2. Abathile ke beza kuxelela uYoshafati bathi: “Nantso inyambalala yomkhosi ophuma e-Edom isiza kukuhlasela, ingaphaya ngaphesheya kolwandle. Seyichophele ukuhlasela iphaya eHazezon-tamare.” (YiEngedi ke leyo.)
3. UYoshafati ke wothuka, wazimisela ukufuna uncedo *kuNdikhoyo, wamisela inzila kuJuda ewonke.
4. AbakwaJuda ke baqokelelana ukuza kufuna uncedo kuNdikhoyo; ewe, beza bephuma kuzo zonke iidolophu zakwaJuda befuna uNdikhoyo.
5. Ke uYoshafati waphakama apho kwelo bandla likaJuda kunye neJerusalem endlwini kaNdikhoyo phambi kwaloo nkundla intsha,
6. waza wathi: “Ndikhoyo, Thixo woobawo, andithi na kaloku unguThixo osezulwini? Nguwe olawula zonke izikumkani zezizwe. Amandla nokomelela kusesandleni sakho; akukho mntu unokumelana nawe.
7. Ke kaloku, wena Thixo wethu, wabadudula wabakhupha abemi beli lizwe, amaSirayeli ebukele, waza lona walinikela ukuba libe lelesizukulwana sika-Abraham isihlobo sakho ngonaphakade.
8. Bema kulo ke, baza kulo bakha indawo engcwele egameni lakho, besithi:
9. ‘Sothi sakufikelwa sisithwakumbe, noba sisibetho sekrele, ubhubhani, noba yindlala, thina sime phambi kwakho kule ndlu ibizwa ngegama lakho, sikhale kuwe embandezelweni yethu, ke wena usiphulaphule usihlangule.’
10. “Ngoko ke ngoku nanga ama-Amon, amaMowabhi nâbo bentaba iSeyire, ummandla lowo wena ungavumanga ukuba awuhlasele uSirayeli ukuphuma kwakhe eJiputa, waza ke uSirayeli wabacezela akabatshabalalisa.
11. Khawubone ke indlela abasibuyekeza ngayo ngokuza kusigxotha kwisabelo owasinika ukuze sibe lilifa lethu.
12. Thixo wethu, khawubohlwaye. Thina ngokunokwethu asinawo amandla okujongana nale nyambalala yomkhosi osihlaselayo. Ewe, asazi nemasikwenze, koko amehlo ethu akhangele kuwe.”
13. Onke amadoda akwaJuda, nabafazi, nabantwana, neentsana, bema phambi koNdikhoyo.
14. Ke uMoya kaNdikhoyo wafikela uYaziyeli unyana kaZakariya, kaBhenaya, kaYehiyeli, kaMataniya umLevi oyinzala ka-Asafu, emi njalo apho ebandleni.
15. Wathi: “Phulaphulani, kumkani uYoshafati nani bemi bakwaJuda naseJerusalem. UNdikhoyo uthi kuni: ‘Sanukoyika; ze ningatyhafi ngenxa yale nyambalala yomkhosi. Kaloku imfazwe le asiyoyenu, yekaThixo.
16. Ngomso phumani niye kubo. Ke bona boba beqabela kwinkalo yaseZizi; nina nobafumana ekupheleni kwengxingwa kwintlango kaJeruweli.
17. Asinini abaya kulilwa eli dabi. Yimani ngeendawo zenu, niqingqe nje, nibukele uNdikhoyo enihlangula, ndlundini kaJuda nani bemi baseJerusalem. Ze ningoyiki okanye nityhafe. Ngomso phumani nijongane nabo, uNdikhoyo uya kuba nani.’ ”
18. UYoshafati waguqa, ubuso ebujongise emhlabeni, nabantu bakwaJuda nabaseJerusalem bawa phantsi, banqula uNdikhoyo.
19. Ke abaLevi abathile, abangamaKohati namaKora, basuka bema ngeenyawo badanduluka kanobom bebonga bedumisa uNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli.