2 Maccabees
11:1 Akuphelanga sikhathi, uLisiya umvikeli wenkosi kanye nomzala, ngubani futhi
waphatha izindaba, wacasuka kakhulu ngezinto ezazikhona
kwenziwe.
11:2 Esebuthelile kungathi izinkulungwane ezingamashumi ayisishiyagalombili kanye nabo bonke abamahhashi.
weza kumaJuda, ecabanga ukwenza umuzi ube yindawo yokuhlala yabaJuda
Abezizwe,
11:3 Futhi ukwenza inzuzo ethempelini, njengamanye ama-chapel of the
kwabezizwe, nokubeka ubupristi obukhulu buthengiswa minyaka yonke.
11:4 Engacabangi nakancane amandla kaNkulunkulu, kodwa wakhukhumala ngabayishumi bakhe
izinkulungwane zemigundatshani, lezinkulungwane zabagadi bamabhiza, lamatshumi ayisificaminwembili ayo
izindlovu.
11:5 Ngakho wafika eJudiya, wasondela eBethsura, umuzi oqinile.
kepha ekude neJerusalema amastadiyu* ayisihlanu, wavimbezela kanzima
kuyo.
11:6 Manje, lapho labo ababenoMaccabeus bezwa ukuthi uvimbezele izinqaba.
bona nabo bonke abantu bekhala, bekhala, bancenga uJehova
ukuthi wayezathuma ingilosi enhle ukuthi ikhulule uIsrayeli.
11:7 Khona-ke Maccabeus ngokwakhe kuqala wathatha izikhali, ekhuthaza omunye
ukuthi bazifaka engozini kanye laye ukuze basize labo
abazalwane: ngakho bahamba kanye ngenhliziyo evumayo.
11:8 Futhi njengoba base eJerusalema, kwabonakala phambi kwabo begibele amahhashi
omunye embethe ingubo emhlophe, enyakazisa izikhali zakhe zegolide.
11:9 Basebemdumisa uNkulunkulu olesihawu bonke kanyekanye, baqina isibindi.
kangangokuthi babengalungelanga ukulwa namadoda kuphela, kodwa nabaningi
izilo ezinonya, nokubhoboza izindonga zensimbi.
11:10 Bahamba kanjalo begqoke izikhali zabo, benomsizi ovela ezulwini.
ngoba iNkosi yayilesihawu kubo
11:11 Futhi enikeza umyalo phezu kwezitha zabo njengamabhubesi, babulala abayishumi nanye
abayinkulungwane abayimigundatshani, nabamahhashi abayizinkulungwane eziyishumi nesithupha, bonke abanye babafaka
indiza.
11:12 Abaningi kubo futhi abalimele baphunyuka benqunu; noLisiya yena wabaleka
wahamba ngokuhlazisayo, waphunyuka kanjalo.
11:13 Owathi, njengoba wayengumuntu onengqondo, ezilahla kuye lokho ukulahlekelwa kwakhe
ayenakho, futhi ecabangela ukuthi amaHeberu ayengenakunqotshwa, ngoba
uNkulunkulu uSomandla wabasiza, wathumela kubo.
11:14 Futhi wabancenga ukuba bavumelane zonke izimo ezifanele, futhi wathembisa
ukuthi wayezoncenga inkosi ukuthi kumele abe umngane wayo
bona.
11:15 Khona-ke Maccabeus wavuma kukho konke uLisiya ayekufisa, eqaphela
okuhle okuvamile; kanye nanoma yini uMakhabewu ayibhalela uLisiya mayelana
amaJuda, inkosi yawavumela.
11:16 Ngoba kwakulotshwe kumaJuda izincwadi ezivela kuLisiya.
ULisiya esixukwini sabaJuda uyakhonza.
11:17 UJohane no-Abisalomu, ababethunywe kuwe, wanginika isicelo
ubhalisile, futhi wenza isicelo sokusebenza kokuqukethwe
kwakho.
