2 UMakhabhizi 8

₁Ngaleso sikhathi uJudase, owayebizwa futhi ngokuthi nguMakhabhizi, kanye nabangani bakhe bangena isinyelela phakathi komuzi base bebiza bonke abesizwe sakubo ukuba bazihlanganise nabo, labo abaqhubekile enkolweni yobuJuda. Ngakho-ke bahlanganisa amadoda ayizinkulungwane eziyisithupha. ₂Bamncenga uSimakade ukuba ababheke abantu bakhe abacindezelwe yibo bonke; nokuba abe nesihawu ngethempeli elingcolisiwe ngabangenankulunkulu; ₃abe nomusa emuzini owachithwayo osekusele kancane uphele nya; alizwe igazi elikhala kuye; ₄akukhumbule nokubulawa kwezingane ngabangalungile bezizwe nezinhlamba abathuka ngazo igama lakhe; akhombise futhi nokuthi uyabenyanya ububi. ₅Kwathi ukuba uMakhabhizi ayilungise ngokwanele impi yakhe, abezizwe kabakwazanga ukumelana naye, ngokuba ulaka lweNkosi lwase luphenduke isihawu. ₆Efika kungazelele muntu, wayeyithungela ngomlilo imizi nezigodi. Wadla imizi eminingi ebalulekile waxosha abaningi bezitha zabo. ₇Wayebuthola ubusuku bumvuna kakhulu ukuba ahlasele ngabo. Kwanda ukukhuluma ngesibindi sakhe yonke indawo.

₈Lapho uFiliphu ebona ukuthi uMakhabhizi wayeya ngokuya eba namandla futhi edla imizi eminingi, nokuthi wayenempumelelo enkulu, wabhalela uPhitholemi, umbusi waseKholesiriya naseFonesiya, emcela ukuba eze azokwelekelela umbuso wenkosi. ₉UPhitholemi wayeseshesha waqoka uNikhanori indodana kaPatrokulusi, omunye wabangani abakhulu benkosi, wamthumela, ehamba namabutho angengaphansi kwezinkulungwane ezimbili azo zonke izizwe, ukuze bayoshaya icole kuso sonke isizwe sakwaJuda. Wazihlanganisa noGogiyase, umkhuzi wempi nendoda eyanobuhlakani empini. ₁₀UNikhanori wazimisela ukuba athole intela yenkosi eyayiya kumaRoma, eyizinkulungwane ezimbili zamathalente, ngokuba adayise abajuda athunjiwe ukuba ayoba yizigqili. ₁₁Ngakho-ke washesha wathumela emizini engasogwini, emema ukuba bathenge izigqila zabaJuda futhi ebethembisa ukubanika ezingama-90 ngethalente nje elilodwa, futhi engalindele kwehlulelwa okuvela kuSomandla okwakumcathamela.

₁₂Izwi lafika kuJudase mayelana nokuhlasela kukaNikhanori; futhi lapho etshela abangani bakhe ngokufika kwempi, ₁₃labo ababengamagwala futhi bengakwethembi ukulunga kukaNkulunkulu bashaya utshani babaleka. ₁₄Abanye badayisa ngempahla yabo eyayisele, kwathi futhi ngasona leso sikhathi bayincenga iNkosi ukuba ikhulule labo abase bedayiswe nguNikhanori ongalungile nangaphambi kokuba aze ababone, ₁₅uma kungengenxa yabo, kusale sekuba ngenxa yesivumelwano eyasenza nawokhokho babo, nangokuba wayebabize ngegama lakhe elingcwele nelidumileyo. ₁₆Kepha uMakhabhizi waqoqa amabutho akhe aze aba yizi-6 000, wawayala ukuba angabi nakwesatshiswa isitha futhi angabi naluvalo ngobuningi babezizwe abeza begcwele ukungalungi, bengazokulwa nje ngokufanele, ₁₇ebenza bahlale bengabukhohliwe ububi abezizwe ababenze endaweni engcwele, nokuhlushwa komuzi obukelwe phansi, futhi, nangaphezu kwalokho, ukuchithwa kwezindlela zokuphila zokhokho babo. ₁₈Ngokuba wathi: “Laba bethembela ezikhalini nasezenzweni zobuqhawe, kodwa thina sethemba uNkulunkulu uSomandla, onamandla ngegalelo elilodwa nje ukuba acekele phansi labo abeza ukuzolwa nathi, noma ngabe ngabomhlaba wonke. ₁₉Ngaphezu kwakho konke, wabatshela nangezikhathi lapho usizo lwalethelwa okhokho babo; nokuthi wabasindisa kanjani nangesikhathi sikaSenakheribhi, lapho kwafa abayizi-185 000, ₂₀kanjalo nangesikhathi sokulwa nabaseGalathiya okwenzeka eBhabhiloni, lapho izi-8 000 zabaJuda zalwa zibambisene nabayizi-4 000 baseMakhedoniya, kodwa lapho abaseMakhedoniya sebecindezelekile, abayizi-8 000, ngosizo olwavela ezulwini, babhubhisa izinkulungwane eziyi-12 000 zabaseGalathiya, zathatha impango eningi.”

