Eyokuqala YaMakhosi

22 Kwaphela iminyaka emithathu kungekho mpi phakathi kweSiriya no-Israyeli. 2 Ngonyaka wesithathu uJehoshafati + inkosi yakwaJuda wehlela enkosini yakwa-Israyeli. + 3 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi ezincekwini zayo: “Niyazi yini ukuthi iRamoti-gileyadi + lingelethu? Nokho siyanqikaza ukulithatha enkosini yaseSiriya.” 4 Yabe isithi kuJehoshafati: “Uzohamba yini nami ukuyolwa neRamoti-gileyadi?” UJehoshafati wathi enkosini yakwa-Israyeli: “Ngizohamba nawe, mina nabantu bami namahhashi ami.” +

5 Kodwa uJehoshafati wathi enkosini yakwa-Israyeli: “Ngicela uqale ubuze + ukuthi lithini izwi likaJehova.” + 6 Ngakho inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yaqoqa abaprofethi, amadoda angaba ngu-400, yathi kubo: “Ngihambe yini ngiyolwa neRamoti-gileyadi, noma ngiyeke?” Bathi: “Hamba, uJehova uzolinikela esandleni senkosi.”

7 UJehoshafati wabe esethi: “Akekho yini lapha umprofethi kaJehova? Masibuze nangaye kuNkulunkulu.” + 8 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafati: “Kusekhona oyedwa osele esingabuza uJehova ngaye; + kodwa mina ngiyamzonda + ngoba akwenzeki aprofethe okuhle ngami kodwa uprofetha okubi kuphela. + NguMikhaya indodana ka-Imla.” Nokho, uJehoshafati wathi: “Inkosi akufanele ikhulume kanjalo.”

9 Ngakho inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yabiza isikhulu segceke yathi: “Phuthuma ulande uMikhaya indodana ka-Imla.” + 10 Manje inkosi yakwa-Israyeli noJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda babehlezi ezihlalweni zabo zobukhosi, esibuyeni esangweni laseSamariya, bevunule ngezasebukhosini, bonke abaprofethi beprofetha phambi kwabo. + 11 UZedekiya indodana kaKhenahana wazenzela izimpondo zensimbi, wathi: “Yilokhu uJehova akushoyo, ‘Ngalezi zimpondo uzohlaba* amaSiriya uze uwaqothule.’ ” 12 Bonke abanye abaprofethi babeprofetha into efanayo, bethi: “Khuphukela eRamoti-gileyadi kuzokuhambela kahle; uJehova uzolinikela esandleni senkosi.”

13 Ngakho isithunywa esahamba sayobiza uMikhaya sathi kuye: “Bonke abaprofethi bakhuluma okuhle enkosini. Ngicela ozokusho kufane nabazokusho, ukhulume okuhle.” + 14 Kodwa uMikhaya wathi: “Ngimfunge uJehova, ngizosho noma yini uJehova angitshela yona.” 15 UMikhaya wangena enkosini, inkosi yambuza yathi: “Mikhaya, sihambe yini siyolwa neRamoti-gileyadi, noma siyeke?” Ngaso leso sikhathi waphendula wathi: “Hamba, kuzokuhambela kahle; uJehova uzolinikela esandleni senkosi.” 16 Inkosi yathi kuye: “Kumele ngikufungise kangaki ukuba ukhulume iqiniso lodwa kimi egameni likaJehova?” 17 Ngakho wathi: “Ngibona wonke ama-Israyeli ehlakazekile ezintabeni, + njengezimvu ezingenamalusi. UJehova wathi: ‘Laba abanankosi. Yilowo nalowo makabuyele endlini yakhe ngokuthula.’ ”

18 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafati: “Angishongo yini kuwe ukuthi, ‘Ngeke aprofethe izinto ezinhle ngami, kodwa uzoprofetha okubi kodwa’?” +

19 UMikhaya wabe esethi: “Yizwani izwi likaJehova: Ngibone uJehova ehlezi esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, + lonke ibutho lasemazulwini limi ngakwesokudla sakhe nangakwesobunxele sakhe. + 20 UJehova wathi, ‘Ubani ozokhohlisa u-Ahabi, ukuze akhuphukele eRamoti-gileyadi afele khona?’ Omunye wayesho lokhu omunye esho lokhuya. 21 Kwabe sekusondela enye ingelosi *+ yama phambi kukaJehova yathi, ‘Mina ngizomkhohlisa.’ UJehova wathi kuyo, ‘Uzomkhohlisa kanjani?’ 22 Yaphendula yathi, ‘Ngizophuma, ngikhohlise abaprofethi bakhe ukuze bakhulume amanga.’ + Ngakho wathi, ‘Uzomkhohlisa futhi ngaphezu kwalokho, uzophumelela. Hamba wenze kanjalo.’ 23 Yingakho bonke laba baprofethi bekhuluma amanga kuwe ngoba uJehova uvumele ingelosi ukuba ibakhohlise, + kodwa uJehova umemezele inhlekelele ngawe.” +

24 UZedekiya indodana kaKhenahana wasondela washaya uMikhaya ngempama wathi: “Uqonde ukungitshela ukuthi umoya kaJehova ungishiyile mina wazokhuluma nawe?” + 25 UMikhaya wathi: “Uyobona ukuthi ukushiyile mhla ungena ekamelweni elingaphakathi uyozifihla.” 26 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi: “Thathani uMikhaya niye naye ku-Amoni induna yedolobha nakuJowashi indodana yenkosi. 27 Nithi kubo, ‘Nakhu inkosi ekushoyo: “Fakani lo muntu ejele + nimnike isinkwa esincane namanzi ngize ngibuye ngokuthula.” ’ ” 28 Kodwa uMikhaya wathi: “Uma ubuye ngokuthula, kuyosho ukuthi uJehova akakhulumanga nami.” + Wanezela: “Yizwani, nonke nina bantu.”

