1 Ngoku siza kubuyela kwimbali yethu kuAmalikhaya nabo basaba kunye naye bangena entlango; kuba, qaphelani, wayethabathe abo bemka naye, waza wenyukela kwilizwe likaNifayi phakathi kwamaLeymenayithi, kwaye waye wawavuselela amaLeymenayithi emsindweni ngokuchasene nabantu bakaNifayi, kangangokuba ukumkani wamaLeymenayithi wathumela isibhengezo kulo lonke ilizwe lakhe, phakathi kwabo bonke abantu bakhe, sokokuba kumele bahlanganisane kunye kwakhona ukuba bayokulwa imfazwe ngokuchasene namaNifayithi.

2 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba sakuba isibhengezo sibheke phambili phakathi kwabo boyika ngokugqithisileyo; ewe, boyika ukungamkholisi ukumkani, kananjalo boyika ukuya kulwa imfazwe ngokuchasene namaNifayithi hleze baphulukane nobomi babo. Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba abazange bavume, okanye isininzi sabo asivumanga, ukuyithobela imiyalelo kakumkani.

3 Kwaye ngoku kwenzekile okokuba ukumkani waba nomsindo ngenxa yokungathobeli kwabo; ke ngoko wanika uAmalikhaya ulawulo lwaloo nxalenye yomkhosi wakhe owawuthobela iziyalo zakhe, waza wamyalela okokuba makabheke phambili kwaye abanyanzelise ukuba bayokulwa.

4 Ngoku qaphelani, lo yayingumnqweno ka-Amalikhaya; kuba yena ekubeni eyindoda enobuqhokolo kakhulu ekwenzeni ububi ke ngoko wayecebe entliziyweni yakhe ukuba amhluthe ubukhosi ukumkani wamaLeymenayithi.

5 Kwaye ngoku ulufumene ulawulo lwaloo nxalenye yamaLeymenayithi awayemxhasa ukumkani; kwaye wazama ukuzuza inkxaso yabo babengathobeli; ke ngoko wabheka phambili kwindawo eyayibizwa ngokuba yiOnayida, kuba kulapho onke amaLeymenayithi asabela khona; kuba bawubhaqa umkhosi useza, baza, becinga okokuba babesiza kubatshabalalisa, ke ngoko basabela eOnayida, kwindawo yokuzixhobisa.

6 Kwaye babenyule indoda ukuba ibe ngukumkani nenkokeli phezu kwabo, bezimisele ezingqondweni zabo ngesigqibo sokuzimisela okokuba abasayi kunyanzeliswa ukuba bayokulwa ngokuchasene namaNifayithi.

7 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba babezihlanganise kunye phezu kwencopho yentaba eyayibizwa ngokuba yiAntipasi, belungiselela ukulwa.

8 Ngoku kwakungeyonjongo ka-Amalikhaya ukulwa nabo ngokwemiyalelo kakumkani; kodwa qaphela, kwakuyinjongo yakhe ukuba azuze inkxaso yemikhosi yamaLeymenayithi, ukuze abe nokuzibeka esikhundleni aze amhluthe ubukhosi ukumkani kwaye athabathe nolawulo lobukumkani.

9 Kwaye qaphelani, kwenzekile okokuba wabangela ukuba imikhosi yakhe igxumeke iintente kwintlambo eyayikufuphi nentaba iAntipasi.

10 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba kwakuba kusebusuku wathumela isigidimi esifihlakeleyo entabeni yeAntipasi, enqwenela okokuba inkokeli yabo babephezu kwentaba, egama layo lalinguLihontayi, ukuba mayihle ize emazantsi entaba, kuba wayenqwenela ukuthetha nayo.

11 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba akuba uLihontayi ewufumene umyalezo akazange alinge ukwehlela emazantsi entaba. Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba uAmalikhaya wathumela kwakhona okwesibini, enqwenela ukuba ehle eze ezantsi. Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba uLihontayi akazange avume; waza wathumela kwakhona okwesithathu.

