1Ngakho uJehoshafathi wayenothe kakhulu njalo ehlonipheka, waba lobunini lo-Ahabi ngokwendiselana.
2Ngemva kweminyaka ethile wayakwethekelela u-Ahabi eSamariya. U-Ahabi wamhlabela izimvu ezinengi lenkomo yena kanye labantu ayelabo njalo wamkhuthaza ukuba ahlasele iRamothi Giliyadi.
3U-Ahabi inkosi yako-Israyeli yabuza uJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda wathi: “Uzahamba lami na ukuyahlasela iRamothi Giliyadi?”
4Kodwa uJehoshafathi waphinda wathi enkosini yako-Israyeli, “Akubuze kuThixo* kuqala.”
5Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli yasibuthanisa abaphrofethi, amadoda angamakhulu amane, yababuza yathi, “Siphume impi siyehlasela iRamothi Giliyadi, loba ngizithibe na?”
6Kodwa uJehoshafathi wabuza wathi, “Kambe kakusela mphrofethi kaThixo* lapha esingabuza kuye na?”
7Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi, “Ukhona oyedwa esingabuza uThixo* ngaye kodwa ngiyamzonda ngoba kakaze aphrofethe okuhle ngami, uhlala ekhuluma okubi. Ibizo lakhe nguMikhaya indodana ka-Imla.”
8Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli yabiza esinye sezikhulu zayo yathi kuso, “Ngibizela uMikhaya indodana ka-Imla khathesi.”
9Bembethe izembatho zabo zobukhosi, inkosi yako-Israyeli loJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda babehlezi ezihlalweni zabo zobukhosi esizeni sokubhulela amabele esangweni laseSamariya labo bonke abaphrofethi bephrofetha phambi kwabo.
10UZedekhiya indodana kaKhenana wayekhande impondo zensimbi, wasesithi, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo*, uthi: ‘Ngempondo lezi uzagwaza ama-Aramu uwabhubhise.’ ”
11Bonke abaphrofethi babevele bephrofetha okufananayo besithi, “Hlasela iRamothi Giliyadi unqobe, ngoba uThixo* uyinikile esandleni senkosi.”
12Isithunywa esasithunywe ukuyabiza uMikhaya sathi kuye, “Khangela, abanye abaphrofethi bafakaza bengela kuthandabuza ukuthi inkosi izanqoba. Lawe vumelana labo, ukhulume okuyithokozisayo.”
13Kodwa uMikhaya wathi, “Ngeqiniso njengoba uThixo* ekhona, engingamtshela khona yilokhu okutshiwo nguThixo*.”
14Uthe efika, inkosi yambuza yathi, “Mikhaya, siye empini eRamothi Giliyadi, loba ngizithibe na?”
15Inkosi yathi kuye, “Kumele ngikufungise kangaki ukuze ungangikhohlisi kodwa ungitshele iqiniso ebizweni likaThixo*?”
16Ngakho uMikhaya waphendula wathi, “Ngabona abako-Israyeli bonke behlakazekile emaqaqeni njengezimvu ezingelamelusi, uThixo* wathi, ‘Lababantu kabalamkhokheli. Kabazibuyelele emakhaya ngokuthula.’ ”
17Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi, “Kangikutshelanga yini ukuthi uvele kaphrofethi lutho oluhle ngami kodwa okubi kuphela na?”
18UMikhaya waqhubeka wathi, “Ngakho zwanini ilizwi likaThixo*: Ngabona uThixo* ehlezi esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi lebutho lonke lasezulwini limi ngakwesokudla langakwesokhohlo.
19Njalo uThixo* wathi, ‘Ngubani ozakhohlisa u-Ahabi inkosi yako-Israyeli ukuba ahlasele eRamothi Giliyadi njalo ayofela khona na?’
20Ekucineni kwavela umoya, wema phambi kukaThixo* wathi: ‘Mina ngizamhuga.’
21Wona wathi: ‘Ngizahamba ngiyekuba ngumoya wokuqamba amanga emilonyeni yabo bonke abaphrofethi bakhe.’
22Ngakho khathesi uThixo* usefake umoya wenkohliso emilonyeni yabaphrofethi bakho bonke laba. UThixo* usekumisele ukubhujiswa.”
23Ngakho uZedekhiya indodana kaKhenana waphakama wayawakala uMikhaya ngempama ebusweni, watsho embuza wathi, “Umoya kaThixo* wasuka njani kimi ukuyakhuluma kuwe na?”
24UMikhaya waphendula wathi, “Wena ngokwakho uzakubona lokho mhla ubalekela endlini engaphakathi usiyacatsha.”
25Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi, “Bambani uMikhaya, limbuyisele ku-Amoni umbusi wedolobho lakuJowashi indodana yenkosi
26lithi: ‘Nanku okutshiwo yinkosi, ithi: Valelani umuntu lo entolongweni, lingamniki lutho ngaphandle kwesinkwa lamanzi ngize ngiphenduke kukuhle.’ ”
27UMikhaya waqonqosela wathi: “Nxa ungaphenduka kuhle, uThixo* uyabe engakhulumanga ngami.” Waqhubeka wathi, “Lani lonke bantu abambisiseni amazwi ami!”
28Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli loJehoshafathi inkosi yakoJuda baya eRamothi Giliyadi.
29Inkosi yako-Israyeli yathi kuJehoshafathi: “Mina ngizakuya empini ngizazifihla ngokulahlisa isimo sami, kodwa wena gqoka ezakho ezobukhosi.” Ngakho inkosi yako-Israyeli yazifihla ngokulahlisa isimo sayo yangena empini.
30Ngakho inkosi yase-Aramu yayiqonqosele abalawuli bezinqola zokulwa yathi, “Lingalwi lamuntu, loba ngomncinyane loba ngomkhulu, ngaphandle kwenkosi yako-Israyeli.”
31Abalawuli bezinqola zokulwa bathi bebona uJehoshafathi bathi, “Yiyonale inkosi yako-Israyeli.” Ngakho bamphendukela ukuba bamhlasele, kodwa uJehoshafathi wahlaba umkhosi, uThixo* wamsiza. UNkulunkulu wabenza baya khatshana laye,
32ngoba abalawuli bezinqola zokulwa bathi sebebonile ukuthi kasiyo inkosi yako-Israyeli, abazange besaxotshana laye.
33Kodwa omunye watshoka kungananzelelwe umtshoko waphutsha emkhandlwini wesikhali wagwaza inkosi yako-Israyeli. Inkosi yatshela umtshayeli wenqola yokulwa yathi, “Phendula inqola yakho ungisuse lapha, sengilimele.”