UJuda ungenelwa ngabepumalanga
1Ngemva kwesikhathi amaMowabi nama-Amoni ngokuhlanganyela namaMeyuni abumbana alwa noJehotjhafathi. 2Kweza amadoda athileko azokuluma uJehotjhafathi indlebe athi: “Yazi bonyana kunepi ekulu kwamambala ezokusahlela evela e-Edomu ngaphetjheya kwelwandle. Sebele iseRhatsetsoni-Tamari.” (IRhatsetsoni-Tamari kutjho i-Eni-Gedi).
3UJehotjhafathi waba nokwesaba, wabona bonyana kungcono abuze kuSomnini abe amemezele ukuzila ukudla kilo loke lakwaJuda. 4Abantu bakwaJuda babuthana kobana bafune isizo kuSomnini. Ngiqinisile ngithi baphuma kiyo yoke imizi yakwaJuda kobana bazokufuna ubuso bakaSomnini.
5Kwathi bona ihlangano yakwaJuda neyeJerusalema ibuthane ngaphambi kwesirhodlo esitjha sethempeli lakaSomnini, uJehotjhafathi wajama 6wathi: “Maye Somnini Zimu wabobamkhulu! Wena unguZimu osezulwini. Ubusa phezu kwayo yoke imibuso yezizwe. Amandla negunya kusesandleni sakho. Yeke abe akunamuntu ongajamelana nawe. 7Maye Zimethu! Angithi nguwe owaqotjha abahlali benarha le ngesandla sabantwabakho u-Israyeli wayinikela iinzukulwana zomnganakho u-Abrahamu isiphelani! 8Nje-ke abantu bakho sele bamile imirabhu lapha, bebakwakhela nendawo ecwengileko kobana kudunyiswe ibizo lakho bathi, 9‘Nakube sehlelwa matlhuwiso, nanyana kungaba sigwebo ngesabula, amanikelela namkha indlala, sizakujama phambi kwethempeleli, phambi kwakho ngombana ibizo lakho lisethempelinapha. Sizakurhahlawula kuwe ematlhuwiswenethu, wena usizwe bese uyasisindisa.’ 10Nje-ke Somnini, naka amadoda we-Amoni, weMowabi newentabeni yeSeyiri, ongazange uvume bonyana u-Israyeli naphuma eGibhide athumbe inarhawo. Ngambala siyigegedile azange siyibhubhise inarhawo. 11Napa-ke namhlanjesi, basithokoza ngokusivukela bazosiqotjha enarhenakho owasipha yona kobana ibe lilifa lethu. 12Awu Zimethu! Awusabagwebi na? Kazi thina asinamandla wokuqalana nepikazi engaka esisahlelako le. Abe asazi bonyana senzeni nasele kunje, yeke amehlwethu aqale kuwe.”
13Woke uJuda wajama lapho phambi kwakaSomnini ngitjho nabafazi, abantwana namasana. 14Khonapho uMoya kaZimu wehlela kuJarhaziyeli umsa kaZakariya omsa kaBhenaya umsa kaJehiyeli omsa kaMataniya umLevi nosizukulwana saka-Asafa, asajame phakathi kwehlangano, 15wathi: “Lalelani noke nina enihlala kwaJuda neJerusalema, nawe kosi Jehotjhafathi! Nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini kini, ‘Ningesabi namkha niphele amandla ngebanga lesinyokotho sepi eniyibonako le. Ipi akusiyo yenu, kodwana ngeyakaZimu. 16Kusasa jokolani nibahlangabeze. Qalani, bazokukhuphuka emkghothweni weTsitsi, nizababona ekugcineni kwesikghidlhi sangerhalawumbeni leJeruweli. 17Akusikho kwenu ukulwa epini le. Zihleleni kuhle, nibukele isindiso uSomnini azaninikela yona, wena Juda nawe Jerusalema. Yeke masani ukwesaba, ningapheli amandla. Phumani niyokuqalana nabo kusasa, uSomnini uzakuba nani.’ ”
18UJehotjhafathi wakhothama wahloma ihloko phasi, boke abantu bakwaJuda nebeJerusalema nabo bawa ngobuso phambi kwakaSomnini bamlotjha. 19AmaLevi athize womndeni wamaKhehathi namaKhorarhi asikima adumisa uSomnini uZimu wakwa-Israyeli ngelizwi elikhulu.
