1 Bahlala iminyaka emithathu kungekho ukulwa phakathi kwe-Aramu no-Israyeli.
2 Kwathi ngomnyaka wesithathu uJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda wehlela enkosini yakwa-Israyeli.
3 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi ezincekwini zayo: “Niyazi ukuthi iRamoti Gileyadi lingelethu na? Kepha siyathula, asilikhiphi esandleni senkosi yase-Aramu.”
4 Yathi kuJehoshafati: “Uyakuhamba nami ukulwa neRamoti Gileyadi na?”UJehoshafati wathi enkosini yakwa-Israyeli: “Mina nginjengawe, abantu bami banjengabantu bakho, amahhashi ami anjengamahhashi akho.”
5 Kepha uJehoshafati wathi enkosini yakwa-Israyeli: “Ake ubuze namuhla izwi likaJehova.”
6 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yayisibutha abaprofethi kungathi abantu abangamakhulu amane, yathi kubo: “Ngihambe ngilwe neRamoti Gileyadi, noma ngiliyeke na?”Bathi: “Yenyuka, ngokuba uJehova uyakulinikela esandleni senkosi.”
7 Kepha uJehoshafati wathi: “Akusekho mprofethi kaJehova lapha ukuba sibuze kuye na?”
8 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafati: “Kusekhona umuntu munye, uMikhaya, indodana kaJimila, esingabuza ngaye kuJehova, kodwa ngiyamzonda, ngokuba akaprofethi okuhle ngami kepha okubi.”Wathi uJehoshafati: “Inkosi mayingasho njalo.”
9 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yayisibiza induna, yathi: “Landa masinyane uMikhaya indodana kaJimila.”
10 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli noJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda babehlezi, kwaba yilowo nalowo esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, bembethe izambatho zabo, esibuyeni ngasesikhaleni sesango laseSamariya; bonke abaprofethi baprofetha phambi kwabo.
11 USedekiya indodana kaKhenahana wazenzela izimpondo zensimbi, wathi: “Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: ‘Ngalezi uyakuqhubukusha ama-Aramu aze aphele.’ ”
12 Bonke abaprofethi baprofetha kanje, bathi: “Yenyukela eRamoti Gileyadi, ube nempumelelo, ngokuba uJehova uyakulinikela esandleni senkosi.”
13 Isithunywa ebesihambile ukumbiza uMikhaya sakhuluma kuye, sathi: “Bheka, amazwi abaprofethi mahle enkosini ngamlomo munye; ngalokho izwi lakho malibe njengezwi lomunye wabo, ukhulume okuhle.”
14 Kepha uMikhaya wathi: “Kuphila kukaJehova, lokhu uJehova akushoyo kimi, lokhu ngiyakukhuluma khona.”
15 Esefikile enkosini, inkosi yathi kuye: “Mikhaya, sihambe silwe neRamoti Gileyadi, noma siliyeke, na?”Wathi kuyo: “Yenyuka, ube nempumelelo; uJehova uyakulinikela esandleni senkosi.”
16 Yayisithi kuye inkosi: “Ngiyakukufungisa izikhathi ezingaki ukuba ungakhulumi lutho kimi ngaphandle kweqiniso egameni likaJehova na?”
17 Wayesethi: “Ngabona wonke u-Israyeli ehlakazekile ezintabeni njengezimvu ezingenamalusi; uJehova wathi: ‘Laba abasenankosi; mababuyele, kube yilowo nalowo endlini yakhe ngokuthula.’ ”
18 Yayisithi inkosi yakwa-Israyeli kuJehoshafati: “Angishongo yini kuwe ukuthi akayikuprofetha okuhle ngami, okubi kuphela.”
19 UMikhaya wathi: “Ngalokho yizwa izwi likaJehova lokuthi: Ngambona uJehova ehlezi esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi, nebandla lonke lasezulwini limi ngakuye ngakwesokunene sakhe nangakwesokhohlo sakhe.
20 UJehova wathi: ‘Ngubani oyakuyenga u-Ahabi ukuba enyuke afele eRamoti Gileyadi na?’“Omunye washo ukuthi nomunye ukuthi.
21 Kwavela umoya, wema phambi kukaJehova, wathi: ‘Mina ngiyakumyenga.’“UJehova wathi kuye: ‘Ngantoni na?’
22 “Wathi: ‘Ngiyakuphuma ngibe ngumoya wamanga emilonyeni yabaprofethi bakhe bonke.’“Wayesethi: ‘Uyakumyenga, futhi uyakumahlula; hamba, wenze njalo.’
23 “Bheka, ngalokho uJehova ubekile umoya wamanga emilonyeni yalaba baprofethi bakho bonke; uJehova ukhulumile okubi ngawe.”
24 USedekiya indodana kaKhenahana wayesesondela, wamshaya uMikhaya esihlathini, wathi: “UMoya kaJehova wasuka kimi ngaphi ukuba akhulume kuwe na?”