29 Ngakho inkosi yakwa-Israyeli noJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda bakhuphukela eRamoti-gileyadi. + 30 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli manje yathi kuJehoshafati: “Mina ngizozifihla ngingene empini, kodwa wena kufanele ugqoke izingubo zakho zasebukhosini.” Ngakho inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yazifihla, + yangena empini. 31 Inkosi yaseSiriya yayiyale izinduna ezingu-32 zezinqola zayo, + yathi: “Ningalwi namuntu, omncane noma omkhulu, nilwe nenkosi yakwa-Israyeli kuphela.” 32 Kwathi nje lapho izinduna zezinqola zibona uJehoshafati, zathi: “Nakanjani yinkosi yakwa-Israyeli lena.” Ngakho zaphendukela kuye ukuze zilwe naye; uJehoshafati wakhala ecela usizo. 33 Lapho izinduna zezinqola zibona ukuthi kwakungeyona inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, masinyane zayeka ukumlandela.

34 Kodwa umuntu othile waciba ngomnsalo wakhe emoyeni,* wagwaza inkosi yakwa-Israyeli lapho kuhlangana khona ijazi layo lensimbi. Ngakho inkosi yathi kumshayeli wenqola yayo: “Phenduka ungikhiphe empini* ngoba ngilimele kabi.” + 35 Impi yaqhubeka ibambene lonke lolo suku, inkosi kwadingeka ukuba bayincikise enqoleni, ibheke amaSiriya. Igazi elaliphuma enxebeni lophela enqoleni yempi, kusihlwa yafa. + 36 Lapho ilanga lishona kwamenyezelwa kulo lonke ikamu kwathiwa: “Wonke umuntu makabuyele edolobheni lakubo! Wonke umuntu makabuyele endaweni yakubo!” + 37 Yafa kanjalo inkosi, yabe isilethwa eSamariya; inkosi bayingcwaba eSamariya. 38 Lapho begeza inqola yempi ngasechibini laseSamariya, izinja zakhotha igazi layo nezifebe zagezela lapho,* ngokwezwi likaJehova ayelikhulumile. +

39 Ngokuqondene nawo wonke omunye umlando ka-Ahabi, konke akwenza nendlu* yezinyo lendlovu + ayakha nawo wonke amadolobha awakha, kulotshiwe encwadini yomlando wamakhosi akwa-Israyeli. 40 Ekugcineni u-Ahabi wangcwatshwa kanye nokhokho bakhe; + u-Ahaziya + indodana yakhe wabusa esikhundleni sakhe.

41 UJehoshafati + indodana ka-Asa wayebe yinkosi phezu kukaJuda ngonyaka wesine ka-Ahabi inkosi yakwa-Israyeli. 42 UJehoshafati wayeneminyaka engu-35 lapho eba inkosi, wabusa iminyaka engu-25 eJerusalema. Igama likanina kwakungu-Azuba indodakazi kaShilihi. 43 Waqhubeka ehamba ngayo yonke indlela ka-Asa + uyise. Akazange aphambuke kuyo, wenza okulungile emehlweni kaJehova. + Nokho, izindawo eziphakeme* azizange zisuswe, abantu babesayenza imihlatshelo, beshunqisa nomusi womhlatshelo ezindaweni eziphakeme. + 44 UJehoshafati walondoloza ukuthula phakathi kwakhe nenkosi yakwa-Israyeli. + 45 Ngokuqondene nawo wonke omunye umlando kaJehoshafati, amandla akhe nendlela alwa ngayo, kulotshiwe encwadini yomlando wamakhosi akwaJuda. 46 UJehoshafati wasusa ezweni zonke ezinye izifebe zesilisa zasethempelini + ezazisale ngezinsuku zika-Asa uyise. +

47 Ngaleso sikhathi kwakungenankosi kwa-Edomi; + iphini yilo elalibusa. +

48 UJehoshafati wakha nemikhumbi yaseTharishishi* eyayizolanda igolide + e-Ofiri, kodwa ayibange isaya ngoba le mikhumbi yaphahlazeka e-Eziyoni-gebheri. + 49 Kungaleso sikhathi lapho u-Ahaziya indodana ka-Ahabi athi khona kuJehoshafati: “Izinceku zami mazihambe nezinceku zakho ngemikhumbi,” kodwa uJehoshafati akazange avume.

50 Ngemva kwalokho uJehoshafati walala nokhokho bakhe + wangcwatshwa nokhokho bakhe eDolobheni LikaDavide ukhokho wakhe; uJehoramu + indodana yakhe waba inkosi esikhundleni sakhe.

51 U-Ahaziya + indodana ka-Ahabi waba yinkosi phezu kuka-Israyeli eSamariya ngonyaka ka-17 kaJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda, wabusa phezu kuka-Israyeli iminyaka emibili. 52 Wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova, wahamba ngendlela kayise + nangendlela kanina + nangendlela kaJerobowamu indodana kaNebhati, owayonise u-Israyeli. + 53 Wakhonza uBhali + emkhothamela, elokhu ecasula uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, + njengoba nje uyise ayenzile.