Verse 1: UBeni Hadadi inkosi yase-Aramu wabutha yonke impi yakhe; wayenamakhosi angamashumi amathathu nambili, namahhashi, nezinqola; wenyuka, wavimbezela iSamariya, walwa nalo,
Verse 2: wathuma izithunywa ku-Ahabi inkosi yakwa-Israyeli emzini,
Verse 3: wathi kuye: “Usho kanje uBeni Hadadi, uthi: ‘Isiliva lakho negolide lakho lingelami, nawomkakho nabantwana bakho abahle bangabami.’ ”
Verse 4: Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yaphendula yathi: “Kunjengokusho kwakho, nkosi yami, nkosi: Ngingowakho nakho konke enginakho.”
Verse 5: Kepha izithunywa zabuya, zathi: “Usho kanje uBeni Hadadi, uthi: ‘Ngathumela kuwe, ngathi: Uyakunikela kimi isiliva lakho negolide lakho, nawomkakho, nabantwana bakho,
Verse 6: kepha ngalesi sikhathi kusasa ngiyakuthuma izinceku zami kuwe, ziyalule indlu yakho nezindlu zezinceku zakho; kuyakuthi konke okuhle emehlweni akho zikufake esandleni sazo, zikususe.’ ”
Verse 7: Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yayisibiza onke amalunga ezwe, yathi: “Ake niqaphele, nibone ukuthi lowo muntu ufuna okubi, ngokuba wathumela kimi ngawomkami, nangabantwana bami, nangesiliva lami, nangegolide lami, angimnqabelanga.”
Verse 8: Amalunga onke nabantu bonke bathi kuye: “Ungalaleli, ungavumi.”
Verse 9: Wayesethi kuzo izithunywa zikaBeni Hadadi: “Yitsheleni inkosi yami, inkosi, ukuthi: ‘Konke owathumela ngakho encekwini yakho kuqala ngiyakukwenza, kepha le nto anginakuyenza.’ ” Zase zihamba izithunywa, zambuyisela izwi.
Verse 10: UBeni Hadadi wayesethumela kuye, wathi: “Onkulunkulu mabenze njalo kimi, benezele futhi, uma uthuli lwaseSamariya luyakwanela abantu bonke abasezinyathelweni zami ukuba babe nokhweshe.”
Verse 11: Yayisiphendula inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, ithi: “Khulumani kuye, nithi: ‘Obhinca izikhali makangazigabisi njengokhumulayo.’ ”
Verse 12: Kwathi esezwa leli zwi, ephuza kanye namakhosi emadokodweni, wathi ezincekwini zakhe: “Mayiphume.” Yayisiphuma ukulwa nomuzi.
Verse 13: Bheka, kwasondela umprofethi ku-Ahabi inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, wathi: “Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: ‘Uyasibona sonke lesi sixuku na? Bheka, ngiyakusinikela esandleni sakho namuhla, uze wazi ukuthi mina nginguJehova.’ ”
Verse 14: Wayesethi u-Ahabi: “Ngobani na?” Wathi: “Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: ‘Ngezinsizwa zezikhulu zezifunda.’ ” Wayesethi: “Ngubani oyakokha impi?” Wathi: “Nguwe.”
Verse 15: Wayesebala izinsizwa zezikhulu zezifunda, zazingamakhulu amabili namashumi amathathu nambili; emva kwazo wabala abantu bonke, bonke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, beyizinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa.
Verse 16: Baphuma emini. Kepha uBeni Hadadi wayephuza waze wadakwa emadokodweni, yena namakhosi, amakhosi angamashumi amathathu nambili amsizayo.
Verse 17: Izinsizwa zezikhulu zezifunda zaphuma kuqala; uBeni Hadadi wathumela, bamtshela ukuthi kuphume abantu eSamariya.
Verse 18: Wathi: “Noma bephumele ukuthula, babambeni besaphila, noma bephumele ukulwa, babambeni besaphila.”
Verse 19: Zaphuma-ke emzini izinsizwa lezo zezikhulu zezifunda kanye nempi eyazilandela.
Verse 20: Babulala, kwaba yilowo nalowo umuntu wakhe; ama-Aramu abaleka, u-Israyeli wawaxosha; uBeni Hadadi inkosi yama-Aramu waphunyuka ngehhashi kanye nabamahhashi.
Verse 21: Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yaphuma, yagenca amahhashi nezinqola, yabulala ama-Aramu ngokuceka okukhulu.
Verse 22: Umprofethi wasondela enkosini yakwa-Israyeli, wathi kuyo: “Hamba uziqinise, uqaphele, ubone oyakukwenza, ngokuba emva komnyaka inkosi yama-Aramu iyakwenyuka ukulwa nawe.”