25 Wathi uMikhaya: “Bheka, uyakukubona ngalolo suku oyakungena ngalo emakamelweni ngamakamelo ukuba ucashe.”
26 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi: “Mthathe uMikhaya, umbuyisele ku-Amoni, umbusi womuzi, nakuJowashi indodana yenkosi,
27 uthi: ‘Isho kanje inkosi, ithi: Fakani lona etilongweni, nimuphe isinkwa sokuhlupheka namanzi okuhlupheka, ngize ngibuye ngokuphila.’ ”
28 Wayesethi uMikhaya: “Uma ubuya impela ngokuphila, uyakube engakhulumanga ngami uJehova.” Wathi futhi: “Yizwani nina bantu bonke.”
29 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, noJehoshafati, inkosi yakwaJuda, base benyukela eRamoti Gileyadi.
30 Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafati: “Ngiyakuziguqula, ngingene ekulweni, kepha wena wembathe izambatho zakho.” Yayisiziguqula inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, yangena ekulweni.
31 Kepha inkosi yase-Aramu ibiyalile izinduna ezingamashumi amathathu nambili zezinqola zayo ngokuthi: “Ningalwi namuntu, omncane noma omkhulu, kuphela nenkosi yakwa-Israyeli yodwa.”
32 Kwathi lapho izinduna zezinqola sezibonile uJehoshafati, zathi: “Impela lo uyinkosi yakwa-Israyeli.” Zase ziphambuka ukuba zilwe nayo, kepha uJehoshafati wamemeza.
33 Kwathi sezibonile izinduna zezinqola ukuthi yena akasiyo inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, zabuya ekumlandeleni.
34 Kepha umuntu othile wansala umnsalo wakhe ngokungazeleli nje, wayihlaba inkosi yakwa-Israyeli enhlanganisweni yebhantshi lensimbi, yathi kumshayeli: “Phenduka, ungikhiphe empini, ngokuba ngikhutshaziwe.”
35 Ukulwa kwaqina ngalolo suku; inkosi yasekelwa enqoleni yayo malungana nama-Aramu, yafa ngakusihlwa; igazi lenxeba laphalazeka phansi enqoleni.
36 Ekushoneni kwelanga kwadlula ekamu* lonke isimemo sokuthi: “Yilowo nalowo makaye emzini wakubo, yilowo nalowo ezweni lakubo.”
37 Yafa-ke inkosi, yayiswa eSamariya; bayimbela inkosi eSamariya.
38 Sebeyihlanza inqola echibini laseSamariya, izinja zaxhapha igazi lakhe, nezifebe zageza khona njengezwi likaJehova abelikhulumile.
39 Ezinye izindaba zika-Ahabi, nakho konke akwenzayo, nendlu yezimpondo zendlovu ayakhayo, nayo yonke imizi ayakhayo, angithi kulotshiwe encwadini yezindaba zemihla ngemihla yamakhosi akwa-Israyeli na?
40 U-Ahabi wayeselala koyise; u-Ahaziya waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
41 UJehoshafati indodana ka-Asa waqala ukubusa kwaJuda ngomnyaka wesine ka-Ahabi inkosi yakwa-Israyeli.
42 UJehoshafati wayeneminyaka engamashumi amathathu nanhlanu ekuqaleni kwakhe ukubusa; wabusa iminyaka engamashumi amabili nanhlanu eJerusalema. Igama likanina lalingu-Azuba indodakazi kaShilehi.
43 Wahamba ngezindlela zonke zika-Asa uyise, kaphambukanga kuzo, enza okulungile emehlweni kaJehova. Kepha izindawo eziphakemeyo azisuswanga; abantu babesanikela, babesashisa impepho ezindaweni eziphakemeyo.
44 UJehoshafati wenza ukuthula nenkosi yakwa-Israyeli.
45 Ezinye izindaba zikaJehoshafati, namandla awabonakalisayo, nokulwa kwakhe, angithi kulotshiwe encwadini yezindaba zemihla ngemihla yamakhosi akwaJuda na?
46 Insali yezifebe zethempeli ezazisasele emihleni kayise u-Asa wayixosha ezweni.
47 Kwakungekho nkosi kwa-Edomi; kwabusa umbambeli.
48 UJehoshafati walungisa imikhumbi yaseTharishishi ukuba iye e-Ofiri ukulanda igolide, kepha ayihambanga, ngokuba imikhumbi yaphuka e-Esiyoni Geberi.
49 Khona u-Ahaziya indodana ka-Ahabi wathi kuJehoshafati: “Izinceku zami mazihambe nezinceku zakho emikhunjini.” Kepha uJehoshafati akavumanga.
50 UJehoshafati wayeselala koyise, wembelwa koyise emzini kaDavide uyise; uJehoramu indodana yakhe waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
51 U-Ahaziya indodana ka-Ahabi waqala ukubusa kwa-Israyeli eSamariya ngomnyaka weshumi nesikhombisa kaJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda, wabusa iminyaka emibili kwa-Israyeli.
52 Wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova, wahamba ngendlela kayise, nangendlela kanina, nangendlela kaJerobowamu indodana kaNebati ayonisile u-Israyeli.
53 Wakhonza uBali, wakhuleka kuye, wacunula uJehova, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, njengakho konke akwenzileyo uyise.