1 Maccabees
14:1 Manje ngomnyaka wekhulu namashumi ayisithupha nambili inkosi uDemetriyu babuthana
amabutho akhe kanyekanye, angena eMediya ukuze amsize ekulweni
ngokumelene ne-Tryphone.
14:2 Kodwa lapho u-Arsaces, inkosi yasePheresiya naseMediya, wezwa ukuthi uDemetriyu kwaba
esengenile emikhawulweni yakhe, wathuma enye yezikhulu zakhe ukuba imbambe
phila:
14:3 Owahamba washaya ibutho likaDemetriyu, wamthatha, wamletha
e-Arsace, afakwa kuye ukuba alindwe.
14:4 Kepha izwe laseJudiya lalinokuthula zonke izinsuku zikaSimoni; ngoba yena
wafuna okuhle kwesizwe sakhe ngendlela enjengaleyo eyakhe njalo
igunya nodumo kwabajabulisa kakhulu.
14:5 Futhi njengoba wayehlonishwa kuzo zonke izenzo zakhe, ngakho kulokhu, ukuthi wathatha iJopha
ichweba, wavula umnyango eziqhingini zolwandle.
14:6 Futhi wakhulisa imingcele yesizwe sakhe, futhi wabuyisela izwe.
14:7 Futhi babuthela ndawonye inqwaba yezithunjwa, futhi waba nokubusa
eGazera, naseBethsura, nombhoshongo, athatha kuwo konke
ukungcola, kwakungekho noyedwa owamelana naye.
14:8 Khona-ke balima umhlabathi wabo ngokuthula, futhi umhlaba wamnika
anda, nemithi yasendle isithelo sayo.
14:9 Amadoda asendulo ayehlezi yonke emigwaqweni, bekhuluma ndawonye ngokuhle
izinto, nezinsizwa zembatha izingubo ezikhazimulayo nezempi.
14:10 Wanikeza ukudla emizini, futhi wabeka kuzo zonke izinhlobo
izikhali, ukuze igama lakhe elihloniphekayo laduma kuze kube sekupheleni kwezwe
umhlaba.
14:11 Wenza ukuthula ezweni, futhi u-Israyeli wajabula ngokujabula okukhulu.
14:12 Ngoba yilowo nalowo wahlala ngaphansi komvini wakhe nangaphansi komkhiwane wakhe, futhi kwakungekho muntu
baqhathanise:
14:13 Akwasalanga muntu ezweni ukuba alwe nabo;
amakhosi agumbuqelwa ngalezo zinsuku.
14:14 Futhi wabaqinisa bonke abantu bakhe ababethotshisiwe.
umthetho wawuphenya; kanye nabo bonke abangahambisani nomthetho nababi
umuntu wamthatha.
14:15 Wahlobisa indlu engcwele, futhi wandisa izitsha zethempeli.
14:16 Manje lapho kuzwakala eRoma, futhi kuze kufike eSparta, ukuthi uJonathani kwaba
befile, badabuka kakhulu.
14:17 Kodwa ngokushesha lapho bezwa ukuthi umfowabo uSimoni wenziwa umpristi omkhulu
esikhundleni sakhe, wabusa izwe nemizi yalo;
14:18 Balobela kuye ezibhebheni zethusi, ukuze avuselele ubungane futhi
Isivumelwano abasenza loJudasi loJonathani abafowabo.
14:19 Yimiphi imibhalo eyafundwa phambi kwebandla laseJerusalema.
14:20 Futhi lena ikhophi yezincwadi ukuthi Lacedemonians wathumela; I
nababusi baseLakedemoni kanye nomuzi, kuSimoni umpristi omkhulu,
namalunga, nabapristi, nensali yabantu bamaJuda, bethu
bazalwane, bingelelani.
14:21 Izithunywa ezathunyelwa kubantu bakithi zasiqinisekisa ngawe
inkazimulo nodumo: ngalokho sajabula ukufika kwabo;
14:22 Futhi babhalisa izinto ababezikhuluma emkhandlwini wabantu
ngale ndlela; uNummenius indodana ka-Antiochus, no-Antipater indodana kaJasoni,
izithunywa zamaJuda zeza kithi ukuvuselela ubungane ababenabo
Unathi.
14:23 Futhi kwaba kuhle kubantu ukubungaza amadoda ngokuhloniphekile, futhi ukubeka
ikhophi yenxusa labo kumarekhodi omphakathi, kuze kube sekugcineni abantu be
amaLacedemonians angase abe nesikhumbuzo sawo: ngaphezu kwalokho sinaso
waloba ikhophi yalo kuSimoni umpristi omkhulu.
14:24 Ngemva kwalokhu, uSimoni wathumela uNumeniyu eRoma ephethe isihlangu esikhulu segolide
izinkulungwane zamaphawundi ukuze uqinisekise iligi nabo.
14:25 Kwathi lapho abantu bekuzwa, bathi: "Sizobonga ngani?"
USimoni namadodana akhe?
14:26 Ngoba yena nabafowabo kanye nendlu kayise usungule
u-Israyeli, wabaxosha ekulweni nezitha zabo, waqinisa
inkululeko yabo.
