1 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba bakuba belimisele ibandla kwelo lizwe, ukumkani uLamonayi wanqwenela okokuba uAmon ahambe naye ukuya kulo ilizwe likaNifayi, ukuze abe nokumbonisa kuyise wakhe.

2 Laza ilizwi leNkosi lafika kuAmon, lisithi: Akusayi kunyukela kwilizwe likaNifayi, kuba qaphela, ukumkani uya kuzungula ubomi bakho; kodwa uyakuya kwilizwe laseMidonayi; kuba qaphela, umntakwenu uAron, kwaye kanjalo noMyulakayi noAma basentolongweni.

3 Ngoku kwenzekile okokuba akuba uAmon ekuvile oku, wathi kuye uLamonayi: Qaphela, umntakwethu nabazalwana bam basentolongweni eMidonayi, kwaye ndiyaya ukuze ndibe nokubakhulula.

4 Ngoku uLamonayi wathi kuye uAmon: Ndiyazi, emandleni eNkosi unakho ukuzenza zonke izinto. Kodwa qaphela, ndiza kuhamba nawe ukuya kwilizwe laseMidonayi; kuba ukumkani welizwe laseMidonayi, ogama lakhe linguAntiyamno, usisihlobo kum; ke ngoko ndiyaya kwilizwe laseMidonayi, ukuze ndibe nokumncoma kakhulu ukumkani welizwe, kwaye uya kubakhupha abazalwana bakho baphume entolongweni. Ngoku wathi uLamonayi kuye: Ngubani okuxeleleyo ukuba abazalwana bakho basentolongweni?

5 Waza wathi uAmon kuye: Akukho bani undixeleleyo, ngaphandle kokuba ibe nguThixo; kwaye uthe kum—Hamba uze ukhulule abazalwana bakho, kuba basentolongweni kwilizwe laseMidonayi.

6 Ngoku akuba uLamonayi ekuvile oku wenza okokuba izicaka zakhe zilungise amahashe akhe neenqwelo zakhe zokulwa.

7 Waza wathi kuAmon: Yiza, ndiza kuhamba nawe ndehlele kwilizwe laseMidonayi, kwaye apho ndiya kumcenga ukumkani ukuba abakhuphe abazalwana bakho baphume entolongweni.

8 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba njengoko uAmon noLamonayi babesiya apho, bahlangana noyise kaLamonayi, owayengukumkani phezu kwalo lonke ilizwe.

9 Kwaye qaphelani, uyise kaLamonayi wathi kuye: Kungani ungezanga kumsitho ngalaa mhla mkhulu xa ndandenzele oonyana bam umsitho, kwaye ndenzele nabantu bam?

10 Kwaye kanjalo wathi: Uyaphi kunye nalo mNifayithi, ongomnye wabantwana bexoki?

11 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba uLamonayi wamchazela apho aya khona, kuba wayesoyika ukumkhathaza.

12 Kwaye wamxelela kanjalo sonke isizathu sokulibaziseka kwakhe kobakhe ubukumkani, ukuze angayi kuyise emsithweni abewulungisile.

13 Kwaye ngoku akuba uLamonayi emchazele zonke ezi zinto, qaphela, ekukhwankqisweni kwakhe, uyise waba nomsindo ngakuye, waza wathi: Lamonayi, uya kukhulula la maNifayithi, abangoonyana bexoki. Qaphela, wabaphanga oobawo bethu; kwaye ngoku abantwana bakhe kanjalo baze phakathi kwethu ukuze babe, ngobuqhinga babo nobuxoki babo, nokusilahlekisa, ukuze basilahlekise kwakhona babe nokusiphanga izinto zethu.

14 Ngoku uyise kaLamonayi wamyalela ukuba ambulale uAmon ngekrele. Waza wamyalela kanjalo ukuba angayi kwilizwe laseMidonayi, kodwa umele abuyele naye kwilizwe lakwaIshmayeli.

15 Kodwa uLamonayi wathi kuye: Andisayi kumbulala uAmon, ndingayi kubuyela kwilizwe lakwaIshmayeli, kodwa ndiya kwilizwe laseMidonayi ukuze ndibe nokukhulula abazalwana baka-Amon, kuba ndiyazi ukuba bangamadoda anobulungisa nabaprofeti abangcwele boThixo oyinyani.

16 Ngoku akuba uyise wakhe ewavile la mazwi, waba nomsindo ngakuye, waza walirhutya ikrele lakhe ukuze abe nokumosela awe emhlabeni.

17 Kodwa uAmon wema ngaphambili kwaye wathi kuye: Qaphela akusayi kumbulala unyana wakho; nakubeni bekungalunga ngaphezulu ukuba awe kunokuba abaleke, kuba qaphela, uguqukile ezonweni zakhe; kodwa ukuba wena unokuwa ngeli lixa, usemsindweni wakho, umphefumlo wakho awunakusindiswa.

