1 iiMaccabees
16:1 Ngelo xesha kwenyuka uYohane evela eGazera, waxelela uSimon uyise oko kuCendebeus
ndenze.
16:2 USimon wababiza ke oonyana bakhe bobabini abakhulu, ooYuda noYohane, wathi
bona, mna, nabazalwana bam, nendlu kabawo, ndathabatha kweyam
Ulutsha lulwa neentshaba zakwaSirayeli unanamhla; kunye nezinto
senze okulungileyo ezandleni zethu, ngokokuba sawahlangula amaSirayeli
rhoqo.
16:3 Ke ngoku sendimdala, ke nina, ngenceba kaThixo, nibadala ngokwaneleyo.
endaweni yam nomntakwethu, uhambe uye kusilwela isizwe sethu, kunye nesizwe
uncedo oluvela ezulwini malube nani.
16:4 Wanyula kwelo lizwe amadoda okulwa amashumi amabini amawaka, anamahashe akhwelwayo;
owaphuma ngokuchasene noCendebeus, waza waphumla ngobo busuku eModin.
16:5 Bavuka kusasa, bangena entilini, nanko kukho ihashe
yeza kubo impi eninzi yeenyawo, nabamahashe;
kodwa ke kukho umlanjana wamanzi phakathi kwabo.
16:6 Yena nabantu bakhe bamisa malungana nabo
abantu boyika ukuwela umlanjana wamanzi, wahamba kuqala
kwaye amadoda ambonayo agqitha emva kwakhe.
16:7 Uthe ke akukwenza oko, wawahlula amadoda akhe, wabamisa abamahashe esazulwini somkhosi
ngokuba babebaninzi kakhulu abamahashe beentshaba.
16:8 Baza ke bavuthela ngezigodlo ezingcwele, kunye noCendebeus nowakhe
bagxothwa umkhosi, kangangokuba kwabulawa into eninzi kuwo, kwaza kwabulawa abantu abaninzi
amasalela abasa emboniselweni.
16:9 Ngelo xesha wangxwelerhwa uYuda, umzalwana kaYohane; kodwa uYohane walandela
emva kwabo, wada waya kufika eKedron, leyo uCendebeus wayakhayo.
16:10 Basaba, baya ezinqabeni ezinde kummandla waseAzoto; ngoko yena
bawutshisa ngomlilo, kwaza kwabulawa kuwo ngathi ngamawaka amabini
amadoda. Emveni koko wabuyela ezweni lakwaYuda enoxolo.
16:11 Kananjalo ezintilini zaseYeriko wenziwe uPtolemeyu unyana ka-Abubus.
Ke umthetheli-waka, waye enesilivere negolide eninzi.
16:12 Kuba ebengumyeni kumbingeleli omkhulu;
16:13 Kungoko yaphakama intliziyo yakhe, wacinga ukuya kulo ilizwe
ngokwakhe, waza emva koko wacebisana ngenkohliso ngokuchasene noSimon noonyana bakhe
ukubatshabalalisa.
16:14 Ke kaloku uSimon ubeyivelela imizi esemaphandleni, wabamba
gcinani ucwangco kuzo; ngeloxesha wehla ngokwakhe
eYeriko, noonyana bakhe, uMatatiya noYuda, belikhulu
umnyaka wamashumi asixhenxe anesixhenxe, ngenyanga yeshumi elinanye, kwathiwa nguSabhat.
16:15 Apho unyana ka-Abubus, wabamkela ngenkohliso, wathabatha elugcinweni oluncinane.
ekuthiwa nguDokos, awawakhayo, wabenzela isidlo esikhulu;
wayefihle amadoda khona.
16:16 Ke kaloku, bakubon’ ukuba uSimon noonyana bakhe besela kakhulu, wesuka wavuka uPtoleme namadoda akhe.
bathabatha iintonga zabo, bafika kuSimon emsithweni
wambulala, yena noonyana bakhe bobabini, nenxenye yabakhonzi bakhe.
16:17 Yena lowo wenza ubumenemene obukhulu, ebuyekeza ububi ngobubi
kulungile.
16:18 Waza uPtoleme wazibhala ezi zinto, wathumela kukumkani, ukuba enze
wamthumelela umkhosi ukuba umncede; waye ke yena wamnikela ilizwe elo
izixeko.
16:19 Wathuma nabanye eGazera, ukuba baye kumbulala uYohane, nakubathetheli bamaphakathi
Wathumela iincwadi zokuza kuye, ukuze abaphe isilivere negolide;
kunye nemivuzo.
16:20 Wabathuma ukuba bayithabathe iYerusalem, nentaba yetempile.
16:21 Ke kaloku wabalekela eGazera, waxelela uYohane ukuba uyise nonina
kwabulawa abazalwana, wathi, uPtoleme uthumele ukuba akubulale.
kananjalo.
16:22 Ezivile ke ezi zinto, wakhwankqiswa kakhulu; wazibeka izandla phezu kwabo.
ababeze kumtshabalalisa, bababulala; kuba ebesazi ukuba bona
wayefuna ukumgxotha.
16:23 Ngokubhekisele kuzo zonke ezinye izinto zikaYohane, neemfazwe zakhe, afaneleyo
imisebenzi awayenzayo, nokwakhiwa kweendonga awazenzayo, nezakhe
izenzo,
16:24 Yabona, aba babhaliwe emicimbini yobubingeleli bakhe, kwathabathela kwinyanga yesixhenxe
ixesha wenziwa umbingeleli omkhulu emva koyise.