1USimakade uyoba nesihawu kuJakobe, abuye amkhethe u-Israyeli, amuphe ukuthula ezweni lakhe; nabafokazi bayozihlanganisa naye, banamathele endlini kaJakobe.
2Izizwe ziyobathumba, zibayise endaweni yazo; indlu ka-Israyeli iyozidla lezo zizwe, zibe yifa layo, zibe yizinceku nezincekukazi ezweni likaSimakade; iyobathumba labo ababekade beyithumbile, ibuse phezu kwabacindezeli bayo.
3Kuyothi lapho uSimakade eseniphumuzile ebuhlungwini, enhluphekweni, nasemsebenzini onzima ababenenzisa wona,
4nihaye le ngoma, nedelele inkosi yaseBhabhele, nithi: “Yeka ukuphela komcindezeli nokuqedwa kokuqhosha!
5USimakade waphule induku yezikhohlakali nentonga yababusi,
6eyashaya abantu ngentukuthelo ingaphezi, yabusa izizwe ngolaka nangokucindezela okunganqandekiyo.
7Wonke umhlaba uphumule, unokuthula; kuqhumuke inhlokomo kubantu.
8Ngisho imisayiphuresi nemisedari eLebhanoni, iyathokoza ngawe, ithi: ‘Selokhu walaliswa phansi, akukho mgawuli okhuphukele kithi ukuba asigawule.’
9Indawo yabafileyo phansi inyakazisiwe ukuba ikuhlangabeze uma ufika kuyo, ikuvusele izithunzi zazo zonke izikhulu zomhlaba, isukumise wonke amakhosi ezizwe ezihlalweni zawo zobukhosi.
10Wonke ayophendula, athi kuwe: ‘Kanti nawe usubuthakathaka njengathi, usufana nathi?’
11Ukuphakama kwakho sekwehliselwe endaweni yabafileyo, kanjalo nomsindo wezingubhu zenu; izimpethu zendlaliwe phansi kwakho, nezibungu ziyakusibekela.
12“Yeka ukuwa kwakho ezulwini, khwezi elikhanyayo, ndodana yokusa, nokuqunjwa kwakho phansi, wena owawunqoba izizwe.
13Wena wathi enhliziyweni yakho: ‘Ngiyokhuphukela ezulwini, ngiphakamise isihlalo sami sobukhosi phezu kwezinkanyezi zikaNkulunkulu; ngiyohlala entabeni yomhlangano ngasemaphethelweni aseZafoni.
14Ngiyokhuphuka ezindaweni eziphakemeyo phezu kwamafu, ngizenze ngibe njengoPhezukonke.’
15Nokho wehliselwe endaweni yabafileyo, emajukujukwini omgodi.
16“Abakubonayo bayokubhekisisa, bakuqaphelisise, bese bethi: ‘Nguye yini lo muntu owazamazamisa umhlaba, wanyakazisa imibuso,
17owenza izwe laba yihlane, wabhubhisa imizi yalo, akazivumela iziboshwa ukuba zibuyele emakhaya na?’
18Wonke amakhosi ezizwe, wonke alale ngodumo, yileyo naleyo edlinzeni layo.
19Kodwa wena ulahlwe ngaphandle kwethuna lakho njengegatsha elinengekayo, ligqokwe ngababuleweyo, abagwazwe ngenkemba, behlela emgodini wamatshe njengesidumbu esinyathelweyo.
20Awusoze wahlangana nabo egodini, ngokuba waba yimbangela yencithakalo ezweni lakini; wabulala abantu bakini. Sengathi izizukulwane zezikhohlakali zingebe zisaphathwa naphakade.
21Lungisani indawo yokubulalela abantwana bakhe, ngenxa yenkohlakalo yokhokho babo. Mabangaphinde bavuke, ukuba badle ifa lomhlaba, bagcwalise izwe ngemizi.
22“Ngiyobavukela,” kusho uSimakade Wamabandla, “nginqume eBhabhele igama nensali, indodana nomzukulu,” kusho uSimakade.
23“Ngiyolenza libe yifa lezingungumbane namaxhaphozi anomhlanga, ngiyolishanela ngomshanelo wembubhiso,” kusho uSimakade Wamabandla.
24USimakade Wamabandla ufunge wathi: “Impela njengoba ngihlosile kuyokuba kanjalo, nanjengoba ngihlelile kuyokuma kanjalo,
25ukuthi ngiyolicoboshisa i-Asiriya ezweni lami, ngiligxobe ezintabeni zami; lisuswe kubantu bani ijoka lalo nomthwalo walo osemahlombe abo.”
26Yilesi isinqumo esinqunyiwe emhlabeni wonke; yilesi isandla esizoshaya izizwe zonke.
27Ngokuba uSimakade Wamabandla unqumile; ngubani oyakuguqula lokho na? Isandla sakhe sizogadla; ngubani oyakusinqanda na?
28Ngonyaka wokufa kwenkosi u-Ahazi, kwavela lesi siphrofetho.
29Ungathokozi wena Filistiya namaphethelo, ngokuthi intonga ekushayileyo yephukile, ngokuba esiqwini senyoka kuyophuma ibululu, nenzalo yalo ibe yinkanyamba endizayo.
30Amazibulo abampofu ayodla, abantulayo balale belondekile; kodwa ngiyobulala impande yakho ngendlala, ngibhubhise nensali yakho.
31Lila wena sango, udazuluke wena muzi; phela amandla wena Filistiya lonke! Ngokuba kuvela intuthu enyakatho; akekho oyokwehlukana nebutho lakhe.
32Ziyophendulwa ngokuthini izithunywa zesizwe na? Kuyothiwa nguSimakade omisele abahluphekileyo babantu bakhe iZiyoni, ukuba bayophephela kulo.