahaziya inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, owenza okubi. 36Wahlangana naye ukwakha imikhumbi yokuhweba eyoya eTharshishi, eyakhelwa e-Eziyoni-gebheri. 37U-Eliyezeri indodana kaDodavahu waseMaresha waprofetha ngokumelene noJehoshafati wathi: “Ngenxa yokwenza isivumelwano no-Ahaziya, uBaba wethu uwuhlakazile umsebenzi wakho.” Imikhumbi yaphahlazeka, ayikwazanga ukuya eTharshishi.
