Eyesibili YeziKronike 20:1-37
20 Ngemva kwalokho, abakwaMowabi + nabakwa-Amoni + kanye nabanye kuma-Amonimi* beza bezolwa noJehoshafati.
2 Ngakho uJehoshafati wabikelwa kwathiwa: “Kukhona isixuku esikhulu esizolwa nawe esivela esifundeni sasolwandle,* kwa-Edomi, + silaphaya eHazazoni-thamari, okungukuthi e-Eni-gedi.” +
3 Lapho ezwa lokho uJehoshafati wesaba, wazimisela ukuba afune uJehova. + Ngakho wamemezela ukuba wonke uJuda azile ukudla.
4 Abantu bakwaJuda babe sebeqoqana ukuze babuze uJehova; + babevela kuwo wonke amadolobha akwaJuda bezobuza uJehova.
5 UJehoshafati wasukuma ebandleni lakwaJuda nelaseJerusalema endlini kaJehova phambi kwegceke elisha,
6 wathi:
“O Jehova Nkulunkulu wokhokho bethu, awuyena yini uNkulunkulu emazulwini; + awubusi yini phezu kwayo yonke imibuso yezizwe? + Esandleni sakho kukhona amandla nobukhulu, akukho muntu ongamelana nawe. +
7 O Nkulunkulu wethu, awuzange yini ubaxoshe abakhe kuleli zwe phambi kwabantu bakho u-Israyeli wawusulinika inzalo* ka-Abrahama umngane wakho laba elayo unomphela? +
8 Yahlala kulo, yakha kulo indlu engcwele yegama lakho, + ithi,
9 ‘Uma kungenzeka sehlelwe inhlekelele, kungaba ngenkemba, ngesahlulelo esibi, ngesifo esiwumshayabhuqe noma ngendlala, masime phambi kwale ndlu naphambi kwakho (ngoba igama lakho likule ndlu), + sicele usisize osizini lwethu, futhi kwangathi ungezwa usisindise.’ +
10 Manje naba abantu bakwa-Amoni, abakwaMowabi nabesifunda esinezintaba saseSeyiri, + ongazange umvumele u-Israyeli ukuba abahlasele lapho ephuma ezweni laseGibhithe. U-Israyeli wasuka kubo, akabaqothulanga. +
11 Manje sebesivuza ngokuza bazosixosha ezweni lakho owasinika lona laba yifa lethu. +
12 O Nkulunkulu wethu, ngeke yini ubahlulele? + Ngoba asinamandla phambi kwalesi sixuku esikhulu esizolwa nathi; + asazi nokuthi yini okufanele siyenze, kodwa amehlo ethu abheke kuwe.” +
13 Phakathi naleso sikhathi bonke abakwaJuda babemi phambi kukaJehova kanye nomkabo, izingane* zabo nabancane babo.
14 Phakathi kwebandla, umoya kaJehova waba phezu kukaJahaziyeli indodana kaZakariya indodana kaBhenaya indodana kaJeheyeli indodana kaMathaniya umLevi wabantwana bakwa-Asafa.
15 Wathi: “Lalela, wena Juda wonke nani enakhe eJerusalema nawe Nkosi Jehoshafati! Nakhu uJehova akushoyo kini, ‘Ningesabi noma nethuke ngenxa yalesi sixuku esikhulu ngoba impi akuyona eyenu kodwa ekaNkulunkulu. +
16 Kusasa yehlani nimelane naso. Sikhuphuka phakathi kwezintaba zaseZizi, nizosithola ekupheleni kwesigodi* phambi kwehlane laseJeruweli.
17 Ngeke kudingeke ukuba nina nilwe kule mpi. Yimani ezindaweni zenu ninganyakazi, + nibone insindiso uJehova azonenzela yona. *+ O Juda nawe Jerusalema, ningesabi noma nethuke. + Kusasa phumani nimelane naso, uJehova uzoba nani.’ ” +
18 Khona manjalo uJehoshafati wakhothama ubuso bakhe bubheke phansi, wonke uJuda nabakhe eJerusalema bawa phansi phambi kukaJehova ukuze bakhonze uJehova.
19 AmaLevi ayinzalo yamaKohati + namaKhora basukuma badumisa uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ngezwi elikhulu kakhulu. +
20 Ngakusasa bavuka ekuseni kakhulu baya ehlane laseThekhowa. + Njengoba bephuma, uJehoshafati wasukuma wathi: “Ngilaleleni Juda nani enakhe eJerusalema! Yibani nokholo kuJehova uNkulunkulu wenu ukuze nikwazi ukuma niqine.* Yibani nokholo kubaprofethi bakhe, + kanjalo niyophumelela.”
