1 Maccabees
4:1 Khona-ke wathatha Gorgias abayizinkulungwane ezinhlanu ngezinyawo, futhi inkulungwane of the best
abamahhashi, baphuma eminqubeni ebusuku;
4:2 Ukuze kube sekupheleni angase agijimele ekamu lamaJuda, futhi abashaye
kungazelelwe. Amadoda enqaba ayengabaqondisi bakhe.
4:3 Manje, lapho uJuda ezwa ngakho, yena ngokwakhe wasusa, futhi amadoda angamaqhawe
naye, ukuze abulale ibutho lenkosi elalise-Emawusi;
4:4 Kuthe kusenjalo amabutho ahlakazeka ekamu.
4:5 Phakathi naleso sikhathi, uGorgias wangena ebusuku ekamu likaJuda
engatholanga muntu khona, wabafuna ezintabeni;
yena, Laba bafo bayasibalekela
4:6 Kodwa njengoba nje sekusile, uJuda wazibonakalisa ethafeni nabathathu
amadoda ayizinkulungwane, nokho ayengenazikhali nazinkemba kuwo
izingqondo.
4:7 Futhi babona ikamu labezizwe, ukuthi yayinamandla futhi kahle
izikhali, zizungezwe abamahhashi; futhi laba
uchwepheshe wempi.
4:8 Khona-ke uJuda wathi emadodeni ayenaye, "Ningawesabi wabo
isixuku, futhi ningesabi ukuhlasela kwabo.
4:9 Khumbula ukuthi okhokho bethu bakhululwa oLwandle Olubomvu, lapho uFaro
wabasukela ngebutho.
4:10 Manje ake sikhale ezulwini, uma mhlawumbe iNkosi ithanda
sihawukele, ukhumbule isivumelwano sawobaba, ubhubhise
leli bandla phambi kobuso bethu namuhla:
4:11 Ukuze bonke abezizwe bazi ukuthi kukhona okhululayo futhi
uyasindisa u-Israyeli.
4:12 Khona-ke abafokazi baphakamisa amehlo abo, futhi wabona beza ngaphesheya
ngokumelene nabo.
4:13 Ngakho baphuma ekamu ukuya empini; kodwa ababenaye
UJudas wakhalisa amacilongo abo.
4:14 Ngakho bajoyina impi, futhi abezizwe ephazamisekile babalekela phakathi
sobala.
4:15 Nokho, bonke abasemuva babo babulawa ngenkemba, ngoba bona
wabaxosha kwaze kwaba seGazera, nasemathafeni ase-Idumiya, nase-Azotu, nase-Azotu
Jamnia, kangangokuthi kwabulawa kubo phezu amadoda ayizinkulungwane ezintathu.
4:16 Lokhu sekwenzeke, uJuda wabuya nebutho lakhe ekubaxosheni.
4:17 Wathi ebantwini, Ningahaheli impango, njengokuba kukhona
impi phambi kwethu,
4:18 Futhi uGorgia nebutho lakhe kukhona lapha kithi entabeni
manje senimelene nezitha zethu, nizinqobe, emva kwalokho nibe nesibindi
thatha impango.
4:19 Kwathi uJuda esakhuluma la mazwi, kwavela inxenye yabo
ngibuka ngaphandle kwentaba:
4:20 Okwathi lapho bebona ukuthi amaJuda ayebalekele impi yawo futhi
babeshisa amatende; ngoba umusi owabonwayo waveza okwakukhona
kwenziwe:
4:21 Ngakho kwathi sebekubonile lokho, besaba kakhulu
ebona impi kaJuda ethafeni ilungele ukulwa.
4:22 Babaleka yilowo nalowo ezweni lezihambi.
4:23 Khona-ke uJuda wabuyela ukuphanga amatende, lapho bathola igolide eliningi, futhi
isiliva, nosilika, nokububende kolwandle, nengcebo enkulu.
4:24 Ngemva kwalokhu, babuyela ekhaya, futhi bahlabelela ingoma yokubonga, futhi badumisa
uJehova ezulwini, ngokuba kuhle, ngokuba umusa wakhe umi
kuze kube phakade.
4:25 Kanjalo u-Israyeli waba nokukhululwa okukhulu ngalolo suku.
4:26 Manje bonke abafokazi ababebalekile beza futhi babikela uLisiya lokho ayenakho
kwenzeke:
4:27 Ngubani, lapho ezwa ngakho, wadumala futhi wadangala, ngoba
akwenziwanga lokho abethanda ukukwenza ku-Israyeli, noma okunjalo
njengalokho inkosi yayimyalile, kwenzeka.
4:28 Ngakho ngomnyaka olandelayo olandelayo uLisiya babuthana ndawonye abangamashumi ayisithupha
amadoda akhethiweyo ezinyawo ayizinkulungwane eziyisihlanu, nabamahhashi abayizinkulungwane eziyisihlanu, ukuze abe namandla
zithobe.
4:29 Bafika e-Idumiya, bamisa amatende abo eBethsura;
wahlangana nabo namadoda ayizinkulungwane eziyishumi.
4:30 Kwathi ebona lelobutho elilamandla, wakhuleka wathi: Ubusisiwe wena;
O Msindisi ka-Israyeli, owaqeda ubudlova bendoda enamandla
isandla senceku yakho uDavide, wanikela impi yabafokazi esandleni sakho
izandla zikaJonathani indodana kaSawule, nodibi lwezikhali zakhe;
4:31 Vala leli butho esandleni sabantu bakho u-Israyeli, futhi ubavumele
bajabhile ngamandla abo nabamahhashi;
4:32 Yenza ukuba bangabi nesibindi, futhi ubangele isibindi amandla abo
ukuze bawe, bathuthumele ekubhujisweni kwabo;
4:33 Baphonse phansi ngenkemba yalabo abakuthandayo, futhi ake bonke labo
abalaziyo igama lakho bayakudumisa ngokubonga.
