Ngwa ye Iziraela ne Aramu
1 Mambo we Aramu Bhenihadadi kakubunganya babhayani babe bose, kabhatshiwa ne bamwe bomambo bali makumi matatu ana bali babili nge mbizi nenge koloyi dze ngwa. Ngono kabhuda kunonginilila Samariya kugwa nayo. 2 Katuma batumwa mu nzi nkulu kuna Ahabu mambo we Iziraela kunon'dwa beti, “Bhenihadadi kati, 3 ‘Siliva iyo ne golide iyo nge zwangu ne bakadzi bose bakanaka nenge bana nge bangu.’ ”
4 Ngono mambo we Iziraela kashandula eti, “Koga sekwa maleba tetshi wangu, mambo wangu, ndabe nthu wenyu na zose zwandinazo nge zwenyu.”
5 Batumwa bakazha kakale bakadwa Ahabu bakati, “Bhenihadadi kati ndakazhisa dama kuti undizhisile siliva iyo ne golide iyo ne bakadzi babo ne bana babo. 6 Ngono ngwenu, mangwana nge tjibaka itjetji, ndowotuma hadzasha dzangu, kuwofunyungudza mu ng'umba iyo ye bumambo nemu ng'umba dze balanda babo, ngono banowotola tjimwe ne tjimwe tjinowobe tjibagutsha.”
7 Ndizo mambo we Iziraela kadana sholotjena dzose dze shango kabadwa kati, “Bonani nlume iwoyu sekwaanoshaka phipiti ndiko, ngoti wakanditumila batumwa eshaka bakadzi bangu ne bana bangu ne siliva yangu ne golide yangu, ngono asitongo lambana naye.”
8 Ngono sholotjena dzose ne bathu bose bakashandula mambo beti, “Musitongo gala manteedza kene kuli kudumana naye.”
9 Ndizo Ahabu kadwa hadzasha dza Bhenihadadi kati, “Mudwe tetshi wangu mambo wangu muti, ‘Zose zwamakashaka mu nlanda wenyu kutanga ndowozwithama, koga ezwi andingazwithame.’ ”
Batumwa bakamilika bakabgwiliza shandulo kuna Bhenihadadi. 10 Bhenihadadi kabgwiliza batumwa kunodwa Ahabu beti, “Midzimu indilobe ipaphulula, ha kungabe ne limbelimbe lingawanika mu Samariya lili mu maboko e bathu bose bakandisala shule!”
11 Mambo we Iziraela kashandula eti, “Mudwe Mambo Bhenihadadi muti, ‘Nthu unotola zwibhayano eyenda ku ngwa aatozwikudza se unozwitula edwa kungwa.’ ”
12 Kukati Bhenihadadi ehwa thawu idzedzi bali mu mishasha beng'wa ana bamwe bomambo, kadwa babhayani babe kati, “Tolani zwibhayano munogwa.” Ngono ibo bakatola zwibhayano kunonginilila nzi nkulu.
13 Ngono bonani, nlebesambeli kazha pana Ahabu mambo we Iziraela kandwa kati, “Yahwe banolebeleka beti, ‘Apa wabona bunjinji igogu gusibushoma kene? Bona, nasi ndogulonga mu luboko gugo, ngono unowoziba kuti ndimi Yahwe.’ ”
14 Ahabu kabhuzwa eti, “Ndiani unowotungamilila ngwa?” Nlebesambeli kashandula eti, “Yahwe bakati bazhuzha be babhayani ba pasi kwe balauli be mituthu banowoyenda ku ngwa.”
Mambo kabhuzwa eti, “Ndiani unowonotanga ngwa?”
Nlebesambeli kadabila eti, “Ndimwi mambo?”
15 Ndizo mambo kadana bazhuzha be babhayani bapasi kwe balauli be mituthu bali mazana ali mabili ana makumi matatu ana bali babili (232). Pezhugwi kwabo kadana babhayani be Iziraela bali zwiwulu zwili kutendeka (7 000).
16 Babhayani bakabhuda zhuba lili mpani, koga Bhenihadadi na bomambo bakabe bashingidzana naye bakabe bali mu mishasha beng'wa belaladza. 17 Babhayani bakabe bali pasi kwe balauli be mituthu bakatanga bhuda. Ngono tjeti dze babhayani dzakabe dzadusiwa ndi Bhenihadadi dzikazha kuwonzibisa dziti, “Kuna bathu banobhuda mu Samariya bezha ngeno.” 18 Mambo kadwa tjeti kati, “Ha bezha kowoshaka mbakiso, mubaamutjile bali bapenyu, nenguba bangabe bezha nge ngwa mubaamutjile bali bapenyu.”