18 Kwaye kwakhona, kuyimfuneko ukuba uzibambe; ukuba unokumbulala unyana wakho, yena eyindoda emsulwa, igazi lakhe lingakhala ukusuka emhlabeni ukuya kwiNkosi uThixo wakhe, ukuba impindezelo ifike phezu kwakho; kwaye mhlawumbi uphulukane nomphefumlo wakho.

19 Ngoku akuba uAmon ewathethile la mazwi kuye, wamphendula, esithi: Ndiyazi okokuba ukuba ndingambulala unyana wam, ndingaba ndiphalaze igazi elimsulwa; kuba nguwe ofune ukumtshabalalisa.

20 Waze wasolulela phambili isandla sakhe ukuba abulale uAmon. Kodwa uAmon wamelana nezithonga zakhe, kwaye kanjalo wayibetha ingalo yakhe ukuze angabinako ukuyisebenzisa.

21 Ngoku akubona ukumkani ukuba uAmon angambulala, waqalisa ukumbongoza uAmon ukuba abusindise ubomi bakhe.

22 Kodwa uAmon waliphakamisa ikrele lakhe, kwaye wathi kuye: Qaphela, ndiya kukosela ngaphandle kokuba uya kundivumela ukuba abazalwana bam babe nokukhutshelwa ngaphandle kwentolongo.

23 Ngoku ukumkani, enoloyiko lokuba angaphulukana nobomi bakhe, wathi: Ukuba ungandisindisa ndiya kunika nantoni na oya kuyicela, nokude kube sisiqingatha sobukumkani.

24 Ngoku xa uAmon ebona ukuba wenze kukumkani ngokomnqweno wakhe, wathi kuye: Ukuba ungavumela ukuba abazalwana bam bakhutshelwe ngaphandle kwentolongo, nokokuba uLamonayi abugcine ubukumkani bakhe, nokokuba ningabi nokungoneliseki nguye, kodwa umvumele ukuba enze ngokweyakhe iminqweno nakuyo nayiphina into ayicingayo, ke ndiya kukusindisa; kungenjalo ndiya kubetha uwe emhlabeni.

25 Ngoku akuba uAmon ewathethile la mazwi, ukumkani waqalisa ukugcoba ngenxa yobomi bakhe.

26 Kwaye akubona ukuba uAmon akanawo umnqweno wokumtshabalalisa, kwaye akulubona kanjalo uthando olukhulu awayenalo ngonyana wakhe uLamonayi, wakhwankqiswa ngokugqithisileyo, waza wathi: Ngenxa yokuba unqwenele kuphela nje oku, ukuba ndikhulule abazalwana bakho, kwaye ndimvumele unyana wam uLamonayi ukuba abugcine ubukumkani bakhe, qaphela, ndiya kumvumela unyana wam ukuba angabugcina ubukumkani bakhe ukususela ngeli lixa kwaye nangonaphakade; kwaye andisayi kube ndimlawule—

27 Kwaye kanjalo ndiya kukuvumela ukuba abazalwana bakho babe nokukhutshelwa ngaphandle kwentolongo, kwaye wena nabazalwana bakho ningeza kum, ebukumkanini bam; kuba ndiya kunqwenela kakhulu ukuba ndinibone. Kuba ukumkani wayekhwankqiswe kakhulu ngamazwi abewathethile, kananjalo ngamazwi abethethwe ngunyana wakhe uLamonayi, ke ngoko wayenqwenela ukuwazi.

28 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba uAmon noLamonayi baqhubeka nohambo lwabo oluya ngakwilizwe laseMidonayi. Kwaye uLamonayi wababalwa emehlweni kakumkani welizwe; ke ngoko abazalwana baka-Amon baziswa ngaphambili baphuma entolongweni.

29 Kwaye xa uAmon wathi ehlangane nabo wabalusizi ngokugqithisileyo, kuba qaphelani babeze, kwaye nezikhumba zabo zazidlekile ngokugqithisileyo ngenxa yokubotshelelwa ngeentambo ezomeleleyo. Kwaye kanjalo babebandezeleke ngendlala, unxano, kwanazo zonke iindidi zeembandezelo; nangona kunjalo baba nomonde kuzo zonke iintlupheko zabo.

30 Kwaye, njengoko kwenzekile, ibingummiselo wabo ukuba bawele ezandleni zabona bantu baqaqadeke ngakumbi kwaye nabona bantamo zilukhuni ngakumbi; ke ngoko babe ngafuni ukuwaphulaphula amazwi abo, kwaye babebakhuphela ngaphandle, kwaye babethwa, kwaye bebaqhuba ukusuka kwindlu ngendlu, nokusuka kwiindawo ngeendawo, nangokude bayekufika kwilizwe laseMidonayi; baza apho bathatyathwa baza baphoswa entolongweni, baza babotshelelwa ngeentambo, baza bagcinwa entolongweni kangangeentsuku ezininzi, baza bahlangulwa nguLamonayi noAmon.