1 YOOKUMKANI 22

₁Kwaba yiminyaka emithathu iluxolo phakathi kwamaSirayeli nama-Aram. ₂Kambe ke kulo nyaka wesithathu uYoshafati ukumkani wakwaJuda wehla waya kubonana nokumkani wakwaSirayeli. ₃Ukumkani wakwaSirayeli wayethethe namaphakathi akhe wathi: “Niyaqonda na ukuba iRamoti yaseGiliyadi ngumhlaba wethu, ibe ke asenzi nto ukuzabalazela ukuyithatha kukumkani wama-Aram?”

₄Ngoko ke wathi kuYoshafati: “Uya kuhamba nam na, silwe neRamoti yaseGiliyadi?”

UYoshafati wathi kukumkani wakwaSirayeli: “Mna nawe sibanye; abantu bam ngabantu bakho, namahashe am ngamahashe akho.” ₅Kodwa ke uYoshafati waleka ngelithi kukumkani wakwaSirayeli: “Khawuqale ubuzise *kuNdikhoyo.”

₆Ngoko ke ukumkani wakwaSirayeli wabaqokelela abashumayeli bekwisithuba samakhulu amane, wathi: “Ndingaya kulwa na neRamoti yaseGiliyadi, okanye ndirhoxe?”

Bathi: “Yiya; uNdikhoyo uza kuyinikela esandleni sikakumkani.”

₇Kambe ke uYoshafati wathi: “Akusekho mshumayeli kaNdikhoyo na apha esinokubuza kuye?”

₈Ukumkani wakwaSirayeli wathi kuYoshafati: “Kusekho indoda enye esingabuzisa ngayo kuNdikhoyo, kodwa ke mna ndiyithiyile, kuba ayishumayeli okuhle ngokubhekisele kum, soloko ibububi bodwa. Igama layo nguMika, unyana kaImla.”

UYoshafati wathi: “Hayi bo, ukumkani makangathethi njalo.”

₉Ngoko ke ukumkani wakwaSirayeli wabiza elinye lamaphakathi akhe, wathi kulo: “Khawuleza uze noMika, unyana kaImla.”

₁₀Ke kaloku ukumkani wakwaSirayeli noYoshafati ukumkani wakwaJuda babevethe ezobukhosi, bengqendeve ezihlalweni zabo esandeni sokubhula esikufuphi nesango laseSamariya, belapho phambi kwâbo bashumayeli. ₁₁Ke uZedekiya, unyana kaKenana, wayenze iimpondo ngentsimbi, waza ke wathi: “Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: ‘Ngezi mpondo ùya kuwahlaba uwatshabalalise ama-Aram.’ ” ₁₂Nabanye ke abashumayeli bashumayela kwaloo nto, besithi: “Phakathi! Yihlasele iRamoti yaseGiliyadi. Uza kuyoyisa, kuba uNdikhoyo uyinikele esandleni sikakumkani.”

₁₃Ke isigidimi esasiphuthume uMika sathi kuye: “Uyabona ke, abanye abashumayeli batsho ngazwi-nye kukumkani ukuthi uza kuphumelela. Nawe ke uze ungaphikisani nabo, koko uthethe okuhle.”

₁₄UMika ke yena wathi: “Ekho nje uNdikhoyo, ndiza kuthetha kuphela loo nto andixelela yona uNdikhoyo!”

₁₅Akuba efikile ke, ukumkani wathi kuye: “Mika, singaya kulwa na neRamoti yaseGiliyadi, okanye ndirhoxe?”

UMika wathi: “Phakathi! Yihlasele; uya kuyoyisa, kuba uNdikhoyo uyinikele esandleni sikakumkani!”

₁₆Ukumkani wathi kuye: “Koda kube kangaphi ndikufungisa ndisithi musa ukundixelela nto yimbi ngaphandle kwenyaniso egameni likaNdikhoyo?”

₁₇UMika wathi: “Ewe, uSirayeli ndimbone ethe saa ezintabeni, engathi ziigusha ezingenamalusi; waza uNdikhoyo wathi: ‘Aba bantu abanankosi, ngoko ke elowo nalowo makagoduke ngoxolo.’ ”

₁₈Ukumkani wakwaSirayeli wathi kuYoshafati: “Bendingatshongo na kuwe ukuba lo mfo akaze ashumayele nto intle ngam, koko zezimbi zodwa!”