19 Koga bazhuzha be babhayani bakabe bali pasi kwe balauli be mituthu bakasagwa shule nge babhayani be Iziraela bakabe babhuda kale mu nzi nkulu. 20 Mmwe ne mmwe kabulaya waakalingisana naye. Basiriya bakatizha, Baiziraela bakatatana nabo, koga Bhenihadadi mambo we Aramu akatatha mbizi kasiya ana bamwe batathi be mbizi. 21 Mambo we Iziraela kalobesa Basiriya banjinji kwazo, ebuya etapa mbizi ne koloyi dzabo dze ngwa.
22 Shule kwa ipapo nlebesambeli kayenda kuna Mambo Ahabu kandwa kati, “Bgwilila, unozwilulwamisa, ubone kuti babhayani babo bamile zubuyanana, ngoti mu tjilimo tjinozha mambo we Aramu unowobe ezha kuwokunginilila.”
Ngwa ye bubili ye Aramu
23 Hadzasha dza Bhenihadadi dzikandwa dzikati, “Midzimu ye Baiziraela midzimu ye matombo, ndizo bakatikunda, koga ngati gweni nabo mu mabala, nge malebeswa towobakulila. 24 Thamani sahwoku, dusani mambo mmwe ne mmwe mu mamo awe, mube mulonga balauli be ngwa mu mamo abo. 25 Mube ne babhayani bangapa ibabaje bakamulashikila, nenge mbizi ne koloyi dze ngwa na idzobo.”
Mambo kateyedza gumbuludzo le hadzasha dzidze kathama sekwa baleba. 26 Kukati mu nsi we nyawuko Bhenihadadi kululwamisa Baaramu kunogwa ndizo kayenda ku Apheke kunogwa ne Baiziraela. 27 Baiziraela bakati basinolulwamisigwa kugwa bapiwa ne mbuba, bakayenda kunogwa ne Baaramu. Ngono bakabe bali bashomanana benga ngubi mbili dze mbudzi mbeli kwe Baaramu, koga Baaramu ibo bali zhele shango yose.
28 Ngono nlebesambeli we Ndzimu kasedzela kuna mambo we Iziraela kandwa kati, “Etji nditjo tjinolebgwa ndi Yahwe beti, ‘Ngoti Baaramu banoleba beti, “Yahwe Ndzimu we matombo usi we mabala,” ndowobalonga mu maboko awo ngono iwe ne bathu babo mowokunda babhayani ibaba be bunji gusibushoma, ndizo iwe ne bathu babo mowoziba kuti ndimi Yahwe.’ ”
29 Baaramu ne Baiziraela bakagala bakalingisana bamwe ne bamwe bali mu mishasha yabo kwe mazhuba ali kutendeka. Ndizo mu zhuba le butendeka ngwa ikatangisa, ngono Baiziraela bakabulaya Baaramu bali zwiwulu zwili zana (100 000). 30 Bakasala bakatizhila mu nzi nkulu we Apheke. Ngono luswingo gukabawila bali zwiwulu zwili makumi mabili ana kutendeka (27 000).
Bhenihadadi naiyebo katizha kanobgwata mu ng'umba ishule mu nzi nkulu. 31 Hadzasha dzidze dzikandwa dzikati, “Bonani, takahwa kuyi bomambo be Iziraela bana ngoni kwazo. Imani tizwisunge thunji nge saka, tipombe zwiambalo mu misholo tibe tiyenda kuna mambo we Iziraela. Pamwe unowoletja kumubulaya.” 32 Ndizo bakabe bezwisunga thunji nge jila le saka, bepomba misholo yabo nge zwiambalo, bebe beyenda kuna mambo we Iziraela beswika bendwa beti, “Nlanda wenyu Bhenihadadi unokumbila kuti musimbulaye.”
Ahabu kadabila eti, “Apa utjatjilazwe kene? Ikamu tjangu!”
33 Hadzasha dza Bhenihadadi dzikayela njele kubona tjilakidzo tje buthu gwa Ahabu, ngono bakabe beti, “Tjoselele ikamu tjenyu Bhenihadadi!”
