Eyokuqala YaMakhosi

20 UBheni-hadadi inkosi + yaseSiriya + waqoqela ndawonye lonke ibutho lakhe lempi kanye namakhosi angu-32 namahhashi nezinqola zawo; wakhuphuka wavimbezela + iSamariya + walwa nalo. 2 Wathumela izithunywa ku-Ahabi + inkosi yakwa-Israyeli edolobheni, wathi kuye: “Yilokhu uBheni-hadadi akushoyo, 3 ‘Isiliva lakho negolide lakho lingelami, nabafazi bakho namadodana akho, ababukeka kahle kunabo bonke, bangabami.’ ” 4 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yaphendula yathi: “Kunjengoba usho nkosi yami, ngingowakho nakho konke okungokwami.” +

5 Izithunywa zaphinde zabuya zathi: “Yilokhu uBheni-hadadi akushoyo, ‘Ngithumele lo myalezo kuwe, ngathi: “Uzonginika isiliva lakho, igolide lakho, abafazi bakho namadodana akho.” 6 Kodwa kusasa ngizothumela izinceku zami kuwe cishe ngazo lezi zikhathi, zizofuna ngokucophelela endlini yakho nasezindlini zezinceku zakho, zithathe zonke izinto zakho eziyigugu zihambe nazo.’ ”

7 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yabiza wonke amadoda amadala ezwe yathi: “Ngicela niqaphele, nibone ukuthi lo muntu uhlose ukuletha inhlekelele, ngoba ufune abafazi bami, amadodana ami, isiliva lami negolide lami, futhi angizange ngenqabe nako.” 8 Wonke amadoda amadala nabo bonke abantu bathi kuyo: “Ungamlaleli, ungavumi.” 9 Ngakho wathi ezithunyweni zikaBheni-hadadi: “Hambani nithi enkosini yami, ‘Konke lokho okufune encekwini yakho ekuqaleni ngizokwenza, kodwa lokhu ngeke ngikwazi ukukwenza.’ ” Lapho esho lokhu izithunywa zahamba zabuyisela izwi kuye.

10 UBheni-hadadi wabe esemthumelela lo myalezo wathi: “Ngizolibhubhisa iSamariya, ibutho lami likhulu kangangokuba lizoqothula kungasali lutho. Kwangathi onkulunkulu bangangijezisa kanzima uma ngingakwenzi lokhu!” 11 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yaphendula yathi: “Mtsheleni ukuthi, ‘Olungela impi makangaziqhayisi njengokungathi usenqobile.’ ” + 12 Kwathi nje lapho ezwa leli zwi, ngesikhathi yena namakhosi bephuza ematendeni* abo, wathi ezincekwini zakhe: “Ayihlome ihlasele!” Ngakho zaviva ukuze zihlasele idolobha.

13 Kodwa umprofethi othile waya ku-Ahabi + inkosi yakwa-Israyeli wathi: “Yilokhu uJehova akushoyo, ‘Usibonile yini sonke lesi sixuku esikhulu? Ngisinikela esandleni sakho namuhla, uzokwazi ukuthi nginguJehova.’ ” + 14 U-Ahabi wathi: “Usinikela ngobani?” yena wathi: “Yilokhu uJehova akushoyo, ‘Ngezinceku zezikhulu zezifundazwe.’ ”* Ngakho wathi: “Ngubani ozoqala ukulwa?” yena wathi: “Nguwe!”

15 U-Ahabi wabala izinceku zezikhulu zezifundazwe, zazingu-232; ngemva kwalokho wabala wonke amadoda akwa-Israyeli, ayengu-7 000. 16 Baphuma emini ngesikhathi uBheni-hadadi ezitika ngotshwala ematendeni* ekanye namakhosi angu-32 ayemsiza. 17 Lapho izinceku zezikhulu zezifundazwe ziphuma kuqala, khona manjalo uBheni-hadadi wathumela izithunywa. Zambikela zathi: “Kukhona amadoda aphumile eSamariya.” 18 Khona-ke wathi: “Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi eze ngokuthula, kufanele niwabambe ephila; noma ukuthi eze ngempi, kufanele niwabambe ephila.” 19 Kodwa lapho izinceku zezikhulu zezifundazwe ziphuma edolobheni zikanye namabutho ayezilandela, 20 zabulala izitha zazo. AmaSiriya abaleka, + u-Israyeli wawajaha, kodwa uBheni-hadadi inkosi yaseSiriya wabaleka ngehhashi kanye nabanye ababegibele amahhashi. 21 Kodwa inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yaphuma yaqhubeka ibulala ababegibele amahhashi nezinqola, yawanqoba* amaSiriya.

22 Kamuva umprofethi + wafika enkosini yakwa-Israyeli wathi kuyo: “Hamba, uqinise ibutho lakho, ucabange nangalokho ozokwenza, + ngoba ekuqaleni konyaka ozayo* inkosi yaseSiriya izoza izokuhlasela.” +

23 Izinceku zenkosi yaseSiriya zathi kuyo: “UNkulunkulu wabo unguNkulunkulu wezintaba. Yingakho besehlulile. Kodwa uma silwa nabo endaweni eyithafa, sizobanqoba. 24 Naku okunye okufanele ukwenze: Susa wonke amakhosi + ekuholeni amabutho, ubeke izinduna endaweni yawo. 25 Ngemva kwalokho uqoqe* ibutho lempi elilingana nebutho elakulahlekela, ihhashi esikhundleni sehhashi nenqola esikhundleni senqola. Kufanele silwe nabo ethafeni, nakanjani sizobanqoba.” Ngakho yasilalela iseluleko sazo, yenza ngayo kanye leyo ndlela.