14:27 Ngakho-ke bawubhala ezibhebheni zethusi, okuyinto babeka phezu izinsika
entabeni yaseSiyoni: nansi ikhophi yombhalo; Usuku lweshumi nesishiyagalombili lwe
Inyanga ka-Eluli, ngomnyaka wekhulu namashumi ayisithupha nambili
ngomnyaka wesithathu kaSimoni umpristi omkhulu,
14:28 ESarameli, ebandleni elikhulu labapristi, nabantu, kanye
ababusi besizwe, nabadala bezwe, babeyilezi zinto
sazisiwe.
14:29 Njengoba izikhathi eziningi kuye kwaba nezimpi ezweni, lapho for
ukugcinwa kwendlu yabo engcwele, lomthetho, uSimoni indodana ka
UMathathiya wenzalo kaJaribi wabeka kanye nabafowabo
ngokwabo engozini, futhi ukumelana nezitha zesizwe sabo kwenza
isizwe sabo udumo olukhulu:
14:30 (Ngokuba ngemva kwalokho uJonathani, esebuthele isizwe sakhe ndawonye, futhi waba
umpristi wabo omkhulu wenezelwa kubantu bakhe,
14:31 Izitha zabo walungiselela ukuhlasela izwe labo, ukuze bachithe
ngakho, abeke izandla phezu kwendlu engcwele.
14:32 Ngaleso sikhathi, uSimoni wasukuma, walwela isizwe sakubo, futhi wachitha okuningi
ngempahla yakhe, wahlomisa amaqhawe esizwe sakhe, wanikela
amaholo abo,
14:33 Futhi enezivikelo eziqinile imizi yaseJudiya, kanye Bethsura, ukuthi amanga
emingceleni yaseJudiya, lapho izikhali zezitha zazikhona
ngaphambili; kodwa wamisa ibutho lamaJuda lapho.
14:34 Futhi wayiqinisa iJopha, okuyinto elele phezu kolwandle, futhi Gazera, ukuthi
umngcele we-Azotu, lapho izitha zazikade zakhe khona ngaphambili; kodwa wabeka
amaJuda ayelapho, awanika zonke izinto ezilungele ibandla
ukulungiswa kwayo.)
14:35 Ngakho-ke abantu bahlabelela izenzo zikaSimoni, nokuthi iyiphi inkazimulo
ecabanga ukuletha isizwe sakubo, wamenza umbusi nompristi omkhulu;
ngoba wayezenzile zonke lezi zinto, futhi ngenxa yokulunga nokholo
ayigcinela isizwe sayo, yafuna ngayo yonke indlela
phakamisa abantu bakhe.
14:36 Ngoba ngesikhathi sakhe izinto zaphumelela ezandleni zakhe, kangangokuthi abezizwe baba
basuswa ezweni labo, nabasemzini kaDavide
eJerusalema, ababezenzele umbhoshongo, aphuma kuwo,
bangcolisa yonke indawo engcwele, benza okubi kakhulu endaweni engcwele
indawo:
14:37 Kodwa wabeka amaJuda kuwo. futhi wayiqinisa ukuze kuphephe
izwe nomuzi, wamisa izingange zaseJerusalema.
14:38 Inkosi uDemetriyu naye wamqinisa ebupristini obukhulu ngokusho
lezo zinto,
14:39 Futhi wamenza omunye wabangane bakhe, futhi wamnika udumo olukhulu.
14:40 Ngoba wayezwile ukuthi amaRoma ayebize amaJuda ngokuthi abangane babo
kanye nezinhlangano nabazalwane; nokuthi babethokozisile
amanxusa kaSimoni ngokuhloniphekile;
14:41 Futhi ukuthi amaJuda nabapristi babejabule ukuthi uSimoni kufanele abe
umbusi wabo nompristi omkhulu kuze kube phakade, kuze kuvele a
umprofethi othembekile;
14:42 Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukuze abe induna yabo, futhi kufanele aphathe
indawo engcwele, ukubabeka phezu kwemisebenzi yabo, naphezu kwezwe, naphezu
izikhali, naphezu kwezinqaba, ukuze, ngithi, kufanele aphathe
lendlu engcwele;
14:43 Ngaphandle kwalokhu, ukuze alalelwe yiwo wonke umuntu, futhi bonke
imibhalo ezweni kufanele yenziwe egameni lakhe, nokuthi kufanele
agqoke okububende, agqoke igolide;
14:44 Futhi ukuthi kufanele kube ngokomthetho ukuba kungabikho noyedwa wabantu noma abapristi ukwephula
noma yikuphi kwalokhu, noma ukuphika amazwi akhe, noma ukubutha umhlangano
emaphandleni ngaphandle kwakhe, kumbe ukwembatha okububende, kumbe ukubhinca ibhatshi
ngegolide;
14:45 Futhi noma ubani okufanele enze okuhlukile, noma aphule noma iyiphi yalezi zinto, yena
kufanele ajeziswe.
14:46 Kanjalo kwaba kuthanda bonke abantu ukubhekana noSimoni, futhi ukwenza njengoba kade
kusho.
14:47 Khona-ke uSimoni wakwamukela lokhu, futhi wayekujabulela ukuba umpristi omkhulu, futhi
induna nombusi wabaJuda nabaphristi, nokubavikela bonke.
14:48 Basebeyala ukuthi lo mbhalo ufakwe ezibhebheni zethusi.
nokuthi zimiswe ngaphakathi komjikelezo wendlu engcwele e
indawo ebonakalayo;
14:49 Futhi ukuze amakhophi ayo abekwe endaweni yengcebo,
ukuze uSimoni lamadodana akhe bazithole.