Kwathi emveni kwalokho kwafika abakwaMowabi nabakwa-Amoni nabanye bakwaMehuni bezokulwa noJehoshafathi.
Kweza abanye bamazisa ngalokho uJehoshafathi, bathi: “Kuza isixuku esikhulu esivela phesheya kolwandle, e-Aramu; manje sesingaseHazezoni Thamari eliyi-Eni Gedi.”
UJehoshafathi wesaba, wayesezinikela, wafuna uSimakade, wamemezela ukuzila ukudla kulo lonke elakwaJuda. UJuda wabuthana ukuba acele usizo kuSimakade. Baphuma kuyo yonke imizi yakwaJuda ukuzofuna uSimakade.
UJehoshafathi wema ebandleni lakwaJuda nelaseJerusalema endlini kaSimakade, phambi kwegceke elisha, wathi: “Simakade, Nkulunkulu wokhokho bethu, kanti Wena awusiye yini uNkulunkulu ezulwini, nombusi wemibuso yonke yezizwe na? Esandleni sakho kukhona amandla negunya, akekho ongamelana nawe. Wena Nkulunkulu wethu awuxoshanga yini phambi kwabantu bakho, u-Israyeli, ababakhe kuleli lizwe, walinika abozalo luka-Abhrahama, umngani wakho, kuze kube phakade na? Bahlala kulo, bakwakhela kulo indlu engcwele ukuba ibe ngeyegama lakho, bethi: ‘Uma sehlelwa ngokubi, inkemba, ukwehlulelwa, ubhubhane, nendlala, siyakuma phambi kwale ndlu naphambi kwakho, ngokuba igama lakho likule ndlu; sikhale kuwe ekuhluphekeni kwethu, Wena uyakusizwa usisindise.’
“Ngakho-ke ake ubheke, abakwa-Amoni, abakwaMowabi nabasentabeni iSeyiri, ongamvumelanga u-Israyeli ukuba ababhubhise ngesikhathi ephuma eGibhithe, kunalokho wabachezukela, akaze ababhubhisa. Bheka-ke ukuthi basivuza kanjani, bezile ukuzosixosha efeni lakho owasinika lona ukuba silidle. Nkulunkulu wethu, awuyukubehlulela yini na? Ngokuba thina asinawo amandla okubhekana nalesi sixuku esikhulu kangaka esizayo. Futhi asazi ukuthi sizokwenzenjani, kodwa amehlo ethu abheke kuwe.”
UJuda wonke wayemi phambi kukaSimakade kanye nezingane zabo, omkabo nabantwana babo.
UMoya kaSimakade wafika kuJahaziyeli kaZakhariya kaBhenaya kaJehiyeli kaMathaniya, umLevi, omunye wozalo luka-Asafa, ephakathi kwebandla, wathi: “Yizwani nina nonke bakwaJuda, zakhamuzi zaseJerusalema, nawe nkosi Jehoshafathi: usho kanje kini uSimakade, uthi: ‘Ningesabi, ningapheli amandla ngenxa yalesi sixuku esikhulu, ngokuba impi ayisiyo eyenu, ingekaNkulunkulu. Kusasa yehlelani kubo; bayobe bekhuphuka ngommango waseZizi; niyakubafumana ekugcineni kwesigodi, phambi kwehlane eJeruweli. Akusikho okwenu ukulwa kule mpi; zihleleni, nime, nibone ukunqoba kukaSimakade, nina Juda neJerusalema; ningesabi, ningapheli amandla; phumelani kubo kusasa, ngokuba uSimakade uzakuba nani.’ ”
UJehoshafathi wayesekhothama, wathi mbo ngobuso emhlabathini. UJuda wonke nezakhamuzi zaseJerusalema bakhothama phambi kukaSimakade, bakhuleka kuSimakade. AbaLevi, abozalo lwamaKhohathi nolwamaKhorahi, basukuma badumisa uSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ngezwi elikhulu kakhulu.
Bavuka ekuseni, baphuma baya ehlane eThekhowa. Ngesikhathi bephuma, uJehoshafathi wasukuma, wathi: “Ngilaleleni, Juda nani zakhamuzi zaseJerusalema! Methembeni uSimakade uNkulunkulu wenu, niyakuqiniswa. Bethembeni abaphrofethi bakhe, niyakuphumelela.”
Eselulekene nabantu, wabeka abayakuhlabelela kuSimakade bevunule ngobungcwele, behamba phambi kwamabutho, bethi: “Bongani uSimakade, ngokuba umusa wakhe umi phakade.”
Kwathi ukuba baqale ukuhalalisa nokudumisa, uSimakade wababekela abazobalalela unyendle abakwa-Amoni, abakwa-Mowabi, nabasentabeni iSeyiri ababephumele ukumelana noJuda, banqotshwa bonke. Abakwa-Amoni nabakwaMowabi bamelana nezakhamuzi zasentabeni iSeyiri, bababhubhisa baphela nya. Kwathi sebeziqothule nya zonke izakhamuzi zaseSeyiri, base bephenduka babulalana bodwa.
UJuda efika embonisweni ehlane, waphenduka wabuka ngalapho kwakunesixuku khona; bheka, kwakulele izigingqane zezidumbu zidindilize phansi, kungekho noyedwa ophunyukile. UJehoshafathi namabutho akhe kwathi lapho befika ukuba babuthe impango kubo, bafumanisa kubo ingcebo eningi kakhulu abangakwazanga ukuyithwala. Ngosuku lwesine babuthana esiGodini iBherakha, bambonga lapho uSimakade. Igama laleyo ndawo labizwa ngokuthi yisigodi iBherakha, kuze kube namuhla.
UJehoshafathi wabahola bonke abantu bakwaJuda nabaseJerusalema babuyela eJerusalema ngentokozo, ngokuba uSimakade wayebathokozisile ngokwehlula izitha zabo. Bafika eJerusalema bephethe izingubhu, amahabhu, namacilongo, bangena endlini kaSimakade.
Uvalo ngoNkulunkulu lwehlela yonke imibuso yamazwe lapho bezwa ukuthi uSimakade wayelwe nezitha zika-Israyeli. Umbuso kaJehoshafathi waba nokuthula ngenxa yokuthi uNkulunkulu wakhe wayemnike ukuphumula nxazonke.
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