2 UMakhabhizi 3

₁Ngenkathi umuzi ongcwele uhlezi unokuthula okuphelele, nemithetho igcinwa ngokucophelela ngenxa yokukholwa komphristi omkhulu u-Oniyase owayebuzonda ububi, ₂namakhosi uqobo ayihlonipha le ndawo aliphakamisa alidumisa ithempeli ngezipho ezinhle, ₃ngangokuba inkosi uSelewukhusi yase-Asiya wakhokha zonke izindleko ezaziphathelene nenkonzo yemihlatshelo kwesakhe isikhwama. ₄Kepha indoda eyayibizwa ngokuthi nguSimoni, yesizwe sakwaBhenjamini, eyayenziwe umqaphi omkhulu wethempeli, yaba nokungavumelani nomphristi omkhulu ngendlela okwakuphethwe ngayo ezokudayisa emzini. ₅Ngenxa yokuba wayengenamandla okumguqula u-Oniyase, wahamba waya ku-Apoloniyase waseTasu, ngaleso sikhathi owayengumbusi wase Kholesiriya naseFonesiya. ₆Wabika kuye ukuthi isikhwama semali eJerusalema sigcwele imali engenakulinganiswa, ngangokuba akekho owaziyo ukuthi ingakanani, nokuthi yonke le mali akuyona eyesikhwama semihlatshelo, nokuthi kunokwenzeka ukuba le mali ibuye ngaphansi kwesandla senkosi.

₇Lapho u-Apoloniyase ebonana nenkosi, wayibikela ngemali ayetshelwe ngayo. Inkosi yakhetha uHeliyodorusi, owayephethe izindaba zayo, yamthumela nebutho ukuba ayolanda le ngcebo abaziswe ngayo. ₈UHeliyodorusi wanikela khona ngokushesha, ikakhulukazi ukuba ahambe ayohlola imizi yaseKholesiriya naseFonesiya nokuba ayofeza okwakuyinhloso yenkosi. ₉Lapho esefikile eJerusalema futhi esemukelwe ngomusa ngumphristi omkhulu womuzi, wabalandisa ngalokhu ababekutsheliwe, wachaza nokuthi kungani ezile, wabuzisisa ukuthi ngabe kunjalo yini. ₁₀Umphristi omkhulu wamlandisa ukuthi kukhona imali egciniwe engeyabafelokazi kanye nezintandane, ₁₁nokuthi enye imali ingekaHirikanusi indodana kaThobiyase, indoda eyayinesikhundla esiphakemeyo, nokuthi isiyonke ingamathelente esiliva angamakhulu amane kanye nawegolide angamakhulu amabili. Ngaleyo ndlela uSimoni ongalungile wayeqambe amanga. ₁₂Washo nokuthi kuyoba yinto embi kakhulu uma kwenziwa okubi kulabo bantu abethembele ebungcweleni bale ndawo nasekuhloniphekeni okungenakuphazanyiswa kwethempeli emhlabeni wonke.

₁₃Kepha uHeliyodorusi, ngenxa yesiyalo senkosi, wathi imelwe yona leyo mali ithathwe iye esikhwameni senkosi. ₁₄Ngakho-ke wamisa usuku wabe eseyongena ethempelini ukuba ayohlola le mali. Kwakukhona ukukhathazeka okukhulu emuzini wonke. ₁₅Abaphristi balala phambi kwe-althare ngezisu bazendlala bembethe izembatho zabo bakhuleka bebhekise ezulwini kuye owanikeza umthetho ngokubekwa kwale mali, bemncenga ukuba ayigcine ingathathwa imali yalabo abayibekile. ₁₆Ukubona umphristi omkhulu ekulesiya simo, kwakungukuzilimaza enhliziyweni, ngokuba ubuso bakhe kanye nokushintsha kwebala lakhe kwakubonakalisa ukukhathazeka okukhulu okwakusemphefumulweni wakhe. ₁₇Ngokuba ukwesaba nokuqhaqhazela komzimba kwakwehlele phezu kwakhe, okwakubonakalisa kulabo abambukayo ubuhlungu obabusenhliziyweni yakhe. ₁₈Abantu nabo baphuma ngokushesha nangobuningi babo emizini yabo ukuba bayozwakalisa ukunxusa kwabo ngokuba kwase kusondele ukuba indawo engcwele ingcoliswe, ithunazwe. ₁₉Abesifazane bezibophe ngamasaka phansi kwamabele, batheleka emigwaqweni. Abanye besifazane abasebasha ababevalelwe ezindlini bagijima bayokuma emasangweni, abanye ogangeni lomuzi, abanye babelunguza ngamafasitela. ₂₀Bephakamisele izandla zabo ezulwini, benyusa ukunxusa kwabo. ₂₁Kwakukhona okudabukisayo ekulaleni ngezisu kwabantu bonke nasekukhathazekeni komphristi omkhulu owayesebuhlungwini obukhulu.