12 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba akuba uAmalikhaya efumanisa okokuba akanako ukumenza uLihontayi ukuba ehle eze ezantsi asuke entabeni, wenyukela entabeni, phantse kufuphi nenkampu kaLihontayi; waza wathumela kwakhona okwesine umyalezo wakhe kuLihontayi, enqwenela okokuba ehlele ezantsi, nokokuba angeza nabo abalindi bakhe.

13 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba akuba uLihontayi ehlele ezantsi kunye nabalindi bakhe ukuya kuAmalikhaya, uAmalikhaya wamnqwenela okokuba ehle kunye nomkhosi wakhe ngobusuku, baze barhangqe loo madoda ezinkampini zawo lawo ukumkani abewanikezele ulawulo lwawo kuye, nokokuba uza kuwanikezela ezandleni zikaLihontayi, ukuba angamenza yena (Amalikhaya) inkokeli yesibini phezu kwawo wonke umkhosi.

14 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba uLihontayi wehlela ezantsi kunye namadoda akhe waza wawarhangqa amadoda ka-Amalikhaya, ukuze phambi kokuba avuke ekuqalekeni kwemini babe berhangqwe yimikhosi kaLihontayi.

15 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba bakubona okokuba barhangqiwe, bamcenga uAmalikhaya ukuba abavumele ukuba bazimanye nabazwalwana babo, ukuze bangabi nakutshatyalaliswa. Ngoku le yayiyeyona nto awayeyinqwenela uAmalikhaya.

16 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba wawanikezela amadoda akhe, ngokuphikisana nemiyalelo kakumkani. Ngoku le yayiyinto awayeyinqwenela uAmalikhaya, ukuze abe nokufezekisa amayelenqe akhe okuhlutha ukumkani ubukhosi.

17 Ngoku kwakusisiqhelo phakathi kwamaLeymenayithi, okokuba ukuba inkokeli yawo eyintloko ithe yabulawa, konyulwe eyesibini inkokeli ukuba ibe yinkokeli yawo eyintloko.

18 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba uAmalikhaya wabangela okokuba esinye sezicaka zakhe simane sinika uLihontayi ityhefu ngamaqondo, ukuze afe.

19 Ngoku, akuba uLihontayi efile, amaLeymenayithi onyula uAmalikhaya ukuba abe yinkokeli yawo nomphathi wawo oyintloko.

20 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba uAmalikhaya wamatsha kunye nemikhosi yakhe (kuba wayizuza iminqweno yakhe) ukuya kwilizwe likaNifayi, kwisixeko sikaNifayi, esaye isisixeko esiyintloko.

21 Waza ukumkani waphuma ngaphandle ukuba ahlangane naye ekunye nabalindi bakhe, kuba wayecinga okokuba uAmalikhaya wayeyifezekisile imiyalelo yakhe, nokokuba uAmalikhaya wayehlanganise kunye umkhosi ongaka ukuba mkhulu ukuba uhambe ngokuchasene namaNifayithi ukuya kulwa.

22 Kodwa qaphelani, njengokuba ukumkani waphumela ngaphandle ukuze ahlangane naye uAmalikhaya wabangela okokuba izicaka zakhe zibheke phambili ukuya kuhlangana nokumkani. Kwaye zeza zaqubuda phambi kokumkani, ngokungathi ziyamhlonela ngenxa yobungangamsha bakhe.

23 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba ukumkani wasolula isandla sakhe ukuba abaphakamise, njengokuba kwakusisiqhelo kumaLeymenayithi, njengomqondiso woxolo, isiqhelo eso ababesithabathe kumaNifayithi.

24 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba akuba emphakamisile owokuqala emhlabeni, qaphelani wamgwaza ukumkani entliziyweni; waza wawela emhlabeni.

