1 UMakhabhizi 6

₁Inkosi u-Antiyokhusi ehamba edabula ezifundeni ezingenhla wezwa ukuthi i-Elimayisi ePheresiya lingumuzi odume ngengcebo yawo yesiliva negolide ₂nokuthi ithempeli lawo linengcebo enkulu, nezihlangu zegolide, nezivikelo zesifuba, nezikhali ezashiywa lapho ngu-Aleksandriyu indodana kaFiliphu, inkosi yaseMakhedoniya owaqala ukubusa phezu kwamaGriki. ₃Weza wawuhlasela ezama ukuwudla umuzi nokubutha impango kuwo, kodwa akakwazanga ngokuba icebo lakhe lase laziwa yizakhamuzi, ₄ngakho-ke bamelana naye empini, eyakhe yagqibuka yabaleka yabuyela eBhabhiloni inokudumala okukhulu. ₅Kwase kufika kuye othile ePheresiya wabika ukuthi izimpi ebezihlasele ezweni lakwaJuda zehluliwe. ₆ULusiyase owayehambe kuqala nempi enamandla kakhulu, nguye owavathela kuqala phambi kwempi namaJuda. eyabaJuda yathola amandla amakhulu lapho seyifumene izikhali nezinye izidingo futhi seyithathe nempango eningi yalokho okwakusale ngenkathi eyababebhekene nabo ibaleka.

₇Bafika nokuthi bayidilizile incithakalo u-Antiyokhusi ayeyakhe e-althare eJerusalema; futhi bayizungezile indawo engcwele ngothango olude njengoba kwakunjalo ngaphambili, kanye neBethi-zuri umuzi wakhe. ₈Lapho iNkosi iyizwa le ndaba, yamangala futhi yethuka kakhulu. Yalala embhedeni yagula kakhulu ngenxa yokudumala, ngokuba izinto zazingayihambelanga kahle njengoba yayihlelile. ₉Yalala lapho izinsuku eziningi, ngokuba ukudumala okukhulu kwakuphezu kwayo njalo njalo, futhi yakhanyelwa ngukuthi iyafa.

₁₀Ngakho-ke yabiza bonke abangani bayo yathi kubo: “Ubuthongo busukile emehlweni ami futhi inhliziyo yami ikhathazekile, iphansi. ₁₁Ngithe enhliziyweni yami: Ngifike kanjani kulokhu kukhathazeka na? Ngiphonseke kanjani kulesi sikhukhula na? ngokuba bengimnene futhi ngithandeka emandleni ami. ₁₂Kepha manje sengiyabukhumbula ububi engabenza eJerusalema. Ngathatha zonke izitsha zesiliva negolide, futhi ngathumela ukuba kuyobhujiswa izakhamuzi zakwaJuda ngaphandle kwesizathu esizwakalayo. ₁₃Ngiyazi ukuthi kungenxa yalokhu ngehlelwa ngamashwa nje; nakhu lapha ngikhona, ngibhubha ekudumaleni nasezweni labezizwe.”

₁₄Wayesebiza uFiliphu, omunye wabangani bakhe, wamenza umbusi phezu kwawo wonke umbuso wakhe. ₁₅Wamnikeza umqhele wobukhosi, nengubo yakhe kanye nendandatho yokusicilela, ukuze akwazi ukuqondisa indodana yakhe u-Antiyokhusi amkhulise aze ambeke inkosi. ₁₆Ngakho-ke u-Antiyokhusi wafela lapho, ngonyaka we-149. ₁₇Lapho uLusiyase ezwa ukuthi inkosi ikhotheme, wabeka u-Antiyokhusi indodana yenkosi ukuba ibuse. ULusiyase wayemkhulisile kwasebufaneni bakhe; wamqamba igama lokuthi ngu-Ewuphathori.

₁₈Ngaleyo nkathi amabutho ayesenqabeni aya ngokuya emzungeza u-Israyeli nxazonke ngase-althare. Babezama ngayo yonke indlela ukubalimaza nokuqinisa abezizwe. ₁₉Ngakho uJudase wanquma ukubabhubhisa, futhi wahlanganisa bonke abantu ukuze babahlasele. ₂₀Bahlangana ndawonye bayihlasela inqaba ngonyaka wekhulu namashumi amahlanu, futhi wakha imibhoshongo yokuhlasela nezinye izinto zokulwa. ₂₁Amanye amabutho aphunyuka kulokhu kuhlaselwa, kwase kuthi abanye abangalungile baba-Israyeli bazihlanganisa nawo.

