Eyokuqala EyamaKhosi
21 Ngemva kwakho konke lokho kwavuka indaba ephathelane lensimu yamagilebisi kaNabhothi waseJeziriyeli. Insimu leyo yayiseJeziriyeli+ eceleni kwesigodlo sika-Ahabi inkosi yeSamariya. 2 U-Ahabi wathi kuNabhothi: “Ngicela ungiphe insimu yakho yamagilebisi, ngifuna ukulima kuyo imibhida ngoba iseduze kwendlu yami. Mina ngizakunika insimu engcono kulayo kodwa nxa ufuna ukungithengisela ngingayithenga ngemali.” 3 Kodwa uNabhothi wathi ku-Ahabi: “Angisoze ngikunike ilifa labokhokho bami ngoba uJehova kakuvumeli lokho.”+ 4 Ngakho u-Ahabi wabuyela endlini yakhe edanile lobuso bakhe buhlobile ngenxa yokuthi uNabhothi umJeziriyeli wayemphendule wathi: “Angisoze ngikunike ilifa labokhokho bami.” U-Ahabi wafika walala embhedeni wakhe efulathele wakhangela emdulini. Waqhubeka enjalo futhi esala lokudla.
5 Umkakhe uJezebheli+ wangena wasembuza wathi: “Kungani udanile futhi usala ukudla?” 6 U-Ahabi wamphendula wathi: “Ngikhulume loNabhothi umJeziriyeli ngisithi angithengisele insimu yakhe yamagilebisi kumbe ngimnike eyinye insimu nxa efuna. Kodwa yena walile wathi, ‘Angisoze ngikunike insimu yami.’” 7 Umkakhe uJezebheli wamphendula wathi: “Kanti ayisuwe yini inkosi yako-Israyeli? Vuka udle futhi uthokoze, mina ngizakunika insimu kaNabhothi umJeziriyeli.”+ 8 Ngakho uJezebheli wabhala izincwadi ngebizo lika-Ahabi, wazifaka uphawu+ luka-Ahabi wasezithumela kubadala+ lezikhulu ezazihlala edolobheni lakibo kaNabhothi. 9 Ezincwadini lezo wabhala wathi: “Memezelani ukuthi abantu bazile ukudla, beselihlalisa uNabhothi phambi kwabantu. 10 Lidinge amadoda amabili angelancedo azahlala phambi kwakhe afakaze amanga ngaye+ athi, ‘Simuzwe ethuka uNkulunkulu lenkosi!’+ Ngemva kwalokho limkhiphele ngaphandle kwedolobho limkhande ngamatshe aze afe.”+
11 Ngakho amadoda edolobho lakibo kaNabhothi, abadala lezikhulu ezazihlala edolobheni lakibo, zakwenza konke okwakubhalwe ezincwadini ezazithunyezwe nguJezebheli. 12 Bamemezela ukuthi abantu bazile ukudla, basebehlalisa uNabhothi phambi kwabantu. 13 Kwabuya amadoda amabili angelancedo afika ahlala phambi kukaNabhothi, aqalisa ukufakaza amanga ngaye phambi kwabantu esithi: “Sizwe uNabhothi ethuka uNkulunkulu lenkosi!”+ Ngemva kwalokho bamkhiphela ngaphandle kwedolobho basebemkhanda ngamatshe waze wafa.+ 14 Bathumela ilizwi kuJezebheli bathi: “UNabhothi ukhandwe ngamatshe wafa.”+
15 UJezebheli wathi esizwa nje ukuthi uNabhothi bamkhande ngamatshe wafa, wathi ku-Ahabi: “Hamba uyethatha insimu kaNabhothi umJeziriyeli,+ leyo ayala ukukuthengisela yona ngoba kasekho, usefile.” 16 U-Ahabi wathi esizwa ukuthi uNabhothi usefile, wahle wasuka waya ensimini kaNabhothi umJeziriyeli ukuze ayithathe ibe ngeyakhe.
17 Kodwa ilizwi likaJehova lafika ku-Elija+ umThishibi lathi: 18 “Suka uye eSamariya+ uyehlangana lo-Ahabi inkosi yako-Israyeli. Khathesi usensimini kaNabhothi ngoba ufuna ukuyithatha ibe ngeyakhe. 19 Kumele umtshele uthi, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguJehova: “Kambe ungabulala umuntu+ uphinde uthathe lempahla yakhe?”’+ Ngemva kwalokho kumele uthi kuye, ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguJehova: “Endaweni lapho izinja ezikhothe khona igazi likaNabhothi, zizakhotha lelakho.”’”+
20 U-Ahabi wathi ku-Elija: “Usungitholile wena sitha sami!”+ U-Elija waphendula wathi: “Ye sengikutholile. ‘Ngenxa yokuthi wena uzimisele ukwenza okubi phambi kukaJehova,+ 21 ngizakwehlisela umonakalo, futhi ngemva kwakho ngizathanyela ngiqede bonke abesilisa abendlu ka-Ahabi,+ kugoqele lalabo abangelamandla labazihluphekelayo ko-Israyeli.+ 22 Ngizakwenza indlu yakho ibe njengendlu kaJerobhowami+ indodana kaNebhathi kanye lendlu kaBhahasha+ indodana ka-Ahija ngoba ungithukuthelisile njalo wenza ukuthi abako-Israyeli bone.’ 23 Kanti njalo uJehova uthi ngoJezebheli: ‘UJezebheli uzadliwa yizinja ensimini eseJeziriyeli.+ 24 Loba ngubani ongoka-Ahabi ozafela edolobheni uzadliwa yizinja njalo loba ngubani ozafela egangeni uzadliwa zinyoni.+ 25 Phela akula omunye owenze njengo-Ahabi.+ Yena uzimisele ukwenza okubi phambi kukaJehova etshotshozelwa ngumkakhe uJezebheli.+ 26 Wenze okubi kakhulu wakhonza izithombe ezenyanyekayo,* njengalokho okwakusenziwa ngama-Amori uJehova awaxotsha phambi kwabako-Israyeli.’”+
27 U-Ahabi wathi esizwa amazwi la, wadabula izigqoko zakhe wagqoka isembatho sesaka njalo wazila ukudla. Wayeselala phansi egqoke isembatho sesaka futhi wayehamba edanile. 28 Ilizwi likaJehova laselifika ku-Elija umThishibi lathi: 29 “Ubonile yini ukuthi u-Ahabi uthe esizwa amazwi ami wazithoba?+ Yikho umonakalo angisoze ngiwulethe esaphila ngenxa yokuthi uzehlisile phambi kwami. Sengizakwehlisela umonakalo phezu kwendlu yakhe ngensuku zendodana yakhe.”+