2 Maccabees
4:1 USimoni lo, esesikhulume ngaye ngaphambili, wayengumkhaphelayo
imali, nezwe lakubo, wanyundela u-Onias, sengathi uyesaba
Heliodorus, futhi ube ngumsebenzi walobu bubi.
4:2 Kanjalo waba nesibindi sokumbiza ngokuthi imbuka, owayefanelekele okuhle emehlweni akhe
umuzi, futhi wathambisa isizwe sakubo, futhi wayeshisekela kakhulu imithetho.
4:3 Kodwa lapho inzondo yabo iqhubekela phambili, kangangokuthi omunye weqembu likaSimoni
kwabulawa abantu,
4:4 U-Onias ebona ingozi yalo mbango, nokuthi u-Apolonius, njengoba
engumbusi waseKelosriya naseFenike, wathukuthela, anda;
Ububi bukaSimoni,
4:5 Waya enkosini, hhayi ukuba abe ummangaleli wakubo, kodwa efuna
okuhle kwakho konke, kokubili esidlangalaleni nangasese:
4:6 Ngoba wabona ukuthi kwakungenzeki ukuthi umbuso uqhubeke uthule.
futhi uSimoni wayeka ubuwula bakhe, ngaphandle uma inkosi ibheka lokho.
4:7 Kodwa ngemva kokufa Seleucus, lapho Antiochus, okuthiwa Epiphanes, wathatha
embusweni, uJasoni umfowabo ka-Onia wasebenza kanzima ukuze aphakame
umpristi,
4:8 Ethembisa enkosini ngokuncenga amakhulu amathathu namashumi ayisithupha
amathalenta esiliva, nenzuzo yesibili amatalenta angamashumi ayisishiyagalombili;
4:9 Ngaphandle kwalokhu, wathembisa ukwabela ikhulu namashumi amahlanu ngaphezulu, uma yena
angase abe nelayisensi yokumbeka indawo yokuzivocavoca, futhi
ukuqeqesha ubusha ngezindlela zabezizwe, nokuziloba
yeJerusalema ngebizo labase-Antiyokiya.
4:10 Inkosi yasivuma, futhi wayephethe esandleni sakhe
ukubusa ngokushesha waletha isizwe sakhe emfashini yamaGreki.
4:11 Futhi amalungelo obukhosi anikezwa umusa okhethekile kumaJuda by the
kusho uJohane uyise ka-Eupolemus, owahamba inxusa eRoma
uthando nosizo, waluthatha; nokubeka phansi ohulumeni ababekhona
ngokomthetho, waletha amasiko amasha ngokumelene nomthetho.
4:12 Ngoba wakha ngokuthokoza indawo yokuzivocavoca ngaphansi kombhoshongo ngokwawo, futhi
waletha izinsizwa eziphakeme ngaphansi kwakhe, wazigqokisa
isigqoko.
4:13 Manje lalinjalo ukuphakama fashions amaGreki, futhi ukwanda hethenish
nemikhuba, ngenhlamba enkulu kaJasoni, lowo ongamesabi uNkulunkulu
olusizi, futhi engekho umpristi omkhulu;
4:14 Ukuthi abapristi babengenaso isibindi sokukhonza e-altare, kodwa
bedelela ithempeli, bengayinaki imihlatshelo, baphuthuma ukuba
abahlanganyeli besabelo esingekho emthethweni endaweni yokuzivocavoca, ngemuva kwe
umdlalo weDiscus wababiza;
4:15 Hhayi ukubeka ngokuhlonishwa oyise, kodwa bethanda inkazimulo yeNkosi
AmaGreki amahle kunawo wonke.
4:16 Ngenxa yalokho, inhlekelele ebuhlungu behlela phezu kwabo, ngoba babezobhekana nazo
izitha zabo nabaphindiseli, abalandela inkambiso yabo ngobuqotho, futhi
ababethanda ukuba njengaye ezintweni zonke.
