UBaba Uphulukisa uNahamani
Intombazanyana yakwa-Israyeli ethunjiwe ikhombisa uNahamani endleleni eya kumprofethi kaBaba wethu. Ethukuthele ngokutshelwa ukuba ageze eJordani, ulalela izinceku zakhe esikhundleni sokuziqhenya kwakhe, futhi uphuma ehlanzekile. U-Elisha akathathi nkokhelo; uGehazi ugijimela isipho asithathe, futhi athathe nesifo kanye naso.
5 1uNahamani, induna yempi yenkosi yase-Aramu, wayemkhulu ehlonishwa kakhulu yinkosi yakhe, ngokuba ngaye uBaba wethu wanika i-Aramu ukunqoba. Wayeyiqhawe elinesibindi, kodwa wayenesifo sesikhumba. 2Ama-Aramu ayehlasele athumba intombazanyana kwa-Israyeli, yona yayisebenzela umkaNahamani. 3Yathi enkosikazini yayo: “Sengathi inkosi yami ingaya kumprofethi oseSamariya! Ubengamphulukisa esifeni sakhe sochoko.”
4Ngakho uNahamani wangena watshela inkosi yakhe wathi: “Yilokhu okushiwo yintombazanyana evela ezweni lakwa-Israyeli.”
5Inkosi yase-Aramu yathi: “Hamba. Ngizothumela incwadi enkosini yakwa-Israyeli.” Ngakho uNahamani wahamba ephethe isiliva esicishe sibe ngamaphawundi angamakhulu ayisikhombisa namashumi amahlanu, negolide elicishe libe ngamaphawundi ayikhulu namashumi amahlanu, nezimvunulo zezingubo eziyishumi.
6Waletha incwadi enkosini yakwa-Israyeli. Yayifundeka kanje: “Ngithumela kuwe inceku yami uNahamani nale ncwadi, ukuze uyiphulukise esifweni sayo sesikhumba.”
7Kwathi inkosi yakwa-Israyeli isifunda incwadi, yaklebhula izingubo zayo yathi: “Kanti nginguNkulunkulu yini, ukuba ngibulale ngiphinde ngiphilise, lokhu ecela kimi ukuba ngiphulukise umuntu esifweni sakhe sesikhumba? Bhekani, ufuna ukubanga nami!”
8Kwathi u-Elisha umuntu kaBaba wethu esezwile ukuthi inkosi yakwa-Israyeli iklebhule izingubo zayo, wathumela izwi enkosini wathi: “Uzitabhulelani izingubo zakho? Mthumele kimi, uzokwazi ukuthi kukhona umprofethi kwa-Israyeli.”
9Ngakho uNahamani weza namahhashi akhe nezinqola zakhe zempi, wema emnyango wendlu ka-Elisha. 10U-Elisha wathumela isithunywa kuye sathi: “Hamba uyogeza kasikhombisa eJordani; inyama yakho izobuyela esimweni, uhlanzeke.”
11Kodwa uNahamani wahamba ethukuthele, ethi: “Bengicabanga ukuthi uzophumela kimi, eme, abize igama likaSimakade uNkulunkulu wakhe, azulazulise isandla sakhe phezu kwendawo, aphulukise isifo. 12Kanti i-Abana nePharpari, imifula yaseDamaseku, ayingcono yini kunawo wonke amanzi akwa-Israyeli? Bengingegeze kuyo ngihlanzeke na?” Ngakho waphenduka wahamba ethukuthele.
13Kodwa izinceku zakhe zasondela kuye zathi: “Baba, uma umprofethi ebekutshela ukuba wenze into enkulu, ubungeke uyenze yini? Kakhulu kangakanani-ke lapho ethi nje, ‘Geza uhlanzeke’?”
14Wehla wacwilisa eJordani kasikhombisa, njengokusho komuntu kaBaba wethu, inyama yakhe yabuyela esimweni njengeyomntwana omncane, wahlanzeka.
15uNahamani nayo yonke indikimba yakhe babuyela kumuntu kaBaba wethu. Weza wema phambi kwakhe wathi: “Manje sengiyazi ukuthi awukho uNkulunkulu emhlabeni wonke ngaphandle kwakwa-Israyeli. Ngiyacela wamukele isipho esivela encekwini yakho.”
16U-Elisha waphendula wathi: “Kuphila kukaBaba wethu engimi phambi kwakhe, angiyikwamukela lutho.” uNahamani wamncenga ukuba akuthathe, kodwa wenqaba.
17“Uma kungenjalo,” kwasho uNahamani, “inceku yakho mayiphiwe inhlabathi engangalokho okungathwalwa yizimbongolo ezimbili, ngokuba inceku yakho ngeke isaphinde inikele umnikelo woshiso noma umhlatshelo komunye unkulunkulu ngaphandle kukaSimakade. 18Kodwa uSimakade makayithethelele inceku yakho kulokhu kukodwa: lapho inkosi yami ingena ethempelini likaRimoni ukuyokhonza, yencike engalweni yami, nami ngikhothame ethempelini likaRimoni, lapho ngikhothama khona—uSimakade makayithethelele inceku yakho.”
19“Hamba ngokuthula,” kwasho u-Elisha. Ngakho uNahamani wamshiya wahamba, esehambe ibanga elithile.
20Kodwa uGehazi, inceku ka-Elisha umuntu kaBaba wethu, wacabanga wathi: “Inkosi yami imyekelele kalula kakhulu lo mAramu uNahamani ngokungakwamukeli lokho akulethile. Kuphila kukaBaba wethu, ngizogijima ngimlandele ngithole okuthile kuye.”
21uGehazi wamjaha uNahamani. Kwathi uNahamani embona egijima eza kuye, wehla enqoleni yakhe yempi ukuyomhlangabeza wathi: “Kuhamba kahle konke na?”
22“Konke kuhamba kahle,” kwasho uGehazi. “Inkosi yami ingithumile ukuthi ngithi: ‘Izinsizwa ezimbili zasendikimbeni yabaprofethi zifike kimi khona manje zivela ezintabeni zakwa-Efrayimi. Ngiyacela uzinike isiliva esingaba ngamaphawundi angamashumi ayisikhombisa nanhlanu nezimvunulo ezimbili zezingubo.’”
23“Ngiyacela, thatha amaphawundi angaba yikhulu namashumi amahlanu,” kwasho uNahamani. Wamncenga uGehazi, wabophela isiliva esingaba ngamaphawundi ayikhulu namashumi amahlanu ezikhwameni ezimbili kanye nezingubo ezimbili, wakunika izinceku ezimbili, zona zakuthwala phambi kukaGehazi. 24Kwathi lapho efika egqumeni, uGehazi wathatha lezo zinto ezincekwini, wazibeka endlini, wawamukisa lawo madoda, ahamba. 25Wangena wema phambi kwenkosi yakhe. U-Elisha wabuza wathi: “Ubukuphi, Gehazi?” Wathi: “Inceku yakho ibingayanga ndawo.”
26Kodwa u-Elisha wathi: “Inhliziyo yami ibingahambanga nawe yini lapho le ndoda iphenduka enqoleni yayo ukukuhlangabeza? Kuyisikhathi sokwamukela isiliva, izingubo, izivande zeminqumo, izivini, izimvu, izinkomo, nezinceku zesilisa nezesifazane na? 27Uchoko lukaNahamani luzonamathela kuwe nasenzalweni yakho kuze kube phakade.” uGehazi waphuma phambi kwakhe, enochoko, isikhumba sakhe simhlophe njengeqhwa.
