1 UMakhabhizi 5

₁Abezizwe ababebazungezile nxazonke sebezwile ukuthi i-althare lakhiwe kabusha nendawo engcwele yabusiswa njengoba kwakunjalo ngaphambili, bathukuthela kakhulu ₂bazimisela ukubabhubhisa abolibo lukaJakobe ababehlala phakathi kwabo. Ngakho-ke baqala ukubabulala nokubabhubhisa phakathi kwabantu babo. ₃Kepha uJudase waphaka impi ehlasela abenzalo ka-Isawu ababehlala e-Akrabathene e-Idumiya, ngenxa yokuba babehlezi bebhacile bezimisele ukuvukela u-Israyeli. Wabenza isilo sengubo, wabathobisa kakhulu waze wathatha nempahla yabo njengempango. ₄Wakhumbula futhi nobubi bamadodana kaBhayeyani, ayelugibe nonoxhaka kubantu njengalokhu abulala abaningi babo ezindleleni. ₅Wabavalela emibhoshongweni yabo; futhi wamisa ngakhona wabhekana nabo, wafunga ukubabhubhisa ngokuphelele, washisa imibhoshongo yabo ngomlilo nabo bonke ababekuyo. ₆Wayesenqamula ukuyohlasela ama-Amori, lapho afumana khona ibutho elinamandla kanye nabantu abaningi, ababeholwa nguThimothewu. ₇Balwa izimpi eziningi nabo; behlulwa phambi kwakhe, wabulala abaningi babo. ₈Wathatha futhi neJazeri kanye nemizi yawo; wayesebuyela eJudiya.

₉Ngalesi sikhathi abezizwe baseGileyadi bahlangana ndawonye ukuba bamelane naba-Israyeli ababakhile ezweni labo, futhi baceba ukuba babaqothule nya. Kepha bona babalekela enqabeni yaseDethema ₁₀base bethumela kuJudase kanye nabafowabo incwadi eyayikhuluma kanje: “Abezizwe abasizungezile babuthene ndawonye ukuba basibhubhise. ₁₁Bayazilungisela ukuza badle inqaba esibhace kuyo futhi uThimothewu nguye ohola impi yabo. ₁₂Ngakho woza manje, uzosikhulula esandleni sabo, ngokuba baningi abakithi asebefile ₁₃futhi zonke izihlobo zethu ezazisezweni laseThobi zibulewe; isitha sithumbile nabafazi babo kanye nezingane nempahla, babhubhisa abantu ababalelwa enkulungwaneni.”

₁₄Isafundwa incwadi, ezinye izithunywa, zafika nombiko ofanayo zivela eGalile zigqoke izambatho ezidabukileyo, ₁₅zasho ukuthi abantu bakaPitholemi kanye nabase Thire naseSidoni nalo lonke iGalile labezizwe, bahlangene ndawonye ukuba bababhubhise. ₁₆Lapho uJudase nabantu beyizwa le mibiko, babiza imbizo enkulu ukuze baxoxe ngokuthi bazozenzelani izihlobo zabo ezazizebuhlungwini futhi zihlaselwa yizitha. ₁₇UJudase wathi kumfowabo uSimoni: “Khetha amadoda uhambe uyokophula abafowethu abaseGalile; uJonathani umfowethu kanye nami sizoya kwaGileyadi.”

₁₈Kepha wamshiya eJudiya uJosefa indodana kaZakhariya kanye no-Azariya, umholi wabantu, kanye namanye amabutho, ukuze balibheke ₁₉futhi wabayala kanje: “Holani laba bantu, kodwa ningalwi nabezizwe size sibuye.”

₂₀Ngakho-ke izi-3 000 zamadoda zanikezwa uSimoni ukuba ahambe nazo aye eGalile, kwathi izi-80 000 zahamba noJudase ukuya kwaGileyade. ₂₁Ngakho-ke uSimoni waya eGalile walwa izimpi eziningi nabezizwe, wabashaya wabacoboshisa phambi kwakhe. ₂₂Wabagadulisa kwaze kwaba semasangweni asePitholemayidosi; kwawa inani elingaba yizi-3 000 labezizwe, futhi wathatha impango. ₂₃Wayesethatha abaJuda aseGalile nase-Arabatha, kanye nomkawo nezingane zawo, nakho konke okuyimpahla yawo, wawahola waya nawo eJudiya ngokuthokoza okukhulu.

