1 Maccabees
6:1 Ngaleso sikhathi inkosi u-Antiochus edabula emazweni aphakeme
wezwa kuthiwa i-Elimayi ezweni lasePheresiya yayiwumuzi omkhulu
edume ngengcebo, isiliva, negolide;
6:2 Futhi ukuthi kwakukhona kuwo ithempeli elicebe kakhulu, lapho kwakukhona izambatho
igolide, nezivikelo zesifuba, nezihlangu, u-Alexander, indodana kaFiliphu, the
Inkosi yaseMakedoniya, eyabusa kuqala phakathi kwamaGreki, yayihambile lapho.
6:3 Ngakho wafika wafuna ukuthatha umuzi, futhi awuphange; kodwa yena
abakwazanga, ngokuba ababekulowo muzi babexwayisiwe.
6:4 Wavuka ngokumelene naye empini, ngakho wabaleka, futhi wasuka lapho
usizi olukhulu, wabuyela eBhabhiloni.
6:5 Futhi kwafika omunye owamlethela izindaba ePheresiya, ukuthi
amabutho ayehlasela izwe laseJudiya axoshwa.
6:6 Futhi ukuthi uLisiya, owaphuma kuqala ngamandla amakhulu waxoshwa
wamaJuda; nokuthi baqiniswa ngezikhali, namandla;
nenqwaba yempango ababeyizuzile emabuthweni ababenayo
ichithiwe:
6:7 Futhi ukuthi babedilizile isinengiso, okuyinto wayemise phezu
i-altare eJerusalema, nokuthi babezungeza indlu engcwele
nezindonga eziphakemeyo njengakuqala, nomuzi wakhe iBetsura.
6:8 Kwathi inkosi isizwile lawa mazwi, yamangala, yathinteka kakhulu.
wamlalisa phezu kombhede wakhe, wagula ngenxa yosizi;
ngoba kwakungamehlelanga njengokulindele kwakhe.
6:9 Wahlala khona izinsuku eziningi, ngokuba usizi lwakhe lwaluya lukhula.
futhi walandisa ukuthi kufanele afe.
6:10 Ngakho wabiza bonke abangane bakhe, futhi wathi kubo: "Balele."
iphelile emehlweni ami, nenhliziyo yami iphelile ukunakwa.
6:11 Futhi ngacabanga mina ngokwami, Ngingene osizini, futhi kanjani
isikhukhula esikhulu sosizi engikuso manje. ngoba ngangigcwele futhi
bathandekayo ngamandla ami.
6:12 Kodwa manje ngiyakhumbula ububi engabenza eJerusalema, futhi ukuthi ngathatha
zonke izitsha zegolide nezesiliva ezazikuyo, wathumela kuzo
bhubhisani abakhileyo eJudiya ngaphandle kwesizathu.
6:13 Ngakho-ke ngiyabona ukuthi ngenxa yalesi sizathu lezi zinhlupheko zehlela
bheka, ngiyabhubha ngosizi olukhulu ezweni labezizwe.
6:14 Khona-ke wabiza uFiliphu, omunye wabangane bakhe, owambeka phezu kwakhe
yonke indawo yakhe,
6:15 Wamnika umqhele, nejazi lakhe, nendandatho yakhe, kuze kube sekupheleni
kufanele akhulise indodana yakhe u-Antiochus, futhi ayondlele umbuso.
6:16 Ngakho inkosi u-Antiochus wafa lapho ngonyaka wekhulu namashumi amane nesishiyagalolunye.
6:17 Manje lapho uLisiya azi ukuthi inkosi ifile, wamisa Antiochus yakhe
indodana ayikhulisayo isencane ukuba abuse esikhundleni sayo, neyakhe
igama aliqamba ngokuthi Eupator.
6:18 Ngaleso sikhathi, labo ababesembhoshongweni bavala ama-Israyeli nxazonke
ngendlu engcwele, njalo wayefuna ukulinyazwa kwabo kanye lokuqiniswa
kwabezizwe.
6:19 Ngakho uJuda, ehlose ukubabhubhisa, wabiza bonke abantu
ndawonye ukuze bavimbezele.
6:20 Ngakho bahlangana, futhi bavimbezela kubo ngekhulu namashumi amahlanu
ngonyaka, futhi wenza izingqimba zokudutshulwa ngokumelene nabo, nezinye izinjini.
6:21 Nokho, abanye kwabavinjezelwe baphuma, abanye kubo
abantu abangamesabi uNkulunkulu bahlanganyela kwa-Israyeli.
