Kwathi emva kwalokho kwafika abantwana bakwaMowabi nabantwana bakwa-Amoni benabanye bamaMehuni kuJehoshafati, beyokulwa.
Kwafika abanye, bamtshela uJehoshafati, bathi: “Kusondela kuwe isixuku esikhulu sivela phesheya kolwandle e-Aramu; bheka, sebeseHasasoni Thamari eliyi-Eni Gedi.” UJehoshafati wayeseshaywa luvalo, wabhekisa ubuso bakhe ukumfuna uJehova, wamemezela ukuzila ukudla kulo lonke lwakwaJuda. UJuda wabuthana ukucela ukusizwa nguJehova; baphuma emizini yonke yakwaJuda, bafika ukumfuna uJehova.
UJehoshafati wema ebandleni lakwaJuda nelaseJerusalema endlini kaJehova phambi kwegceke elisha, wathi: “Jehova Nkulunkulu wawobaba, wena awusiye uNkulunkulu ezulwini, awusiye umbusi wemibuso yonke yabezizwe, na? Esandleni sakho kukhona amandla negunya, akakho ongamelana nawe. Awuxoshanga yini, Nkulunkulu wethu, abakhileyo kuleli zwe phambi kwabantu bakho u-Israyeli, wanika lona inzalo ka-Abrahama umngane wakho kuze kube phakade, na? Bahlala kulo, bakwakhela kulo indlu engcwele ibe ngeyegama lakho, bethi: ‘Uma sehlelwa ngokubi, inkemba, nokwahlulelwa, nesifo, nendlala, siyakuma phambi kwale ndlu naphambi kwakho, ngokuba igama lakho likule ndlu, sikhale kuwe ekuhluphekeni kwethu, uyakuzwa, usisindise.’
“Bheka, manje abantwana bakwa-Amoni nabakwaMowabi nabasentabeni yaseSeyiri, ongavumelanga u-Israyeli ukubangenela ekuphumeni kwakhe ezweni laseGibithe, kepha wabachezukela, akabachithanga, bheka, ukusivuza kwabo ukuba bafike ukusixosha efeni lakho osinike lona ukuba silidle. Nkulunkulu wethu, awuyikubahlulela na? Ngokuba asinamandla ebusweni balesi sixuku esikhulu esisifikelayo; futhi asazi ukuthi siyakwenze njani, kodwa amehlo ethu akuwe.”
Wonke uJuda wayemi phambi kukaJehova, nezingane zabo, nawomkabo, namadodana abo.
Kwase kufika uMoya kaJehova phezu kukaJahaziyeli kaZakariya kaBenaya kaJehiyeli kaMathaniya umLevi, emadodaneni ka-Asafa phakathi kwebandla, wathi: “Yizwani nina nonke bakwaJuda, nabakhileyo eJerusalema, nawe nkosi Jehoshafati: usho kanje kini uJehova, uthi: ‘Ningesabi, ningapheli amandla ngenxa yalesi sixuku esikhulu, ngokuba impi ayisiyo eyenu, ngekaNkulunkulu. Yehlelani kubo kusasa; bhekani, bayakukhuphuka ngommango waseSisi; niyakubafumana ekugcineni kwesigodi ngaphambi kwehlane laseJeruweli. Akusikho okwenu ukulwa kule mpi; zihleleni, nime, nibone ukunisindisa kukaJehova, nina Juda neJerusalema; ningesabi, ningapheli amandla; phumelani kubo kusasa, ngokuba uJehova unani.’ ”
Wayesekhothama uJehoshafati, ubuso bakhe bubheke phansi; wonke uJuda nabakhileyo eJerusalema bawa phambi kukaJehova bekhuleka kuJehova. AmaLevi abantwana bamaKohati nawabantwana bamaKorahi asukuma ukumdumisa uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ngezwi elikhulu kakhulu.
Bavuka ekuseni, baphuma baya ehlane laseThekhowa; ekuphumeni kwabo uJehoshafati wema, wathi: “Ngizweni, Juda nani bakhileyo eJerusalema! Kholwani nguJehova uNkulunkulu wenu, niyakuqiniswa; kholwani ngabaprofethi bakhe, niyakuphumelela.” Eselulekene nabantu wamisa abayakuhlabelela kuJehova ukuba bamdumise behlotshisiwe ngobungcwele, besaphuma ngaphambi kwempi, bathi: “Bongani uJehova, ngokuba umusa wakhe umi phakade.”
Lapho sebeqala ukuhalalisa nokudumisa, uJehova wabeka abaqamekeli babantwana bakwa-Amoni, nabakwaMowabi, nabaseSeyiri, ababefikele uJuda, banqotshwa. Abantwana bakwa-Amoni nabakwaMowabi bamelana nabakhileyo entabeni yaseSeyiri ukuba babachithe, babaqothule; sebebaqedile abakhileyo eSeyiri basiza, kwaba yilowo nalowo, ngokubulalana bodwa.
UJuda esefike embonisweni wasehlane, babheka isixuku; bheka, babe yizidumbu nje eziwele phansi, akusindanga noyedwa. Lapho uJehoshafati nabantu bakhe befika ukuqoqa impango kubo, bafumanisa phakathi kwabo ubuningi bengcebo nezidumbu nezinto ezinxanelekayo, bazihlubulela zona, kwaze kwangabakho ongazithwala; kwaba yizinsuku ezintathu beqoqa impango, ngokuba yayiningi kangaka. Ngosuku lwesine babuthana esiGodini saseBerakha,* ngokuba bambonga uJehova khona; ngalokho igama laleyo ndawo labizwa ngokuthi isiGodi saseBerakha kuze kube namuhla.
Base bebuya bonke abantu bakwaJuda nabaseJerusalema, uJehoshafati ephambi kwabo, ukuba babuyele eJerusalema ngentokozo, ngokuba uJehova wayesebathokozisile phezu kwezitha zabo. Bafika-ke eJerusalema benezingubhu namahabhu* namacilongo endlini kaJehova.
Ingebhe ngoNkulunkulu yaba phezu kwayo yonke imibuso yamazwe, lapho isizwile ukuthi uJehova wayelwile nezitha zakwa-Israyeli. Umbuso kaJehoshafati wawusuzola, ngokuba uNkulunkulu wakhe wamnika ukuphumula nxazonke.
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