1UBheni Hadadi, inkosi yase-Aramu, wabutha impi yakhe yonke; amakhosi angama-32 ayenaye, amahhashi nezinqola zempi; wenyukela eSamariya, walivimbezela, walwa nalo.
2Wathumela izithunywa ku-Ahabi, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, emzini.
3Wathi kuye: “Usho kanje uBheni Hadadi, uthi: ‘Isiliva negolide lakho kungokwami, amakhosikazi nabantwana bakho abahle bangabami.’ ”
4Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yaphendula, yathi: “Kunjengoba usho, nkosi yami, nkosi. Mina ngingowakho nakho konke enginakho.”
5Izithunywa zabuya, zathi: “Usho kanje uBheni Hadadi, uthi: ‘Ngithumele kuwe, ngathi: nginike isiliva lakho negolide lakho, namakhosikazi akho, nabantwana bakho,
6kuyakuthi kusasa, ngalesi sikhathi, ngithumele izinceku zami, zipeketule esigodlweni sakho nasezindlini zezinceku zakho; kuyothi konke okuhle kuwe, zikuthathe, zikwephuce khona.’ ”
7Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yayisibiza wonke amalunga ezwe, yathi: “Ngicela nazi, nibone ukuthi lo muntu ufuna ukwenza okubi. Uthumele kimi efuna amakhosikazi ami, abantwana bami, isiliva lami negolide lami; angizange ngenqabe nakho.”
8Onke amalunga nabantu bonke, bathi kuye: “Ungalokothi umlalele, futhi ungavumi.”
9Inkosi yathi ezithunyweni zikaBheni Hadadi: “Yitsheleni inkosi yami, inkosi, nithi: ‘Konke owakuthumela ngezinceku zakho encekwini yakho kuqala, ngizokwenza, kodwa le nto angikwazi ukuyenza.’ ” Izithunywa zaphindela emuva nalelo lizwi.
10UBheni Hadadi wathumela kuyo, wathi: “Onkulunkulu mabenze kanjalo kimi, benezele futhi, uma uthuli lweSamariya lungeke lugcwale isandla kulowo nalowo muntu ongilandelayo.”
11Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yaphendula, yathi: “Mtsheleni nithi: ‘Obhinca izikhali makangazigabisi njengalowo ozikhumulayo.’ ”
12Kwathi ukuba ezwe leli lizwi, ephuza namakhosi emadokodweni awo, wathi ezincekwini zakhe: “Mayiphume ihlasele!” Yayisiphuma-ke impi, yayolwa nomuzi.
13Bheka, kwasondela umphrofethi ku-Ahabi, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, wathi: “Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: ‘Uyasibona sonke lesi sixuku esikhulu? Ngizosinikela esandleni sakho namuhla, ukuze wazi ukuthi Mina nginguSimakade.’ ”
14Wayesethi u-Ahabi: “Ngobani abazokwenza lokho na?” Wathi; “Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: ‘Yizinsizwa zezikhulu zezifunda.’ ” Wayesethi: “Ngubani ozoqala impi?” Wathi: “Nguwe.”
15Wayesehlanganisa izinsizwa zezikhulu zezifunda; zazingama-232. Emva kwazo wahlanganisa abantu bonke; abakwa-Israyeli babeyizi-7 000.
16Baphuma emini. UBheni Hadadi wayezigcingca ngotshwala emadokodweni, ekanye namakhosi angama-32 ayemsiza.
17Izinsizwa zezikhulu zezifunda zaphuma kuqala. UBheni Hadadi wathumela, bambikela ukuthi kuphume amadoda eSamariya.
18Wathi: “Uma bephumele ukuthula, babambeni bephila, noma bephumele ukulwa, babambeni bephila.”
19Izinsizwa zezikhulu zezifunda zaphuma-ke emzini nempi eyayizilandela.
20Kwaba yilowo nalowo wabulala owakhe umuntu. Ama-Aramu abaleka, u-Israyeli wawahubha, kodwa uBheni Hadadi, inkosi yama-Aramu, waphunyuka egibele ihhashi ekanye nabamahhashi bakhe.
21Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yaphuma, yabhubhisa amahhashi nezinqola zempi, yabulala ama-Aramu amaningi kakhulu.
22Umphrofethi wasondela enkosini yakwa-Israyeli, wathi kuyo: “Hamba, uziqinise, uqaphele, ubone ukuthi uzokwenzani, ngoba emva konyaka inkosi yama-Aramu izobuya, izokulwa nawe.”
23Izinceku zenkosi yama-Aramu zathi kuyo: “Unkulunkulu wabo ungunkulunkulu wezintaba, ngalokho babenamandla kunathi, kepha masilwe nabo ethafeni, siyakuba namandla kunabo, sibehlule.
24Yenza lokhu futhi: susa wonke amakhosi, yileyo naleyo endaweni yayo, ubeke ababusi ezikhundleni zawo.