₂₂Baya enkosini bathi: “Kuyoba nini wehluleka ukwenza ubulungisa usiphindiselele ngenxa yezihlobo zethu na? ₂₃Kwakusithokozisa ukuba zikhonzi zikayihlo, siphile ngalokho ayesiyalele ukuba sikwenze, nokulalela imiyalo yakhe. ₂₄Ngalesi sizathu amadodana abantu bethu ahlasela inqaba aba nesihluku kithi; futhi naphezu kwakho konke lokhu babulala iningi lethu abakwazi ukulibamba, baphanga nengcebo yethu. ₂₅Akuthina sodwa abasiphakamisele isandla, kodwa bahlasele bonke abasemingceleni yabo. ₂₆Ngakho-ke bheka namuhla bakanise ukuba bahlasele inqaba eseJerusalema ukuba bayidle; bayiqinisile indawo engcwele kanye naseBethi-zuri; ₂₇uma ungabavimbi ngokushesha, bayakwenza okukhulu kunalokhu, futhi awunakukhona ukubavimbela.”

₂₈Inkosi yavutha bhe ulaka lapho izwa lokhu. Yaqoqa bonke abangani bayo, abakhuzi bempi yayo kanye nalabo ababephathiswe amandla. ₂₉Amabutho angabashokobezi afika kuyo evela kweminye imibuso, naseziqhingini zolwandle. ₃₀Inani lamabutho ahamba ngezinyawo laliyikhulu lezinkulungwane, kube ngabagibele amahhashi abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili, nezindlovu ezingamashumi amathathu nambili eziyijwayele impi. ₃₁Badabula elase-Idumiya baze bakanisa eBethi-zuri, izinsuku eziningi balwa futhi bakha amacebo empi; kodwa abajuda abuthana aphuma akuthungela konke lokhu ngomlilo, alwa ngesikhulu isibindi.

₃₂UJudase wase ephuma enqabeni waya wakanekisa eBethi-zakariya, ebhekene nekamu lenkosi. ₃₃Kusempondo zamnenke inkosi yaphuma yathatha impi yayo yayiphoqa ukuba bahambe ngomgwaqo oya eBethi Zakariya, futhi amabutho ayo alungela ukulwa, ayesebetha imitshingo yawo. ₃₄Banikeza izindlovu isiphuzo somvini kanye nesamabheri, ukuzinikeza umdlandla wempi. ₃₅Bazihlela kahle izindlovu phakathi kwamabutho; bahlela amabutho ayinkulungwane nendlovu eyodwa, ihlome iphelele, ifakwe isigqoko sethusi ekhanda layo; kanti amabutho angama-50 agibele amahhashi ahanjiswa nendlovu eyodwa. ₃₆Bonke laba bama ngomumo ngaphambi kwezindlovu; naphi lapho yayiya khona babehamba nayo futhi abasukanga eduze kwayo. ₃₇Phezu kwezindlovu kwakumiswe imibhoshongo yokwakhiwe ngokhuni, kuqinile futhi kwemboziwe kuboshelwe kuleso naleso silwane; kuthi kuzo lezi zinto kube khona amadoda amane ahlomile ayelwa ekhona lapho phezulu, kanye noMndiya owayeyiqondisa.

₃₈Enye ingxenye yempi yakanekisa ngakolunye uhlangothi, ngasezimpondweni ezimbili zempi, ukuze yesabise impi ibe yona ivikelwe ngamabutho. ₃₉Lapho ilanga liphuma lihlaba ezihlangwini zegolide nezomthofi, izintaba zacwazimula kwangathi zivutha umlilo. ₄₀Ngalesi sikhathi enye ingxenye yempi yenkosi yayigcwele ezintabeni ezinde, amanye amabutho esemathafeni, onke ahlasela eza kancane futhi ehlelekile. ₄₁Bonke abezwa umsindo owawenziwa yilezi nkumbi zamabutho ezaziviva kukhala nomsindo wezikhali zawo, bangenwa litwetwe, ngokuba lempi yayinkulu kakhulu futhi inamandla amakhulu. ₄₂UJudase nempi yakhe nabo banikela khona empini, kwasala enkundleni amakhulu ayisithupha amabutho enkosi.