20Abantu bavuka ngesamarimarima batjhinga erhalawumbeni leTekhowa. Bathe lokha nabasaphumako uJehotjhafathi wajama ngeqadi kwendlela wathi kibo: “Yeningilalele nina bantu bakwaJuda nani beJerusalema!
“Thembelani kuSomnini uZimenu
nizakuba namandla,
thembelani ebaphorofidini bakhe
nizakuphumelela.”
21Ngemva kokukhulumisana kwakhe nabantu uJehotjhafathi wahlela amadoda kobana azobhinela uSomnini abe adumise ubukhosi boCwengileko. Ekuphumeni kwawo phambi kwebutho abhina athi: “Dumisani uSomnini ngombana ithando lakhe lijame isiphelani.” 22Kwathi nabathoma ukubhina nokudumisa, uSomnini wabekela amadoda we-Amoni, weMowabi newentabeni yeSeyiri agade angene kwaJuda isifu ngokuwararanisa bona arhayilwe. 23Lokhu kutjho bonyana amadoda we-Amoni neweMowabi avukela amadoda wentabeni yeSeyiri awarhayila nya. Ngemva kobana sele abulele amadoda weSeyiri, ajika abulalana wodwa.
24Kwathi lokha amadoda wakwaJuda nafika endaweni ephakamileko ngehla kwerhalawumba bonyana aqale isinyokotho samabutho, abona kwaphela iindumbu zidindilize ehlabathini. Kwakungekho namunye ophunyurhileko. 25Yeke uJehotjhafathi nabantu bakhe bakhamba bayokuthatha ipango, bafunyana phakathi kwabo izinto ezinengi: ipahla, ifuyo namagugu. Bazithathela okunengi ngaphezu kwezandla zabo. Ipango yayiyinengi kangangobana kwabathatha amalanga amathathu woke ukuyibuthelela. 26Elangeni lesine babuthanela emrhobeni weBheraka lapha badumisa khona uSomnini. Kungebangelo isabizwa bonyana mrhoba weBheraka bekube kunamhlanjesi.
27Woke amadoda wakwaJuda neweJerusalema abuyela eJerusalema arholwa nguJehotjhafathi. Gade ajekezela ngombana uSomnini bekawenze athokoza phezu kwezitha zawo. 28Angena eJerusalema aya ethempelini lakaSomnini abetha imihlobohlobo yamaharibha kanye neemporompita.
29Imibuso yoke yehlelwa kukwesaba uZimu lokha nayizwa indlela uSomnini alwele ngayo u-Israyeli ezitheni zakhe. 30Gade kunokuthula embusweni kaJehotjhafathi ngombana uZimakhe gade amuphe ukuphumula mahlangothi woke.
Ukuphela kokubusa kwakaJehotjhafathi
31Wabusa njalo-ke uJehotjhafathi kwaJuda. Gade aneminyaka ematjhumi amathathu namihlanu lokha nathoma ukubusa. Wabusa eJerusalema iminyaka ematjhumi amabili namihlanu. Ibizo lakanina gade kungu-Azubha indodakazi kaTjhilirhi. 32Wakhamba eendleleni zakayise u-Asa begodu azange aphambuke kizo, wenza okulungileko phambi kwakaSomnini. 33Nokho iindunduma azange zisuswe begodu abantu bebasaloko bangakabeki iinhliziyo zabo kuZimu waboyise.
34Ezinye izehlakalo zokubusa kwakaJehotjhafathi, ukusuka ekuthomeni ukuya ekugcineni, zitlolwe encwadini yemilando yakaJehu umsa kaRhanani, emtlolweni wamakhosi wakwa-Israyeli.
35Ngemva kwesikhathi uJehotjhafathi ikosi yakwaJuda wenza isikhozi no-Arhaziya ikosi yakwa-Israyeli obegade anemilandu yobukhohlakali. 36Wazihlanganisa naye ekwakheni imikhumbi eya eTharatjhitjhi. Bayakha e-Etsiyoni-Gebere.
37U-Eliyezeri umsa kaDodavahu weMaretjha waphorofida ngokujamelana noJehotjhafathi wathi: “Ngebanga lokwenza kwakho isikhozi no-Arhaziya, uSomnini uzakutjhabalalisa lokho okwenzileko.” Imikhumbi yaphahlazeka begodu azange ibe isakghona ukuthayela eTharatjhitjhi.
