1 iiMaccabees
3:1 Emva koko, unyana wakhe uYuda, ogama linguMaccabeus, wema esikhundleni sakhe.
3:2 Bamnceda bonke abazalwana bakhe, nabo bonke ababebambene naye benjenjalo
uyise, baza balwa idabi lakwaSirayeli ngovuyo.
3:3 Wabazuzela uzuko olukhulu abantu bakhe, Wanxiba isigcina-sifuba njengengxilimbela;
wayibhinqisa impahla yakhe yokulwa, wenza amadabi, ekhusela
umkhosi ngekrele lakhe.
3:4 Ngezenzo zakhe wayenjengengonyama, nanjengethole lengonyama eligqumayo phezu kwakhe.
ixhoba.
3:5 Ngokuba uya kubasukela abangendawo, abafune, Abatshise abo abo
wabacaphukisa abantu bakhe.
3:6 Ngako oko bankwantya abangendawo ngenxa yokumoyika kwakhe, Nabo bonke abasebenzi bakhe
bukhwankqiswa ubugwenxa, ngokuba kuphumelele usindiso esandleni sakhe.
3:7 Wabenza buhlungu ookumkani abaninzi, Wamvuyisa uYakobi ngezenzo zakhe, nowakhe
isikhumbuzo sisephakadeni.
3:8 Wayityhutyha imizi yakwaYuda, ebatshabalalisa abangahloneli Thixo
kubo, wayibuyisa ingqumbo kwaSirayeli;
3:9 ngokokude abe negama eziphelweni zehlabathi, yaye yena
bamkelekile kuye abasele beza kutshabalala.
3:10 Ke uApolonius wahlanganisa ndawonye iintlanga, kunye nomkhosi omkhulu evela
kwaSamari, ukuba alwe noSirayeli.
3:11 Ekwazi oko uYuda, waphuma waya kumkhawulela;
bamxabela, bambulala;
3:12 Ngoko uYuda wathabatha amaxhoba abo, kunye nekrele lika-Apoloniyo, kunye
Walwa ngalo bonke ubomi bakhe.
3:13 Ke kaloku, xa uSeron, umthetheli womkhosi waseSiriya, weva ukuba uYudas
wahlanganisela kuye inkitha neqela labathembekileyo ukuba baphume nabo
naye emfazweni;
3:14 Wathi, Ndiya kuzizuzela igama nembeko ebukumkanini; kuba ndiya kuhamba mna
silwe noYuda, nabo banaye, abadela ookumkani
umyalelo.
3:15 Wamlungiselela ke ukuba anyuke; kwahamba naye umkhosi omkhulu
lowo ungahloneli Thixo ukuze amncede, aphindezele impindezelo koonyana bakaSirayeli.
3:16 Ke kaloku, akusondela eqhineni laseBhete-horon, waphuma uYuda, esiya
dibana naye nenkampani encinci:
3:17 Uthe ke akumbona umkhosi, esiza kubakhawulela, wathi kuYuda, Ungathini na?
singaba nako na, ukuba simbalwa nje, silwe nengxokolo engaka?
somelele kangaka nje, singxamele ukuba sityhafe kukuzila ukudla yonke le mini?
3:18 Waphendula ke uYudas, wathi, Akukho nto inzima ngabaninzi ukuba bavalelwe
izandla zabambalwa; nakuThixo wamazulu kukunye ukuhlangula
nesihlwele esikhulu, okanye iqela elincinane;
3:19 Ngokuba uloyiso lwemfazwe alukho phezu kobuninzi bomkhosi; kodwa
amandla avela ezulwini.
3:20 Beza kuthi, benekratshi elikhulu, nangobugwenxa, ukuba basitshabalalise, thina nowethu
abafazi nabantwana, ukuze asiphange;
3:21 Kodwa thina silwela ubomi bethu nemithetho yethu.
3:22 ngoko ke, iNkosi ngokwayo iya kubabhukuqa phambi kwethu;
musani ukuboyika.
