1 Ke kaloku uBhenadadi ukumkani wama-Aram wawuqokelela wonke umkhosi wakhe. Wayencediswa ngookumkani abamashumi mathathu anambini, benamahashe neenqwelo zabo, wayingqinga iSamariya wayihlasela.
2 Wathumela abathunywa apho esixekweni kukumkani uAhabhi wakwaSirayeli, esithi: “Mna Bhenadadi ndithi:
3 ‘Loo siliva naloo golide yakho yeyam ngoku; nezona nzwakazi zabafazi ngabam, ngokunjalo nabantwana.’ ”
4 Waphendula ke ukumkani wakwaSirayeli esithi: “Kanye njengoko sewutshilo, mhlekazi kumkani; xa sisonke nje singabákho, nako konke esinako.”
5 Zabuza kwakhona izithunywa ezo zisithi: “UBhenadadi uthi: ‘Bendithumele ndifuna isiliva negolide nabafazi bakho nabantwana.
6 Kodwa ngomso malunga neli xesha ndothumela amagosa am aligqogqe ibhotwe lakho kunye nezindlu zamaphakathi akho. Aya kubutha yonke into oyixabisileyo, emke nayo.’ ”
7 Ke ukumkani wakwaSirayeli wawabiza onke amadoda amakhulu elizwe lakhe, wathi: “Niyambona lo mfo; uzingelana nenkathazo! Ngokuya ebethumele efuna isiliva negolide, abafazi nabantwana bam, khange ndale.”
8 Aphendula ke amadoda amakhulu nabantu xa bebonke bathi: “Hayi suka, sukuyiphulaphula le nkewu le; nezo zinto izifunayo sukuvuma nazo!”
9 Ke kaloku wathi kubathunywa bakaBhenadadi: “Yixeleleni inkosi yam ukumkani nithi mna sicaka sakhe zonke izinto ebethe uyazifuna kwisihlandlo sokuqala ndizimisele ukumnika, kodwa ke yona le ayithethayo ngoku andinakuyenza.” Bemka ke abathunywa abo, basa olu daba kuBhenadadi.
10 Uphindile ke uBhenadadi wathumela olunye udaba kwalapho kuAhabhi, esithi: “Mabandohlwaye oothixo, nokuba kuqatha kangakanani na, ukuba ngaba eSamariya apho kuthe kwashiyeka uthuli olwaneleyo ukuze ijoni lam ngalinye libe nokulufumbatha ngesandla.”
11 Waphendula ke ukumkani wakwaSirayeli wathi: “Mxeleleni nithi: ‘Umntu osabhinqa ikrele akafanele kuziqhayisa njengalowo uselelikhulula.’ ”
12 Olu daba lwamfikela uBhenadadi xa kanye yena nezo zikumkani babesela ezintenteni zabo. Ngoko nangoko wayalela umkhosi wakhe, wathi: “Kuf' ayayo, mawethu!” Baxhoba ke ukuze basihlasele isixeko eso.
13 Ke kaloku ukumkani uAhabhi wakwaSirayeli wafikelwa *ngumshumayeli, wathi: “Utsho *uNdikhoyo ukuthi: ‘Uyayibona le nyambalala yomkhosi? Ewe, kanye namhlanje ndiza kuwunikela esandleni sakho, ukuze uqonde ukuba mna ndinguNdikhoyo.’ ”
14 Ke yena uAhabhi wathi: “Ngubani kodwa oya kuyenza loo nto?”Umshumayeli ke lowo wathi: “Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: ‘Abafana bamabutho aphantsi kweenjengele zamaphondo ngabo abaza kuyenza le nto.’ ”UAhabhi wathi: “Ngubani oya kuqala ahlasele?”Umshumayeli lowo waphendula esithi: “Nguwe!”
15 Ngoko ke uAhabhi wawabiza amajoni aselula aphantsi kweenjengele zamaphondo. Ayengamadoda angamakhulu amabini anamashumi amathathu anambini. Wawuhlanganisa emva kwawo umndilili wamaSirayeli ungabantu abamawaka asixhenxe.
16 Baphuma emini emaqanda, xa kanye uBhenadadi naloo mashumi mathathu anambini ookumkani abamncedisayo babesazihlalele ezintenteni zabo besela.
17 Amabutho aselula aphantsi kweenjengele zamaphondo akhokela.UBhenadadi wayethumele, waza waxelelwa kwathiwa: “Nako kuphuma amadoda eSamariya.”
18 UBhenadadi wayalela wathi: “Ukuba eza ngoxolo, wathatheni nize nawo; ukanti nokuba eza ngemfazwe, wabambeni nize nawo ephila.”
19 Loo majoni aphantsi kweenjengele zamaphondo angqisha aphuma apho esixekweni, umkhosi uthe bhuu emva kwawo.
20 Yaba ngulowo nalowo wageqa lowo ajongene naye. Hayi ke, kwathi bhazalala ama-Aram ebaleka. Aye wona amaSirayeli ewasukela. Ke yena uBhenadadi ukumkani wama-Aram wasaba ekhwele ihashe, wemka neqela lababakhweli-mahashe.
21 Waphuma ke ukumkani wakwaSirayeli, wabahlasela abamahashe nabeenqwelo, wawabetha ee waca ama-Aram.
22 Wafika umshumayeli lowa, wathetha nokumkani wakwaSirayeli, wathi: “Buyani nizihlaziye, nicwangcise ngenyameko, nihlale nomelele, kuba ukumkani wama-Aram lo uza kubuya aphinde anihlasele entlakohlaza.”