Ndizo Ahabu kabe ebadwa eti, “Yendani munontola muzhe naye ngeno.” Kukati Bhenihadadi eswika, Ahabu kandwa kati atathe naye mu koloyi ye ngwa. 34 Bhenihadadi kadwa Ahabu kati, “Ndowomubgwilizila mizi yakabe yatolegwa tate benyu ndi tate. Mukazwithamila magalo anoshabila mu Damasiko tate sekwa bakathama mu Samariya.”
Ahabu kashandula eti, “Sekwa wazwisunga, ndowokusunungula.” Ndizo kathama tjidumano naye kabe enletja eyenda.
35 Mmwe we badiyiwana be balebesambeli kadwiwa ndi Yahwe kuti adwe mmwe amphobole. Koga iwoyo nlume kalamba kumphobola. 36 Ndizo nlebesambeli kadwa nlume iwoyo kati, “Bona, sekwa walamba dama la Yahwe, kowoti tjinyolotjo udwa pandili, unowobulawa nge shumba.” Ngono kwakati tjinyolotjo ethubukana ne nlebesambeli kashangana ne shumba ikambulaya.
37 Ipapo kawana mmwe nlume kandwa kati, “Undiphobole.” Ngono nlume iwoyo kamphobola kandusa mbonje. 38 Ndizo nlebesambeli kamilika kayenda, kanomila mambo pa zila akazwipomba nge jila mu buso kuti asizibgwe. 39 Kukati mambo epinda nlebesambeli kan'dana eti, “Bonani, nlada wenyu, ndakati ndili mu ngwa, mbhayani kazha kundili ne nthu waakabe atapa kandidwa kati, ‘Lisa nthu iwoyu, ha kungashingikala kuti atizhe, unowofa mu bumo gugwe, kusajalo unolipa nge themba ye maloso e siliva ali zwiwulu zwili zwitatu (3 000).’ 40 Ngono kukati nlanda wenyu atjakabhata mimwe mishingo, iwoyo nthu katizha.”
Mambo kandwa kati, “Wazwilebegwa, ndiko sekwa wakafanila lipa.”
41 Ipapo nlebesambeli kapalula jila laakabe akazwisunga ndilo mu buso, tjinyolotjo mambo we Iziraela kaziba kuti mmwe we balebesambeli. 42 Nlebesambeli kadwa mambo kati, “Yahwe banolebeleka beti, ‘Ngoti wakaletja nthu wandakabe ndadusila golomodzo, ndizo unowofa mu bumo gugwe ne bathu babo mu bumo gwe bathu babe.’ ” 43 Mambo we Iziraela kayenda ku ng'umba iye ye bushe ku Samariya, ali zhele bushongola kakale akadzipiwa nge shungu.
War with Syria
1 King Benhadad of Syria gathered all his troops, and supported by thirty-two other rulers with their horses and chariots, he marched up, laid siege to Samaria, and launched attacks against it. 2 He sent messengers into the city to King Ahab of Israel to say, “King Benhadad demands that 3 you surrender to him your silver and gold, your women and the strongest of your children.”
4 “Tell my lord, King Benhadad, that I agree; he can have me and everything I own,” Ahab answered.
5 Later the messengers came back to Ahab with another demand from Benhadad: “I sent you word that you were to hand over to me your silver and gold, your women and your children. 6 Now, however, I will send my officers to search your palace and the homes of your officials, and to take everything they consider valuable. They will be there about this time tomorrow.”
7 King Ahab called in all the leaders of the country and said, “You see that this man wants to ruin us. He sent me a message demanding my wives and children, my silver and gold, and I agreed.”
8 The leaders and the people answered, “Don't pay any attention to him; don't give in.”
9 So Ahab replied to Benhadad's messengers, “Tell my lord the king that I agreed to his first demand, but I cannot agree to the second.”
The messengers left and then returned with another message 10 from Benhadad: “I will bring enough men to destroy this city of yours and carry off the rubble in their hands. May the gods strike me dead if I don't!”
11 King Ahab answered, “Tell King Benhadad that a real soldier does his bragging after a battle, not before it.”
12 Benhadad received Ahab's answer as he and his allies, the other rulers, were drinking in their tents. He ordered his men to get ready to attack the city, and so they moved into position.
13 Meanwhile, a prophet went to King Ahab and said, “The Lord says, ‘Don't be afraid of that huge army! I will give you victory over it today, and you will know that I am the Lord.’”
