1 UJerobhowamu esemi e-alithareni ukuze atshise impepha, kwafika umuntu kaNkulunkulu eBhetheli evela koJuda elelizwi likaThixo, 2 walethula e-alithareni lelilizwi likaThixo elithi: “Wena alithare! Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo ukuthi, ‘Kuzazalwa indodana endlini kaDavida, ibizo lakhe lizakuba nguJosiya. Izakwenza umhlatshelo phezu kwakho ngabaphristi bezindawo eziphakemeyo okwakhathesi abenza iminikelo khona lapha, lamathambo abantu azatshiselwa phezu kwakho.’ ” 3 Ngalolosuku umuntu kaNkulunkulu wenza isibonakaliso esithi: “Lesi yisiboniso esivela kuThixo: I-alithari lizadatshulwa phakathi lomlotha ophezu kwalo uzachithwa.”

4 Inkosi uJerobhowamu isizwile isikhalazo sendoda evela kuNkulunkulu nge-alithare leBhetheli yelulela isandla sayo e-alithareni, yathi, “Mbambeni!” Kodwa isandla leso ayeselulile soma wehluleka ukusifinyeza. 5 Kwathi i-alithari lalo ladatshulwa phakathi umlotha walo walahlwa, njengokwesibonakaliso esasethulwe ngumuntu kaNkulunkulu ngelizwi likaThixo.

6 Inkosi yathi emuntwini kaNkulunkulu, “Ake ungincengele kuThixo uNkulunkulu wakho, ungikhulekele, ukuba isandla sami sisiliswe sibuyele esimeni saso.” Umuntu kaNkulunkulu wasemncengela kuThixo, lesandla sikaJerobhowamu sasiliswa saba njengakuqala.

7 Wasesithi emuntwini kaNkulunkulu: “Ake siye ekhaya ukuba udle, ngizakunika umvuzo.”

8 Kodwa umuntu kaNkulunkulu wayiphendula inkosi wathi, “Loba ungaze unginike ingxenye yenotho yakho, kangihambi lawe; kangiyikudla ukudla, njalo angiyikunatha amanzi kulindawo; 9 ngoba ngilaywe ngelizwi likaThixo ukuthi: ‘Ungabokudla ukudla, unganathi amanzi njalo ungaphenduki ngendlela oze ngayo.’ ” 10 Ngakho wabuyela ngenye indlela, kasabuyelanga ngendlela ayeze ngayo eBhetheli.

11 Kwakulomphrofethi omdala owayehlala eBhetheli, okweza kuye amadodana akhe amtshela ngokwakwenziwe ngumuntu kaNkulunkulu ngalolosuku. Amadodana atshela uyise lokuthi indoda leyo yayitheni enkosini. 12 Uyise wasebuza amadodana ukuthi: “Pho angabe uhambe ngayiphi indlela?” Amadodana atshengisa uyise indlela eyathathwa ngumuntu kaNkulunkulu owavela koJuda. 13 Wasesithi emadodaneni akhe, “Lungisani ubabhemi lingifakele isihlalo phezu kwakhe.” Kwathi sebemlungisele wagada ubabhemi 14 walandela umuntu kaNkulunkulu, wamfica ehlezi ngaphansi kwesihlahla somʼOkhi wambuza wathi, “Nguwe umuntu kaNkulunkulu na ovela koJuda?”

Indoda yathi, “Yebo yimi.”

15 Ngakho umphrofethi wasesithi kuye, “Woza siye ekhaya uzokudla.”

16 Umuntu kaNkulunkulu wathi, “Angingeke ngiphenduke ukuthi ngibuyele lawe emuva, njalo angingeke ngidle ukudla loba nginathe amanzi lawe kule indawo. 17 Ilizwi likaThixo lifike kimi lathi, ‘Ungadli ukudla kwalapha, unganathi lamanzi akhona njalo ungabobuyela ngendlela oze ngayo.’ ”

18 Umphrofethi omdala wamphendula wathi, “Lami ngingumphrofethi njengawe. Ingilosi seza kimi ngelizwi likaThixo sathi: ‘Ubomletha umbuyisele emuva endlini yakho ukuze ayekudla isinkwa njalo anathe lamanzi.’ ” (Kodwa wayeqamba amanga.) 19 Ngakho umuntu kaNkulunkulu wabuyela laye wafika wadla ukudla wanatha lamanzi endlini yakhe.