" 6:22 Futhi baya enkosini, futhi bathi: "Koze kube nini ufika
khiphani isahlulelo, niphindisele abazalwane bethu?
6:23 Besizimisele ukukhonza uyihlo nokwenza njengoba ebethanda thina.
nokulalela imiyalo yakhe;
6:24 Ngenxa yalokhu, bona besizwe sakithi bavimbezela umbhoshongo, futhi bahlukaniswe
sisuka kithi: ngaphezu kwalokho abaningi bethu ababengakhanyisa babulala, futhi
lonakalise ifa lethu.
6:25 Futhi abazange welulele isandla sabo ngokumelene nathi kuphela, kodwa futhi
ngokumelene nemingcele yabo.
6:26 Futhi bheka, namuhla bavimbezela umbhoshongo eJerusalema, ukuze bawuthathe
nendlu engcwele neBethsura bayiqinise.
6:27 Ngakho uma ungabavimbi ngokushesha, bayokwenza
izinto ezinkulu kunalezi, aniyikuba namandla okuzibusa.
6:28 Manje lapho inkosi izwa lokhu, wathukuthela, futhi wabutha ndawonye bonke
abangane bakhe, nezinduna zempi yakhe, futhi labo ababephethe
ihhashi.
6:29 Kwafika kuye bevela kweminye imibuso, naseziqhingini zolwandle.
amaviyo amasosha aqashiwe.
6:30 Ngakho inani lebutho lakhe kwaba izinkulungwane eziyikhulu abahamba ngezinyawo, futhi
abamahhashi abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili, nezindlovu ezingamashumi amathathu nambili zazizilolonga
impi.
6:31 Laba badabula i-Idumiya, futhi bamisa ngokumelene Bethsura, okuyinto they
wahlasela izinsuku eziningi, wenza izinjini zempi; kodwa beza abeBethura
wabakhipha, wabashisa ngomlilo, walwa ngokunamandla.
6:32 Kulokhu uJuda wasuka embhoshongweni, wamisa eBatsakhariya.
phambi kwekamu lenkosi.
6:33 Khona-ke inkosi yavuka ekuseni kakhulu, bamasha ngobudlova kanye nebutho lakhe
uBatsakariya, lapho amabutho akhe ayebalungisele ukulwa, futhi bashaya uphondo
amacilongo.
6:34 Futhi kuze kube sekupheleni angase avuse izindlovu ukulwa, babonisa
kubo igazi lamagilebhisi nelamajikijolo.
6:35 Futhi bahlukanisa izilo phakathi kwamabutho, futhi zonke
indlovu babeka amadoda ayinkulungwane, ahlome amajazi ensimbi, futhi
bethwele izigqoko zethusi emakhanda abo; futhi ngaphandle kwalokhu, kuzo zonke izilwane
bamiswa abamahhashi abangamakhulu ayisihlanu kwabangcono kakhulu.
6:36 Lawa ayelungile ngazo zonke izikhathi: nomaphi lapho isilo sasikhona, futhi
nomaphi lapho isilo saya khona, nazo zaya, azisukanga
yena.
6:37 Futhi phezu izilo kwakukhona imibhoshongo eqinile ngokhuni, okuyinto embozwe
bonke babebhincile kubo amacebo;
naphezu kwalowo nalowo amadoda anamandla angamashumi amathathu nambili alwa nawo;
eceleni kweNdiya elalimbusa.
6:38 Ngokuqondene insali yabagibeli bamahhashi, babamisa ngapha nangapha
ohlangothini ezingxenyeni ezimbili zomphathi ebanika izimpawu ukuthi benzeni, futhi
iboshwe yonke indawo phakathi kwamazinga.
6:39 Manje lapho ilanga likhanya phezu kwezihlangu zegolide nezethusi, izintaba
lalibenyezela ngakho, likhanya njengezibane zomlilo.
6:40 Ngakho ingxenye yebutho lenkosi isakazwa phezu kwezintaba eziphakeme, futhi
ingxenye ezigodini ezingezansi, bahamba bephephile futhi behlelekile.
6:41 Ngakho bonke abezwa umsindo wesixuku sabo nokumasha
kwenhlangano, nokukhenceza kwezikhali, kwanyakaza;
ibutho lalilikhulu kakhulu lilamandla.
