1 Ekuhambeni kwethuba kwabakho imbambano ngenxa yesidiliya somfo waseYizereli uNabhoti. Esi sidiliya sasiseYizereli kufutshane nekomkhulu likakumkani uAhabhi waseSamariya.
2 UAhabhi wathetha noNabhoti, wathi: “Esi sidiliya sakho sikufuphi kakuhle kum; bekunganjani xa undinika sona, ukuze ndizilimele imifuno kuso? Endaweni yaso ndingakunika isidiliya esibhetele kunene kunaso, okanye ke xa uthanda ndingakuhlawula nantoni na esixabisa yona.”
3 UNabhoti waphendula wathi: “Ekho nje *uNdikhoyo, nakanye ukuba ndikunike ilifa loobawo!”
4 Ngoko ke uAhabhi wagoduka equmbe esisifu kuba uNabhoti waseYizereli ethe: “Andinako ukukunika ilifa loobawo.” Wangqengqa emandlalweni wakhe, wafulathela, engafuni nokutya oku.
5 Umkakhe uJezebhele waya kuye, wathi: “Uqumbele ntoni, sewungasafuni nokutya oku nje?”
6 Wathi: “Kungenxa yokuba ndithethe noNabhoti waseYizereli, ndathi: ‘Ndithengisele isidiliya sakho, okanye ke ndikutshintshisele ngesinye.’ Kambe ke yena uthe: ‘Andinako ukukunika isidiliya sam.’ ”
7 Umkakhe uJezebhele wathi kuye: “Asinguwe na olawulayo kwaSirayeli? Suka, wethu, phakama udle! Khululeka wonwabe! Mna ndiza kukulungiselela, usifumane esiya sidiliya sikaNabhoti waseYizereli.”
8 Ngoko ke wabhala iincwadi egameni lika-Ahabhi, wazitywina kwangomsesane wakhe, waza wazithumela kumadod' amakhulu nezidwangube ezazihlala kweso sixeko sikaNabhoti.
9 Wenjenje ukubhala kwezo ncwadi: “Miselani usuku lwenzila, abantu nibaqokelele ndawonye, ke yena uNabhoti nimbeke kwindawo ephambili.
10 Malunga naye makuhlale iindlavini ezimbini eziya kuthi zimtyhole, zithi: ‘Wena uthuke uThixo kunye nokumkani!’ Kwakuba njalo ke, mthatheni, nimkhupele ngaphandle, nize nimgibisele ngamatye ade afe.”
11 Amadod' amakhulu nezidwangube ezo ke zeso sixeko sikaNabhoti zenza njengoko zaziyalelwe nguJezebhele kwezo ncwadi wayezibhalile.
12 Bamisa usuku lwenzila, baza ke uNabhoti bambeka endaweni ephambili.
13 Kwavela iindlavini ezimbini, zahlala malunga noNabhoti, zaza zamtyhola apho phambi kwabo bantu zisithi: “UNabhoti lo uthuke uThixo kunye nokumkani!” Ngoko ke uNabhoti bamkhuphela ngaphandle kwesixeko, baza bamgibisela ngamatye, wafa.
14 Emva koko ke bathumela kuJezebhele besithi: “UNabhoti ugityiselwe ngamatye wafa.”
15 Uthe ke akuva uJezebhele ukuba uNabhoti ugityiselwe ngamatye wafa, wathetha noAhabhi, wathi: “Hamba uye kusithatha isidiliya sikaNabhoti waseYizereli, sibe sesakho. Nditsho eso ebesala ukukuthengisela sona. Kaloku uNabhoti akasekho, ufile.”
16 Wathi ke uAhabhi akuva ukuba uNabhoti ufile, wee thwasu ngoko nangoko, wehla waya kusithatha isidiliya eso yayisesikaNabhoti.
17 Ke kaloku lafika ilizwi likaNdikhoyo kuEliya waseTishbhi lisithi:
18 “Hamba uhlangabeze ukumkani wakwaSirayeli uAhabhi olawula eSamariya. Nanko esidiliyeni sikaNabhoti, eso asithathileyo.
19 Thetha naye, uthi: ‘Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: “Ubulele na, wathatha na?” ’ Uze uthi ke kuye: ‘Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: “Kuloo ndawo zilixhaphele kuyo izinja igazi likaNabhoti, zolixhaphela kwakuyo nelakho igazi. Ewe, elakho kanye!” ’ ”
20 UAhabhi wathi kuEliya: “Uyawandifumene, lutshabandini lwam?”UEliya wathi: “Ewe, ndikufumene. Kaloku wena uzincamele ukwenza amanyondololo phambi koNdikhoyo.
21 Ngoko ke uNdikhoyo uthi: ‘Ndiza kukuzisela ububi. Ndiza kuyitshitshisa inzala yakho, kwa-Ahabhi ndiyinqamle yonke into eliduna, okhululekileyo nolikhoboka kwaSirayeli.
22 Indlu yakho ndoyifanisa nendlu kaJerobhowam unyana kaNebhati, ifane naleyo kaBhayesha unyana ka-Ahiya, kuba kaloku wena uwuxhokonxile umsindo wam, noSirayeli wamlukuhlela esonweni.’
23 “Malunga noJezebhele uNdikhoyo uthi: ‘UJezebhele uya kuqwengwa zizinja ngakudonga lwaseYizereli.’
24 “Abakwa-Ahabhi abafela ezixekweni baya kudliwa zizinja, ukanti abafela emaphandleni booxhwithwa ziintaka.”(
25 Akuzange kubekho mntu unjengoAhabhi, umfo ozincamele ekwenzeni amanyondololo ephenjelelwa ngumkakhe uJezebhele, engamkhathalele nganto uNdikhoyo.
26 Wayeziphethe ngeyona ndlela imasikizi, ethene nca nemifanekiso eqingqiweyo; nto leyo yayisenziwa ngama-Amori, abantu abagxothwayo nguNdikhoyo, waza wafaka amaSirayeli endaweni yawo.)
27 Akuweva loo mazwi uAhabhi wasuka wazikrazula iimpahla zakhe, wanxiba ezirhwexayo, wazila. Wahlala ngezo zirhwexayo, wahamba-hamba ematshekile.
28 Laphinda lafika ilizwi likaNdikhoyo kuEliya waseTishbhi lisithi:
29 “Uyabona na ukuba uAhabhi uzithobile kum ngoku? Ngenxa yoku kuzithoba kwakhe ke, esi sithwakumbe andisayi kusizisa ngemihla yakhe, koko ndosithoba phezu kwendlu yakhe ngemihla yonyana wakhe.”