1 AmaKhosi Chapter 22

1. Bahlala iminyaka emithathu kungekho ukulwa phakathi kwe-Aramu no-Israyeli.

2. Kwathi ngomnyaka wesithathu uJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda wehlela enkosini yakwa-Israyeli.

3. Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi ezincekwini zayo: “Niyazi ukuthi iRamoti Gileyadi lingelethu na? Kepha siyathula, asilikhiphi esandleni senkosi yase-Aramu.”

4. Yathi kuJehoshafati: “Uyakuhamba nami ukulwa neRamoti Gileyadi na?” UJehoshafati wathi enkosini yakwa-Israyeli: “Mina nginjengawe, abantu bami banjengabantu bakho, amahhashi ami anjengamahhashi akho.”

5. Kepha uJehoshafati wathi enkosini yakwa-Israyeli: “Ake ubuze namuhla izwi likaJehova.”

6. Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yayisibutha abaprofethi kungathi abantu abangamakhulu amane, yathi kubo: “Ngihambe ngilwe neRamoti Gileyadi, noma ngiliyeke na?” Bathi: “Yenyuka, ngokuba uJehova uyakulinikela esandleni senkosi.”

7. Kepha uJehoshafati wathi: “Akusekho mprofethi kaJehova lapha ukuba sibuze kuye na?”

8. Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafati: “Kusekhona umuntu munye, uMikhaya, indodana kaJimila, esingabuza ngaye kuJehova, kodwa ngiyamzonda, ngokuba akaprofethi okuhle ngami kepha okubi.” Wathi uJehoshafati: “Inkosi mayingasho njalo.”

9. Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yayisibiza induna, yathi: “Landa masinyane uMikhaya indodana kaJimila.”

10. Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli noJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda babehlezi, kwaba yilowo nalowo esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, bembethe izambatho zabo, esibuyeni ngasesikhaleni sesango laseSamariya; bonke abaprofethi baprofetha phambi kwabo.

11. USedekiya indodana kaKhenahana wazenzela izimpondo zensimbi, wathi: “Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: ‘Ngalezi uyakuqhubukusha ama-Aramu aze aphele.’ ”

12. Bonke abaprofethi baprofetha kanje, bathi: “Yenyukela eRamoti Gileyadi, ube nempumelelo, ngokuba uJehova uyakulinikela esandleni senkosi.”

13. Isithunywa ebesihambile ukumbiza uMikhaya sakhuluma kuye, sathi: “Bheka, amazwi abaprofethi mahle enkosini ngamlomo munye; ngalokho izwi lakho malibe njengezwi lomunye wabo, ukhulume okuhle.”

14. Kepha uMikhaya wathi: “Kuphila kukaJehova, lokhu uJehova akushoyo kimi, lokhu ngiyakukhuluma khona.”

15. Esefikile enkosini, inkosi yathi kuye: “Mikhaya, sihambe silwe neRamoti Gileyadi, noma siliyeke, na?” Wathi kuyo: “Yenyuka, ube nempumelelo; uJehova uyakulinikela esandleni senkosi.”

16. Yayisithi kuye inkosi: “Ngiyakukufungisa izikhathi ezingaki ukuba ungakhulumi lutho kimi ngaphandle kweqiniso egameni likaJehova na?”

17. Wayesethi: “Ngabona wonke u-Israyeli ehlakazekile ezintabeni njengezimvu ezingenamalusi; uJehova wathi: ‘Laba abasenankosi; mababuyele, kube yilowo nalowo endlini yakhe ngokuthula.’ ”

18. Yayisithi inkosi yakwa-Israyeli kuJehoshafati: “Angishongo yini kuwe ukuthi akayikuprofetha okuhle ngami, okubi kuphela.”

19. UMikhaya wathi: “Ngalokho yizwa izwi likaJehova lokuthi: Ngambona uJehova ehlezi esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, nebandla lonke lasezulwini limi ngakuye ngakwesokunene sakhe nangakwesokhohlo sakhe.

20. UJehova wathi: ‘Ngubani oyakuyenga u-Ahabi ukuba enyuke afele eRamoti Gileyadi na?’ “Omunye washo ukuthi nomunye ukuthi.

21. Kwavela umoya, wema phambi kukaJehova, wathi: ‘Mina ngiyakumyenga.’ “UJehova wathi kuye: ‘Ngantoni na?’

22. “Wathi: ‘Ngiyakuphuma ngibe ngumoya wamanga emilonyeni yabaprofethi bakhe bonke.’ “Wayesethi: ‘Uyakumyenga, futhi uyakumahlula; hamba, wenze njalo.’

23. “Bheka, ngalokho uJehova ubekile umoya wamanga emilonyeni yalaba baprofethi bakho bonke; uJehova ukhulumile okubi ngawe.”

24. USedekiya indodana kaKhenahana wayesesondela, wamshaya uMikhaya esihlathini, wathi: “UMoya kaJehova wasuka kimi ngaphi ukuba akhulume kuwe na?”