₄₃U-Eliyezare owayebizwa ngokuthi ngu-Avarani, wabona ukuthi enye yezindlovu yayivunuliswe ngezikhali zasebukhosini. Yayiyinde kunazo zonke ezinye, wacabanga ukuthi inkosi yayigibele kuyo. ₄₄Ngakho-ke wanikela ngempilo yakhe ukusindisa abantu bakubo nokuba azizuzele ukukhunjulwa kwegama lakhe ingunaphakade. ₄₅Wagijima ngesibindi wangena phakathi kwamabutho ukuyofinyelela kuyo; wabulala amadoda awa ngakwesokunene nesokhohlo sakhe, baze bavula indlela nxazombili. ₄₆Wafinyelela ngaphansi kwayo indlovu, wayigwaza ngaphansi, wayibulala kodwa lapho iwela emhlabathini, yawela phezu kwakhe wafa.

₄₇Lapho abajuda ebona amandla obukhosi nesihluku ahlasela ngaso amabutho, agqibuka abaleka. ₄₈Amabutho enkosi akhuphukela eJerusalema ukulihlasela, akanisa eJudiya entabeni yaseZiyoni. ₄₉Wenza ukuthula nabantu baseBethi Zuri, baphuma bawushiya umuzi ngokuba babengenakudla ukuba bangabhekana nokuhlaselwa, ngokuba kwakungunyaka wesabatha ezweni labo. ₅₀Ngakho-ke inkosi yawudla umuzi waseBethi-zuri yase ikanisa ibutho khona ukuba liwulinde. ₅₁Yaphinde yakanisa ngaphambi kwendawo engcwele izinsuku eziningi. Yamisa imibhoshongo yokuhlasela kanye nezinjini zempi ukuphonsa umlilo kanye namatshe, imishini yokuciba imicibisholo kanye nemishini esazindwayimane yokujikijela amatshe amakhulu. ₅₂Abajuda nawo enza izinjini ezifanayo nezempi yenkosi, alwa nayo izinsuku eziningi. ₅₃Kepha ayengenakho ukudla okugciniwe, ngokuba kwakungunyaka wesikhombisa; labo ababekhosele kwaJuda bevela kwezinye izizwe babeshaye baqothula nokusele. ₅₄Kwakusele amadoda ambalwa nje endaweni engcwele; iningi lalihlakazekile laya emizini yalo, ngokuba indlala yayiyimbi kakhulu kubo.

₅₅ULusiyase wase ezwa ukuthi uFiliphu, owayeqokwe yinkosi u-Antiyokhusi isaphila ukuba akhulise indodana yayo ize ibe yinkosi, ₅₆ubuyile ePheresiya naseMediya namabutho ayehambe nenkosi, nokuthi wayezama ukuhlwitha izintambo zikahulumeni. ₅₇Wanikeza isiyalo sokuba ihoxe ngokushesha impi, wase ethi enkosini, nakubakhuzi bempi kanye namabutho: “Usuku nosuku ayancipha amandla ethu, kanti nokudla kuyaphela, umuzi esibhekene nawo unamandla, kanti nezindaba zombuso wethu zidinga ukusukunyelwa ngokushesha. ₅₈Ngakho-ke manje asixoxe nalaba bantu, senze ukuthula nabo kanye nezizwe zonke zabo. ₅₉Masivumelane ukuba sibayeke baphile ngokwemithetho yabo njengoba bebenza phambilini; ngokuba kwakungenxa yomthetho wabo esawuqedayo, okwenza bathathe izikhali benza konke abakwenzileyo.”

₆₀Le nkulumo yayithokozisa inkosi kanye nabakhuzi bempi, yase ithumela kubaJuda isithunywa sokuthula, abasemukelayo nabo. ₆₁Ngakho-ke inkosi kanye nabakhuzi bempi benza isifungo kubo. Ngenxa yalezi zizathu abajuda aphuma enqabeni yawo. ₆₂Kodwa lapho inkosi isingene entabeni yaseZiyoni isibona ukuthi yayiyinqaba eqine kangakanani, yasephula isifungo sayo eyayisifungile yayala ukuba kudilizwe ubonda olwaluwuzungezile. ₆₃Yase isuka ngokushesha yabuyela e-Antiyokhi. Yamfumana uFiliphu ewuphethe umuzi, kodwa yalwa naye yawunqoba umuzi.