1 Ngakho uJehoshafathi wayenothe kakhulu njalo ehlonipheka, waba lobunini lo-Ahabi ngokwendiselana. 2 Ngemva kweminyaka ethile wayakwethekelela u-Ahabi eSamariya. U-Ahabi wamhlabela izimvu ezinengi lenkomo yena kanye labantu ayelabo njalo wamkhuthaza ukuba ahlasele iRamothi Giliyadi. 3 U-Ahabi inkosi yako-Israyeli yabuza uJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda wathi: “Uzahamba lami na ukuyahlasela iRamothi Giliyadi?”

UJehoshafathi waphendula wathi, “Mina nginjengawe, abantu bami banjengabantu bakho; sizakuba lawe empini.” 4 Kodwa uJehoshafathi waphinda wathi enkosini yako-Israyeli, “Akubuze kuThixo kuqala.”

5 Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli yasibuthanisa abaphrofethi, amadoda angamakhulu amane, yababuza yathi, “Siphume impi siyehlasela iRamothi Giliyadi, loba ngizithibe na?”

Bayiphendula bathi, “Hamba, ngoba uNkulunkulu uzayinikela esandleni senkosi.”

6 Kodwa uJehoshafathi wabuza wathi, “Kambe kakusela mphrofethi kaThixo lapha esingabuza kuye na?”

7 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi, “Ukhona oyedwa esingabuza uThixo ngaye kodwa ngiyamzonda ngoba kakaze aphrofethe okuhle ngami, uhlala ekhuluma okubi. Ibizo lakhe nguMikhaya indodana ka-Imla.”

UJehoshafathi wathi, “Inkosi kayimelanga itsho njalo.”

8 Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli yabiza esinye sezikhulu zayo yathi kuso, “Ngibizela uMikhaya indodana ka-Imla khathesi.”

9 Bembethe izembatho zabo zobukhosi, inkosi yako-Israyeli loJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda babehlezi ezihlalweni zabo zobukhosi esizeni sokubhulela amabele esangweni laseSamariya labo bonke abaphrofethi bephrofetha phambi kwabo. 10 UZedekhiya indodana kaKhenana wayekhande impondo zensimbi, wasesithi, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, uthi: ‘Ngempondo lezi uzagwaza ama-Aramu uwabhubhise.’ ”

11 Bonke abaphrofethi babevele bephrofetha okufananayo besithi, “Hlasela iRamothi Giliyadi unqobe, ngoba uThixo uyinikile esandleni senkosi.”

12 Isithunywa esasithunywe ukuyabiza uMikhaya sathi kuye, “Khangela, abanye abaphrofethi bafakaza bengela kuthandabuza ukuthi inkosi izanqoba. Lawe vumelana labo, ukhulume okuyithokozisayo.”

13 Kodwa uMikhaya wathi, “Ngeqiniso njengoba uThixo ekhona, engingamtshela khona yilokhu okutshiwo nguThixo.”

14 Uthe efika, inkosi yambuza yathi, “Mikhaya, siye empini eRamothi Giliyadi, loba ngizithibe na?”

Yena waphendula wathi: “Hlasela unqobe, ngoba bazanikelwa ezandleni zakho.”

15 Inkosi yathi kuye, “Kumele ngikufungise kangaki ukuze ungangikhohlisi kodwa ungitshele iqiniso ebizweni likaThixo?”

16 Ngakho uMikhaya waphendula wathi, “Ngabona abako-Israyeli bonke behlakazekile emaqaqeni njengezimvu ezingelamelusi, uThixo wathi, ‘Lababantu kabalamkhokheli. Kabazibuyelele emakhaya ngokuthula.’ ”

17 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi, “Kangikutshelanga yini ukuthi uvele kaphrofethi lutho oluhle ngami kodwa okubi kuphela na?”

18 UMikhaya waqhubeka wathi, “Ngakho zwanini ilizwi likaThixo: Ngabona uThixo ehlezi esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi lebutho lonke lasezulwini limi ngakwesokudla langakwesokhohlo. 19 Njalo uThixo wathi, ‘Ngubani ozakhohlisa u-Ahabi inkosi yako-Israyeli ukuba ahlasele eRamothi Giliyadi njalo ayofela khona na?’

Omunye wabonisa lokhu, omunye laye lokhuyana. 20 Ekucineni kwavela umoya, wema phambi kukaThixo wathi: ‘Mina ngizamhuga.’

UThixo wathi kuwo: ‘Ngendlela bani na?’

21 Wona wathi: ‘Ngizahamba ngiyekuba ngumoya wokuqamba amanga emilonyeni yabo bonke abaphrofethi bakhe.’

UThixo wathi: ‘Uzaphumelela ukumhuga. Hamba-ke uyekwenza lokho.’

22 Ngakho khathesi uThixo usefake umoya wenkohliso emilonyeni yabaphrofethi bakho bonke laba. UThixo usekumisele ukubhujiswa.”

23 Ngakho uZedekhiya indodana kaKhenana waphakama wayawakala uMikhaya ngempama ebusweni, watsho embuza wathi, “Umoya kaThixo wasuka njani kimi ukuyakhuluma kuwe na?”

24 UMikhaya waphendula wathi, “Wena ngokwakho uzakubona lokho mhla ubalekela endlini engaphakathi usiyacatsha.”

25 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi, “Bambani uMikhaya, limbuyisele ku-Amoni umbusi wedolobho lakuJowashi indodana yenkosi 26 lithi: ‘Nanku okutshiwo yinkosi, ithi: Valelani umuntu lo entolongweni, lingamniki lutho ngaphandle kwesinkwa lamanzi ngize ngiphenduke kukuhle.’ ”

27 UMikhaya waqonqosela wathi: “Nxa ungaphenduka kuhle, uThixo uyabe engakhulumanga ngami.” Waqhubeka wathi, “Lani lonke bantu abambisiseni amazwi ami!”

28 Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli loJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda baya eRamothi Giliyadi. 29 Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi: “Mina ngizakuya empini ngizazifihla ngokulahlisa isimo sami, kodwa wena gqoka ezakho ezobukhosi.” Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli yazifihla ngokulahlisa isimo sayo yangena empini.

30 Ngakho inkosi yase-Aramu yayiqonqosele abalawuli bezinqola zokulwa yathi, “Lingalwi lamuntu, loba ngomncinyane loba ngomkhulu, ngaphandle kwenkosi yako-Israyeli.” 31 Abalawuli bezinqola zokulwa bathi bebona uJehoshafathi bathi, “Yiyonale inkosi yako-Israyeli.” Ngakho bamphendukela ukuba bamhlasele, kodwa uJehoshafathi wahlaba umkhosi, uThixo wamsiza. UNkulunkulu wabenza baya khatshana laye, 32 ngoba abalawuli bezinqola zokulwa bathi sebebonile ukuthi kasiyo inkosi yako-Israyeli, abazange besaxotshana laye.

33 Kodwa omunye watshoka kungananzelelwe umtshoko waphutsha emkhandlwini wesikhali wagwaza inkosi yako-Israyeli. Inkosi yatshela umtshayeli wenqola yokulwa yathi, “Phendula inqola yakho ungisuse lapha, sengilimele.” 34 Impi yalwiwa ilanga lonke, njalo inkosi yako-Israyeli yeyama enqoleni yayo yokulwa ikhangele ama-Aramu kwaze kwaba ntambama. Kuthe litshona layo yabe isifa.

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