2 Chronicles 18
1 UJehoshafathi wayenengcebo nodumo olukhulu, waba nobuhlobo no-Ahabi ngokuganiselana.
2 Ngasekugcineni kweminyaka ethile, wehlela eSamariya ku-Ahabi. U-Ahabi wamhlabisa, yena nabantu ababenaye, izimvu nezinkabi eziningi, wamncenga ukuba akhuphuke ahlasele iRamothi Gileyadi.
3 U-Ahabi, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, wathi kuJehoshafathi, inkosi yakwaJuda: “Uyakuhamba nami yini, siye eRamothi Gileyadi na?” Wathi kuye: “Mina nginjengawe, nabantu bami banjengabantu bakho; siyakuba nawe empini.”
4 UJehoshafathi wathi enkosini yakwa-Israyeli: “Ake ubuze namhlanje izwi likaSimakade.”
5 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yaqoqa abaphrofethi, amadoda angama-400, yathi kubo: “Sihambe yini siyokulwa neRamothi Gileyadi, noma ngiyeke na?” Bathi: “Khuphuka, ngokuba uNkulunkulu uyakulinikela esandleni senkosi.”
6 Kepha uJehoshafathi wathi: “Akusekho mphrofethi kaSimakade lapha, ukuba sibuze kuye na?”
7 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi: “Kukhona umuntu oyedwa vo esingabuza ngaye kuSimakade, kodwa ngiyamzonda, akaphrofethi lutho oluhle ngami, kepha okubi njalo. NguMikhaya, indodana kaJimila.” UJehoshafathi wathi enkosini: “Inkosi mayingasho kanjalo.”
8 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yayisibiza enye yezinduna, yathi: “Phuthuma ulande uMikhaya, indodana kaJimila.”
9 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli noJehoshafathi inkosi yakwaJuda babehleli, yilowo nalowo esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi. Babembethe izembatho zabo, behleli esibuyeni esisesikhaleni sesango eSamariya. Bonke abaphrofethi babephrofetha phambi kwabo.
10 UZedekiya, indodana kaKhenahana, wayezenzele izimpondo zensimbi, wathi: “Usho kanje uSimakade, uthi: ‘Ngalezi zimpondo uyakuwagwaza ama-Aramu uwabhubhise aze aphele nya.’ ”
11 Bonke abaphrofethi baphrofetha kanjalo bethi: “Khuphukela eRamothi Gileyadi, unqobe, ngokuba uSimakade uyakulinikela esandleni senkosi.”
12 Isithunywa esasiyobiza uMikhaya sakhuluma naye, sathi: “Bonke abaphrofethi bakhulume ngazwi linye baphrofetha okuhle enkosini, sengathi izwi lakho lingaba linye nelabo, ukhulume okuhle.”
13 Kepha uMikhaya wathi: “Ngifunga ngiyagomela phambi kukaSimakade, akushoyo uNkulunkulu wami yikhona engizakukukhuluma.”
14 Esefikile enkosini, inkosi yathi kuye: “Mikhaya, sihambe yini ukuyokulwa neRamothi Gileyadi, noma ngiliyeke na?” Wathi: “Khuphukani, nibe nempumelelo; bayakunikelwa esandleni senu.”
15 Inkosi yayisithi kuye: “Ngiyakukufungisa kuze kube kangaki ukuba ungakhulumi lutho kimi ngaphandle kweqiniso egameni likaSimakade na?”
16 Wayesethi: “Ngabona wonke u-Israyeli ehlakazekile ezintabeni njengezimvu ezingenamelusi. USimakade wathi: ‘Laba abasenawo amakhosi, mabaphindele emuva ngokuthula, kube yilowo nalowo endlini yakhe.’ ”
17 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yayisithi kuJehoshafathi: “Angishongo-ke kuwe ukuthi akaphrofethi lutho oluhle ngami; okubi kuphela na?”
18 UMikhaya wathi: “Ngakho-ke yizwani izwi likaSimakade: ngambona uSimakade ehleli esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, ibandla lonke lasezulwini limi ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo sakhe.
19 USimakade wathi: ‘Ngubani oyakuyenga u-Ahabi, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, ukuba ikhuphuke ifele eRamothi Gileyadi na?’ “Omunye washo lokhu nomunye washo lokhuya.
20 “Kwase kuvela umoya, wema phambi kukaSimakade wathi: ‘Mina ngiyakumyenga.’ “USimakade wathi kuye: ‘Kanjani na?’
21 “Wathi: ‘Ngiyakuphuma ngibe ngumoya wamanga emilonyeni yabaphrofethi bakhe bonke.’ “Wathi: ‘Uyakumyenga, futhi umehlule, ngakho hamba wenze kanjalo.’
22 “Ngakho-ke uSimakade ufake umoya wamanga emilonyeni yalaba baphrofethi bakho. NguSimakade okhulume okubi ngawe.”
23 UZedekiya, indodana kaKhenahama, wasondela wamshaya esihlathini uMikhaya, wathi: “UMoya kaSimakade wasuka nini kimi ukuba akhulume kuwe na?”
24 Wathi uMikhaya: “Uyakukubona lokho ngosuku oyongena uphuma ngalo emakamelweni ngamakamelo, ucasha.”
25 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi: “Mthatheni uMikhaya, nimbuyisele ku-Amoni, umbusi womuzi, nakuJowashi, indodana yenkosi,
26 uyakuthi kubo: ‘Isho kanje inkosi, ithi: “Fakani lona ejele, nimuphe isinkwa sokuhlupheka namanzi okuhlupheka, ngize ngibuye ngiphephile.” ’ ”
27 Wayesethi uMikhaya: “Uma uyobuya ngempela uphephile, uyakube engakhulumanga ngami uSimakade.” Wathi futhi: “Yizwani nina bantu bonke.”
28 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli noJehoshafathi, inkosi yakwaJuda, base benyukela eRamathi Gileyadi.
29 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi: “Mina ngizozifihla ngiye ngilwe, kepha wena yembatha izembatho zakho.” Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yayisizifihla, yahamba yayokulwa.
30 Inkosi yase-Aramu yayizidonse ngendlebe izinduna zezinqola zayo, yathi: “Ningalwi namuntu noma ngomncane noma ngomdala, kodwa nenkosi yakwa-Israyeli kuphela.”
31 Kwathi lapho izinduna zezinqola zimbona uJehoshafathi, zathi: “Lo yinkosi yakwa-Israyeli.” Zaphambuka ukuba zilwe nayo, kepha uJehoshafathi wamemeza, uSimakade wamsiza. UNkulunkulu wabasusa kuye.
32 Kwathi izinduna zezinqola sezibonile ukuthi akasiyo inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, zabuya ekumlandeleni.
33 Kepha 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.”
34 Impi yashisa ngalolo lusuku. Inkosi bayibeka enqoleni yayo maqondana ne-Aramu, kwaze kwaba kusihlwa, yakhothama ngesikhathi sokushona kwelanga.