3:23 Uthe ke, akugqiba ukuthetha, wabatsibela ngesiquphe.
kwaye ke uSeron nomkhosi wakhe wabhukuqwa phambi kwakhe.
3:24 Babasukela, bethabathela ekuhleni kweBhete-horon, besa emathafeni;
apho kwabulawa khona amadoda amalunga namakhulu asibhozo; basaba ke abaseleyo
ezweni lamaFilisti.
3:25 Ke kaloku kwaqala ukuwoyika uYuda nabazalwana bakhe, into eninzi kakhulu
ukunkwantya kokuwela phezu kweentlanga ezingeenxa zonke kubo.
3:26 Lwada lwafikelela udumo lwakhe kukumkani, zaye zonke iintlanga zathetha ngaye
amadabi kaYudas.
3:27 Ke kaloku, akukuva ezi zinto ukumkani uAntiochus, wacaphuka.
ngoko ke wathumela waza wahlanganisa ndawonye yonke imikhosi yobukumkani bakhe.
nomkhosi onamandla kakhulu.
3:28 Wayivula nobutyebi bakhe, wawahlawula amajoni akhe umnyaka.
ebathethela ukuba bahlale belungile nanini na, xa athe wafuneka.
3:29 Noko ke, xa ebona ukuba imali yobuncwane bakhe akuphumelelanga kwaye
ukuba irhafu yelizwe yayincinane, ngenxa yeyantlukwano
nesibetho awasizisa phezu kwelizwe, ekuyithabatheni kwakhe imithetho
eyayikho kwasephakadeni;
3:30 Woyika ukuba angabi nakuzithwala izityholo, kananjalo
ukuba abe nezipho ezizezo, njengoko ebepha ngako ngenxa engaphambili;
Waba mkhulu ngaphezu kookumkani ababengaphambi kwakhe.
3:31 Uthe ngoko, ethabatheke kakhulu ngengqondo yakhe, wagqiba kwelokuba angene
ePersi, ukuba kuthabathe khona iminikelo yamazwe, kuqokelelwe okuninzi
imali.
3:32 Ngoko wamshiya uLisiya, igosa lakomkhulu, nomphathi wegazi lokumkani, ukuba abe emveleli.
izinto zokumkani, zithabathela emlanjeni ongumEfrati, zise emdeni welizwe
Jiphethe:
3:33 Kwaye ukunyusa unyana wakhe uAntiochus, de wabuya.
3:34 Wamnika isiqingatha somkhosi wakhe, nesiqingatha somkhosi wakhe
iindlovu, wamnika igunya kuzo zonke izinto abeza kuzenza, njengoko
kwanakubemi bakwaYuda naseYerusalem;
3:35 ukuze athumele impi kubo, ukuba atshabalalise, neengcambu
ndiwakhuphe amandla kaSirayeli, namasalela aseYerusalem, ukuba athimbe
sisuse isikhumbuzo sawo kuloo ndawo;
3:36 Kwaye ukuba abeke abasemzini kuzo zonke iindawo zabo, aze ahlule
ilizwe labo ngeqashiso.
3:37 Wasithabatha ke ukumkani isiqingatha somkhosi oseleyo, wemka
kwa-Antiyokwe, umzi wakhe wobukumkani, umnyaka wekhulu elinamanci mane anesixhenxe; nokuba
wawela umlambo ongumEfrati, wacanda ezindulini.
3:38 ULisiya wanyula uToleme unyana kaDorimene, noNikanore, noGorgias;
amagorha kubahlobo bokumkani;
3:39 Kwaye kunye nabo wathumela amashumi amane amawaka omqikela, namawaka asixhenxe
abamahashe, ukuba baye ezweni lakwaYuda, balitshabalalise njengokumkani
wayalela.
3:40 Baphuma ke ngoko ngamandla abo onke, beza bamisa ngase-Emawusi
kwilizwe elithafa.
