1Wayesethi u-Elisha: “Zwanini izwi likaSimakade; usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: ‘Kusasa ngalesi sikhathi, iseya lempuphu ecolekileyo liyakuthengiswa ngeshekeli, namaseya amabili ebhali, ngeshekeli, esangweni eSamariya.’ ”
2Induna yenkosi eyayiyisethenjwa yamphendula umuntu kaNkulunkulu, yathi: “Uma uSimakade enza amafasitela ezulwini, lokhu kungenzeka kanjani na?”
Wathi: “Uyakukubona ngamehlo akho, kodwa ungakudli.”
Abanochoko Baya Enkanjini Yabase-Aramu
3Kwakukhona esikhaleni sesango abantu abane abanochoko; bathi omunye komunye: “Sihlaleleni lapha sizoze sife na? 4Uma sithi: ‘Siyakungena emzini,’ kunendlala emzini, siyakufela khona; uma sihlala lapha, siyakufa futhi. Ngalokho masihambe siye enkanjini yabase-Aramu; uma besiyeka, siyakuphila; uma besibulala, siyakufa.”
5Basuka kuhwalala, baya enkanjini yabase-Aramu; sebefike emaphethelweni enkambu yabase-Aramu, bafica kungekho muntu lapho. 6INkosi yenza ukuba impi yabase-Aramu izwe umsindo wezinqola, umsindo wamahhashi, nomsindo wempi enkulu baze bakhuluma bodwa, bathi: “Uyabona, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli iqashe amakhosi amaHithi namakhosi aseGibhithe ukuba eze kithi.”
7Basuka babaleka kuhwalala, bashiya amathende abo, amahhashi abo, izimbongolo zabo, nenkambu injengalokhu injalo, babaleka ukuze basinde.
8Kwathi labo abanochoko sebefikile emaphethelweni enkambu, bangena kwelinye ithende, badla, baphuza, bathatha lapho isiliva, igolide, nezingubo, bayokufihla; babuya, bangena kwelinye ithende, bathatha nalapho, base beyokuthukusa.
9Base bethi omunye komunye: “Asenzi kahle. Lolu lusuku lwanamuhla wusuku lwezindaba ezinhle, kodwa sithule nje silinde ukuba kuze kube sekuseni, siyakuthola isijeziso ngalokho, masihambe, sitshele indlu yenkosi.”
10Bahamba, babiza abalindisango bomuzi, babatshela, bathi: “Sihambile saya enkanjini yabase-Aramu; bekukhala ibhungane, kungekho muntu, kungekho ngisho umsindo wodwa lo, kuphela amahhashi, nezimbongolo okuboshiweyo, namathende enjengalokhu enjalo.”
11Abalindisango bamemeza, babikela indlu yenkosi ngaphakathi.
12Inkosi yavuka ebusuku, yathi ezincekwini zayo: “Ake nginitshele ngalokhu ukuthi abase-Aramu basilungisele lugibe luni. Bayazi ukuthi silambile, ngakho-ke baphumile enkanjini ukuba bacashe, bethi: ‘Bazophuma emzini, sibabambe, bese singena kuwona umuzi.’ ”
13Enye yezinceku zayo yaphendula yathi: “Makuthathwe amahhashi ayisihlanu kwasele lapho; isimo sawo siyafana nesixuku sonke sabakwa-Israyeli esisele lapha, nanjengesixuku sonke sakwa-Israyeli esesiphelile; masithumele ukuze sibone.”
14Bathatha izinqola ezimbili namahhashi; inkosi yathumela emva kwempi yabase-Aramu, yathi: “Hambani niyohlola.”
15Bawalandela baze bayofika eJordani; bheka, yonke indlela yayigcwele izingubo nezimpahla ama-Aramu ayezilahlile lapho ebaleka. Izithunywa zabuya, zayitshela inkosi. 16Abantu baphuma, baphanga inkambu yabase-Aramu. Iseya lempuphu ecolekileyo lathengiswa ngeshekeli, namaseya amabili ebhali, ngeshekeli, njengokusho kukaSimakade.
17Inkosi yabeka esangweni induna eyisethenjwa sayo. Abantu bayinyathela esangweni, yafa njengokusho komuntu kaNkulunkulu owayekhulume ngesikhathi inkosi yehlile yeza kuye. 18Kwathi lapho umuntu kaNkulunkulu ekhuluma enkosini, wathi: “Kuyakuba ngamaseya amabili ebhali, ngeshekeli, neseya lempuphu ecolekileyo ngeshekeli, ngalesi sikhathi kusasa esangweni eSamariya.”
19Induna yamphendula umuntu kaNkulunkulu, yathi: “Uyabona, noma ngabe uSimakade ubengenza amafasitela ezulwini, le nto ingenzeka njengaleli lizwi na?”
Wathi: “Wena uyakukubona ngamehlo akho, kodwa awuyukukudla.”
20Kwenzeka kanjalo kuyo: abantu bayinyathela esangweni, yafa.
