Isahluko 20
INkosi ithumela u-Amoni eMidoni ukuthi ayokhulula abafowabo ababoshiwe—U-Amoni kanye noLamoni bahlangana noyise kaLamoni, oyinkosi ezweni lonke—U-Amoni uphoqa inkosi endala ukuthi ivume ukukhululwa kwabafowabo. Cishe ngonyaka wama 90 ngaphambi kokuzalwa kukaKristu.
1 Futhi kwenzeka ukuthi ngesikhathi sebelimisile ibandla kulelozwe, inkosi uLamoni yaba nesifiso sokuthi u-Amoni ahambe nayo aye ezweni likaNefi, ukuze imkhombise uyise.
2 Izwi leNkosi lafika ku-Amoni, lithi: Ungahambi ukhuphukele ezweni likaNefi, ngokuba bheka, inkosi izofuna impilo yakho; kodwa uyoya ezweni laseMidoni; ngokuba bheka, umfowenu u-Aroni, futhi ngokunjalo noMuloki kanye no-Ama basetilongweni.
3 Manje kwenzeka ukuthi ngesikhathi u-Amoni esekuzwile lokhu, wathi kuLamoni: Bheka, umnewethu kanye nabafowethu basetilongweni eMidoni, futhi ngizohamba ukuze ngiyobakhulula.
4 Manje uLamoni wathi ku-Amoni: Ngiyazi, ngamandla eNkosi ungakwazi ukwenza zonke izinto. Kodwa bheka, ngizohamba nawe siye ezweni laseMidoni; ngokuba inkosi yezwe laseMidoni, egama layo lingu-Antiyomino, ingumngani wami; ngakho-ke ngizoya ezweni laseMidoni, ukuze ngiyincenge inkosi yezwe, futhi izobakhipha abafowenu etilongweni. Manje uLamoni wathi kuye: Ngubani okutshele ukuthi abafowenu basetilongweni na?
5 U-Amoni wathi kuye: Akekho ongitshelile, ngaphandle kukaNkulunkulu; futhi uthe kimi—Hamba uyokhulula abafowenu, ngokuba basetilongweni ezweni laseMidoni.
6 Manje ngesikhathi uLamoni esekuzwile lokhu wenza ukuthi izinceku zakhe zilungise amahhashi kanye nezinqola zakhe.
7 Futhi wathi ku-Amoni: Woza, ngizohamba nawe sehlele ezweni lase Midoni, futhi lapho ngiyoyincenga inkosi ukuthi ibakhiphe abafowenu etilongweni.
8 Futhi kwenzeka ukuthi ngesikhathi u-Amoni kanye noLamoni besahamba beya lapho, bahlangana noyise kaLamoni, owayeyinkosi ezweni lonke.
9 Bheka, uyise kaLamoni wathi kuye: Awuzanga ngani edilini ngaloluyasuku olukhulu ngesikhathi ngenzele amadodana ami, kanye nabantu bami idili na?
10 Futhi phezu kwalokho wathi: Uyaphi nalomNefi, ongomunye wabantwana bomqambi manga na?
11 Futhi kwenzeka ukuthi uLamoni wamlandisa ukuthi wayeyaphi, ngokuba wayesaba ukumcasula.
12 Futhi waphinde wamtshela isizathu sokuthi ahlale embusweni wakhe, nokuthi yini engayanga edilini uyise ayelilungisile.
13 Manje ngesikhathi uLamoni esemlandisile zonke lezi zinto, bheka, wamangala, uyise emthukuthelela, futhi ethi: Lamoni, uyokhulula lamaNefi, angamadodana omqambi manga. Bheka, waphanga obaba bethu; manje izingane zakhe nazo ngokunjalo ziza phakathi kwethu ukuze, ngobuqili bazo kanye nangamanga azo, zisikhohlise, ukuze ziphinde zisiphange impahla yethu.
14 Manje uyise kaLamoni wamyala ukuthi abulale u-Amoni ngenkemba. Futhi waphinde wamyala ukuthi angayi ezweni laseMidoni, kodwa ukuthi abuyele naye ezweni lakwa-Ishmayeli.
15 Kodwa uLamoni wathi kuye: Ngeke ngimbulale u-Amoni, noma ngibuyele ezweni lakwa-Ishmayeli, kodwa ngiya ezweni laseMidoni ukuze ngikhulule abafowabo baka-Amoni, ngokuba ngiyazi ukuthi bangamadoda abalungile futhi bangabaphrofethi abangcwele baNkulunkulu weqiniso.
16 Manje ngesikhathi uyise esewazwile lamazwi, wamthukuthelela, futhi wahosha inkemba yakhe ukuze amshaye amthele othulini.
17 Kodwa u-Amoni wema ngaphambili wathi kuye: Bheka, ungayibulali indodana yakho; nokho, bekuyobangcono ukuthi kufe yona kunawe, ngokuba bheka, isiphendukile ezonweni zayo; kodwa uma wena ungafa ngalesi sikhathi, usentukuthelweni yakho, umphefumulo wakho awunakusindiswa.