26 Ekuqaleni konyaka,* uBheni-hadadi wabutha amaSiriya wakhuphukela e-Afeki + ukuze alwe no-Israyeli. 27 Ama-Israyeli nawo abuthwa anikwa akudingayo, aphuma abahlangabeza. Lapho ama-Israyeli ekanise phambi kwamaSiriya, ayenjengemihlanjana emibili yezimbuzi, kuyilapho amaSiriya egcwele yonke indawo. + 28 Umuntu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso weza enkosini yakwa-Israyeli wathi: “Yilokhu uJehova akushoyo, ‘Ngenxa yokuthi amaSiriya athe: “UJehova unguNkulunkulu wezintaba, akayena uNkulunkulu wamathafa,” ngizonikela sonke lesi sixuku esandleni sakho, + nakanjani nizokwazi ukuthi nginguJehova.’ ” +

29 Baqhubeka bekanisile izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, kuyilaba ngapha kuyilaba ngale, ngosuku lwesikhombisa yaqala impi. Ama-Israyeli abulala amaSiriya angu-100 000 ayimigundatshani ngosuku olulodwa. 30 Labo abasala babalekela e-Afeki, + edolobheni. Kodwa udonga lwawela phezu kwamadoda angu-27 000 ayesele. UBheni-hadadi naye wabaleka wayongena edolobheni, wacasha ekamelweni.

31 Ngakho izinceku zakhe zathi kuye: “Sizwile ukuthi amakhosi endlu ka-Israyeli angamakhosi anomusa.* Sicela usivumele sibhince indwangu yesaka ezinkalweni zethu sibophe izindophi emakhanda siye enkosini yakwa-Israyeli. Mhlawumbe ngeke ikubulale.” + 32 Ngakho zabhinca indwangu yesaka ezinkalweni zazo, zabopha izindophi emakhanda azo, zaya enkosini yakwa-Israyeli zafike zathi: “Inceku yakho uBheni-hadadi ithe, ‘Ngiyacela, ungangibulali.’ ” Yona yathi: “Ingabe usaphila? Ungumfowethu.” 33 Ngakho la madoda akubheka njengebika lokuhle ayikholwa ngokushesha, athi: “UBheni-hadadi ungumfowenu.” Yona yathi: “Hambani niyomlanda.” Khona-ke uBheni-hadadi waphuma waya kuyo, yona yamgibelisa enqoleni.

34 UBheni-hadadi wabe esethi kuyo: “Amadolobha ubaba awathatha kuyihlo ngizowabuyisa, wena ungazenzela izimakethe* eDamaseku njengoba nje nobaba enza eSamariya.”

U-Ahabi waphendula wathi: “Ngenxa yalesi sivumelwano, ngizokuyeka uhambe.”

Ngakho wenza isivumelwano naye wase emdedela wahamba.

35 Iyalwe nguJehova, enye yamadodana abaprofethi *+ yathi kumngani wayo: “Ngicela ungishaye.” Kodwa lo muntu wenqaba ukuyishaya. 36 Ngakho yathi kuye: “Ngenxa yokuthi awulilalelanga izwi likaJehova, lapho nje usuka kimi, uzobulawa yibhubesi.” Ngemva kokuhamba, ibhubesi lamhlasela lo muntu lambulala.

37 Yathola omunye umuntu yathi: “Ngicela ungishaye.” Ngakho lo muntu wayishaya wayilimaza.

38 Khona-ke lo mprofethi wahamba wayolinda inkosi ngasemgwaqweni, ezifihle ngendwangu emehlweni akhe. 39 Kwathi lapho inkosi idlula, wayimemeza wathi: “Inceku yakho yaya lapho impi ishube khona, kweza umuntu othile elethe umuntu kimi wayesethi, ‘Qapha lo muntu. Uma eke waphunyuka, ukuphila kwakho kuyothatha indawo yokuphila kwakhe, + ngale kwalokho uyokhokha ithalenta* lesiliva.’ 40 Kwathi lapho inceku yakho isematasa lapha nalaphaya, lo muntu wanyamalala.” Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuye: “Sizoba njalo isahlulelo sakho; uzinqumele sona ngokwakho.” 41 Ngokushesha wasusa indwangu ebusweni bakhe, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yase ibona ukuthi wayengomunye wabaprofethi. + 42 Wathi enkosini: “Yilokhu uJehova akushoyo, ‘Ngenxa yokuthi udedele umuntu engithe kufanele abhujiswe, + ukuphila kwakho kumele kuthathe indawo yokuphila kwakhe, + nabantu bakho bathathe indawo yabantu bakhe.’ ” + 43 Ngemva kwalokho inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yahamba yaya ekhaya eSamariya, + inyukubele futhi idangele.