₁₉Ke uMika waqhuba wathi: “Ngoko ke liveni ilizwi likaNdikhoyo. UNdikhoyo ndimbone ehleli esihlalweni sakhe, ephahlwe ngumkhosi wonke wasezulwini, umi ngasekunene nangasekhohlo kwakhe. ₂₀Waza ke yena wathi: ‘Yaz' ukuba ngubani na oya kulukuhla uAhabhi aze ahlasele iRamoti yaseGiliyadi, khon' ukuze afele khona?’ Omnye uthethe ngolu hlobo, waza ke omnye wathetha ngoluya. ₂₁Ekugqibeleni ke kuvele moya uthile, wema phambi koNdikhoyo, wathi: ‘Ndiya kumlukuhla mna.’ ₂₂‘Uya kumlukuhla kanjani?’ ubuzile uNdikhoyo. Umoya lowo uthe: ‘Ndophuma ndiye ndibe ngumoya wobuxoki emlonyeni wabo bonke abashumayeli.’ Waza ke uNdikhoyo wathi: ‘Hamba ke, wenjenjalo; uya kuphumelela ekumlukuhleni.’ ₂₃Ke ngoku uNdikhoyo ufake umoya wobuxoki emilonyeni yabo bonke aba bashumayeli bakho. Ewe, uNdikhoyo ukumisele intlekele.”

₂₄Wasuka ke uZedekiya unyana kaKenana waya kuMika, wafika wamqhwaba ngempama, wathi: “Ugqithe phi na kum loo moya kaNdikhoyo ukuba aye kuthetha kuwe?”

₂₅UMika wathi: “Loo nto uya kuyiqonda mhla waya kuzimela kwigumbi elingaphakathi.”

₂₆Ukumkani wakwaSirayeli wathi: “Mthatheni uMika lo, nimse kuAmon usibonda wesixeko noYowashe unyana kakumkani, ₂₇nithi: ‘Utsho ukumkani ukuthi: Valelani lo mfo entolongweni, angatyi nto ngaphandle komxheshwana wesonka namanzi, ndide ndibuye ndiphilile.’ ”

₂₈Ke uMika wathi: “Ukuba ngaba ungabuya uphilile, woba uNdikhoyo engathethanga ngomlomo wam.” Waza ke wongezelela ngelithi: “Wagqaleni la mazwi xa ninonke, bantundini!”

₂₉Ngoko ke ukumkani wakwaSirayeli noYoshafati ukumkani wakwaJuda benyuka baya eRamoti yaseGiliyadi. ₃₀Ukumkani wakwaSirayeli wathetha noYoshafati, wathi: “Mna ndiza kungena kweli dabi ndinxibe ngendlela eya kundenza ndingaqondakali ukuba ndingukumkani, kodwa ke wena nxiba ezobukhosi.” Ke ukumkani wakwaSirayeli wazenza mntu wumbi, waza ke waya apho edabini.

₃₁Ke ukumkani wama-Aram waziyalela iingqwayi-ngqwayi zeenqwelo zakhe ezingamashumi amathathu anambini, wathi: “Ze ningalwi naye nawuphi na omnye umntu, nokuba ngomncinci, nokuba ngomkhulu, yilwani nokumkani wakwaSirayeli yedwa.”

₃₂Zithe ke iingwayi-ngwayi zeenqwelo zakubona uYoshafati, zacinga zathi: “Ngenene, nguye lo ukumkani wakwaSirayeli.” Ngoko ke zaphethuka zafunzela kuye, kodwa uYoshafati wasuka wakhala, ₃₃zaza iingqwayi-ngqwayi ezo zaqonda ukuba akunguye ukumkani wakwaSirayeli, zayeka ukumsukela.