25 Ngoku izicaka zikakumkani zasaba; zaza izicaka zika-Amalikhaya zamemeza ngesikhalo, zisithi:

26 Bonani, izicaka zikakumkani zimgwaze entliziyweni, kwaye uwile kwaye zisabile; qaphelani, yizani nibone.

27 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba uAmalikhaya wayalela okokuba imikhosi yakhe imatshele phambili ukuba ibone oko kwakwenzeke kukumkani; yaza yakuba ifikile kuloo ndawo, yaza yamfumana ukumkani elele emahlwilini akhe, uAmalikhaya wazenza ngathi unomsindo, waza wathi: Nabani na obemthanda ukumkani, makabheke phambili, aze azisukele izicaka zakhe ukuze zibe nokubulawa.

28 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba bonke abo bebemthanda ukumkani, bakuba bewavile la mazwi, beza ngaphambili baza bazisukela izicaka zikakumkani.

29 Ngoku zakuba izicaka zikakumkani zibona umkhosi uzisukela, zaye zoyika kwakhona, zaza zasabela entlango, zaza zawelela ngaphesheya kwilizwe laseZarahemla zaza zazimanya nabantu baka-Amon.

30 Waza umkhosi lowo ububasukela wabuya, ekubeni ubasukele ngelize; waza njalo uAmalikhaya, ngobumenemene bakhe, wazizuza iintliziyo zabantu.

31 Kwaye kwenzekile ngengomso wangena kwisixeko sikaNifayi kunye nemikhosi yakhe, waza wasibanga isixeko.

32 Kwaye ngoku kwenzekile okokuba ukumkanikazi, akuba evile okokuba ukumkani ubulewe—kuba uAmalikhaya wayethumele isigidimi kukumkanikazi simazisa okokuba ukumkani ubulewe zizicaka zakhe, nokokuba uzisukele kunye nomkhosi wakhe, kodwa kwaba lilize, kwaye zibalekile—

33 Ke ngoko, akuba ukumkanikazi ewuzuzile lo myalezo wathumela kuAmalikhaya, emnqwenela ukuba abasindise abantu besixeko; kananjalo wayemnqwenela okokuba aze angene ngaphakathi kuye; kananjalo wayemnqwenela okokuba awazise amangqina kunye naye ukuba angqine malunga nokufa kukakumkani.

34 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba uAmalikhaya wathabatha kwa eso sicaka esasimbulele ukumkani, kwaye nabo bonke abo babekunye naso, baza bangena ngaphakathi kuye ukumkanikazi, kuyo loo ndawo awayehleli kuyo; baza bonke bangqina kuye okokuba ukumkani wabulawa zezakhe izicaka; baza kanjalo bathi: Basabile; ingaba oku akungqini ngokuchasene nabo? Baza njalo bamanelisa ukumkanikazi malunga nokufa kukakumkani.

35 Kwaye kwenzekile okokuba uAmalikhaya wafuna uthando lokumkanikazi, waza wamthabathela kuye ukuba abe ngumfazi; waza njalo ngobumenemene bakhe, kwaye nangoncedo lwezicaka zakhe ezinamaqhinga, wabuzuza ubukumkani; ewe, wavunywa wamkelwa njengokumkani kulo lonke ilizwe, phakathi kwabo bonke abantu bamaLeymenayithi, ababequka amaLeymenayithi namaLemuwelayithi namaIshmayelayithi, kwaye nabo bonke abakreqi bamaNifayithi, ukususela kulawulo lukaNifayi ukwehla ukuza kweli lixa limiyo.

36 Ngoku aba bakreqi, bekwanalo myalelo nolwazi lwamaNifayithi, ewe, ekubeni befundiswe kwangolu lwazi lweNkosi, nangona kunjalo, kuyamangalisa ukubalisa, ukuba kungekudala emva kokreqo lwabo baba nokuqaqadeka ngakumbi nokungazohlwayi, kwaye babakrwada ngakumbi, bekhohlakele kwaye benoburhalarhume kunamaLeymenayithi—berhabula kwizithethe zamaLeymenayithi; bezinikele kubunqenerha, nalo lonke uhlobo loburheletya, ewe, beyilibala ngokupheleleyo iNkosi uThixo wabo.