2 Maccabees
12:1 Lapho lezi zivumelwano kwenziwa, uLisiya waya enkosini, futhi amaJuda
zazimayelana nokufuywa kwazo.
12:2 Kodwa kubabusi bezindawo eziningana, uThimothewu, no-Apolonius the
indodana kaGenewusi, loHieronimu, loDemofoni, eceleni kwabo uNikanori
umbusi waseKhupro, kabavumelanga ukuthi bathule bahlale phakathi
ukuthula.
12:3 Amadoda aseJopha nawo enza isenzo esinjalo sokungahloniphi uNkulunkulu, akhuleka kumaJuda
ababehlala phakathi kwabo ukuze bangene emikhunjini nomkabo nabantwana
ababekulungisile, sengathi babengabalimazanga.
12:4 Owamukela kuwo ngokuvumelana nesimiso somuzi, njengoba kokuba
befisa ukuhlala ngokuthula, bengaqondi lutho;
baphumela ekujuleni, baminza abangengaphansi kwamakhulu amabili kubo.
12:5 UJuda esezwile ngalobu bubi obenzelwa abantu bakubo, wayala
ababelaye ukuze abalungisele.
12:6 Futhi ebiza uNkulunkulu uMahluleli olungileyo, weza ngokumelene labo
ababulali babafowabo, bashisa itheku ebusuku, babeka ichweba
izikebhe ezivuthayo, nababalekela khona wababulala.
12:7 Futhi lapho idolobha ivaliwe, wabuyela emuva, sengathi uzobuya
ukuze asiphule bonke emzini waseJopha.
12:8 Kodwa lapho ezwa ukuthi amaJamnites babezimisele ukwenza kanjalo
kumaJuda ahlala phakathi kwabo.
12:9 Wafika phezu Jamnites futhi ebusuku, futhi wathungela umlilo phezu kwechweba futhi
imikhumbi yemikhumbi, kwaze kwabonakala ukukhanya komlilo eJerusalema kabili
amastadiyu ayikhulu namashumi amane.
12:10 Manje sebesukile lapho amastadiyu ayisishiyagalolunye ohambweni lwabo
kuThimothewu, amadoda ahamba ngezinyawo angengaphansi kwezinkulungwane ezinhlanu nayisihlanu
abagibeli bamahhashi abayikhulu bama-Arabiya bagibela phezu kwakhe.
12:11 Kwaba khona impi enzima kakhulu; kodwa ngakuJudasi ngosizo luka
UNkulunkulu wathola ukunqoba; ukuze amaNomade ase-Arabiya anqotshwe,
wancenga uJudasi ukuthula, ethembisa ukumnika izinkomo, futhi
ukumjabulisa ngenye indlela.
12:12 Khona-ke uJuda, ecabanga ngempela ukuthi babeyoba inzuzo kwabaningi
izinto, wabanika ukuthula: lapho baxhawulana, futhi kanjalo
basuka baya ematendeni abo.
12:13 Wahamba futhi mayelana ukwenza ibhuloho emzini othile onamandla, okuyinto kwaba
ebiyelwe ngezindonga, ihlalwa ngabantu bamazwe ahlukahlukene;
igama lawo laliyiKaspi.
12:14 Kodwa labo ababephakathi kwalo babeka ithemba elinjalo emandleni ezindonga
kanye nokuhlinzekwa kokudla, ukuthi baziphathe ngokudelela
ababenoJudasi, bethuka, behlambalaza, bekhuluma kanjalo
amazwi njengoba kwakungafanele akhulunywe.
12:15 Ngakho uJuda kanye neqembu lakhe, ebiza iNkosi enkulu yebandla
izwe, owawisa iJeriko ekamu, engenazinqama namishini yempi
ngesikhathi sikaJoshuwa, wahlasela kanzima izindonga,
12:16 Futhi bawuthatha umuzi ngentando kaNkulunkulu, futhi babulala abantu abangakhulumekiyo.
kangangoba kwakukhona ichibi elingamastadiyu* amabili ububanzi eduze nalo
egcwele, wabonakala egijima negazi.
12:17 Base besuka lapho amastadiyu angamakhulu ayisikhombisa namashumi ayisihlanu, futhi
beza eKharaka kumaJuda abizwa ngokuthi ngamaTubieni.
12:18 Kodwa uThimothewu, abamtholanga ezindaweni, ngoba ngaphambi kwakhe
esethumile utho, wamuka lapho, washiya ibanga elide
ibutho eliqinile endaweni ethile.
12:19 Nokho, uDositheus noSosipater, ababeyizinduna zikaMaccabeus, bahamba.
waphuma, wabulala labo uThimothewu ayebashiyile enqabeni, ngaphezu kweshumi
amadoda ayinkulungwane.
12:20 UMakhabeyu wamisa ibutho lakhe ngamavindi, walibeka phezu kwezibopho,
Waya kuThimothewu, owayengaba yizinkulungwane eziyikhulu namashumi amabili
amadoda ezinyawo, nabamahhashi abayizinkulungwane ezimbili namakhulu ayisihlanu.
12:21 Manje lapho uThimothewu ekwazi ngokufika kukaJuda, wathuma abesifazane futhi
abantwana nezinye izimpahla enqabeni ebizwa ngokuthi iKhaniyoni;
umuzi wawunzima ukuvinjezelwa, kungakhululekile ukungena kuwo, ngenxa yomuzi
ubuthakathaka kuzo zonke izindawo.
12:22 Kodwa lapho uJuda band yakhe yokuqala efika emehlweni, izitha, eshaywa
ngokwesaba nangokwesaba ngokubonakala kwakhe obona zonke izinto.
babaleka, omunye wagijimela ngapha, omunye ngale, ukuze bafike
bavame ukulinyazwa amadoda abo, futhi balinyazwe ngamaphuzu abo
izinkemba zakho.