25. Wathi uMikhaya: “Bheka, uyakukubona ngalolo suku oyakungena ngalo emakamelweni ngamakamelo ukuba ucashe.”

26. Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi: “Mthathe uMikhaya, umbuyisele ku-Amoni, umbusi womuzi, nakuJowashi indodana yenkosi,

27. uthi: ‘Isho kanje inkosi, ithi: Fakani lona etilongweni, nimuphe isinkwa sokuhlupheka namanzi okuhlupheka, ngize ngibuye ngokuphila.’ ”

28. Wayesethi uMikhaya: “Uma ubuya impela ngokuphila, uyakube engakhulumanga ngami uJehova.” Wathi futhi: “Yizwani nina bantu bonke.”

29. Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, noJehoshafati, inkosi yakwaJuda, base benyukela eRamoti Gileyadi.

30. Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafati: “Ngiyakuziguqula, ngingene ekulweni, kepha wena wembathe izambatho zakho.” Yayisiziguqula inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, yangena ekulweni.

31. Kepha inkosi yase-Aramu ibiyalile izinduna ezingamashumi amathathu nambili zezinqola zayo ngokuthi: “Ningalwi namuntu, omncane noma omkhulu, kuphela nenkosi yakwa-Israyeli yodwa.”

32. Kwathi lapho izinduna zezinqola sezibonile uJehoshafati, zathi: “Impela lo uyinkosi yakwa-Israyeli.” Zase ziphambuka ukuba zilwe nayo, kepha uJehoshafati wamemeza.

33. Kwathi sezibonile izinduna zezinqola ukuthi yena akasiyo inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, zabuya ekumlandeleni.

34. Kepha umuntu othile wansala umnsalo wakhe ngokungazeleli nje, wayihlaba inkosi yakwa-Israyeli enhlanganisweni yebhantshi lensimbi, yathi kumshayeli: “Phenduka, ungikhiphe empini, ngokuba ngikhutshaziwe.”

35. Ukulwa kwaqina ngalolo suku; inkosi yasekelwa enqoleni yayo malungana nama-Aramu, yafa ngakusihlwa; igazi lenxeba laphalazeka phansi enqoleni.

36. Ekushoneni kwelanga kwadlula ekamu lonke isimemo sokuthi: “Yilowo nalowo makaye emzini wakubo, yilowo nalowo ezweni lakubo.”

37. Yafa-ke inkosi, yayiswa eSamariya; bayimbela inkosi eSamariya.

38. Sebeyihlanza inqola echibini laseSamariya, izinja zaxhapha igazi lakhe, nezifebe zageza khona njengezwi likaJehova abelikhulumile.

39. Ezinye izindaba zika-Ahabi, nakho konke akwenzayo, nendlu yezimpondo zendlovu ayakhayo, nayo yonke imizi ayakhayo, angithi kulotshiwe encwadini yezindaba zemihla ngemihla yamakhosi akwa-Israyeli na?

40. U-Ahabi wayeselala koyise; u-Ahaziya waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.

41. UJehoshafati indodana ka-Asa waqala ukubusa kwaJuda ngomnyaka wesine ka-Ahabi inkosi yakwa-Israyeli.

42. UJehoshafati wayeneminyaka engamashumi amathathu nanhlanu ekuqaleni kwakhe ukubusa; wabusa iminyaka engamashumi amabili nanhlanu eJerusalema. Igama likanina lalingu-Azuba indodakazi kaShilehi.

43. Wahamba ngezindlela zonke zika-Asa uyise, kaphambukanga kuzo, enza okulungile emehlweni kaJehova. Kepha izindawo eziphakemeyo azisuswanga; abantu babesanikela, babesashisa impepho ezindaweni eziphakemeyo.

44. UJehoshafati wenza ukuthula nenkosi yakwa-Israyeli.

45. Ezinye izindaba zikaJehoshafati, namandla awabonakalisayo, nokulwa kwakhe, angithi kulotshiwe encwadini yezindaba zemihla ngemihla yamakhosi akwaJuda na?

46. Insali yezifebe zethempeli ezazisasele emihleni kayise u-Asa wayixosha ezweni.

47. Kwakungekho nkosi kwa-Edomi; kwabusa umbambeli.

48. UJehoshafati walungisa imikhumbi yaseTharishishi ukuba iye e-Ofiri ukulanda igolide, kepha ayihambanga, ngokuba imikhumbi yaphuka e-Esiyoni Geberi.

49. Khona u-Ahaziya indodana ka-Ahabi wathi kuJehoshafati: “Izinceku zami mazihambe nezinceku zakho emikhunjini.” Kepha uJehoshafati akavumanga.

50. UJehoshafati wayeselala koyise, wembelwa koyise emzini kaDavide uyise; uJehoramu indodana yakhe waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.

51. U-Ahaziya indodana ka-Ahabi waqala ukubusa kwa-Israyeli eSamariya ngomnyaka weshumi nesikhombisa kaJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda, wabusa iminyaka emibili kwa-Israyeli.

52. Wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova, wahamba ngendlela kayise, nangendlela kanina, nangendlela kaJerobowamu indodana kaNebati ayonisile u-Israyeli.

53. Wakhonza uBali, wakhuleka kuye, wacunula uJehova, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, njengakho konke akwenzileyo uyise.