23 Kanti ke amaphakathi okumkani wama-Aram wona amcebisa athi: “Kaloku oothixo bamaSirayeli ngoothixo abahlala ezintabeni; yiyo le nto esongamele kangaka nje! Ukuba sinokulwa nawo emathafeni akuthandabuzeki ukuba singawoyisa.
24 Ngoko ke yenza le nto: basuse ookumkani abo, uze ezindaweni zabo ufake amanye amagosa.
25 Gaya umkhosi olingana nalowa besinawo, kube njalo emahashini nasezinqwelweni, ukuze sibe nako ukulwa namaSirayeli emathafeni. Xa siyenzile ke loo nto siya kuwongamela.” Ukumkani walamkela elo cebo, waza ke wenza njengoko.
26 Entlakohlaza uBhenadadi wawuqokelela umkhosi wakhe, waza waphuma nawo ama-Aram, wajonga eAfeki, esiya kulwa namaSirayeli.
27 Athe akuba eqokelelene amaSirayeli, axhoba, anikwa nomphako, aphuma ahlangabeza. Ke amaSirayeli emisa malunga nama-Aram ethe xakalala kuloo ntili, benjengemihlanjana emibini yeebhokhwe.
28 Umfo wakwaThixo ke weza kukumkani wakwaSirayeli, wathi kuye: “Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: ‘Ngenxa yokuba ama-Aram la esithi uNdikhoyo nguThixo weentaba, asiThixo wazo iintili, ngoko ke loo nyambalala yomkhosi wawo ndiza kuyinikela ezandleni zakho, ukuze uqonde ukuba ndinguNdikhoyo.’ ”
29 Yaba ziintsuku ezisixhenxe ijamelene loo mikhosi, yaza ke yadibanisa ngolu lwesixhenxe. Ngamini-nye nje, amaSirayeli alalisa iingxwelerha ezilikhulu lamawaka kuma-Aram angamajoni ahamba ngeenyawo.
30 Athi ke aseleyo abalekela kwisixeko iAfeki. Khona apho ke adilikelwa ludonga lwesixeko. Ayengamadoda angamashumi amabini anesixhenxe amawaka.Naye uBhenadadi wabalekela esixekweni, wazimela kwigumbi elingaphakathi.
31 Amaphakathi akhe athi kuye: “Kuthiwa ookumkani bendlu kaSirayeli banovelwano. Masiye kuye, sibhinqe ezirwexayo, iintloko sizithandele ngamagqesha, mhlawumbi anganenceba akusindise.”
32 Ngenene ke babhinqa ezirhwexayo, bazithandela ngamagqesha entloko, baza baya kukumkani wakwaSirayeli, bafika bathi: “Isicaka sakho uBhenadadi sithi: ‘Nceda, sewusindisa nje oku kobomi bam.’ ”Ukumkani wathi: “Ngaba usaphila? Hayi, ngumntakwethu lowo!”
33 Loo madoda ke aphawula ukuba loo mpendulo ibonakalisa ubuhlobo, aza akhawuleza athi: “Ewe, umntakwenu uBhenadadi!”Ukumkani ke wathi: “Hambani nize naye!”Weza ke uBhenadadi, waza uAhabhi wamkhwelisa enqwelweni yakhe.
34 UBhenadadi wathi: “Ndiza kuzibuyisa izixeko ezathathwa ngubawo kuyihlo. Ngaphezu koko ungazenzela izitalato zokuthengisela phaya eDamasko nanjengokuba wazenzayo ubawo eSamariya.”UAhabhi wathi kuye: “Ndiza kukukhulula phantsi komqathango womnqophiso.” Ngoko ke benza isivumelwano, waza ke wamkhulula.
35 Ngomlomo *kaNdikhoyo omnye *wabashumayeli wathetha neqabane lakhe, wathi: “Khawundigwaze!” Kambe ke akavumanga ugxa wakhe lowo.
36 Umshumayeli lowo ke wathi: “Njengokuba ke ungamthobelanga nje uNdikhoyo, sakwahlukana uya kuhlaselwa yingonyama ikubulale.” Ngenene ke bakuba bahlukene kwathi gqi ingonyama, yambulala loo mfo.
37 Umshumayeli lowo wadibana nomnye umfo, waza wathi kuye: “Khawundigwaze.” Wamgwaza ke wamlimaza.
38 Loo mshumayeli ke wahamba wema ecaleni lendlela, elinde ukumkani. Umshumayeli lowo ke wazibopha intloko nobuso ngeqhiya, kwavela amehlo kuphela, esenzela ukuba angaziwa.
39 Uthe xa adlulayo ke ukumkani, umshumayeli lowo wamemeza wathi: “Mhlekazi, ndithe ndiphakathi emsini kwelaa dabi, suka ijoni elithile lezisa umthinjwa kum, lathi: ‘Yalusa lo mntu. Ukuba ukhe waphuncula wemka, uya kuhlawula ngobomi bakho, kungenjalo ke ibe ngumdliwo wamawaka amathathu eesiliva.’
40 Kambe ke ndisuke ndasisinxada-nxada, ndisenza le naleya: tyhini phi! Walahleka umntu!”Ukumkani wakwaSirayeli waphendula wathi: “Eso ke sisigwebo sakho, uzigwebe ngomlomo wakho.”
41 Wakhawuleza ke umshumayeli lowo wayisusa iqhiya awayezithandele ngayo ebusweni, waza ke ukumkani wamqonda ukuba ungomnye wabashumayeli.
42 Wabhekisa kukumkani ke wathi: “Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: ‘Wena ukhulule umfo ebendimmisele ukuba atshabalale. Ngoko ke umsindisile nje ke yena, akusayi kusinda wena, ngokunjalo nabantu bakho.’ ”
43 Wemka ke ukumkani wakwaSirayeli, waya ebhotwe eSamariya, equmbe esisifu.