4:17 Ngoba akuyona into elula ukwenza okubi ngokumelene nemithetho kaNkulunkulu, kodwa
isikhathi esilandelayo sizamemezela lezizinto.
4:18 Manje lapho umdlalo owawusetshenziswa njalo ngonyaka wokholo ugcinwa eThire, the
inkosi ikhona,
4:19 Lo Jasoni ongenamusa wathumela izithunywa ezikhethekile zivela eJerusalema, ababekhona
base-Antiyokiya, ukuthwala amadrakema angamakhulu amathathu esiliva emhlatshelweni
kaHercules, lezo ngisho nabathwali bayo ababecabanga ukuthi akufanele banikeze
phezu komhlatshelo, ngoba wawungafanele, kodwa ugcinwe
ngamanye amacala.
4:20 Le mali ke, mayelana umthumeli, wamiswa Hercules '.
umhlatshelo; kodwa ngenxa yabathwali bayo, yasetshenziswa ku
ukwenziwa kwama-gallies.
4:21 Manje lapho u-Apollonius, indodana kaMenesteus, wathunyelwa eGibhithe
ukubekwa kwenkosi uPtolemeus Philometor, u-Antiochus, emqonda
angathinteki kahle ezindabeni zakhe, ahlinzekele ukuphepha kwakhe:
ngakho wafika eJopha, wasuka lapho waya eJerusalema;
4:22 Lapho wamukelwa ngokuhlonishwa Jason, futhi emzini, futhi waba
bangeniswa ngokukhanyisa komlilo nangokukhamuluka okukhulu; kwase kuba njalo ngasemuva
wahamba nempi yakhe baya eFenike.
4:23 Kwathi emva kweminyaka emithathu uJasoni wathuma uMenewu, okaSimoni oshiwo ngenhla
umfowabo, ukuyisa imali enkosini, nokumkhumbula
izinto ezithile ezidingekayo.
4:24 Kodwa yena ulethwe phambi kwenkosi, lapho eseyikhulise
yena ngenxa yokubonakala kwenkazimulo yamandla akhe, wazuza ubupristi kuye
wanikela ngaphezu kukaJasoni ngamatalenta angamakhulu amathathu esiliva.
4:25 Ngakho weza negunya lenkosi, engalethi lutho olufanele ophakeme
ubupristi, kodwa benolaka lukamashiqela ononya, nokufutheka a
isilo esinonya.
4:26 Khona-ke uJasoni, owayekade belulaza umfowabo siqu, kokuba ilulazekile by
omunye, waphoqeleka ukuba abalekele ezweni labantwana bakwa-Amoni.
4:27 Ngakho uMenewu wathola ukubusa, kodwa mayelana imali ayenayo
wathembisa enkosini, kepha akalalelanga umthetho omuhle ngakho, noSostrati
umbusi wenqaba wayeyidinga:
4:28 Ngoba kwakuye kuye ukubuthelwa inkokhiso. Ngakho-ke ba
babizwa bobabili phambi kwenkosi.
4:29 Manje uMenewu washiya umfowabo uLisimachus esikhundleni sakhe ubupristi;
futhi uSostratus washiya uKrates, owayengumbusi wabaseKhupro.
4:30 Ngenkathi lezo zinto zisenza, baseTarsu naseMalos benza
ukuvukela umbuso, ngoba banikwa isancinza senkosi, esibizwa
U-Antiochus.
4:31 Khona-ke inkosi yashesha yafika ukushweleza indaba, ishiya u-Andronicus.
indoda enegunya, isekela isekela layo.
4:32 Manje Menelaus, ecabanga ukuthi uthole isikhathi esikahle, weba
izitsha ezithile zegolide ezazivela ethempelini, wazinika ezinye zazo
Androniku, futhi enye wayithengisa eTire nasemizini ezungezile.
4:33 Kwathi u-Onias ekwazi ngokuqinisekile, wamkhuza, wahoxa
endlini engcwele eDaphne ese-Antiyokiya.
