2 AMakhosi 3

3 ¹uJoramu indodana ka-Ahabi waba yinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli eSamariya ngonyaka weshumi nesishiyagalombili kaJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda, wabusa iminyaka eyishumi nambili. ²Wenza okubi emehlweni kaBaba wethu, nakuba kungenjengoyise nonina, ngokuba wasusa insika engcwele kaBhali eyenziwa nguyise. ³Nokho wanamathela ezonweni zikaJerobowamu indodana kaNebati, owaholela u-Israyeli esonweni; akazange aphenduke kuzo.

⁴uMesha inkosi yakwaMowabi wayefuya izimvu, wakhokha enkosini yakwa-Israyeli amawundlu ayizinkulungwane eziyikhulu noboya bezinqama eziyizinkulungwane eziyikhulu. ⁵Kodwa lapho u-Ahabi efa, inkosi yakwaMowabi yahlubuka enkosini yakwa-Israyeli. ⁶Ngakho iNkosi uJoramu yasuka eSamariya ngaleso sikhathi, yabutha u-Israyeli wonke. ⁷Wahamba, wathumela izwi kuJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda, wathi: “Inkosi yakwaMowabi ihlubukile kimi. Uzohamba nami ukuyolwa noMowabi na?” Yaphendula yathi: “Ngizokwenyuka. Nginjengawe, abantu bami banjengabakho, amahhashi ami anjengawakho.”

⁸Yabuza yathi: “Siyokwenyuka ngayiphi indlela?” Yaphendula yathi: “Ngendlela yehlane lakwa-Edomi.”

⁹Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yasuka kanye nenkosi yakwaJuda nenkosi yakwa-Edomi. Bahamba ngendlela ejikelezayo izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, kungekho manzi ebuthweni nasezilwaneni ezazibalandela. ¹⁰Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi: “Maye! Ngokuba uBaba wethu ubize lezi zinkosi ezintathu ukuze azinikele esandleni sikaMowabi.” ^a a v10 Ngisho nale nkosi engenalo ukholo, esheshayo ukusola, isengeyomndeni wesivumelwano — ibiza uBaba lowo kanye engamethembi.

¹¹Kodwa uJehoshafati wathi: “Akekho yini umprofethi kaBaba wethu lapha, ukuze sibuze kuBaba wethu ngaye?” Omunye wezinceku zenkosi yakwa-Israyeli waphendula wathi: “Nangu u-Elisha indodana kaShafati, owathela amanzi ezandleni zika-Eliya.”

¹²uJehoshafati wathi: “Izwi likaBaba wethu linaye.” Ngakho inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, noJehoshafati, nenkosi yakwa-Edomi behlela kuye.

¹³u-Elisha wabuza inkosi yakwa-Israyeli wathi: “Yindaba bani ephakathi kwami nawe? Yiya kubaprofethi bakayihlo nabakanyoko.” Inkosi yathi: “Qha — uBaba wethu ubize lezi zinkosi ezintathu ukuze azinikele kuMowabi.”

¹⁴u-Elisha wathi: “Kuphila kukaBaba wamabutho asezulwini, engimkhonzayo, ukuba bengingamhloniphi uJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda, bengingeke ngikubheke noma ngikuqaphele. ¹⁵Manje ngiletheleni umculi.” Kwathi lapho umculi edlala, isandla sikaBaba wethu safika phezu kwakhe.

¹⁶Wathi: “Usho kanje uBaba wethu: Yenzani lesi sigodi sigcwale imisele. ¹⁷Ngokuba usho kanje uBaba wethu: Ngeke nibone moya noma mvula, kodwa lesi sigodi siyogcwala amanzi, niyophuza — nina, imfuyo yenu, nezilwane zenu. ¹⁸Lokhu kuyinto encane emehlweni ami; uyonikela noMowabi esandleni senu. ¹⁹Niyowushaya wonke umuzi obiyelwe ngezindonga nawo wonke umuzi omuhle, nigawule zonke izihlahla ezinhle, nivale yonke imithombo yamanzi, nonakalise onke amasimu amahle ngamatshe.”

²⁰Kwathi ekuseni, ngesikhathi somnikelo wamabele, nampo amanzi evela ngasendleleni yase-Edomi, izwe lagcwala amanzi.

²¹UMowabi wonke wezwa ukuthi izinkosi zenyukele ukulwa nabo, ngakho kwabuthwa wonke umuntu owayesekhulile ngokwanele ukuphatha izikhali kuya phezulu; bema emngceleni. ²²Bavuka ekuseni kakhulu; ilanga lakhanya phezu kwamanzi, uMowabi wabona amanzi aphambi kwabo ebomvu njengegazi. ²³Bathi: “Igazi! Izinkosi zilwile zabulalana. Manje, Mowabi, asiyokuphanga!”

²⁴Kodwa lapho befika ekamu lakwa-Israyeli, ama-Israyeli avuka ashaya amaMowabi, abaleka phambi kwawo. U-Israyeli waqhubekela phambili ezweni, eshaya amaMowabi njengoba ehamba. ²⁵Badiliza imizi. Kuwo wonke amasimu amahle, yilowo nalowo waphonsa itshe waze wagcwala. Bavala yonke imithombo yamanzi, bagawula zonke izihlahla ezinhle, kwasala kuphela amatshe aseKhiri Haresethi, awazungezwa ahlaselwa ngabaphonsi bamatshe. ²⁶Kwathi lapho inkosi yakwaMowabi ibona ukuthi impi yayinamandla kakhulu kuyo, yathatha amadoda angamakhulu ayisikhombisa aphethe izinkemba ukuze afohlele enkosini yakwa-Edomi, kodwa yehluleka. ²⁷Ngakho yathatha izibulo layo, indlalifa yayo, yalinikela njengomnikelo oshiswayo odongeni. Kwavela intukuthelo enkulu phezu kuka-Israyeli, ngakho basuka kuye, babuyela ezweni lakubo.