18 Futhi phezu kwalokho, kudingekile ukuthi ukuyeke lokhu; ngokuba uma ungayibulala indodana yakho, ibe yona iyindoda engenacala, igazi layo liyokhala phansi liye eNkosini uNkulunkulu wayo, ukuze impindiselo ize phezu kwakho; futhi mhlawumbe ungalahlekelwa nawumphefumulo wakho.
19 Manje ngesikhathi u-Amoni esewashilo lamazwi kuye, wamphendula, ethi: Ngiyazi ukuthi uma ngingabulala indodana yami, ngizobe ngichitha igazi elingenacala; ngokuba nguwe lona ofune ukuyibulala.
20 Futhi yelula isandla sayo ukuthi ibulale u-Amoni. Kodwa u-Amoni wawamela amagalelo ayo, futhi waphinde washaya ingalo yayo ukuze ingabe isakwazi ukuyisebenzisa.
21 Manje ngesikhathi inkosi ibona ukuthi u-Amoni angayibulala, yaqala ukuncenga ku-Amoni ukuthi aphephise impilo yayo.
22 Kodwa u-Amoni waphakamisa inkemba yakhe, wathi kuyo: Bheka, ngizokubulala ngaphandle kokuthi uvume ukuthi abafowethu bakhishwe etilongweni.
23 Manje inkosi, inokwesaba ukuthi ingase ilahlekelwe yimpilo yayo, yathi: Uma nje ungangisindisa ngizokunika noma ngabe yini ozoyicela, ngisho ngabe yinxenye yombuso.
24 Manje ngesikhathi u-Amoni ebona ukuthi wayeseyithonyile inkosi endala njengokwesifiso sakhe, wathi kuyo: Uma nje ungavumela abafowethu ukuthi baphume etilongweni, futhi nokuthi uLamoni agcine umbuso wakhe, futhi nokuthi ungabi nokungamthandi, kodwa umvumele ukuthi enze njengokwezifiso zakhe kunanoma iyiphi into ayicabangayo, uma kunjalo ngizokuphephisa; kungenjalo ngizokushaya ngikuthele othulini.
25 Manje ngesikhathi u-Amoni esewashilo lamazwi, inkosi yaqala ukuthokoza ngenxa yempilo yayo.
26 Futhi ngesikhathi ibona ukuthi u-Amoni wayengenanhloso yokuyibulala, futhi ngesikhathi ibona uthando olukhulu ayenalo ngendodana yayo uLamoni, yamangala kakhulu, futhi yathi: Ngenxa yokuthi yilokhu kuphela okufisayo, ukuthi ngikhulule abafowenu, futhi ngivume ukuthi indodana yami uLamoni igcine umbuso wayo, bheka, ngizovuma ukuthi indodana yami iwugcine umbuso wayo kusukela kulesi sikhathi naphakade; futhi angiseyikuphinde ngiyibuse nanini.
27 Futhi phezu kwalokho ngizovuma ukuthi abafowenu bakhishwe etilongweni, futhi wena kanye nabafowenu ningeza kimi, embusweni wami; ngokuba ngiyafisa kakhulu ukuthi ngikubone. Ngokuba inkosi yayimangele kakhulu ngamazwi ayewakhulumile, futhi ngokunjalo nangamazwi ayekhulunywe yindodana yayo uLamoni, ngakho-ke yaba nesifiso sokuwafunda.
28 Futhi kwenzeka ukuthi u-Amoni kanye noLamoni baqhubeka nohambo lwabo lokuya ngasezweni laseMidoni. Futhi uLamoni wathola ukuthandwa emehlweni enkosi yezwe; ngakho-ke abafowabo ba-Amoni bakhishwa etilongweni.
29 Ngesikhathi u-Amoni ehlangana nabo wadabuka kakhulu, ngokuba bheka babenqunu, futhi izikhumba zabo zazigazukile kakhulu ngenxa yokuboshwa ngezintambo eziqinile. Futhi phezu kwalokho base befile yindlala, wukoma, kanye nazo zonke izinhlobo zezinkathazo; nokho babeku bekezelele konke ukuhlupheka kwabo.
30 Futhi, njengoba kwenzeka, lokhu kwakuyisabelo sabo ukuthi bawele ezandleni zabantu ababelukhuni kanye nababengontamo lukhuni; ngakho-ke babengafuni ngisho nokuwalalela amazwi abo, futhi babaxosha, babakhiphela ngaphandle, futhi babashaya, futhi babaqhuba besuka umuzi nomuzi, indawo nendawo, ngisho kwaze kwaba babafikisa ezweni laseMidoni; futhi lapho bathathwa baphonswa etilongweni, baboshwa ngezintambo eziqinile, bagcinwa etilongweni izinsuku eziningi, baze bakhishwa nguLamoni kanye no-Amoni.