₂₁Ngalawa mazwi wabaqunga isibindi wabenza bakulungela ukufela imithetho yabo kanye nezwe labo; wabe esewahlukanisa amabutho aba ngamaqembu amane. ₂₂Waqoka nabafowabo, oSimoni noJosefa; noJonathani, kwaba yilowo nalowo wamnikeza iqembu ukuba alihole, ngamunye enamabutho ayi-1 500. ₂₃Ngaphandle kwabo waqoka u-Eliyezare ukuba afunde ngokuzwakalayo encwadini engcwele futhi wanikela lesi siqubulo: “Usizo lukaNkulunkulu”; wabe yena esephuma neqembu lokuqala, wabhekana noNikhanori. ₂₄USomandla engakubo, babulala abangaphezu kwezinkulungwane eziyi-8 000, balimaza futhi bashiya izinqekle eziningi kwekaNikhanori, babaphoqa ukuba babaleke. ₂₅Bathatha imali yalabo ababeze ukuzobathenga njengezigqila. Emva kokubalandela ibanga elide, baphoqeka ukuba babuye ngokuba isikhathi sase sihambile. ₂₆Kwakulusuku olwandulela isabatha, ngenxa yaleso sizathu babengeqhubeke nokubaxosha.

₂₇Lapho sebeqoqile izikhali zesitha bathatha impango eningi, baligcina isabatha, beyinika olukhulu udumo nokubongwa iNkosi, eyayibagcinele lona njengosuku lokuqala ibakhombisa ngalo isihawu sayo. ₂₈Ngemuva kwesabatha banikeza enye yempango kulabo ababehlukunyeziwe nakubafelokazi nezintandane, kwathi esalayo bazahlukanisela yona bona nabantababo. ₂₉Lapho sebekwenzile lokhu, banxusa ngazwi linye bayincenga iNkosi enesihawu ukuba ibaxolele ibuyisane nabo ngokuphelele.

₃₀Lapho bebhekana namabutho kaThimothewu nakaBhakhidesi babulala ngaphezu kwezi-20 000 badla nemizi eyayibaluleke kakhulu, futhi behlukaniselana impango eningi kakhulu, benikeza enye kulabo ababekade behlukunyeziwe, izintandane nabafelokazi, nabadala, bonke babanika isabelo esilinganayo nesabo. ₃₁Baqoqa izikhali zesitha, futhi bazigcina ezindaweni ezinqabeni ezibaluleke kakhulu; kwathi esalayo impango bayithwala baya nayo eJerusalema. ₃₂Bambulala umkhuzi wempi kaThimothewu, indoda eyayiyimbi kakhulu, neyayiwahluphe kakhulu abajuda.

₃₃Lapho besagubha umkhosi wokunqoba kwabo emzini wokhokho babo, bashisa labo ababethungele ngomlilo amasango angcwele, uKhalistenesi kanye nabanye, ababebalekele endlini encanyana; ngakho-ke laba bathola umvuzo obafanele ngokuziphatha kabi kwabo. ₃₄UNikhanori owayeqalekiswe kwaphindwa kathathu, owayelethe inkulungwane yabathengi ukuzothenga abaJuda, ₃₅edunyaziwe besizwa yiNkosi yilabo ayengabashayi mkhuba, wahlubula ingubo yakhe yempi wavathelisa okwesigqila waze wayofika e-Antiyokhi, ephumelele nokho ekubhubhiseni eyakhe uqobo impi! ₃₆Lowo owayephume ezimisele ukutholela amaRoma intela ngokubamba abajuda aseJerusalema wakuzwakalisa ukuthi abajuda anoMvikeli, nokuthi abajuda awasibo abangenamvikeli, ngenxa yokuba begcina imithetho eyamiswa nguye.