1Kwaba yiminyaka emithathu kungekho ukulwa phakathi kwe-Aramu no-Israyeli.
2Kwathi ngonyaka wesithathu, uJehoshafathi inkosi yakwaJuda, wehlela enkosini yakwa-Israyeli.
3Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi ezincekwini zayo: “Niyazi nje ukuthi iRamothi Gileyadi lingelethu, na? Kepha asenzi lutho ukuba silithathe esandleni senkosi yase-Aramu.”
4Yathi kuJehoshafathi: “Uzohamba yini nami ukuyolwa neRamothi Gileyadi na?” UJehoshafathi wathi enkosini yakwa-Israyeli: “Mina ngifana nawe, abantu bami banjengabantu bakho, namahhashi ami anjengamahhashi akho.”
5UJehoshafathi nokho wathi enkosini yakwa-Israyeli: “Ake ubuze namuhla izwi likaSimakade.”
6Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yayisiqoqa abaphrofethi abathi ababe ngama-400, yathi kubo: “Ngihambe yini ngiyokulwa neRamothi Gileyadi, noma ngiliyeke na?” Bathi: “Yenyuka, ngokuba uSimakade uyakulinikela esandleni senkosi.”
7Kepha uJehoshafathi wathi: “Akekho yini umphrofethi kaSimakade lapha ukuba sibuze kuye na?”
8Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi: “Kusekhona umuntu oyedwa esingabuza kuSimakade ngaye kodwa ngiyamzonda ngokuba akaphrofethi okuhle ngami kodwa okubi; nguMikhaya, indodana kaJimila.” UJehoshafathi wathi: “Inkosi mayingakusho lokho.”
9Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yayisibiza induna, yathi kuyo: “Landa masinyane uMikhaya, indodana kaJimila.”
10Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli noJehoshafathi, inkosi yakwaJuda, babehleli, kuyilowo nalowo esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi. Babembethe izembatho zabo, besesibuyeni ngasesangweni eSamariya. Bonke abaphrofethi babephrofetha phambi kwabo.
11UZedekiya, indodana kaKhenahana, wazenzela izimpondo zensimbi, wathi: “Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: ‘Ngalezi zimpondo uyakuqhubukusha ama-Aramu, uze uwabhubhise.’ ”
12Bonke abaphrofethi babephrofetha kanje, bethi: “Yenyukela eRamothi Gileyadi, ube nempumelelo, ngokuba uSimakade uzolinikela esandleni senkosi.”
13Isithunywa esasithunywe ukuyolanda uMikhaya, sathi kuye: “Bheka, bonke abaphrofethi baphrofethe kahle, basho ngazwi linye enkosini; ngakho-ke nawe izwi lakho malibe njengezwi lomunye wabo, ukhulume okuhle.”
14Kepha uMikhaya wathi: “Ngiyafunga phambi kuSimakade, lokhu uSimakade akushoyo kimi, yikhona engizokukhuluma.”
15Esefikile enkosini, inkosi yathi kuye: “Mikhaya, sihambe yini ukuyolwa neRamothi Gileyadi, noma siliyeke na?” Wathi kuyo: “Yenyuka, ube nempumelelo. USimakade uyakulinikela esandleni senkosi.”
16Yayisithi kuye inkosi: “Kuyoze kube kangaki ngikufungisa ukuba ungakhulumi lutho kimi ngaphandle kweqiniso egameni likaSimakade na?”
17Wayesethi: “Ngabona wonke u-Israyeli ehlakazekile ezintabeni njengezimvu ezingenamelusi. USimakade wayesethi: ‘Laba abasenankosi. Mababuyele, kube yilowo nalowo endlini yakhe ngokuthula.’ ”
18Yayisithi inkosi yakwa-Israyeli kuJehoshafathi: “Angishongo yini kuwe ukuthi akaphrofethi okuhle ngami, kodwa okubi kuphela na?”
19UMikhaya wathi: “Ngakho-ke yizwa izwi likaSimakade: ngambona uSimakade ehleli esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi; nebandla lonke lasezulwini limi ngakuye, kwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo sakhe.
20USimakade, wathi: ‘Ngubani oyakuyenga u-Ahabi ukuba enyuke afele eRamothi Gileyadi na?’ “Omunye washo komunye.
21Kwase kuvela umoya, wema phambi kukaSimakade, wathi: ‘Mina ngizomyenga.’ “USimakade wathi kuwo umoya: ‘Kanjani na?’
22“Wathi: ‘Ngizophuma ngibe ngumoya wamanga emilonyeni yabo bonke abaphrofethi bakhe.’ “Wayesethi: ‘Uyakumyenga, futhi umehlule. Hamba wenze kanjalo.’
23“Ngakho-ke uSimakade ubeke umoya wamanga emilonyeni yabo bonke abaphrofethi bakho; uSimakade ukhulume okubi kodwa ngawe.”
24UZedekiya, indodana kaKhenahara, wasondela, wamshaya uMikhaya esihlathini, wathi: “UMoya kaSimakade wasuka nini kimi ukuba akhulume kuwe na?”
25Wathi uMikhaya: “Bheka, uyakukubona lokho ngosuku oyongena uphuma ngalo emakamelweni ngamakamelo, ucasha.”
26Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi: “Mthathe uMikhaya, umbuyisele ku-Amoni, umbusi womuzi, nakuJowashi, indodana yenkosi,
27uyakuthi kubo: ‘Isho kanje inkosi, ithi: fakani lo ejele, nimuphe isinkwa sokuhlupheka namanzi okuhlupheka, ngize ngibuye ngiphephile.’ ”
28Wayesethi uMikhaya: “Uma uyobuya ngempela uphephile, uyakube engakhulumanga ngami uSimakade.” Wathi futhi: “Yizwani nina bantu bonke.”
29Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli noJehoshafathi, inkosi yakwaJuda, base benyukela eRamothi Gileyadi.
30Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi: “Mina ngizozifihla uma sekuliwa, kepha wena ubokwembatha izembatho zakho.” Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yayisizifihla, yahamba yayolwa.
31Inkosi yase-Aramu yayizidonse ngendlebe izinduna zayo ezingama-32, yathi: “Ningalwi namuntu noma ngomncane noma ngomdala, kodwa nenkosi yakwa-Israyeli kuphela.”
32Kwathi lapho izinduna zezinqola sezimbonile uJehoshafathi, zathi: “Impela lo yinkosi yakwa-Israyeli.” Zaphambuka zalwa nayo, kodwa uJehoshafathi wamemeza.
33Kwathi sezibonile izinduna zezinqola ukuthi akasiyo inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, zabuya ekumlandeleni.
34Kepha umuntu othile wansala umnsalo wakhe ngokungazelele nje, wayihlaba inkosi yakwa-Israyeli lapho kuhlangana khona ibhantshi lensimbi eliyisivikelo sayo, yathi kumshayeli wenqola yayo: “Phenduka, ungikhiphe empini, ngokuba sengilinyaziwe.”
35Impi yashisa ngalolo lusuku. Inkosi bayibeka enqoleni yayo maqondana ne-Aramu, kwathi kusihlwa yakhothama. Igazi elaphuma enxebeni layo lagobhozela phansi enqoleni.
36Selishonile ilanga, kwedluliswa enkanjini isimemezelo sokuthi: “Yilowo nalowo makabuyele emzini wakubo, ezweni lakubo.”
37Yakhothama-ke inkosi, yase iyiswa eSamariya; bayimbela eSamariya.
38Sebeyihlanza inqola echibini eSamariya, kwaba njengalokhu uSimakade ayeshilo ukuthi izinja ziyakuxhapha igazi lakhe, nezifebe zigeze ngalo.
39Ezinye izindaba zika-Ahabi, konke akwenzayo, indlu yezimpondo zendlovu ayakhayo, nayo yonke imizi ayakhayo, akulotshiwe yini encwadini yezindaba zemihla ngemihla yamakhosi akwa-Israyeli na?
40U-Ahabi walaliswa kokhokho bakhe; u-Ahaziya, indodana yakhe, waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
41UJehoshafathi, indodana ka-Asa, waba yinkosi kwaJuda ngonyaka wesine wokubusa kuka-Ahabi, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli.
42UJehoshafathi waqala ukubusa eneminyaka engama-35; wabusa iminyaka engama-25 eJerusalema. Igama likanina kwakungu-Azubha, indodakazi kaShilekhi.
43Wahamba ngezindlela zonke zika-Asa, uyise, kaphambukanga kuzo, wenza okulungile emehlweni kaSimakade. Kepha izindawo eziphakemeyo azisuswanga; abantu babesanikela, beshisa impepho ezindaweni eziphakemeyo.
44UJehoshafathi wadala ukuthula nenkosi yakwa-Israyeli.
45Ezinye izindaba zikaJehoshafathi, amandla awabonakalisa, nokulwa kwakhe, akulotshiwe yini encwadini yezindaba zemihla ngemihla yamakhosi akwaJuda na?
46Insali yomkhuba wobufebe basethempelini, eyayisele emihleni kayise, u-Asa wayibhubhisa ezweni.
47Kwakungekho nkosi kwa-Edomi; kwakubusa ibambela.
48UJehoshafathi walungisa imikhumbi yaseTharishishi ukuba iye e-Ofiri ukuyolanda igolide, kodwa ayihambanga, ngokuba imikhumbi yephukela e-Eziyoni Gebheri.
49U-Ahaziya, indodana ka-Ahabi, wathi kuJehoshafathi: “Izinceku zami mazihambe nezinceku zakho ngemikhumbi.” Kepha uJehoshafathi akavumanga.
50UJehoshafathi walaliswa kokhokho bakhe, wembelwa kokhokho emzini kaDavide, ukhokho wakhe; uJehoramu, indodana yakhe, waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
51U-Ahaziya, indodana ka-Ahabi, waqala ukubusa kwa-Israyeli eSamariya ngonyaka we-17 wokubusa kukaJehoshafathi, inkosi yakwaJuda, wabusa iminyaka emibili kwa-Israyeli.
52Wenza okubi phambi kukaSimakade, wahamba ngendlela kayise, ngekanina, nangekaJerobhowamu, indodana kaNebhathi, onisa ngayo u-Israyeli.
53Wakhonza uBhali, wakhuleka kuye, wamcunula uSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, njengakho konke ayekwenzile uyise.