21 Ngemva kokucebisana nabantu, wamisa abantu abazohlabelelela + uJehova, bamdumise begqoke izingubo ezingcwele njengoba behamba phambi kwamadoda ahlomile, bethi: “Bongani uJehova ngoba uthando lwakhe oluqotho luhlala phakade.” +
22 Ngesikhathi beqala ukuhlabelela ngenjabulo, uJehova wabeka amadoda ayezohlasela abantu bakwa-Amoni, abakwaMowabi nabesifunda esinezintaba saseSeyiri ababehlasela uJuda, bashayana bodwa. +
23 Abakwa-Amoni nabakwaMowabi bajikela abakhe esifundeni esinezintaba saseSeyiri + ukuze bababulale babaqothule; lapho sebeqedile ngabakhe eSeyiri, babulalana bodwa. +
24 Kodwa lapho uJuda efika enqabeni yokuqapha yasehlane + ebheka isixuku, wabona izidumbu zaso zidindilizile emhlabathini; + kwakungekho muntu osindile.
25 Ngakho uJehoshafati nabantu bakhe beza bezothatha izimpahla zaso, bathola phakathi kwaso kunenqwaba yezimpahla, izingubo nezinto ezifiselekayo, bazithathela zona kwaze kwaba yilapho bengasakwazi ukuthatha okwengeziwe. + Kwathatha izinsuku ezintathu ukuthatha izimpahla eziphangiwe ngoba zaziningi kakhulu.
26 Ngosuku lwesine babuthana ndawonye eSigodini* SaseBherakha, ngoba badumisa* uJehova lapho. Yingakho baqamba leyo ndawo ngokuthi iSigodi SaseBherakha *+—kuze kube namuhla.
27 Ngemva kwalokho wonke amadoda akwaJuda naseJerusalema, eholwa uJehoshafati, abuyela eJerusalema ejabule ngoba uJehova wayewenze ajabula ngezitha zawo. +
28 Ngakho afika eJerusalema eshaya izinsimbi zomculo ezinezintambo, amahabhu + namacilongo, + angena endlini kaJehova. +
29 Yonke imibuso yamazwe yamesaba uNkulunkulu lapho izwa ukuthi uJehova wayelwe nezitha zika-Israyeli. +
30 Ngakho umbuso kaJehoshafati awubanga naziphazamiso, uNkulunkulu wakhe waqhubeka emnika ukuphumula kuzo zonke izitha zakhe ezazimzungezile. +
31 UJehoshafati waqhubeka ebusa uJuda. Wayeneminyaka engu-35 lapho eba inkosi futhi wabusa iminyaka engu-25 eJerusalema. Igama likanina kwakungu-Azuba indodakazi kaShilihi. +
32 Waqhubeka ehamba endleleni kayise u-Asa. + Akazange aphambuke kuyo, wenza okulungile emehlweni kaJehova. +
33 Nokho izindawo eziphakeme azizange zisuswe, + nabantu babengazange bayilungisele uNkulunkulu wokhokho babo inhliziyo yabo. +
34 Ngokuqondene nawo wonke omunye umlando kaJehoshafati, kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kube sekugcineni, ulotshwe emazwini kaJehu + indodana kaHanana, + afakwa eNcwadini Yamakhosi Akwa-Israyeli.
35 Ngemva kwalokhu, uJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda wabambisana no-Ahaziya inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, owenza ngendlela ekhohlakele. +
36 Ngakho wabambisana naye ekwakheni imikhumbi eya eTharishishi, + bayakhela e-Eziyoni-gebheri. +
37 Nokho, u-Eliyezeri indodana kaDodavahu waseMaresha waprofetha ngokumelene noJehoshafati, wathi: “Ngenxa yokuthi ubambisane no-Ahaziya, uJehova uzoyibhidliza imisebenzi yakho.” + Ngakho imikhumbi yaphihlizeka, + yangabe isakwazi ukuya eTharishishi.
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ Noma kungaba, “kumaMeyuni.”
^ Ngokusobala, uLwandle Olubomvu.
^ NgesiHebheru, “imbewu.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “amadodana.”
^ Noma, “komhosha.”
^ Noma, “nibone indlela uJehova azonisindisa ngayo.”
^ Noma, “ukukhuthazela.”
^ Noma, “eThafeni Eliphansi.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “babusisa.”
^ Incazelo: “Isibusiso.”
