Inkulumo KaHolofernesi
1Kuthe sewunqamukile umsindo wokukhononda kwamadoda omkhandlu ayezungeze itende, uHolofernesi umkhuzi wempi enamandla yama-Asiriya, wathi ku-Akhiyori phambi kwabo bonke abezinye izizwe naphambi kwamadodana akwaMowabi: 2“Ungubani nje wena Akhiyori, wena namabutho akwa-Efrayimi, ukuba ungaphrofetha kithi njengoba wenzile namhlanje usitshela ukuba singasihlaseli isizwe sakwa-Israyeli ngenxa yokuba uNkulunkulu waso eyosivikela na? Imuphi omunye unkulunkulu ngaphandle kukaNebukhadinezari na? Uyothumela amabutho akhe ababhubhise ebusweni bomhlaba. UNkulunkulu wabo kanakubasindisa, 3kodwa thina zinceku zakhe simunye, singababhubhisa, ngeke neze bamelana namandla empi yethu. 4Thina siyakubehlula, izintaba zidakwe yigazi labo, kuthi amathafa adindilize izidumbu zabo, akuyikusala ngisho namzila wezinyawo zabo, kodwa bayakubhubha nokubhubha kusho inkosi uNebukhadinezari umbusi womhlaba wonke. Ngokuba ukhulumile; akukho nelilodwa la mazwi akhe eliyakuwela phansi.
5“Kuwena Akhiyori, nani mabutho akwa-Amoni, ngenxa yokuba nisho la mazwi ngosuku lobubi; aniyikububona ubuso bami kusukela namuhla kuze kube lusuku engiphindisela ngalo kulesi sizwe esaphuma eGibhithe. 6Ekubuyeni kwami inkemba yempi yami kanye nomkhonto wezisebenzi zami uyakudla izinhlangothi zenu, nibalwe nabo bonke abayizinkubela. 7Izinceku zami zizakunithatha zibuyele nani emuva kwelezintaba bese zinibeka kweminye yemizi esendleleni. 8Awunakufa uze ubhujiswe kanye nabo. 9Uma uzethembisa enhliziyweni yakho ukuthi abanakwehlulwa, yeka ukubukeka ukhathazekile! Sengikhulumile futhi akukho nelilodwa lamazwi ami elingayikufezeka.”
U-Akhiyori Ulethwa EBhethuliya
10UHolofernesi wayesethumela izinceku zakhe ezazimkhonza etendeni lakhe ukuba zibambe u-Akhiyori zimthathe zimuse eBhethuliya zimnikele esandleni sama-Israyeli. 11Ngakho-ke izinceku zamthatha zamkhiphela ngaphandle ethafeni, zasuka lapho zakhuphukela kwelezintaba zaze zafinyelela emthonjeni ongezansi kweBhethuliya. 12Lapho amadoda alowo muzi ebabona, athatha izikhali zawo adlubulundela ephuma emzini ebalekela ezintabeni, kodwa bonke abezindwayimane babavimbela ukuba bangakhuphuki, ngokubadwiza ngamatshe.
13Kwathi sebecashile phansi kwentaba, babopha u-Akhiyori bamshiya elele lapho, babuyela enkosini yabo. 14Ayesehla ama-Israyeli emizini yawo amfumana; amthukulula, ayesemusa eBhethuliya kubaphathi balowo muzi, 15okwakungu-Uziya indodana kaMikha, wesizwe sakwaSimoni, uKhabhirisi indodana kaGothoniyeli noKharmisi indodana kaMelkhiyeli. 16Babiza zonke izingwevu zomuzi, kwase kuthi zonke izinsizwa nezintombi zagijimela esigcawini. Bamhlalisa u-Akhiyori phakathi kwabo bonke abantu, u-Uziya wayesemphonsa imibuzo ngokuthi kwenzakaleni. 17Waphendula wabatshela okwakwenzekile emkhandlwini kaHolofernesi, nakho konke ayekushilo phambi kwabaholi bama-Asiriya, nalokho uHolofernesi ayeziqhayisa ngakho ukuthi uzakukwenza endlini ka-Israyeli.
18Base bewa phansi bonke abantu bakhuleka bekhala kuNkulunkulu, bethi: 19“Awu! Nkosi Nkulunkulu weZulu, ake ubone ukuzigqaja kwabo, bese uba nomusa kubantu bakithi ekuzithobeni kwabo, ubheke ngesihawu namuhla ubuso balabo abazehlukanisele wena.”
20Base bemmisa idolo u-Akhiyori, bamtusa kakhulu. 21U-Uziya wamthatha esigcawini wamusa endlini yakhe, lapho enzela khona izingwevu idili, base bebiza igama likaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ubusuku bonke becela usizo.