3:41 Baluva ke udaba lwabo, abarhwebi belo zwe bathabatha isilivere
negolide eninzi kunene, inabakhonzi, beza kuthenga eminqubeni
oonyana bakaSirayeli baba ngamakhoboka: kwanamandla akwa-Aram nelizwe lase-Aram
athana mbende nawo amaFilisti.
3:42 Ke kaloku, uYuda nabazalwana bakhe, bakubona ukuba ububi buyanda, kwaye
Imikhosi ibimise iintente emideni yabo; ngokuba bebesazi
ukuba ukumkani wayewise umthetho wokuba batshatyalaliswe, batshiswe
zibhangise;
3:43 Bathetha omnye komnye besithi, Masiyibuyise indyebo yethu
bantu bakuthi, masibalwele abantu bethu nengcwele.
3:44 Lahlanganisa ke ngoko ibandla, ukuze balunge
ngenxa yedabi, nokuze bathandaze, bacele inceba nemfesane.
3:45 Ke kaloku iYerusalem ibiyintlango, kungekho wabantwana bayo
abaphumayo nabangenayo, kwanyathelwa phantsi ingcwele, nabasemzini
wayigcina inqaba; Izizwe zahlala kuloo ndawo;
lwaphela uvuyo kuYakobi, lwaphela ugwali ngohadi.
3:46 Bahlanganisana ke oonyana bakaSirayeli, beza
iMaspa, malunga neYerusalem; ngokuba kwakuseMispa indawo ababekuyo
wathandaza kwaSirayeli ngaphambili.
3:47 Bazila ke ukudla ngaloo mini, bambatha ezirhwexayo, bazigalela ngothuthu
iintloko zabo, bazikrazula iingubo zabo;
3:48 Wayivula incwadi yomyalelo, ababengxamele kuyo iintlanga
bapeyinte umfanekiselo wemifanekiso yabo.
3:49 Bazizisa ke iingubo zababingeleli, neentlahlela;
isishumi; babaxhokonxa amaNazari, abo ke bazifezile ezo zabo
iintsuku.
3:50 Badanduluka ke ngezwi elikhulu ezulwini, besithi, Masenze ntoni na?
zenzeni ngezi zinto, sizithabathele phi na?
3:51 Kuba ingcwele yakho inyathelwe phantsi, ihlanjelwe, nababingeleli bakho bangene
ubunzima, nokuthotywa.
3:52 Yabona, iintlanga zibuthelene phezu kwethu, ukuba zisitshabalalise;
Izinto abazicinga ngathi, uyazazi wena.
3:53 Singathini na ukumelana nabo, ukuba wena, Thixo, ungenguye wethu?
Nceda?
3:54 Baza bavuthela izigodlo, bedanduluka ngezwi elikhulu.
3:55 Kwaye emva koko uYudas wamisa abathetheli phezu kwabantu, nabathetheli
phezu kwamawaka, naphezu kwamakhulu, naphezu kwamashumi amahlanu, naphezu kwamashumi.
3:56 Ke abakha izindlu, nokuba ngabagane, nokuba bathe bagana
betyala izidiliya, okanye boyika, abo wabamiselayo
Buyani, elowo aye endlwini yakhe ngokomthetho.
3:57 Yanduluka ke iminquba, yamisa ngasezantsi kwe-Emawusi.
3:58 Wathi uYuda, xhobani, nibe ngamadoda anobukroti, nize niqiniseke ukuba nibe
nilungiselele intsasa, nilwe nezo ntlanga.
ababuthelene phezu kwethu, ukuba basitshabalalise, nengcwele yethu;
3:59 Kuba kusilungele ukuba sifele emfazweni, kunokuba sikhangele inkxwaleko
ebantwini bethu nakwindawo yethu engcwele.
3:60 Noko ke, njengokuba ukuthanda kukaThixo kusemazulwini, makenze ngokunjalo.