11:18 Ngakho-ke noma yiziphi izinto okufanele zibikwe enkosini, I
esezibonakalisile, futhi unikile konke okungenzeka.
11:19 Futhi uma ke nizozigcina nithembekile esimweni, emva kwalokhu futhi
ngizozama ukuba yindlela yokukusiza.
11:20 Kodwa mayelana imininingwane nginiyalele kokubili lezi kanye nezinye
owavela kimi, ukuze akhulume nawe.
11:21 Salani kahle. Unyaka wekhulu namashumi amane nesishiyagalombili, unyaka nonyaka
usuku lwamashumi amabili lwenyanga uDioscorinthius.
11:22 Manje incwadi yenkosi iqukethe la mazwi: Inkosi u-Antiochus yakhe
Umzalwane uLisiya uyakhonza.
11:23 Njengoba ubaba wethu lihunyushwe onkulunkulu, intando yethu, ukuthi
abasembusweni wethu hlalani ngokuthula, ukuze yilowo nalowo abheke okwakhe
izindaba zakho.
11:24 Siyaqonda futhi ukuthi amaJuda wayengafuni ukuvuma ubaba wethu, ngoba
basiwe enkambisweni yabezizwe, kepha kungcono bagcine eyabo
indlela yokuphila; ngalokho bafuna kithi ukuthi thina
kufanele babavumele ukuthi baphile ngemithetho yabo.
11:25 Ngakho ingqondo yethu iwukuthi, lesi sizwe kuyoba ukuphumula, futhi sinakho
wanquma ukubabuyisela ithempeli labo, ukuze baphile ngokuvumelana
amasiko abokhokho babo.
11:26 Ngakho-ke uyakwenza kahle ukuthumela kubo, futhi ubanike ukuthula.
ukuze kuthi lapho befakazelwa ngengqondo yethu, baduduzeke,
futhi bahlale bejabule ngezindaba zabo.
11:27 Futhi incwadi yenkosi esizweni samaJuda kwaba ngemva kwalokhu
ngendlela: Inkosi u-Antiochus iyakhonza emphakathini nakwabanye
wamaJuda:
11:28 Uma nihamba kahle, sinakho ukufisa kwethu; nathi sinempilo enhle.
11:29 Menelaus wamemezela kithi, ukuthi isifiso sakho kwakuwukubuyela ekhaya, futhi
landela ibhizinisi lakho:
11:30 Ngakho-ke labo abayohamba bayohlala ephephile kuze
usuku lwamashumi amathathu lwe-Xanthicus ngokuphepha.
11:31 Futhi amaJuda bayosebenzisa uhlobo lwabo siqu ukudla nemithetho, njengakuqala; futhi
akekho kubo noma iyiphi indlela eyohlukunyezwa ngezinto ngokungazi
kwenziwe.
11:32 Ngithumile futhi Menelaus, ukuze aniduduze.
11:33 Nisale kahle. Ngonyaka wekhulu namashumi amane nesishiyagalombili, nangoweshumi nanhlanu
usuku lwenyanga i-Xanthicus.
11:34 AmaRoma futhi wathumela kubo incwadi equkethe la mazwi: Quintus
UMemmiyu noThithu Manlius, amanxusa aseRoma, bayakhonza kini
abantu bamaJuda.
11:35 Noma yini uLisiya umzala wenkosi asiphe, ngakho nathi
ngijabule.
11:36 Kodwa ezithinta izinto ezinjalo njengoba wahlulela ukuba kubhekiswe enkosini, ngemva
senikucebisile ngakho, thumani omunye masinyane, ukuze sikubike lokho
linilungele, ngokuba manje siya e-Antiyokiya.
11:37 Ngakho thumela abanye ngokushesha, ukuze sazi ukuthi yini ingqondo yakho.
11:38 Ukuvalelisa. Lonyaka wekhulu namashumi amane nesishiyagalombili, usuku lweshumi nanhlanu lwe
inyanga kaXanthicus.