4:34 Ngakho bahlanganyela empini; kwabulawa ibutho likaLisiya nxazonke
amadoda ayizinkulungwane ezinhlanu, abulawa phambi kwawo.
4:35 Kwathi uLisiya ebona ibutho lakhe libaleka, kanye lobudoda bukaJudasi.
amasosha, nokuthi ayekulungele kanjani ukuphila noma ukufa ngobuqhawe, yena
waya e-Antiyokiya, wabutha isixuku sabafokazi, futhi
eseyenze ibutho lakhe laba likhulu kulalokhu elaliyikho, wazimisela ukubuya futhi
eJudiya.
4:36 Khona-ke uJuda nabafowabo bathi: "Bheka, izitha zethu ziyaphithizela.
masikhuphuke siyohlanza, singcwelise indlu engcwele.
4:37 phezu kwalokho lonke ibutho labuthana ndawonye, futhi wenyukela phakathi
entabeni yaseSiyoni.
4:38 Futhi lapho bebona indlu engcwele incithakalo, ne-altare lingcolisiwe, futhi
amasango ashile, nezihlahlana ezimila emagcekeni njengasehlathini, noma
kwenye yezintaba, yebo, namakamelo abapristi abhidlizwa;
4:39 Baklebhula izingubo zabo, futhi benza isililo esikhulu, futhi bathela umlotha phezu
amakhanda abo,
4:40 Futhi wawela phansi ngobuso babo, futhi washaya inhlabamkhosi
ngamacilongo, bamemeza ngasezulwini.
4:41 Khona-ke uJuda wamisa amadoda athile ukuba alwe nalabo ababephakathi
inqaba, waze wayihlanza indlu engcwele.
4:42 Ngakho wakhetha abapristi bengxoxo engenasici, ezifana ukuzijabulisa
umthetho:
4:43 owahlanza indlu engcwele, futhi wakhipha amatshe angcolile waba i
indawo engcolile.
4:44 Kwathi lapho bebuzana ukuthi benzeni nge-altare leminikelo yokushiswa,
okwangcoliswa;
4:45 Babona kungcono ukuyidiliza, funa kube isihlamba
kubo, ngokuba abezizwe babelingcolisile; ngalokho balidiliza;
4:46 Futhi wabeka amatshe entabeni yethempeli endaweni ekahle
indawo, kuze kufike umprofethi ukukhombisa okufanele kwenziwe
nabo.
4:47 Khona-ke bathatha amatshe aphelele ngokuvumelana nomthetho, futhi bakha i-altare elisha
njengakuqala;
4:48 Futhi wenza indlu engcwele nezinto ezingaphakathi kwethempeli.
futhi wangcwelisa amagceke.
4:49 Benza nezitsha ezingcwele ezintsha, bangenisa ethempelini
uthi lwezibani, ne-altare leminikelo yokushiswa, nelempepho, nelathi leminikelo yokushiswa, nelempepho,
itafula.
4:50 Futhi phezu kwe-altare bashisa impepho, nezibani phezu kwe-altare
balukhanyisa uthi lwezibani, ukuze bakhanyise ethempelini.
4:51 Babeka izinkwa phezu kwetafula, bandlala izinkwa
amaveyili, futhi baqeda yonke imisebenzi ababeqale ukuyenza.
4:52 Manje ngosuku lwamashumi amabili nanhlanu lwenyanga yesishiyagalolunye, okuthiwa
ngenyanga kaKaslewu, ngonyaka wekhulu namashumi amane nesishiyagalombili, basukuma
ekuseni,
4:53 Futhi wanikela ngomhlatshelo ngokuvumelana nomthetho phezu kwe-altare elisha lokushiswa
iminikelo ababeyenzile.
4:54 Bhekani, ngasiphi isikhathi nangaluphi usuku abezizwe ababelingcolisile, ngisho nangaphakathi
lalingcwelisiwe ngezihlabelelo, nezinsimbi, namahabhu, namasimbali.
4:55 Bonke abantu bawa ngobuso babo, bakhuleka, bedumisa uJehova
UNkulunkulu wasezulwini, owayebanike impumelelo enhle.
4:56 Futhi ngakho bagcina ukunikezelwa kwe-altare izinsuku eziyisishiyagalombili futhi banikela
iminikelo yokushiswa ngentokozo, banikela ngomhlatshelo we
ukukhululwa nokudumisa.
4:57 Bahlobisa ingaphambili lethempeli ngemiqhele yegolide, futhi
ngezihlangu; amasango namakamelo bawavuselela, akulengisa
iminyango phezu kwayo.
4:58 Ngakho kwaba khona intokozo enkulu kakhulu phakathi kwabantu, ngoba
ihlazo labezizwe lasuswa.
4:59 Futhi uJuda nabafowabo kanye nalo lonke ibandla lakwa-Israyeli
simisiwe, ukuze kugcinwe izinsuku zokunikezelwa kwe-altare
isikhathi sazo unyaka nonyaka ngezinsuku eziyisishiyagalombili, kusukela kweziyisihlanu
nosuku lwamashumi amabili lwenyanga uKaslewu, ngokujabula nangokujabula.
4:60 Ngaleso sikhathi futhi bakha intaba yaseSiyoni ngezindonga eziphakeme futhi
imibhoshongo eqinile nxazonke, funa abezizwe bafike bayinyathele
phansi njengoba benza ngaphambili.
4:61 Babeka khona ikanisa ukuba baligcine, baqinisa iBethsura
yigcine; ukuze abantu bazivikele e-Idumiya.