6:42 Khona-ke uJuda nebutho lakhe wasondela, futhi wangena ekulweni, futhi lapho
kwabulawa ebuthweni lenkosi amadoda angamakhulu ayisithupha.
6:43 U-Eleyazare naye, ogama lakhe linguSavaran, ebona ukuthi esinye sezilo, sihlomile.
enezintambo zobukhosi, yayiphakeme kunabo bonke abanye, futhi becabanga ukuthi
inkosi yayiphezu kwakhe,
6:44 Wazifaka engozini, kuze kube sekupheleni angase akhulule abantu bakhe, futhi uthole
igama lakhe elingunaphakade:
6:45 Ngakho wagijima phezu kwakhe ngesibindi phakathi kwempi.
bebulala ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo, baze bahlukana
kuye nhlangothi zombili.
6:46 Okwenza lokho, wanyonyoba ngaphansi kwendlovu, futhi wamphonsa ngaphansi, futhi wabulala.
indlovu yawela phezu kwakhe, wafela khona.
6:47 Nokho amanye amaJuda ebona amandla enkosi, futhi
ubudlwangudlwangu bamabutho akhe, wabafulathela.
6:48 Khona-ke ibutho lenkosi wenyukela eJerusalema ukubahlangabeza, kanye nenkosi
wamisa amatende akhe ngaseJudiya nasentabeni yaseSiyoni.
6:49 Kodwa wenza ukuthula nabaseBethsura, ngoba baphuma
umuzi, ngoba babengenakudla lapho ukuze bakhuthazelele ukuvinjezelwa, wona
kube ngumnyaka wokuphumula ezweni.
6:50 Inkosi yasithatha iBethsura, futhi yabeka ikanisa khona ukuze baligcine.
6:51 Ngokuqondene nendlu engcwele, wayivimbezela izinsuku eziningi, futhi wabeka khona izikhali
nezinjini, nezinto zokuphonsa umlilo, namatshe, nezingcezu zokuphonsa
imicibisholo nezihlilingi.
6:52 Ngalokho nabo benza izinjini ngokumelene izinjini zabo, futhi wababamba
ukulwa isizini ende.
6:53 Nokho ekugcineni, izitsha zabo zingenamphako, (ngokuba kwakunjalo
ngomnyaka wesikhombisa, futhi labo eJudiya bakhululwa ethempelini
Abezizwe, babedle insalela yesitolo;)
6:54 Kwase kusele abayingcosana endlini engcwele, ngoba indlala yenza njalo
babahlula, baze bafisa ukuzihlakaza, bonke
umuntu endaweni yakhe.
6:55 Ngaleso sikhathi uLisiya wezwa kuthiwa uFiliphu, lowo uAntiochus inkosi.
ngenkathi esaphila, wayemise ukukhulisa indodana yakhe u-Antiochus, ukuthi yena
angaba yinkosi,
6:56 Wabuya ePheresiya naseMediya, futhi ibutho lenkosi futhi wahamba
naye, nokuthi wayefuna ukumthathela ukubusa kwezindaba.
6:57 Ngakho, wangena ngokukhulu ukushesha, futhi wathi enkosini nezinduna
ophethe kanye nenkampani, Sibola nsuku zonke, nokudla kwethu kukodwa
incane, futhi indawo esivimbezela kuyo inamandla, kanye nezindaba ze
umbuso uhlale phezu kwethu;
6:58 Ngakho manje ake sibe abangane nalaba, futhi wenze ukuthula
bona, kanye nesizwe sabo sonke;
6:59 Futhi isivumelwano nabo, ukuthi bayophila ngokuvumelana nemithetho yabo, njengoba bona
abakwenzile ngaphambili; ngokuba ngenxa yalokho bathukuthele, benze konke lokho
izinto, ngoba siyichithile imithetho yabo.
6:60 Ngakho inkosi nezikhulu bavuma, ngakho wathumela kubo
yenza ukuthula; futhi bakwamukela.
6:61 Futhi inkosi nezikhulu bafungisa kubo
waphuma endaweni eqinile.
6:62 Inkosi yasingena entabeni yaseSiyoni; kodwa lapho ebona amandla ka
endaweni, wephula isifungo sakhe ayenzile, futhi wayala ukuba
diliza udonga nxazonke.
6:63 Ngemva kwalokho wamuka ngejubane elikhulu, wabuyela e-Antiyokiya, lapho
wafumana uFiliphu engumphathi womuzi: ngakho walwa naye, futhi
wawuthatha umuzi ngenkani.