₂₂Lapho besayibiza iNkosi uSomandla beyincenga ukuba ikugcine okubekwe ngokuphepha yilabo abakubekile, ₂₃uHeliyodorusi waqhubeka nalokho ayesekunqumile. ₂₄Kepha lapho efika endlini yengcebo kanye nabaqaphi bakhe, khona lapho ongaPhezu kwemimoya kanye namagunya onke, wazibonakalisa ngale ndlela yokuthi bonke ababenesibindi sokumphelezela, bamangaliswa ngamandla kaNkulunkulu, bafana nabaqulekile ngenxa yokwesaba.

₂₅Kwabonakala kubo ihhashi elalihlotshiswe kahle kakhulu, nogibele kulo owayenesithunzi esesabekayo; leza ngokushesha kuHeliyodorusi lafike lamshaya ngemilenze yangaphambili. Owayeligibele wayebonakala ehlomile futhi enesikhali segolide. ₂₆Kwabonakala futhi kuye izinsizwa ezisencane ezimbili, zinamandla edlula ukuqonda, zizinhle ngokumangalisayo futhi zigqoke kahle, zama zamphahla futhi zamxebula ngenduku zingami, zamshiya enemivimbo eminingi. ₂₇Kwathi lapho ewela emhlabathini masinyane, nobumnyama obukhulu behlela phezu kwakhe, amadoda ayehamba naye, amthatha ambeka ohlakeni, ₂₈amthwala ahamba naye, le ndoda ebisanda kungena endlini yengcebo nesixuku esikhulu kanye nabo bonke abayiqaphileyo yayingasakwazi nokuzisiza lokhu. Bakubona ngokusobala ukuphakama kwamandla kaNkulunkulu.

₂₉Lapho elele cu engasakwazi nokukhuluma ngenxa yokulamula kwaphezulu futhi lingekho nethemba lokuthi uzakusinda, ₃₀bamdumisa uNkulunkulu owayenzela okuhle kangaka indawo yakhe engcwele. Ithempeli esikhashaneni esifushane nje, elalikade ligcwele ukwesaba nokuphazamiseka, manje lase ligcwele ukujabula nokuthokoza, njengoba iNkosi yayisizibonakalisile. ₃₁Abanye babangani bakaHeliyodorusi bamncenga ngokushesha u-Oniyase ukuba ambize oPhezukonke ukuba amuphe ukuphila lowo owayeselele sekusele umndondo nje. ₃₂Ngakho-ke u-Oniyase esaba ukuthi inkosi ingahle ithole umqondo wokuthi kukhona okuthile okwenziwa ngabajuda mayelana noHeliyodorusi, wanikela ngemihlatshelo emnxusela ukwelulama. ₃₃Lapho umphristi omkhulu esanikela umnikelo wokuthethelelwa, zona lezo zinsizwa ezimbili zabonakala kuHeliyodorusi zigqoke zona lezo zingubo ezazizigqokile, futhi zama zathi: “Mbonge kakhulu umphristi omkhulu u-Oniyase, ngokuba ngenxa yakhe iNkosi isikunikile ukululama ukuba uphile. ₃₄Uqaphele ukuba wena oxetshulwe lizulu, ubatshele bonke abantu ngamandla amangalisayo kaNkulunkulu.”

Seziqedile ukukusho lokhu zanyamalala.

₃₅UHeliyodorusi wayesenikela umhlatshelo eNkosini wenza izifungo ezinkulu kuMsindisi wempilo yakhe, esevalelisile ku-Oniyase, wahamba namabutho akhe waphindela enkosini. ₃₆Wafakaza kubo bonke ngazo zonke izenzo zika uNkulunkulu Ophezukonke, ayembonile ngamehlo akhe. ₃₇Lapho inkosi imbuza uHeliyodorusi ukuthi ngonjani umuntu ongafanela ukuba angathatha olunye uhambo oluya eJerusalema, waphendula wathi: ₃₈“Uma kukhona isitha onaso noma oceba utho olubi ngombuso wakho, mthumele lapho, ngokuba uyakubuyiselwa kuwe ebuliwe ngokwanele ngenduku, uma eyophila nokuphila; ngokuba akungabazeki ukuthi kukhona amandla obuNkulunkulu kuleya ndawo. ₃₉Ngokuba yena ohlala emazulwini uyayilinda yena uqobo leya ndawo futhi uyeza ukuba ayisize, futhi uyashaya abhubhise labo abeza ukuba bazoyilimaza.”

₄₀Lona kwakungumphumela wendaba kaHeliyodorusi kanye nokuvikelwa kwendawo yengcebo.