1 AmaKhosi 21:1-29

Kwathi emva kwalezo zinto uNaboti waseJizreyeli wayenesivini esasiseJizreyeli eceleni kwendlu yenkosi u-Ahabi, inkosi yaseSamariya. U-Ahabi wakhuluma kuNaboti, wathi: “Ngiphe isivini sakho ukuba sibe yisivande sami semifino, ngokuba siseduze nendlu yami, ngikunike isivini esihle kunaso esikhundleni saso; kepha uma kukuhle emehlweni akho, ngiyakukunika isiliva libe yintengo yaso.” Wayesethi uNaboti ku-Ahabi: “Makube kude nami ngenxa kaJehova ukuba ngikunike ifa lawobaba.” U-Ahabi wangena endlini yakhe ehluneme, ethukuthele ngenxa yezwi abelikhulume kuye uNaboti waseJizreyeli; ngokuba wayeshilo ukuthi: “Angiyikukunika ifa lawobaba.” Walala embhedeni, waphendula ubuso, akadlanga lutho. Kepha kwase kufika kuye u-Izebeli umkakhe, wakhuluma kuye, wathi: “Uhlunameleni umoya wakho ukuba ungadli lutho na?” Wathi kuye: “Ngokuba ngakhuluma kuNaboti waseJizreyeli, ngathi kuye: ‘Ngiphe isivini sakho ngesiliva; kepha uma uthanda, ngiyakukunika esinye isivini esikhundleni saso;’ kodwa wathi: ‘Angiyikukunika isivini sami.’ ” Wayesethi kuye u-Izebeli umkakhe: “Manje, nguwe ophethe umbuso wakwa-Israyeli na? Vuka udle, inhliziyo yakho ithokoze; mina ngiyakukunika isivini sikaNaboti waseJizreyeli.” Wayeseloba izincwadi egameni lika-Ahabi, wazinamathelisa ngophawu lwakhe, wazithuma izincwadi kumalunga nakwabakhulu ababesemzini wakhe, abakhe kanye noNaboti. Waloba ezincwadini ukuthi: “Memezelani ukuzila ukudla, nimbeke uNaboti emqoka kubantu, nibeke amadoda amabili, abantu ababi, phambi kwakhe, afakaze ngaye ngokuthi: ‘Uthukile uNkulunkulu nenkosi, bese nimkhiphela ngaphandle, nimkhande ngamatshe, afe.’ ” Amadoda omuzi wakubo, amalunga nabakhulu ababehlala emzini wakubo, enza njengokuthumela kuka-Izebeli kuwo nanjengokulotshiweyo ezincwadini ayezithume kuwo. Amemezela ukuzila ukudla, ambeka uNaboti emqoka kubantu. Lawo madoda amabili, abantu ababi, angena, ahlala phambi kwakhe; bafakaza labo bantu ababi ngaye, bathi: “Yena uNaboti uthukile uNkulunkulu nenkosi.” Base bemkhiphela ngaphandle komuzi, bamkhanda ngamatshe, wafa. Base bethumela ku-Izebeli, bethi: “UNaboti ukhandiwe ngamatshe, wafa.” Kwathi u-Izebeli esezwile ukuthi uNaboti ukhandiwe ngamatshe, wafa, u-Izebeli wathi ku-Ahabi: “Suka udle isivini sikaNaboti waseJizreyeli, enqaba ukukunika sona ngesiliva, ngokuba uNaboti kasekho, ufile.” Kwathi u-Ahabi esezwile ukuthi uNaboti ufile, u-Ahabi wasuka ukuba ehlele esivinini sikaNaboti waseJizreyeli ukusidla. Izwi likaJehova lase lifika ku-Eliya waseThishibi, lathi: “Suka wehle, umhlangabeze u-Ahabi, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, oseSamariya; bheka, usesivinini sikaNaboti, lapho ehlele khona ukusidla. Uyakukhuluma kuye ngokuthi: ‘Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Usubulele, wadla isizi na?’ Bese wukhuluma kuye ngokuthi: ‘Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Endaweni lapho izinja zaxhapha khona igazi likaNaboti, izinja ziyakuxhapha negazi lakho, yebo, elakho.’ ” Wayesethi u-Ahabi ku-Eliya: “Usungitholile wena sitha sami na?” Wathi: “Ngikutholile, ngokuba uzithengisile ukwenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova. ‘Bheka, ngiyakukwehlisela okubi, ngikukhukhule, nginqume ku-Ahabi wonke umlisa, omncane nomkhulu kwa-Israyeli; ngiyakwenza indlu yakho ibe njengendlu kaJerobowamu indodana kaNebati nanjengendlu kaBahasha indodana ka-Ahiya ngenxa yesicunulo ongicunule ngaso, wonisa futhi ngaso u-Israyeli.’ “Nango-Izebeli uJehova wakhuluma, wathi: ‘Izinja ziyakumudla u-Izebeli ngasogangeni lwaseJizreyeli.’ “Owakwa-Ahabi ofela emzini izinja ziyakumudla, nofela endle izinyoni zezulu ziyakumudla.” Kepha akubangakho onjengo-Ahabi owazithengisa ukwenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova, edudwa ngu-Izebeli umkakhe. Wenza isinengiso esikhulu ngokulandela izithombe njengakho konke ukwenza kwama-Amori axoshwa nguJehova ngaphambi kwabantwana bakwa-Israyeli. Kwathi u-Ahabi esezwile lawo mazwi, waklebhula izingubo zakhe, wembatha indwangu yamasaka emzimbeni wakhe, wazila ukudla, walala endwangwini yamasaka, wahambahamba kancane. Izwi likaJehova lafika ku-Eliya waseThishibi, lathi: “Ubonile yini ukuthi u-Ahabi uyazithoba phambi kwami na? Ngokuba ezithoba phambi kwami angiyikwehlisa okubi emihleni yakhe; kepha emihleni yendodana yakhe ngiyakwehlisela indlu yakhe okubi.”