₂₄UJudase Makhabhizi kanye nomfowabo uJonathani bawela iJolidani bahamba uhambo lwezinsuku ezintathu ehlane. ₂₅Bahlangabezana nama Nabatheyani, ahlangana nabo ngokuthula abatshela konke okwenzekileyo ezihlotsheni zabo ezazikwaGileyadi. ₂₆“Iningi labo livaleleke eBhozira naseBhosori, e-Alema kanye naseKhasipho, eMakedi kanye nase Kharinayimi, okuyimizi emikhulu neqinile, ₂₇abanye babo bavaleleke kweminye yemizi yakwaGileyadi; isitha manje sesilungela ukuhlasela izinqaba kusasa, ukudla imizi nokubhubhisa bonke laba bantu ngalusuku lunye.”

₂₈UJudase nempi yakhe baphenduka masinyane ngendlela yasehlane babuyela eBhozira; badla umuzi, babulala bonke abesilisa ngenkemba; wayesebutha yonke impango yawo wayibabela ngomlilo. ₂₉Wawushiya umuzi ebusuku, bahamba yonke indlela bebabele enqabeni yaseDathema. ₃₀Entathakusa babheka babona isixuku esikhulu, esasingenakubalwa, sithwele amaladi kanye nezinjini zempi beya ukudla inqaba, futhi beyohlasela abajuda ayengaphakathi kuwo. ₃₁UJudase wabona ukuthi impi yase iqalile nokuthi ukukhala komuzi kwenyukela ezulwini, beshaya imiqangala futhi bekhamuluka kakhulu, ₃₂wathi emabuthweni akhe: “Yilwani namhlanje nilwele izihlobo zenu!”

₃₃Wayesephuma wabaqhamukela ngemuva ehamba namathimba amathathu, ashaya amacilongo awo futhi akhala ekhuleka. ₃₄Lapho impi kaThimothewu ibona ukuthi kwabe kunguMakhabhizi, yagqibuka yabaleka ebusweni bakhe, wabashaya kwawa abaningi. Kwafa abalinganiselwa ezi-80 ngalolo lusuku. ₃₅Okulandelayo, wajikela ngase-Alema, wabhekana nalo walinqoba; wabulala bonke abesilisa kulo, wabutha impango wase elithungela ngomlilo. ₃₆Wasuka lapho walibangisa futhi wadla iKhasifo, iMakedi kanye neBhosori neminye imizi yakwaGileyadi. ₃₇Ngemuva kwalezi zinto, uThimothewu waphaka enye impi wakanekisa maqondana neRafoni, ngalena komfula.

₃₈UJudase wathumela amadoda ukuba ayohlola inkambu, abuya abika kuye: “Bonke abezizwe abasizungezile bahlangene naye; yimpi enkulu exaka ukwenza. ₃₉Baqashe nama-Arabhu ukuba azobasiza, futhi bakanekise ngaphesheya komfula, balungele ukulwa nawe.”

UJudase wahamba ukuyobonana nabo. ₄₀Ngenkathi uJudase nempi yakhe besondela emfuleni, uThimothewu wathi kubakhuzi bempi yakhe: “Uma ewele wafinyelela kithi kuqala asinakumehlula, kodwa uyakusahlula nokusahlula. ₄₁Kepha uma ekhombisa ukwesaba, ekanekisa ngaphesheya komfula, siyakuwela siye kuye simahlule.”

₄₂Lapho uJudase efika ngasemfuleni wamisa izikhulu zempi yakhe emfuleni wazinika lo myalo: “Ningavumeli namunye ukuba aphumule kodwa bonke mabayibambe impi.”