₃₄Kambe ke joni lithile lasuka lajolisa nje ngokungakhathali ngotolo, suka lachana ukumkani wakwaSirayeli, utolo lwangena ekudibaneni kwezikhuselo awayezinxibile. Ukumkani wathetha nomqhubi wenqwelo yakhe, wathi: “Bandingxwelerhile; yijike inqwelo, siphume edabini.” ₃₅Idabi laqhuba ke yonke loo mini, waye ukumkani exhaswe enqwelweni yakhe, ejongise ngakuma-Aram. Igazi elalimpompoza kwelo nxeba lakhe lada lathi gwantyi phantsi apho enqwelweni, waza ke xa kuhlwayo wafa. ₃₆Kwathi xa lithi ndithenge, kwavakala umyalelo kwalapho emkhosini usithi: “Elowo emzini wakhe! Elowo ezweni lakhe!”

₃₇Waba ke ngaloo ndlela ukumkani wakwaSirayeli uyafa. Waza ke wasiwa eSamariya, wangcwatyelwa khona. ₃₈Loo nqwelo wayekuyo yahlanjwa kwichibi elithile apho eSamariya (kwelo chibi ke kwakuhlambela kulo amahenyukazi). Ke zona izinja zalixhapha elo gazi lakhe ngokwelizwi awayelithethile uNdikhoyo.

₃₉Ke ezinye zeziganeko zolawulo luka-Ahabhi nezenzo zakhe, nelo bhotwe walakhayo walihombisa ngamabamba eendlovu, kunye nezixeko awazinqabisayo, nâzo encwadini yeembali zookumkani bakwaSirayeli. ₄₀UAhabhi waya kuphumla kooyise, waza ke unyana wakhe uAhaziya waba ngukumkani esikhundleni sakhe.

₄₁Ke kaloku uYoshafati unyana ka-Asa waba ngukumkani kwaJuda kunyaka wesine uAhabhi engukumkani wakwaSirayeli. ₄₂Ukuqala kwakhe ukulawula wayeneminyaka emashumi mathathu nantlanu, waza ke walawula eJerusalem iminyaka emashumi mabini anantlanu. Unina yayinguAzubha intombi kaShili. ₄₃Ngako konke yena wahamba ekhondweni likayise uAsa, akanxaxha konke. Ewe, wayesenza okulungileyo emehlweni *kaNdikhoyo. Kambe ke zona iindawo eziphakamileyo zonqulo zange zitshitshiswe; abantu bawaqhubela phambili amadini ababewenza khona ndawonye neziqhumiso. ₄₄UYoshafati wayeseluxolweni nokumkani wakwaSirayeli.

₄₅Ezinye zeziganeko zolawulo lukaYoshafati, nempumelelo yakhe, neemfazwe awazilwayo, nâzo encwadini yeembali zookumkani bakwaJuda. ₄₆Into awayitshitshisayo elizweni lakhe zizibingelelo zamahenyu angamadoda, ezazisekho nasemva kolawulo lukayise uAsa. ₄₇Ke kaloku kwaEdom kwakungekho kumkani, koko kwakuphethe ibamba.

₄₈UYoshafati wakha iqela leenqanawa zokurhweba, ukuze ziye eOfire, zifune igolide. Kambe ke zange zide zihambe, kuba zazisuka zitshone e-Eziyon-gebhere. ₄₉Ngelo xesha ke uAhaziya unyana ka-Ahabhi wathetha noYoshafati, wathi: “Khawuvumele amadoda am ahambe ngeenqanawa kunye nala wakho.” Kodwa ke wala uYoshafati.

₅₀Ke uYoshafati waya kuphumla kooyise, waza wangcwatywa phakathi kwabo kwisixeko sikaDavide ukhokho wakhe. Esikhundleni sakhe kwangena unyana wakhe uYoram.

₅₁Ke kaloku uAhaziya unyana ka-Ahabhi waba ngukumkani wakwaSirayeli eSamariya kunyaka weshumi elinesixhenxe uYoshafati engukumkani wakwaJuda, waza ke walawula kwaSirayeli iminyaka emibini. ₅₂Wenza okubi emehlweni *kaNdikhoyo, kuba wasuka wahamba ekhondweni likayise nonina, nasezindleleni zikaJerobhowam unyana kaNebhati owalukuhlela uSirayeli esonweni. ₅₃Wakhonza uBhali, equbuda kuye, wawuxhokonxa umsindo kaNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli kwanjengokuba wenzayo noyise.