12:23 UJuda naye wayezimisele kakhulu ekubalandeleni, ebulala labo ababi
ababi, awabulala kubo abantu abangaba yizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amathathu.
12:24 Ngaphezu kwalokho, uThimothewu ngokwakhe wawela ezandleni Dositheus futhi
USosipatro, amncenga ngobuqili obuningi ukuba amkhulule nempilo yakhe;
ngoba wayenabazali abaningi babaJuda nabafowabo babathile
bona, okuthi, uma bembulala, banganakwa.
12:25 Ngakho lapho wabaqinisekisa ngamazwi amaningi ukuthi wayeyobabuyisela kubo
ngaphandle kokulimala, ngokwesivumelwano, bamdedela ukuba asindiswe
labafowabo.
12:26 Khona-ke Maccabeus waphuma waya Carnion, futhi ethempelini Atargatis.
wabulala khona abantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nanhlanu.
12:27 Futhi ngemva kokuba wabaleka futhi wababhubhisa, uJuda wasusa
ibutho libheke e-Efroni, umuzi onamandla, lapho uLisiya ahlala khona, umkhulu
uquqaba lwezizwe, nezinsizwa ezinamandla zigcina izingange;
futhi wabavikela kakhulu: lapho futhi kwakukhona ukuhlinzekwa okukhulu kwezinjini
kanye nemicibisholo.
12:28 Kodwa lapho uJuda neqembu lakhe wayebize uNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke, ngubani nge
amandla akhe achitha amandla ezitha zakhe, zawunqoba umuzi, futhi
wabulala abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nanhlanu ababengaphakathi.
12:29 Ukusuka lapho, basuka baya eSkithopholi, okuyinto engamakhulu ayisithupha
kude neJerusalema,
12:30 Kodwa lapho amaJuda ayehlala lapho wayefakaze ukuthi amaScythopolitans
wabaphatha ngothando, wabaphatha ngomusa ngesikhathi sabo
ubunzima;
12:31 Bababonga, befisa ukuba babe namanje friendly kubo: futhi
base befika eJerusalema, umkhosi wamasonto usondela.
12:32 Futhi ngemva komkhosi, okuthiwa iPhentekoste, baphuma ngokumelene Gorgias
umbusi wase-Idumiya,
12:33 Abaphuma namadoda ayizinkulungwane ezintathu zezinyawo, namakhulu amane abagadi bamahhashi.
12:34 Futhi kwenzeka ukuthi ekulweni kwabo ndawonye abambalwa bamaJuda baba
ababulewe.
12:35 Ngaleso sikhathi Dositheus, omunye wenkampani Bacenor, owayegibele ihhashi.
nendoda enamandla, isaphezu kukaGorgia, ibambe ingubo yayo
wamdonsa ngamandla; kwathi lapho esethathe lowomuntu oqalekisiweyo ephila, a
umgibeli wehhashi waseTrakhiya weza phezu kwakhe, wamshaya ehlombe, kangangokuthi
UGorgias wabalekela eMarisa.
12:36 Manje lapho labo ababenoGorgias sebelwile isikhathi eside futhi bekhathele.
UJuda wabiza uJehova, ukuthi wayezozibonakalisa ukuthi ungowabo
umsizi nomholi wempi.
12:37 Futhi ngalokho waqala ngolimi lwakhe siqu, futhi wahlabelela amahubo ngokuzwakalayo
izwi, futhi egijimela amadoda kaGorgias engazelele, wawabalekela.
12:38 Ngakho uJuda wabutha impi yakhe, futhi wangena emzini Odolam, Futhi lapho
lwafika usuku lwesikhombisa, bazihlambulula njengomkhuba;
wagcina isabatha endaweni eyodwa.
12:39 Futhi ngosuku olulandelayo, njengoba ukusetshenziswa kwaba, uJuda nenkampani yakhe
weza ukuzothatha izidumbu zababuleweyo, nokuzimbela
kanye nabafowabo emathuneni awoyise.
12:40 Manje ngaphansi amajazi yilowo nalowo owayebulewe bathola izinto
ezingcweliselwe izithixo zamaJamni, okuyinto amaJuda enqatshelwe
umthetho. Base bebona wonke umuntu ukuthi yilesi sizathu
ababulewe.
12:41 Ngakho bonke abantu bedumisa iNkosi, uMahluleli olungileyo, owavula
izinto ebezifihliwe,
12:42 Bethathe ngokwabo emkhulekweni, futhi wamncenga ukuthi isono senza
kungase kususwe ngokuphelele ekukhunjulweni. Ngaphandle kwalokho, lowo Judasi ohloniphekile
wakhuthaza abantu ukuthi bazigcine ezonweni, njengoba bebona
phambi kwamehlo abo izinto ezenzeka ngenxa yezono zalabo
ababebulewe.
12:43 Futhi lapho esebuthe isixuku kulo lonke isixuku
amadrakhima esiliva ayizinkulungwane ezimbili, wawathumela eJerusalema ukunikela ngesono
enikela, enza ngakho kahle kakhulu nangeqiniso, ngokuba wayekhumbula
ngovuko:
12:44 Ngoba uma wayengathembi ukuthi ababulewe ngabe uvukile
futhi, kwakungaphezu kwamandla futhi kuyize ukuthandazela abafileyo.
12:45 Futhi futhi kulokho wabona ukuthi kukhona umusa omkhulu ebekelwe
labo abafa behlonipha uNkulunkulu, kwakungumqondo ongcwele nomuhle. Lapho yena
wenza ukubuyisana kwabafileyo, ukuze bakhululwe kubo
isono.