1Gade asatjhisa umhlabelo lokha nakuthi veliyani umuntu kaZimu obuya kwaJuda nelizwi elivela kuSomnini uZimu. 2Umuntu loyo warhuwelela i-aldari ngelizwi lakaSomnini wathi: “Maye aldari, aldari-ke! Nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini, ‘Kuzakubelethwa umsana okuthiwa nguJosiya endlini kaDavida. Uzakwenza umhlabelo ngabaphristi beendunduma phezu kwakho. Iye, abaphristi abenza umhlabelo kuwapha. Kuzakutjhiswa amathambo wabantu phezu kwakho.’ ”3Khona mhlokho umuntu kaZimu wenza itshwayo wathi: “Leli litshwayo elizaliselela amezwi akhulunywe nguSomnini: I-aldari lizakuphadlhuka phakathi bese umsizalo onamafutha urhatjheke.”
4Kuthe bona ikosi uJerobhowamu izwe amezwi umuntu kaZimu arhuwelele ngawo i-aldari leBhethe-Eli, yelula isandla sayo ise-aldarini yathi: “Bambani intwele!”
Kodwana isandleso akhombe ngaso umuntu kaZimu somelela bewabhalelwa kusibuyisa. 5Ne-aldari laphadlhuka kabili, umsizalo onamafutha warhatjheka njengokwetshwayo elivezwe mumuntu kaZimu ngokwelizwi lakaSomnini.
6Ikosi uJerobhowamu yathi emuntwini kaZimu: “Yewungirabhelele kuSomnini uZimakho bese uyangithandazela bonyana isandla sami sibuyele esigeni.”
Yeke umuntu kaZimu warabhela kuSomnini, ngambala isandla sekosi sabuyela esigeni.
7UJerobhowamu wathi emuntwini kaZimu: “Namba siye ekhaya ukuze ufunyane okugonywako, ngizakukhunga ngesipho.”
8Kodwana umuntu kaZimu waphendula ikosi wathi: “Ngitjho nanyana bewungangipha isiquntu salokho onakho kwakho, bengingeze ngakhamba nawe, namkha ngigome isikwa nanyana ngisele amanzi endaweni le. 9Ngombana ngilaywe lilizwi lakaSomnini lathi, ‘Ungagomi isikwa namkha usele amanzi walapho begodu ungabuyeli emva ngendlela oze ngayo.’ ”
10Nje-ke wathatha enye indlela, azange asakhamba ngendlela eze ngayo eBhethe-Eli.
Umphorofidi omdala weBhethe-Eli
11Gade kunomphorofidi othileko omdala ahlala eBhethe-Eli. Amadodanakhe ambikela ngalokho okwenziwe mumuntu kaZimu mhlokho. Bamtjela nokuthi umuntu kaZimu loyo utheni ekosini. 12Uyise wawabuza wathi: “Uthethe yiphi indlela nakhambako?”
Amadodanakhe amkhombisa indlela eyathathwa mumuntu kaZimu ovela kwaJuda. 13Wathi-ke emadodanenakhe: “Ngibophelani udumbana.”
Kuthe nabaqeda ukubophela udumbana, wakhwelela wakhamba, 14walandela umuntu kaZimu. Wamfumana ahlezi ngaphasi komuthi we-owuku, wambuza wathi: “Umumuntu kaZimu ovela kwaJuda na?”
Umuntu loyo wathi: “Iye, nginguye.”
15Yeke umphorofidi omdala wathi kuye: “Namba siye ekhaya uyokugoma.”
16Umuntu kaZimu wathi: “Awa, angeze ngiphenduke nawe namkha ngigome isikwa namkha ngisele amanzi nawe endaweni le. 17Ngombana uSomnini ungidose ngendlebe wathi, ‘Ungalingi ugome isikwa namkha usele amanzi walapho, godu ungabuyi ngendlela oze ngayo.’ ”
18Umphorofidi omdala wathi: “Nami ngimphorofidi njengawe. Ingilozi ithe kimi ngelizwi lakaSomnini, ‘Mbuyise eze kwakho ukuze agome isikwa abe asele namanzi.’ ” Kodwana bekamrhwala.
19Yeke umuntu kaZimu waphenduka nomphorofidi loya waya endlinakhe wafike wagoma isikwa bewasela namanzi. 20Kuthe basahlezi etafulenapho, ilizwi lakaSomnini lafika kumphorofidi omdala ojikise umuntu kaZimu. 21Warhuwelela umuntu kaZimu obuya kwaJuda loya wathi: “Nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini, ‘Ngombana ungazange ulalele ilizwi lakaSomnini bewangaphetha umyalo kaSomnini uZimakho akuyale ngawo, 22ujikile wagoma isikwa bewasela namanzi endaweni lapha uZimu athe ungagomi bewusele khona, nje-ke isidumbu sakho angeze sangcwatjwa emazindleni waboyihlomkhulu.’ ”
23Kuthe bona umuntu kaZimu aqede ukugoma nokusela, umphorofidi omjikisileko loya wambophela udumbana. 24Kwathi asakhamba endleleni abuyela emuva, wasahlelwa libhubezi lambulala. Isidumbu sakhe sasimadlheke endleleni siphahlwe libhubezi nodumbana. 25Ngambala abantu abadlula lapho babona isidumbu sirabhalele phasi senganyelwe libhubezi. Bakhamba bayokubika edorobheni lapha kuhlala khona umphorofidi omdala.
26Kuthe lokha umphorofidi omjikisileko nezwa indaba le, wathi: “Mumuntu kaZimu ongazange alalele umyalo kaSomnini. USomnini umnikelele ngebhubezi elifike lamdabudabula belambulala njengombana ilizwi lakaSomnini belikhulumile ngaye.”
27Umphorofidi wathi emadodanenakhe: “Ngibophelani udumbana.” Ngambala benza njalo.
28Waya lapho wafunyana isidumbu sirabhalele endleleni, siphahlwe ngudumbana nebhubezi. Ibhubezi azange lidle isidumbu namkha lisahlele udumbana. 29Umphorofidi wathatha isidumbu somuntu kaZimu, wasilayitjha kudumbana, weza naso edorobheni lekhabo bona azosililela abe asibulunge. 30Wabulunga isidumbu ezindleni lakhe, basililela bathi: “Maye, umfowethu!”
31Ngemva kobana sele asibulungile wathi emadodanenakhe: “Nangihlongakalako, ningibulunge lapha kubulungwe khona umuntu kaZimu lo, nilinganise amathambami newakhe. 32Ngombana umlayezo awukhulume ngokuthunywa lilizwi lakaSomnini ngokujamelana namathempedlana asemibundwini emadorobheni weSamariya, nakanjani uzokuphetheka.”
33Ngitjho nangemva kwesigemegemesi, uJerobhowamu azange alise iindlela zakhe ezimbi. Kunalokho wabeka abaphristi beendunduma abakhetha kiyo yoke imihlobo yabantu. Nanyana ngubani ogade afuna ukuba mphristi, gade amhlukanisela ubuphristi beendundumobo. 34Lokhu sisono sendlu kaJerobhowamu esabangela ukubhujiswa nokurhayilwa kwayo ephasini.