4:34 Ngakho, Menelaus, ethatha Andronicus eceleni, wathandaza, ukuba athole Onias
ezandleni zakhe; esevunyiselwe yilokho, wangena ku-Onia
ngenkohliso, wamnika isandla sokunene ngezifungo; futhi nakuba ayesolwa
ngaye, kepha wamncenga ukuba aphume endlini engcwele;
ngokushesha wavala ngaphandle kokunaka ubulungisa.
4:35 Ngenxa yalokho, hhayi amaJuda kuphela, kodwa futhi abaningi bezinye izizwe.
wacasuka kakhulu, futhi waba lusizi kakhulu ngokubulala ngokungafanele kuka
indoda.
4:36 Futhi lapho inkosi wabuya evela ezindaweni zaseKhilikhiya, amaJuda
ababesemzini, kanye namaGreki athile alenyanya leli qiniso
futhi, wakhononda ngoba u-Onias wabulawa ngaphandle kwesizathu.
4:37 Ngakho u-Antiochus wadabuka kakhulu, futhi waba nesihawu, futhi wakhala.
ngenxa yokuzithiba nesizotha kofileyo.
4:38 Futhi evutha intukuthelo, ngokushesha wathatha Andronicus wakhe
waklebhula izingubo zakhe, wamhola phakathi nomuzi wonke
kuleyo ndawo lapho enze ububi ku-Onias.
wabulala khona umbulali oqalekisiweyo. Kanjalo uJehova wamvuza ngeyakhe
isijeziso, njengoba wayemfanele.
4:39 Manje lapho sacrileges eziningi zase zenziwe emzini by Lysimachus
ngemvume kaMenewusi, isithelo saso sande;
isixuku sabuthana ngokumelene noLisimaku abaningi
izitsha zegolide zase zisusiwe.
4:40 Lapho abantu abavamile esukuma, futhi egcwele ukufutheka,
ULysimachus ehlome amadoda angaba yizinkulungwane ezintathu, futhi waqala ukunikela
udlame; u-Auranus oyedwa engumholi, indoda eseyihambe kakhulu ngeminyaka, kanti cha
kancane ngobuwula.
4:41 Khona-ke bebona umzamo kaLisimachus, abanye babo babamba amatshe.
ezinye izinduku, ezinye zithatha izintuli ezigcwele izandla, ezaziseduze, zaphonswa
bonke kanyekanye phezu kukaLisimaku nabahlezi phezu kwabo.
4:42 Ngakho abaningi kubo balimaza, futhi abanye bawashaya phansi, futhi
babaleka bonke; kepha umphangi uqobo lwakhe
yena bambulala ngasebhokisini lomnikelo.
4:43 Ngakho kwaba khona ukumangalela ngalezo zindaba
UMeneus.
4:44 Manje lapho inkosi ifika eThire, amadoda amathathu ayethunywe evela
iSenethi yafaka isicelo phambi kwakhe:
4:45 Kodwa uMenewu, njengoba manje elahlwe yicala, wathembisa uPtolemee indodana
Dorymenes ukuze amnike imali eningi, uma ayengaduduza inkosi
yena.
4:46 Khona-ke uPtolemee ethathela inkosi eceleni endlini ethile, njengoba nje
ukuthi athathe umoya, amenze abe ngenye ingqondo;
4:47 Kangangoba wamkhulula uMenewu emacaleni akhe
nokho kwaba yimbangela yabo bonke ububi;
ukuba babeyishilo indaba yabo, yebo, phambi kwamaSkithe, kwakufanele bayisho
balahlwe bengenacala, wabagwebela ukufa.
4:48 Kanjalo labo ababelandela udaba emzini, futhi abantu, futhi
ngoba izitsha ezingcwele, ngokushesha zathola isijeziso esingafanele.
4:49 Ngakho-ke nabaseTire, bezonda leso senzo esibi.
wabenza bangcwatshwa ngesizotha.
4:50 Futhi ngakho ngokusebenzisa ukuhaha labo ababenamandla Menelaus
wahlala egunyeni, ekhula ebubini, emkhulu
imbuka ezakhamuzini.