1 Kings 22

UMikhaya Uphrofetha Okubi ngo-Ahabi

1Kwathatha iminyaka kungelampi phakathi kwe-Aramu le-Israyeli. 2Kodwa ngomnyaka wesithathu uJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda wayabonana lenkosi yako-Israyeli.

3Inkosi yako-Israyeli yayike yakhuluma lezikhulu zayo isithi, “Alikwazi na ukuthi eleRamothi Gileyadi ngelethu kodwa asikenzi lutho ukuze silithathe ezandleni zenkosi yase-Aramu?”

4Ngakho yasicela uJehoshafathi isithi, “Ungahamba lami na ukuze siyehlasela eRamothi Gileyadi?” UJehoshafathi ephendula inkosi yako-Israyeli wathi, “Mina ngikanye lawe, abantu bami banjengabakho, amabhiza ami anjengawakho.” 5Kodwa uJehoshafathi wabuye wathi enkosini yako-Israyeli, “Qala ucele ukuqondiswa nguJehova.”

6Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli yahlanganisa abaphrofethi – abangaba ngamakhulu amane – yasibabuza isithi, “Ngihambe ngiyehlasela iRamothi Gileyadi yini, loba ngiyekele na?” Abaphrofethi bathi, “Hamba ngoba uJehova uzayinikela esandleni senkosi.”

7Kodwa uJehoshafathi wabuza wathi, “Kanti lapha akulamphrofethi kaJehova esingambuza na?”

8Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi, “Ukhona oyedwa esingabuza uJehova uNkulunkulu ngaye, kodwa ngiyamzonda ngoba kakaze aphrofethe okuhle ngami, uhlala ekhuluma okubi. Lowo nguMikhaya indodana ka-Imla.” UJehoshafathi wathi, “Inkosi kayimelanga itsho njalo.”

9Inkosi yako-Israyeli yasibiza omunye wezikhulu zayo yathi kuye, “Phangisa ungilethele uMikhaya indodana ka-Imla.”

10Amakhosi womabili, eyako-Israyeli leyakoJuda, egqoke ezesikhosini, ayehlezi ezihlalweni zawo zobukhosi esesizeni esangweni laseSamariya, kulabaphrofethi bonke bephrofetha.

11Ngakho uZedekhiya indodana kaKhenana owayenze izimpondo zensimbi wathi, “UJehova uthi: ‘Ngalezizimpondo uzagwaza ama-Aramu uwabhubhise.’ ”

12Labo bonke abaphrofethi batsho njalo, bathi: “Hamba uyenqoba iRamothi-Gileyadi, uJehova uzalinikela esandleni sakho.”

13Isithunywa esasithunywe ukuyabiza uMikhaya sathi, “Njengoba wena unguwe wedwa abanye abaphrofethi befakaza ukuthi inkosi izanqoba kungcono lawe utsho njalo, ukhulume ngokuhle.”

14Kodwa uMikhaya wathi, “Njengokutsho kukaJehova, mina ngizayitshela lokho engikuthunywe nguJehova.”

15Ekufikeni kwakhe, inkosi yambuza yathi, “Mikhaya, sihambe siyehlasela iRamothi Gileyadi yini, loba ngiyekele na?” Yena waphendula wathi, “Hlasela njalo unqobe, ngoba uJehova uzalinikela ezandleni zakho nkosi.”

16Inkosi yambuza yathi, “Kumele ngikufungise kangaki ukuze ungangikhohlisi kodwa ungitshele iqiniso ebizweni likaJehova?”

17Ngakho uMikhaya waphendula wathi, “Ngabona u-Israyeli wonke ehlakazekile ezintabeni njengezimvu ezingelamelusi, kulapho uJehova athi ‘Lababantu abalamkhomkheli. Yekela bonke babuyele emakhaya ngokuthula.’ ”

18Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi, “Angikutshelanga yini ukuthi uvele kaphrofethi okuhle ngami, kodwa okubi kuphela?”

19UMikhaya waqhubekela phambili wathi, “Ngakho zwana ilizwi likaJehova elithi, “Ngabona uJehova ehlezi esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi lamabandla wonke asezulwini emi ngakwesokunene sakhe lakwesokhohlo sakhe.

20Njalo uJehova wathi, ‘Ngubani ozahugela u-Ahabi ekuhlaseleni iRamothi Gileyadi ukuze ayefela khonale na?’ “Omunye waqamba lokhu, lomunye okwakhe. 21Ekucineni kwasekuvela umoya, wema phambi kukaJehova wathi, ‘Mina ngizamhuga.’

22UJehova wabuza wathi, “ ‘Uzakwenza ngandlela bani?’ Umoya waphendula wathi, “ ‘Ngizahamba ngiyekuba ngumoya wamanga emilonyeni yabo bonke abaphrofethi bakhe. UJehova wathi, “ ‘Uzaphumelela ukumhuga. Hamba uyekwenza.’

23“Ngakho khathesi uJehova usefake umoya wenkohliso emilonyeni yabaphrofethi bakho bonke laba. UJehova usekumisele ukubhujiswa.”

24Kusenjalo uZedekhiya indodana kaKhenana wasondela, wamwakala uMikhaya ebusweni. Wabuza wathi: “Umoya kaJehova wasuka njani kimi ungena kuwe na?”

25UMikhaya waphendula wathi: “Uzazibonela mhla uzakuyacatsha endlini engaphakathi.”

26Inkosi yako-Israyeli yalaya yathi: “Thathani uMikhaya limbuyisele ku-Amoni obusa idolobho lakoJowashi indodana yenkosi.

