2 Maccabees
1:1 Abazalwane, abaJuda abaseJerusalema nasezweni laseJudiya.
ngifisele abazalwane, abaJuda abakulo lonke elaseGibhithe impilo kanye
ukuthula:
1:2 UNkulunkulu makabe nomusa kini, futhi nikhumbule isivumelwano sakhe asenza nabo
u-Abrahama, u-Isaka, noJakobe, izinceku zakhe ezithembekile;
1:3 Futhi akunike yonke inhliziyo ukumkhonza, futhi ukwenza intando yakhe, ngokuhle
isibindi nengqondo evumayo;
1:4 Futhi uvule izinhliziyo zenu emthethweni wakhe nasemiyalweni yakhe, futhi anithumele ukuthula.
1:5 Futhi yizwa imikhuleko yakho, futhi ube munye nawe, futhi ungalokothi akushiye phakathi
isikhathi sokuhlupheka.
1:6 Futhi manje silapha sikhulekela wena.
1:7 Wabusa nini uDemetriyu, ekhulwini namashumi ayisithupha nesishiyagalolunye
ngomnyaka thina abaJuda sanilobela ekuhluphekeni okukhulu okwafikayo
phezu kwethu ngaleyo minyaka, kusukela ngesikhathi uJasoni neqembu lakhe
wahlubuka ezweni elingcwele nasembusweni,
1:8 Futhi washisa kuvulandi, futhi wachitha igazi elingenacala, futhi sathandaza kuJehova
Nkosi, kwazwakala; sanikela ngemihlatshelo nofulawa ocolekileyo, futhi
wakhanyisa izibani, wabeka izinkwa.
1:9 Manje qaphelani ukuba nigcine umkhosi wamadokodo ngenyanga kaKaslewu.
1:10 Ngonyaka wekhulu namashumi ayisishiyagalombili nesishiyagalombili, abantu ababekhona
eJerusalema naseJudiya, nomkhandlu, noJuda bathumela imikhonzo kanye
impilo ku-Aristobulu, inkosi yenkosi uPtolemewu, owayengowohlanga luka-Aristobulo
kubapristi abagcotshiweyo, nakumaJuda ayeseGibithe;
1:11 Kangangoba uNkulunkulu usikhulule ezingozini ezinkulu, siyambonga
kakhulu, sengathi kade ekulweni nenkosi.
1:12 Ngoba wabaxosha labo ababelwa phakathi komuzi ongcwele.
1:13 Ngoba lapho umholi efika ePheresiya, futhi ibutho naye ukuthi
babonakala bengehlulwa lutho, babulawa ethempelini likaNanea ngamaqili
labapristi bakaNanea.
1:14 Ukuze u-Antiochus, sengathi wayezomshada, wafika endaweni, futhi
abangani bakhe ababenaye, ukuze bamukele imali egameni lelobolo.
1:15 Kwathi lapho abapristi bakaNaneya sebephumile, futhi wangena ne
iqembu elincane lingene ikhampasi yethempeli, balivala ithempeli njenge
Ngokushesha nje lapho u-Antiochus engena:
1:16 Futhi evula umnyango wentuba ophahleni, bajikijela amatshe like
imidumo, yatshaya induna, yabahlahlela, yababulala
wawasusa emakhanda abo, wawaphonsa kwabangaphandle.
1:17 Makabongwe uNkulunkulu wethu kukho konke oye wanikela abangamhloniphi uNkulunkulu.
1:18 Ngakho-ke, njengoba manje sizimisele ukugcina ukuhlanzwa kwe
ithempeli ngosuku lwamashumi amabili nanhlanu lwenyanga uCasleu, sacabanga
kufanele ukuba nginiqinisekise ngakho, ukuze nani nikugcine, njengalokhu
umkhosi wamadokodo, nowomlilo, esawunikwa lapho
UNeemia wanikela ngomhlatshelo, ngemva kokuba eselakhe ithempeli nethempeli
i-altare.
1:19 Ngoba lapho obaba bethu beholwa ePheresiya, abapristi ababekhona ngaleso sikhathi
okholwayo wawuthatha ngasese umlilo we-altare, wawuthukusa endaweni egodileyo
womgodi ongenamanzi, lapho ababewugcina uqinile, ukuze indawo ibe khona
akwaziwa yibo bonke abantu.
1:20 Manje ngemva kweminyaka eminingi, lapho kwakumthokozisa uNkulunkulu, Neemias, ethunywe evela ebandleni
inkosi yasePheresiya, yathuma inzalo yalabo bapristi ababecashile
emlilweni: kodwa lapho besitshela abatholanga umlilo, kodwa wawujiyile
amanzi;
1:21 Khona wabayala ukuba bawudonse, bawulethe; futhi lapho
kwabekwa imihlatshelo, uNeemia wayala abapristi ukuba bafafaze
izinkuni nezinto ezibekwe phezu kwazo kanye namanzi.
1:22 Lapho lokhu kwenziwa, futhi kwafika isikhathi lapho ilanga kukhanya, okuyinto afore
kwafihlwa efwini, kwavutha umlilo omkhulu, kangangokuthi wonke umuntu
emangele.
1:23 Abapristi bakhuleka kudliwa umhlatshelo, ngathi:
abapristi nabo bonke abanye, uJonathani kuqala, nabanye
ephendula ngakho, njengoba kwenza uNeemias.
1:24 Umkhuleko waba kanje; O Nkosi, Nkosi Nkulunkulu, Mdali wakho konke
izinto, abesabekayo futhi enamandla, futhi abalungile, nesihe, futhi
iNkosi enomusa kuphela,
1:25 Owukuphela komniki wazo zonke izinto, owukuphela kwakhe olungileyo, uMninimandla onke, nowaphakade,
wena okhulula u-Israyeli kuzo zonke izinhlupheko, owakhetha uJehova
oyise, ubangcwelise;
1:26 Yamukela umhlatshelo wabantu bakho bonke u-Israyeli, futhi ulondoloze yakho
isabelo sakho, usingcwelise.
1:27 Buthani labo abahlakazekile kithi, abakhulule labo
khonza phakathi kwabezizwe, bheka abadelelekile nabanengekayo;
abezizwe mabazi ukuthi wena unguNkulunkulu wethu.
1:28 Bajezise labo abasicindezelayo, futhi ngokuzidla usenze kabi.
1:29 Tshala abantu bakho futhi endaweni yakho engcwele, njengoba nje uMose eshilo.
1:30 Abapristi bahlabelela amahubo okubonga.
1:31 Manje lapho umhlatshelo usuphelile, Neemias wayala amanzi ukuthi
kwasala ukuthi kuthelwe phezu kwamatshe amakhulu.
1:32 Kwathi lokhu sekwenziwe, kwavutha ilangabi, kodwa laqedwa
ukukhanya okukhanya kuvela e-altare.
1:33 Ngakho lapho le ndaba yaziwa, watshelwa inkosi yasePheresiya, ukuthi ku
indawo lapho abapristi ababehunyushiwe babewufihle khona umlilo
kwavela amanzi, nokuthi uNeemia wayehlambulule imihlatshelo ngawo.
1:34 Khona-ke inkosi, evala le ndawo, wayenza ngcwele, ngemva kokuzama
udaba.
1:35 Inkosi yasithatha izipho eziningi, futhi wanikeza kuzo labo ababenayo
anganelisa.
1:36 UNehemiya wabiza le nto ngokuthi uNafethari, okungukuthi, a
ukuhlanzwa: kodwa abantu abaningi bayibiza ngokuthi uNefi.