1 Ke kaloku emva koku amaMowabhi nama-Amon ekunye namaMawun aya kulwa noYoshafati.
2 Abathile ke beza kuxelela uYoshafati bathi: “Nantso inyambalala yomkhosi ophuma e-Edom isiza kukuhlasela, ingaphaya ngaphesheya kolwandle. Seyichophele ukuhlasela iphaya eHazezon-tamare.” (YiEngedi ke leyo.)
3 UYoshafati ke wothuka, wazimisela ukufuna uncedo *kuNdikhoyo, wamisela inzila kuJuda ewonke.
4 AbakwaJuda ke baqokelelana ukuza kufuna uncedo kuNdikhoyo; ewe, beza bephuma kuzo zonke iidolophu zakwaJuda befuna uNdikhoyo.
5 Ke uYoshafati waphakama apho kwelo bandla likaJuda kunye neJerusalem endlwini kaNdikhoyo phambi kwaloo nkundla intsha,
6 waza wathi: “Ndikhoyo, Thixo woobawo, andithi na kaloku unguThixo osezulwini? Nguwe olawula zonke izikumkani zezizwe. Amandla nokomelela kusesandleni sakho; akukho mntu unokumelana nawe.
7 Ke kaloku, wena Thixo wethu, wabadudula wabakhupha abemi beli lizwe, amaSirayeli ebukele, waza lona walinikela ukuba libe lelesizukulwana sika-Abraham isihlobo sakho ngonaphakade.
8 Bema kulo ke, baza kulo bakha indawo engcwele egameni lakho, besithi:
9 ‘Sothi sakufikelwa sisithwakumbe, noba sisibetho sekrele, ubhubhani, noba yindlala, thina sime phambi kwakho kule ndlu ibizwa ngegama lakho, sikhale kuwe embandezelweni yethu, ke wena usiphulaphule usihlangule.’
10 “Ngoko ke ngoku nanga ama-Amon, amaMowabhi nâbo bentaba iSeyire, ummandla lowo wena ungavumanga ukuba awuhlasele uSirayeli ukuphuma kwakhe eJiputa, waza ke uSirayeli wabacezela akabatshabalalisa.
11 Khawubone ke indlela abasibuyekeza ngayo ngokuza kusigxotha kwisabelo owasinika ukuze sibe lilifa lethu.
12 Thixo wethu, khawubohlwaye. Thina ngokunokwethu asinawo amandla okujongana nale nyambalala yomkhosi osihlaselayo. Ewe, asazi nemasikwenze, koko amehlo ethu akhangele kuwe.”
13 Onke amadoda akwaJuda, nabafazi, nabantwana, neentsana, bema phambi koNdikhoyo.
14 Ke uMoya kaNdikhoyo wafikela uYaziyeli unyana kaZakariya, kaBhenaya, kaYehiyeli, kaMataniya umLevi oyinzala ka-Asafu, emi njalo apho ebandleni.
15 Wathi: “Phulaphulani, kumkani uYoshafati nani bemi bakwaJuda naseJerusalem. UNdikhoyo uthi kuni: ‘Sanukoyika; ze ningatyhafi ngenxa yale nyambalala yomkhosi. Kaloku imfazwe le asiyoyenu, yekaThixo.
16 Ngomso phumani niye kubo. Ke bona boba beqabela kwinkalo yaseZizi; nina nobafumana ekupheleni kwengxingwa kwintlango kaJeruweli.
17 Asinini abaya kulilwa eli dabi. Yimani ngeendawo zenu, niqingqe nje, nibukele uNdikhoyo enihlangula, ndlundini kaJuda nani bemi baseJerusalem. Ze ningoyiki okanye nityhafe. Ngomso phumani nijongane nabo, uNdikhoyo uya kuba nani.’ ”
18 UYoshafati waguqa, ubuso ebujongise emhlabeni, nabantu bakwaJuda nabaseJerusalem bawa phantsi, banqula uNdikhoyo.
19 Ke abaLevi abathile, abangamaKohati namaKora, basuka bema ngeenyawo badanduluka kanobom bebonga bedumisa uNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli.