27Liyekuthi, ‘Inkosi ithi: Valelani umuntu lo entolongweni lingamniki lutho ngaphandle kwesinkwa lamanzi ngize ngiphenduke ngokuhle.’ ”

28UMikhaya waqonqosela wathi: “Nxa uzaphenduka kuhle, uJehova uyabe kakhulumanga ngami.” Waqhubeka wathi, “Lani bantu lonke liwezwisise amazwi ami!”

U-Ahabi Ubulawelwa eRamothi Gileyadi

29Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli loJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda baya eRamothi Gileyadi.

30Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi ku-Johoshafathi: “Mina ngizakuya ekulweni ngiziguqule isimo, kodwa wena gqoka ezakho ezobukhosi.” Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli yaziguqula isimo yangena ekulweni.

31Inkosi yase-Aramu yayilaye abalawuli bayo bezinqola zokulwa abangamatshumi amathathu lambili yathi, “Lina lingalwi lamuntu, loba eyisikhulu loba engumuntukazana, ngaphandle kwenkosi yako-Israyeli.

32Abalawuli bezinqola zokulwa bathe bebona uJehoshafathi, bahle bathi “Ngempela le yiyo kanye inkosi yako-Israyeli.” Abalawuli bezinqola zokulwa basebehlasela uJehoshafathi, yena wahlaba umkhosi,

33baphanga babona ukuthi kwakungasiyo inkosi yako-Israyeli bamyekela.

34Umuntu othile wakhokha umtshoko wakhe watshoka engaqondanga muntu umtshoko wayaciba inkosi yako-Israyeli emkenkeni wesihlangu sayo. Inkosi yasisithi kumtshayeli wenqola yokulwa: “Phendula inqola yakho ungisuse lapha. Sengilimele.”

35Kwalwiwa impi kanzima ilanga lonke. Inkosi yayeyanyiswe enqoleni yayo yokulwa ikhangele ama-Aramu. Igazi lamanxeba ayo lagelezela phansi enqoleni yokulwa, kwathi ngalokho kuhlwa yafa. 36Ekutshoneni kwelanga kwamenyezelwa kuyo yonke impi ukuthi: “Abantu bonke kababuyele emizini yakibo, bonke kababuyele lowo lalowo elizweni lakibo!”

37Ngakho inkosi yafa yasiwa eSamariya, yangcwatshwa khona. 38Inqola yokulwa bayigezisela esizibeni seSamariya (endaweni eyayigezela amawule), izinja zakhotha igazi layo, njengokutsho kwelizwi likaJehova.

39Konke okunye ngempilo langokubusa kuka-Ahabi lakho konke akwenzayo, ukwakha isigodlo esasiceciswe ngezimpondo zezindlovu, lamadolobho ayevikelwe okwenqaba, akulotshwanga na egwalweni lwembali yamakhosi ako-Israyeli? 40U-Ahabi wangcwatshwa labo-yise. Ubukhosi bakhe bathathwa yindodana yakhe u-Ahaziya.

UJehoshafathi iNkosi yakoJuda

41UJehoshafathi indodana ka-Asa waba yinkosi yakoJuda ngomnyaka wesine wokubusa kuka-Ahabi inkosi yako-Israyeli.

42UJehoshafathi waba yinkosi eleminyaka engamatshumi amathathu lemihlanu yokuzalwa, wabusa eJerusalema okweminyaka engamatshumi amabili lemihlanu. Ibizo likanina kungu-Azubha indodakazi kaShilihi. 43Kukho konke ayekwenza wayesenyathelweni likayise u-Asa njalo kazange aphambuke; wenza konke okuhle emehlweni kaJehova uNkulunkulu. Kodwa izindawo eziphakemeyo zokukhonzela kazisuswanga, abantu babelokhu benikela imihlatshelo, betshisa impepha khonapho.

44UJehoshafathi wahlalisana ngokuthula lenkosi yako-Israyeli.

45Okwenzakala ekubuseni kukaJehoshafathi, ukuphumelela kwakhe kanye lokunqoba ezimpini, akulotshwanga na encwadini yembali yamakhosi akoJuda?

46Waqeda insalela yamadoda ayehlobongana ayelokhu esasele lapho langemva kokubusa kukayise u-Asa. 47Kwakungaselankosi e-Edomi, umsekeli nguye owayebusa.

48UJehoshafathi wakha izikepe zokuthutha igolide e-Ofiri, kodwa azizanga zisebenze elwandle – zahle zahlikizeka zabhidlikela e-Eziyoni Gebheri. 49Ngalesosikhathi u-Ahaziya indodana ka-Ahabi wathi kuJehoshafathi, “Yekela abantu bami bahambe labakho olwandle,” kodwa uJehoshafathi wala.

50Ngakho uJehoshafathi waphumula laboyise wangcwatshwa kanye labo emzini kaDavida uyise. UJehoramu indodana yakhe wabusa esikhundleni sakhe.

U-Ahaziya iNkosi yako-Israyeli

51U-Ahaziya indodana ka-Ahabi waba yinkosi yako-Israyeli eSamariya ngomnyaka wetshumi lesikhombisa wokubusa kukaJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda, yena-ke wabusa ko-Israyeli okweminyaka emibili.

52Wona emehlweni kaJehova, ngoba wahamba enyathelweni likayise lelikanina walandela njalo izindlela zikaJerobhowami indodana kaNebathi, owabangela u-Israyeli ukuthi enze isono.

53Wasebenzela uBhali njalo wamkhonza wathukuthelisa uJehova, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, njengalokhu okwakwenziwe nguyise.