1 UBeni Hadadi inkosi yase-Aramu wabutha yonke impi yakhe; wayenamakhosi angamashumi amathathu nambili, namahhashi, nezinqola; wenyuka, wavimbezela iSamariya, walwa nalo,
2 wathuma izithunywa ku-Ahabi inkosi yakwa-Israyeli emzini,
3 wathi kuye: “Usho kanje uBeni Hadadi, uthi: ‘Isiliva lakho negolide lakho lingelami, nawomkakho nabantwana bakho abahle bangabami.’ ”
4 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yaphendula yathi: “Kunjengokusho kwakho, nkosi yami, nkosi: Ngingowakho nakho konke enginakho.”
5 Kepha izithunywa zabuya, zathi: “Usho kanje uBeni Hadadi, uthi: ‘Ngathumela kuwe, ngathi: Uyakunikela kimi isiliva lakho negolide lakho, nawomkakho, nabantwana bakho,
6 kepha ngalesi sikhathi kusasa ngiyakuthuma izinceku zami kuwe, ziyalule indlu yakho nezindlu zezinceku zakho; kuyakuthi konke okuhle emehlweni akho zikufake esandleni sazo, zikususe.’ ”
7 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yayisibiza onke amalunga ezwe, yathi: “Ake niqaphele, nibone ukuthi lowo muntu ufuna okubi, ngokuba wathumela kimi ngawomkami, nangabantwana bami, nangesiliva lami, nangegolide lami, angimnqabelanga.”
8 Amalunga onke nabantu bonke bathi kuye: “Ungalaleli, ungavumi.”
9 Wayesethi kuzo izithunywa zikaBeni Hadadi: “Yitsheleni inkosi yami, inkosi, ukuthi: ‘Konke owathumela ngakho encekwini yakho kuqala ngiyakukwenza, kepha le nto anginakuyenza.’ ” Zase zihamba izithunywa, zambuyisela izwi.
10 UBeni Hadadi wayesethumela kuye, wathi: “Onkulunkulu mabenze njalo kimi, benezele futhi, uma uthuli lwaseSamariya luyakwanela abantu bonke abasezinyathelweni zami ukuba babe nokhweshe.”
11 Yayisiphendula inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, ithi: “Khulumani kuye, nithi: ‘Obhinca izikhali makangazigabisi njengokhumulayo.’ ”
12 Kwathi esezwa leli zwi, ephuza kanye namakhosi emadokodweni, wathi ezincekwini zakhe: “Mayiphume.” Yayisiphuma ukulwa nomuzi.
13 Bheka, kwasondela umprofethi ku-Ahabi inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, wathi: “Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: ‘Uyasibona sonke lesi sixuku na? Bheka, ngiyakusinikela esandleni sakho namuhla, uze wazi ukuthi mina nginguJehova.’ ”
14 Wayesethi u-Ahabi: “Ngobani na?”Wathi: “Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: ‘Ngezinsizwa zezikhulu zezifunda.’ ”Wayesethi: “Ngubani oyakokha impi?”Wathi: “Nguwe.”
15 Wayesebala izinsizwa zezikhulu zezifunda, zazingamakhulu amabili namashumi amathathu nambili; emva kwazo wabala abantu bonke, bonke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, beyizinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa.
16 Baphuma emini. Kepha uBeni Hadadi wayephuza waze wadakwa emadokodweni, yena namakhosi, amakhosi angamashumi amathathu nambili amsizayo.
17 Izinsizwa zezikhulu zezifunda zaphuma kuqala; uBeni Hadadi wathumela, bamtshela ukuthi kuphume abantu eSamariya.
18 Wathi: “Noma bephumele ukuthula, babambeni besaphila, noma bephumele ukulwa, babambeni besaphila.”
19 Zaphuma-ke emzini izinsizwa lezo zezikhulu zezifunda kanye nempi eyazilandela.
20 Babulala, kwaba yilowo nalowo umuntu wakhe; ama-Aramu abaleka, u-Israyeli wawaxosha; uBeni Hadadi inkosi yama-Aramu waphunyuka ngehhashi kanye nabamahhashi.
21 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yaphuma, yagenca amahhashi nezinqola, yabulala ama-Aramu ngokuceka okukhulu.
22 Umprofethi wasondela enkosini yakwa-Israyeli, wathi kuyo: “Hamba uziqinise, uqaphele, ubone oyakukwenza, ngokuba emva komnyaka inkosi yama-Aramu iyakwenyuka ukulwa nawe.”
23 Izinceku zenkosi yama-Aramu zathi kuyo: “Unkulunkulu wabo ungunkulunkulu wezintaba, ngalokho basahlula; kepha masilwe nabo ethafeni, impela siyakubahlula.
24 Futhi yenza lokhu: Susa amakhosi onke, kube yileyo naleyo endaweni yayo, ubeke ababusi ezikhundleni zawo,
25 uzibalele impi njengaleyo mpi olahlekelwe yiyo, ihhashi ngehhashi, inqola ngenqola, silwe nabo ethafeni, sibahlule impela.” Yalalela izwi labo, yenze njalo.
26 Kwathi emva komnyaka uBeni Hadadi wabala ama-Aramu, wenyukela e-Afeki ukuba alwe no-Israyeli.
27 Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babalwa, baphiwa ukudla, bahamba ukuhlangabezana nabo; abakwa-Israyeli bamisa phambi kwabo njengemihlanjana emibili yamazinyane ezimbuzi, kepha ama-Aramu agcwalisa izwe.
28 Wayesesondela umuntu kaNkulunkulu, wathi enkosini yakwa-Israyeli: “Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: ‘Ngokuba ama-Aramu eshilo ukuthi uJehova ungunkulunkulu wezintaba, kasiye unkulunkulu wezigodi, ngiyakusinikela sonke lesi sixuku esikhulu esandleni sakho, nize nazi ukuthi nginguJehova.’ ”
29 Base bemisile bebhekana izinsuku eziyisikhombisa. Kwathi ngosuku lwesikhombisa kwaqala ukuliwa; abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babulala ama-Aramu ayizinkulungwane eziyikhulu ayimigundatshani ngalusuku lunye.
30 Abaseleyo babalekela emzini wase-Afeki; ugange lwawela phezu kwabantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nesikhombisa abaseleyo. Naye uBeni Hadadi wabaleka, wangena emzini amakamelo ngamakamelo.
31 Kepha izinceku zakhe zathi kuye: “Bheka, sizwile ukuthi amakhosi endlu yakwa-Israyeli angamakhosi anomusa; ake sembathe izindwangu zamasaka ezinkalweni zethu nezintambo emakhanda ethu, siphume, siye enkosini yakwa-Israyeli; mhlawumbe iyakusindisa ukuphila kwakho.”
32 Zase zibhinca izindwangu zamasaka ezinkalweni zazo, nezintambo emakhanda azo, zaya enkosini yakwa-Israyeli, zathi: “Ithi inceku yakho uBeni Hadadi: ‘Ake ungiyeke, ngiphile.’ ”Yayisithi: “Usekhona na? Ungumfowethu yena.”
33 Amadoda aqaphela lokho, ashesha ukuqinisa okuvela kuye, athi: “Ngumfowenu uBeni Hadadi.”Wathi: “Hambani, nimlande.” UBeni Hadadi wayesephumela kuye; wamkhwelisa inqola yakhe.
34 UBeni Hadadi wayesethi kuye: “Imizi ubaba ayithatha kuyihlo ngiyakuyibuyisa, uzenzele izitaladi eDamaseku njengokwenza kukababa eSamariya.”U-Ahabi wathi: “Ngalesi sivumelwano ngiyakukuvumela ukuba uhambe.” Wayesenza isivumelwano naye, wamvumela ukuba ahambe.
35 Umuntu othile wamadodana abaprofethi wathi kumngane wakhe ngezwi likaJehova: “Ake ungishaye.” Kepha lowo muntu wala ukushaya.
36 Wayesethi kuye: “Ngokuba ungalalelanga izwi likaJehova, bheka, uyakwanele ukusuka nje kimi, ingonyama ikubulale.” Wanele wasuka nje kuye, ingonyama yamfumana, yambulala.
37 Wayesefumana omunye umuntu, wathi: “Ake ungishaye.” Lowo muntu wamshaya; wamshaya, wamlimaza.
38 Wayesesuka umprofethi, walindela inkosi endleleni, waziguqula ngeqhele elalisemehlweni akhe.
39 Kwathi inkosi isidlula, wamemeza enkosini, wathi: “Inceku yakho yaphumela phakathi kokulwa; bheka, kwabuya umuntu owaletha kimi omunye, wathi: ‘Linda lo muntu; uma elahleka, ukuphila kwakho kuyakuba sesikhundleni sokuphila kwakhe, noma uyakukhokha italenta* lesiliva.’
40 Kwathi lapho inceku yakho isasebenza ngalapha nangalapha, kanti wayesehambile.”Yayisithi kuye inkosi yakwa-Israyeli: “Kunjalo ukwahlulelwa kwakho; nguwe onqumile.”
41 Washesha wasusa iqhele emehlweni akhe; yayisimbona inkosi yakwa-Israyeli ukuthi ungowabaprofethi.
42 Wathi kuyo: “Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: ‘Ngokuba umyekile ukuba aphume esandleni sakho umuntu engangimqalekisile, ukuphila kwakho kuyakuba sesikhundleni sokuphila kwakhe, nabantu bakho babe sesikhundleni sabantu bakhe.’ ”
43 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yaya endlini yayo ihluneme, ithukuthele, yeza eSamariya.