14 “Who will lead the attack?” Ahab asked.
The prophet answered, “The Lord says that the young soldiers under the command of the district governors are to do it.”
“Who will command the main force?” the king asked.
“You,” the prophet answered.
15 So the king called out the young soldiers who were under the district commanders, 232 in all. Then he called out the Israelite army, a total of seven thousand men.
16 The attack began at noon, as Benhadad and his thirty-two allies were getting drunk in their tents. 17 The young soldiers advanced first. Scouts sent out by Benhadad reported to him that a group of soldiers was coming out of Samaria. 18 He ordered, “Take them alive, no matter whether they are coming to fight or to ask for peace.”
19 The young soldiers led the attack, followed by the Israelite army, 20 and each one killed the man he fought. The Syrians fled, with the Israelites in hot pursuit, but Benhadad escaped on horseback, accompanied by some of the cavalry. 21 King Ahab took to the field, captured the horses and chariots, and inflicted a severe defeat on the Syrians.
22 Then the prophet went to King Ahab and said, “Go back and build up your forces and make careful plans, because the king of Syria will attack again next spring.”
The Second Syrian Attack
23 King Benhadad's officials said to him, “The gods of Israel are mountain gods, and that is why the Israelites defeated us. But we will certainly defeat them if we fight them in the plains. 24 Now, remove the thirty-two rulers from their commands and replace them with field commanders. 25 Then call up an army as large as the one that deserted you, with the same number of horses and chariots. We will fight the Israelites in the plains, and this time we will defeat them.”
King Benhadad agreed and followed their advice. 26 The following spring he called up his men and marched with them to the city of Aphek to attack the Israelites. 27 The Israelites were called up and equipped; they marched out and camped in two groups facing the Syrians. The Israelites looked like two small flocks of goats compared to the Syrians, who spread out over the countryside.
28 A prophet went to King Ahab and said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because the Syrians say that I am a god of the hills and not of the plains, I will give you victory over their huge army, and you and your people will know that I am the Lord.’”
29 For seven days the Syrians and the Israelites stayed in their camps, facing each other. On the seventh day they started fighting, and the Israelites killed a hundred thousand Syrians. 30 The survivors fled into the city of Aphek, where the city walls fell on twenty-seven thousand of them.
Benhadad also escaped into the city and took refuge in the back room of a house. 31 His officials went to him and said, “We have heard that the Israelite kings are merciful. Give us permission to go to the king of Israel with sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our necks, and maybe he will spare your life.” 32 So they wrapped sackcloth around their waists and ropes around their necks, went to Ahab and said, “Your servant Benhadad pleads with you for his life.”
Ahab answered, “Is he still alive? Good! He's like a brother to me!”
33 Benhadad's officials were watching for a good sign, and when Ahab said “brother,” they took it up at once, and said, “As you say, Benhadad is your brother!”
“Bring him to me,” Ahab ordered. When Benhadad arrived, Ahab invited him to get in the chariot with him. 34 Benhadad said to him, “I will restore to you the towns my father took from your father, and you may set up a commercial center for yourself in Damascus, just as my father did in Samaria.”
Ahab replied, “On these terms, then, I will set you free.” He made a treaty with him and let him go.
A Prophet Condemns Ahab
35 At the Lord's command a member of a group of prophets ordered a fellow prophet to hit him. But he refused, 36 so he said to him, “Because you have disobeyed the Lord's command, a lion will kill you as soon as you leave me.” And as soon as he left, a lion came along and killed him.
37 Then this same prophet went to another man and said, “Hit me!” This man did so; he hit him a hard blow and hurt him. 38 The prophet bandaged his face with a cloth, to disguise himself, and went and stood by the road, waiting for the king of Israel to pass. 39 As the king was passing by, the prophet called out to him and said, “Your Majesty, I was fighting in the battle when a soldier brought a captured enemy to me and said, ‘Guard this man; if he escapes, you will pay for it with your life or else pay a fine of three thousand pieces of silver.’ 40 But I got busy with other things, and the man escaped.”
The king answered, “You have pronounced your own sentence, and you will have to pay the penalty.”
41 The prophet tore the cloth from his face, and at once the king recognized him as one of the prophets. 42 The prophet then said to the king, “This is the word of the Lord: ‘Because you allowed the man to escape whom I had ordered to be killed, you will pay for it with your life, and your army will be destroyed for letting his army escape.’”
43 The king went back home to Samaria, worried and depressed.