20 Besahlezi endaweni yokudlela, ilizwi likaThixo lafika kuye umphrofethi omdala owayemphendule wabuyela laye emuva. 21 Wakhuluma kulowomuntu kaNkulunkulu owayevela koJuda wathi, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo: ‘Usuphikise ilizwi likaThixo awusagcinanga imilayo kaThixo uNkulunkulu wakho akulaya ngayo. 22 Uphenduke endleleni wafika wadla ukudla wanatha lamanzi lapho utshelwe ukuthi ungaze wadla ukudla kumbe unathe amanzi akhona. Ngenxa yalokho isidumbu sakho asisayikungcwatshwa emangcwabeni abokhokho bakho.’ ”

23 Kwathi umuntu kaNkulunkulu eseqedile ukudla lokunatha, umphrofethi owayemphendule endleleni wambuyisela emuva wafaka isihlalo sakhe phezu kukababhemi wamkhweza. 24 Uthe esengene indlela yakhe, kwavela isilwane endleleni sambulala, isidumbu sakhe sasala phansi emgwaqweni, kwathi ubabhemi wema ngapha kwesidumbu lesilwane sime ngale kwaso. 25 Abantu ababesedlula lapho babona isidumbu siwele khonapho emgwaqweni, isilwane simi eceleni phansi kwesidumbu, bedlulela edolobheni bayabikela umphrofethi omdala lapho ayehlala khona.

26 Kwathi umphrofethi owayemphendule endleleni ehambeni lwakhe ekuzwa lokhu, wathi, “Ngumuntu kaNkulunkulu odelele ilizwi likaThixo. UThixo umnikele esilwaneni, esimphoqoze sambulala, njengoba ilizwi likaThixo belimxwayisile.”

27 Umphrofethi wathi emadodaneni akhe, “Ngilungiselani ubabhemi limethese isihlalo.” Akwenza lokho amadodana, 28 wasesuka esiya khonale lapho afumana khona isidumbu endleleni, ngapha kumi isilwane ngale kungubabhemi emaceleni aso. Isilwane asizange sisithinte isidumbu kanti njalo sasivele singazange simthinte lobabhemi. 29 Ngakho umphrofethi wathatha isidumbu somuntu kaNkulunkulu, wasikhweza kubabhemi, wasithwalela edolobheni lakhe lapho afika amlilela khona njalo wamngcwaba khona. 30 Wasebeka isidumbu engcwabeni lakhe, wamlilela wathi, “Maye, umfowethu!”

31 Ngemva kokumngcwaba, wathi emadodaneni akhe, “Ekufeni kwami, lingingcwabe engcwabeni lona leli okungcwatshwe khona umuntu kaNkulunkulu; libeke amathambo ami ndawonye lamathambo akhe. 32 Ngoba ilizwi alimemezelayo ngelizwi likaThixo phezu kwe-alithari eBhetheli laphezu kwazo zonke indawana zomhlatshelo eziphakemeyo emadolobheni aseSamariya lizagcwaliseka.”

33 Langemva kwalokhu, uJerobhowamu kazange aguqule izindlela zakhe zokona, waqhubeka ekhetha abaphristi bendawo eziphakemeyo edobha nje ingqe ngubani ebantwini. Kwakusithi loba ngubani ofuna ukuba ngumphristi wayemgcobela indawo eziphezulu. 34 Lesi kwakuyisono sendlu kaJerobhowamu esakhokhelela ekuweni lasekudilikeni kwayo kayaze yaba khona emhlabeni.