2 UMakhabhizi 10

₁UMakhabhizi nabalandeli bakhe, beholwa yiNkosi, balibuyisa ithempeli kanye nomuzi ongcwele; ₂balibhidliza i-althare elalakhiwe ngabezizwe endaweni yomphakathi, babuye babhidliza namagumbi angcwele. ₃Bayihlambulula indawo engcwele futhi benza elinye i-althare lemihlatshelo; base bokhela umlilo, banikela imihlatshelo emuva kweminyaka emibili kungasenzeki lokhu; banikela nempepho bakhanyisa nezibani babeka nesinkwa sobukhona bukaNkulunkulu. ₄Lapho sebekwenzile lokhu, bawa balala cu ngezisu bayinxusa iNkosi ukuba bangaphinde neze bawele emashweni anje, kodwa, uma bephinda bona, ibajezise ngokubabekezelela ingabanikeli esandleni sabahlambalazi nezizwe ezingamaqaba.

₅Kwenzeka ukuba ngosuku indawo engcwele eyangcoliswa ngalo ngabezizwe, ibuye ihlanjululwe ngalo, okungukuthi, ngosuku lwama-25, ngayo leyo nyanga, okwakunguKhislevi. ₆Bagubha umkhosi ngokujabula izinsuku eziyisishiyagalombili, njengoba benza ngomkhosi wamadokodo, ngokuba babekade bentaza ezintabeni bequba emigedeni njengezilwane zasendle. ₇Ngakho-ke, bamhubela amahubo okubonga, bethwele imigexo yokwenziwe ngamazinyo endlovu kanye nezixha zamasundu, bembonga ngokwenza babe nempumelelo ekuhlanjululweni kwendawo yakhe engcwele. ₈Balumisa ngokwesinqumo somphakathi, nangokuvumelana nevoti, ukuthi isizwe sonke sabaJuda simelwe sigcine lezi nsuku minyaka yonke.

₉Saba njalo-ke isiphetho sika-Antiyokhusi owayebizwa ngokuthi ngu-Ephifanesi. ₁₀Manje-ke sesizakunazisa ukuthi kwenzakalani phansi kukaSimoni-Antiyokhusi Ewuphathori, owayeyindodana yaleyo ndoda eyayingalungile, futhi sizakunikhinindela ngokufinqiwe ngencithakalo yezimpi ezibalulekile. ₁₁Le ndoda, lapho isithathe isihlalo sombuso, yaqoka uLusiyase ukuba aphathe uhulumeni nokuba abe ngumbusi omkhulu waseKholesiriya naseFonesiya. ₁₂UPhitholemi, owayebizwa ngoMakharoni, waba ngowokuqala ukwenza ubulungiswa kubaJuda ngenxa yezinto ezimbi ezazenziwe kuwo, futhi wazama ukugcina ubudlelwano nokuthula phakathi kwabo. ₁₃Ngokwenze njalo wamangalelwa ngabangani benkosi phambi kuka-Ewuphathori. Wazithola esebizwa ngembuka noma kuphi lapho ayehamba khona, ngokuba wayeyekele neKhuphro uFilomethori ayelibeke kuye, wahamba waya ku-Antiyokhusi Ephifanesi. Engasakwazi ukuthola ukuhlonishwa okwakufanele isikhundla sakhe, wazibulala ngokudla ubuthi.

₁₄Lapho uGogiyase esengumbusi waleso sifunda, wawugcina umbutho wamabutho akhokhelwayo avela kwezinye izizwe, futhi kwathi ngazikhathi ezithile wade ehlasela abajuda. ₁₅Ngaphandle kwalokhu, abase-Idumeya ababephethe izinqaba ezibalulekile, babehlukumeza abajuda; babemukela labo ababedingisiwe eJerusalema, futhi bayiqhuba impi phakathi kwabo. ₁₆Kodwa uMakhabhizi namabutho akhe, emuva kokumnxusa ngokuthobeka uNkulunkulu ukuba ame nabo empini, baphuma ngokushesha banikela ezinqabeni zabase-Idumeya. ₁₇Babahlasela ngomkhulu umfutho, bazidla izindawo, babehlula bonke ababelwa besezingangeni, babulala labo abahlangana nabo, ababengengaphansi kwezinkulungwane ezingama-20. ₁₈Abayizi-9 000 babaleka bayobhaca ezinqabeni ezazinezikhali ezanele ukuba bangabhekana nokuhlaselwa.