₄₃Wayesewela kuqala eya kubo, kwathi impi yonke yakhe yamlandela. Bonke abezizwe behlulwa, balahla izikhali zabo babalekela endaweni engcwele yaseKhanayimi. ₄₄Kepha yena wadla umuzi wase eshisa izindawo ezingcwele ngomlilo, kanye nakho konke okwakukuzo. Lanqotshwa kanjalo iKhanayimi; babengeke bamelana noJudase isikhathi eside. ₄₅UJudase wayesebutha wonke ama-Israyeli ayekwaGileyadi, abancane nabakhulu, kanye namakhosikazi nabantwana nempahla yabo, kwaba yiviyo elikhulukazi, ukuba bahambe nalo baye ezweni lakwaJuda. ₄₆Base befika e-Efroni. Lona kwakungumuzi omkhulu futhi onamandla osendleleni, futhi ababengenakuwuceza; babephoqekile ukuba badabule kulo. ₄₇Kepha abantu balo muzi babavalela ngaphandle, bavimba amasango nangamatshe. ₄₈UJudase wayesethumela lo myalezo wobungani: “Sivumeleni sidabule ezweni lenu ukuze sifinyelele kwelakithi. Ngeke nalinyazwa muntu; siyakwedlula nje sizihambela ngezinyawo.”

Kepha benqaba ukumvulela. ₄₉Ngakho-ke uJudase wayala ukuba kwenziwe isimemezelo kuyo yonke impi sokuthi bonke mabakanekise lapho bekhona. ₅₀Ngakho-ke amadoda empi akanekisa, walwa nalowo muzi usuku lonke nobusuku balo, umuzi wanikelwa esandleni sakhe. ₅₁Wabulala bonke abesilisa ngenkemba waphanga impango wawucekela phansi wonke umuzi. Wayesedlula emuzini edabula phakathi kwezidumbu eziningi. ₅₂Base beliwela iJolidani bafinyelela ethafeni ngaphambi kweBhethi-shani.

₅₃UJudase waqhubeka egqugquzela amavila nabantu bonke indlela yonke baze bayofika ezweni lakwaJuda. ₅₄Base bekhuphukela entabeni yaseZiyoni bejabula bethokoza, banikela iminikelo yokushiswa, ngokuba babebuye bephephile; kungekho noyedwa osale empini. ₅₅Lapho uJudase kanye noJonathani bekwaGileyadi, noSimoni umfowabo eseGalile nganeno kwePitholemayidosi, ₅₆uJosefa indodana kaZekhariya, kanye no-Azariya umkhuzi wamabutho, bezwa ngezenzo zabo zobuqhawe nangendlela abalwa ngayo izimpi. ₅₇Base bethi: “Masizenzele nathi igama; masiphume silwe nabezizwe abasizungezileyo.”

₅₈Ngakho-ke bakhipha isiyalelo kuwo onke amabutho ayekanye nabo baphuma bayohlasela elaseJaminiya. ₅₉UGogiyase namabutho akhe baphuma ukubhekana nabo empini. ₆₀UJosefa no-Azariya behlulwa kanzima, futhi baxoshwa kwaze kwaba semingceleni yaseJudiya; kwasala enkundleni ngalolo lusuku abantu bakwa-Israyeli abalinganiselwa ezinkulungwaneni ezimbili. ₆₁Ngakho-ke behlulwa kanzima ngoba befuna ukuzenzela igama, abamlalelanga uJudase nabafowabo. ₆₂Bona babengesibo abomndeni okwalethwa ngawo ukukhululwa ku-Israyeli. ₆₃UJudase nabafowabo bahlonishwa kakhulu kulo lonke elakwa-Israyeli naphakathi kwabezizwe, nakuphi lapho laliphathwa khona igama labo. ₆₄Abantu babuthanela kubo babatusa kakhulu.

₆₅Emveni kwalokho uJudase nabafowabo baphumela ukulwa nenzalo ka-Esawu ezweni laseningizimu. Baliqumba phansi iHebroni kanye nemizi eyakhelene nalo, badiliza izinqaba zalo bashisa imibhoshongo yalo nxazonke. ₆₆Base beqhubekela ezweni lamaFilistiya, badabula eMarisa. ₆₇Ngalolo lusuku abanye babaphristi, ababefisa ukwenza izenzo zobuqhawe, bawa empini, ngokuba baya empini bengelulekekanga kahle. ₆₈Kepha uJudase waphambukela e-Azotusi ezweni lamaFilistiya; wabhidliza ama-Althare, kanye nezithombe ezibaziweyo zonkulunkulu babo futhi wazishisa ngomlilo; wabutha impango emizini wase ebuyela ezweni lakwaJuda.