20 Bavuka kusasa ngengomso, baphuma bajonga kwintlango yaseTekowa. Xa baphumayo ke uYoshafati wema wathi: “Ndiphulaphuleni, maJuda nani bemi baseJerusalem! Kholosani ngoNdikhoyo uThixo wenu, yaye ke yena uya kunixhasa. Ukuba niyabathemba abashumayeli bakhe niya kuphumelela.”
21 Akuba ethetha-thethene nabantu uYoshafati wamisela iimvumi zokuculela uNdikhoyo, ukuze zimbonge ngenxa yobunewu-newu bobungcwele bakhe. Zawukhokela ke umkhosi lowo, zimemelela zisithi:“Bulelani kuNdikhoyo,kuba izibele zakhe zimi ngonaphakade.”
22 Bathe bakucula bedumisa, suka uNdikhoyo wawurhwaqelisa umkhosi wama-Amon namaMowabhi, nâbo bentaba iSeyire ababehlasela uJuda; kubo yaba ngathi bangqingiwe, baza ke boyiswa.
23 Kaloku ama-Amon namaMowabhi asuka avukelana namadoda entaba iSeyire, awangenela awatshabalalisa. Akuba ewagwintile amadoda aseSeyire, ajika abulalana kwaodwa.
24 Athe ke amaJuda akufika kwindawo evelele intlango leyo, akuwujonga loo mkhosi mkhulu kunene, kuphela abona izidumbu zithe gangalala emhlabeni, kungekho nomnye osindileyo.
25 Ngoko ke uYoshafati namadoda akhe basuka bachola-chola amaxhoba: impahla eyayikwezo zidumbu, nezinye izinto ezixabisekileyo – intabalala ababengenako ukuyiphatha yonke. Amaxhoba lawo ayemaninzi kangangokuba bathatha iintsuku ezintathu ukuwaqokelela.
26 Ngosuku lwesine ke bahlanganisana kwintili yeBheraka, baza ke apho bamdumisa uNdikhoyo. Kungoko ke loo ndawo kwathiwa yintili yeBheraka unanamhlanje.
27 AbakwaJuda naseJerusalem ke bonke bakhokelwa nguYoshafati, bajika bevuya baya eJerusalem. Kaloku uNdikhoyo wabatsho banemincili bavuya phezu kweentshaba zabo.
28 EJerusalem bangena bajonga endlwini kaNdikhoyo bekhalisa iihapu, imirhubhe, namaxilongo.
29 Ithe ke yakuvakala imbali yokulwa kukaNdikhoyo neentshaba zikaSirayeli, suka zonke izizwe nezikumkani zamoyika zamhlonela uThixo.
30 Umbuso kaYoshafati ke waxhamla uxolo, kuba kaloku uThixo wakhe wayemnike ukuphumla macal' onke.
31 Ngoko ke uYoshafati wamlawula uJuda. Ukuqala kwakhe ukulawula wayeneminyaka emashumi mathathu anantlanu, waza ke walawula eJerusalem iminyaka emashumi mabini anantlanu. Unina yayinguAzubha intombi kaShili.
32 Yena wahamba ngeendlela zikayise uAsa, akanxaxha kuzo; ewe, yena wayesenza okulungileyo emehlweni *kaNdikhoyo.
33 Kambe ke zona iindawo eziphakamileyo zonqulo zange zitshitshiswe; abantu abazange bade babambelele ngomxhelo wabo kuThixo wooyise.
34 Ke ezinye zeziganeko zolawulo lukaYoshafati, ukusukela ekuqalekeni kude kuye esiphelweni, nâzo encwadini yeembali zookumkani bakwaSirayeli, ngcombolo leyo ke ilandwa nguYehu unyana kaHanani.
35 Kamva ke ukumkani wakwaJuda uYoshafati wakha unxibelelwano noAhaziya ukumkani wakwaSirayeli, umfo owayesaziwa ngenkohlakalo.
36 Wavumelana naye ukuba bakhe igqiza leenqanawa zokurhweba, abathe bazakha e-Eziyon-gebhere.
37 Ke uEliyezere unyana kaDodavu waseMaresha washumayela ngoYoshafati wathi: “Ngenxa yokuba unxibelelene noAhaziya, uNdikhoyo uza kuyitshabalalisa loo nto niyenzileyo.” Iinqanawa ezo ke zasuka zatshona, azabi nako ukulithatha elo phulo lorhwebo.