25Uzihlanganisele impi yakho ibe njengaleyo eyakulahlekela, ihhashi ngehhashi, inqola ngenqola; masilwe nabo ethafeni, siyoba namandla kunabo.” Walilalela izwi labo, wenza kanjalo.
26Kwathi emva konyaka, uBheni Hadadi wahlanganisa ama-Aramu, wayesenyukela e-Afeki ukuyolwa no-Israyeli.
27Abakwa-Israyeli bahlanganiswa nabo, baphiwa ukudla, base behamba ukuyobhekana nabo. Abakwa-Israyeli bakanisa phambi kweyesitha, babefana nemihlanjana emibili yamazinyane ezimbuzi, kodwa ama-Aramu ayegcwalise izwe.
28Umuntu kaNkulunkulu wayesesondela enkosini yakwa-Israyeli, wathi kuyo: “Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: ‘Ngenxa yokuba ama-Aramu athe uSimakade unguNkulunkulu wezintaba, akasiye uNkulunkulu wezigodi, ngizosinikela sonke lesi sixuku esikhulu esandleni sakho, ukuze nazi ukuthi nginguSimakade.’ ”
29Bakanisa babhekana izinsuku eziyikhombisa. Kwathi ngosuku lwesikhombisa yatholana phezulu. Abakwa-Israyeli babulala ama-Aramu ayimigundatshani ayizi-100 000 ngalusuku lunye.
30Insali yabalekela emzini e-Afeki; ugange lwawela phezu kwamadoda ayizi-27 000 ayesele. UBheni Hadadi wabalekela emzini, ukuyobhaca.
31Izinceku zakhe zathi kuye: “Sizwile ukuthi amakhosi endlu yakwa-Israyeli angamakhosi anomusa; ake sibhince indwangu eyisaka okhalo lwethu nezintambo emakhanda ethu, siphume siye enkosini yakwa-Israyeli; mhlawumbe iyakusindisa ukuphila kwakho.”
32Zase zibhinca indwangu eyisaka okhalo lwazo, zafaka nezintambo emakhanda azo, zaya enkosini yakwa-Israyeli, zathi: “Ithi inceku yakho, uBheni Hadadi: ‘Ngicela ungiyeke, ngiphile.’ ” Yayisithi: “Usekhona yini? Ungumfowethu yena.”
33Amadoda ayekuqaphele lokho kukhuluma, ashesha ukukufakazela akushilo, athi: “Impela ungumfowenu uBheni Hadadi.” Wathi: “Hambani, nimlande.” UBheni Hadadi wayesephuma, weza kuye, wamgibelisa enqoleni yakhe.
34UBheni Hadadi wathi kuye: “Imizi eyadliwa ngubaba kuyihlo ngizoyibuyisa, uyakuzenzela imigwaqo eDamaseku njengalokhu ubaba enza eSamariya.” U-Ahabi wathi: “Ngenxa yalesi sivumelwano ngizokuvumela ukuba uhambe.” Base benza isivumelwano, wayesemvumela ukuba ahambe.
35Umuntu othile owayengomunye wamadodana abaphrofethi, wathi kumngani wakhe ngezwi likaSimakade: “Ake ungishaye.” Kepha lowo muntu wenqaba ukumshaya.
36Wayesethi kuye: “Njengoba ungalalelanga izwi likaSimakade, uzokuthi uma nje usuka lapha kimi, ubulawe yibhubesi.” Nempela wanele ukusuka nje kuye, wahlangana nebhubesi lambhozomela, lambulala.
37Omunye umuntu wamthola, wathi kuye: “Ake ungishaye.” Lowo muntu wamshaya, wamshaya wamlimaza.
38Umphrofethi wayesesuka, wayolinda inkosi endleleni, wazifihla ngeqhele emehlweni akhe.
39Kwathi lapho inkosi idlula, wayimemeza, wathi: “Inceku yakho yaphuma yaya phakathi kwempi; kweza umuntu waletha kimi omunye, wathi: ‘Linda lo muntu; uma elahleka, ukuphila kwakho kuyakuba sesikhundleni sokuphila kwakhe, noma uyakukhokha ithalente lesiliva.’
40Inceku yakho isaxakekile ndaweni thizeni, wanyamalala.” Yayisithi kuye inkosi yakwa-Israyeli: “Wehlulelwe kanjalo-ke, njengalokhu unqumile.”
41Wayeseshesha walisusa iqhele emehlweni akhe, yayisimbona inkosi yakwa-Israyeli ukuthi ungomunye wabaphrofethi.
42Wathi kuyo: “Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: ‘Ngenxa yokuthi umyekile waphunyuka esandleni sakho umuntu ebengizombhubhisa, ukuphila kwakho kuyakuba sesikhundleni sokuphila kwakhe, nabantu bakho esikhundleni sabantu bakhe.’ ”
43Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yaphindela esigodlweni sayo ihluneme futhi ithukuthele, yase iya eSamariya.