₁₉UMakhabhizi washiya uSimoni noJosefa, kanye noZakewu namabutho akhe, impi eyayanele ukuba bangawuhlasela bawunqobe umuzi; yena wanikela ezindaweni lapho ayedingeke khona kakhulu. ₂₀Kepha labo ababenoSimoni, abathanda imali, bathengwa ngabanye balabo ababesemboshongweni, emva kokuthola izi-7 000 zama drakhima, base bebavumela abanye ukuba bamonyuke baphume. ₂₁Ngesikhathi uMakhabhizi ezwa ukuthi kwenzakaleni, wabutha abaholi babantu, wawamangalela lawa madoda ngokuthi adayise ngesizwe sakubo ngenxa yemali ngokuba akhulule isitha sabo ukuze silwe nabo. ₂₂Wawabulala la madoda ayephendukele isizwe sawo njengemambuka, kwase kuthi masinyane bayidla imibhoshongo. ₂₃Ngenxa-ke yempumelelo ababenayo empini yezikhali nakukho konke ababezimisela ukukwenza, wabhubhisa abangaphezu kwezinkulungwane ezimbili kuzo zombili izinqaba.

₂₄UThimothewu, owayehlulwe ngabajuda ngaphambili, wabutha impi eyesabekayo yabezizwe abakhokhelwayo futhi wahlanganisa abamahhashi abaningi bevela kwelase-Asiya. Weza, ehlose ukuhlasela iJudiya ingazelele. ₂₅Esasondela, uMakhabhizi kanye namadoda ayehamba nawo bazithela ngothuli emakhanda babopha izinkalo zabo ngamasaka, bemnxusa uNkulunkulu. ₂₆Bawa ngobuso phambi kwesitebhisi se-althare bamncenga ukuba abe nesihawu kubo nokuba amelane nezitha zabo abe yisitha sezitha zabo, njengoba usho umthetho. ₂₇Bathi ukuba basuke emkhulekweni bahloma izikhali zabo baphuma bahamba ibanga elide besuka emzini ukuyobhekana nezitha zabo, lapho sebefikile eduze nesitha bagoba amadlangala.

₂₈Ekuthatheni kokusa, yatholana phezulu, enye ingethembile nje kuphela ukuphumelela nokunqoba ngamandla ayo kodwa yethembele eNkosini, ibe enye ithukuthelise umholi wayo empini. ₂₉Lapho iqina impi, eyesitha yabona amadoda amahlanu ayehola eyabaJuda egibele amahhashi omlilo afake amatomu egolide evela ezulwini. ₃₀Amabili athatha uMakhabhizi phakathi kwawo, emvikela ngezikhali nangezivikelo zawo enza ukuba angalimali. Aqhulula intululwane yemicibisholo esitheni, kwaze kwathi sesididekile futhi singasaboni, sadidizela, basishaya basenza izicucu. ₃₁Kwabulawa abayizi-25 000 ngaphandle kwabamahhashi abangama-600. ₃₂UThimothewu uqobo wabalekela enqabeni ebizwa ngokuthi iGazara, eyayivikelwe kahle kakhulu, lapho uKhayereyase ayengumkhuzi wempi khona. ₃₃UMakhabhizi namabutho akhe bathokoza, bayivimbezela inqaba izinsuku ezine. ₃₄Amadoda ayethembele ekuvikelekeni namandla enqaba, aqhubeka ebathuka ehlambalaza futhi ekhuluma amazwi amabi kakhulu.

₃₅Kepha entathakusa ngosuku lwesihlanu, izinsizwa ezingama-20 emabuthweni kaMakhabhizi, zithukutheliswe yilokhu kuhlambalaza, zaphonseka ogangeni ngesibindi, zaqobaqoba yinoma yimuphi ezahlangana naye. ₃₆Abanye abeza ngaleyo ndlela basizungeza isitha bathungela imibhoshongo ngomlilo; babasa umlilo babashisa abahlambalazi bephila. Abanye bephula amasango avuleka, bayingenisa yonke impi, bawudla umuzi. ₃₇Bambulala uThimothewu owayebhace emthonjeni kanye nomfowabo uKhayereyase kanye no-Apholofanesi. ₃₈Lapho sebeqedile ukwenza lezi zinto, bamdumisa ngamahubo uNkulunkulu, okhombise umusa ongaka ku-Israyeli futhi omnikeze ukunqoba.