Verse 23: Izinceku zenkosi yama-Aramu zathi kuyo: “Unkulunkulu wabo ungunkulunkulu wezintaba, ngalokho basahlula; kepha masilwe nabo ethafeni, impela siyakubahlula.
Verse 24: Futhi yenza lokhu: Susa amakhosi onke, kube yileyo naleyo endaweni yayo, ubeke ababusi ezikhundleni zawo,
Verse 25: uzibalele impi njengaleyo mpi olahlekelwe yiyo, ihhashi ngehhashi, inqola ngenqola, silwe nabo ethafeni, sibahlule impela.” Yalalela izwi labo, yenze njalo.
Verse 26: Kwathi emva komnyaka uBeni Hadadi wabala ama-Aramu, wenyukela e-Afeki ukuba alwe no-Israyeli.
Verse 27: Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babalwa, baphiwa ukudla, bahamba ukuhlangabezana nabo; abakwa-Israyeli bamisa phambi kwabo njengemihlanjana emibili yamazinyane ezimbuzi, kepha ama-Aramu agcwalisa izwe.
Verse 28: Wayesesondela umuntu kaNkulunkulu, wathi enkosini yakwa-Israyeli: “Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: ‘Ngokuba ama-Aramu eshilo ukuthi uJehova ungunkulunkulu wezintaba, kasiye unkulunkulu wezigodi, ngiyakusinikela sonke lesi sixuku esikhulu esandleni sakho, nize nazi ukuthi nginguJehova.’ ”
Verse 29: Base bemisile bebhekana izinsuku eziyisikhombisa. Kwathi ngosuku lwesikhombisa kwaqala ukuliwa; abantwana bakwa-Israyeli babulala ama-Aramu ayizinkulungwane eziyikhulu ayimigundatshani ngalusuku lunye.
Verse 30: Abaseleyo babalekela emzini wase-Afeki; ugange lwawela phezu kwabantu abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amabili nesikhombisa abaseleyo. Naye uBeni Hadadi wabaleka, wangena emzini amakamelo ngamakamelo.
Verse 31: Kepha izinceku zakhe zathi kuye: “Bheka, sizwile ukuthi amakhosi endlu yakwa-Israyeli angamakhosi anomusa; ake sembathe izindwangu zamasaka ezinkalweni zethu nezintambo emakhanda ethu, siphume, siye enkosini yakwa-Israyeli; mhlawumbe iyakusindisa ukuphila kwakho.”
Verse 32: Zase zibhinca izindwangu zamasaka ezinkalweni zazo, nezintambo emakhanda azo, zaya enkosini yakwa-Israyeli, zathi: “Ithi inceku yakho uBeni Hadadi: ‘Ake ungiyeke, ngiphile.’ ” Yayisithi: “Usekhona na? Ungumfowethu yena.”
Verse 33: Amadoda aqaphela lokho, ashesha ukuqinisa okuvela kuye, athi: “Ngumfowenu uBeni Hadadi.” Wathi: “Hambani, nimlande.” UBeni Hadadi wayesephumela kuye; wamkhwelisa inqola yakhe.
Verse 34: UBeni Hadadi wayesethi kuye: “Imizi ubaba ayithatha kuyihlo ngiyakuyibuyisa, uzenzele izitaladi eDamaseku njengokwenza kukababa eSamariya.” U-Ahabi wathi: “Ngalesi sivumelwano ngiyakukuvumela ukuba uhambe.” Wayesenza isivumelwano naye, wamvumela ukuba ahambe.
Verse 35: Umuntu othile wamadodana abaprofethi wathi kumngane wakhe ngezwi likaJehova: “Ake ungishaye.” Kepha lowo muntu wala ukushaya.
Verse 36: Wayesethi kuye: “Ngokuba ungalalelanga izwi likaJehova, bheka, uyakwanele ukusuka nje kimi, ingonyama ikubulale.” Wanele wasuka nje kuye, ingonyama yamfumana, yambulala.
Verse 37: Wayesefumana omunye umuntu, wathi: “Ake ungishaye.” Lowo muntu wamshaya; wamshaya, wamlimaza.
Verse 38: Wayesesuka umprofethi, walindela inkosi endleleni, waziguqula ngeqhele elalisemehlweni akhe.
Verse 39: Kwathi inkosi isidlula, wamemeza enkosini, wathi: “Inceku yakho yaphumela phakathi kokulwa; bheka, kwabuya umuntu owaletha kimi omunye, wathi: ‘Linda lo muntu; uma elahleka, ukuphila kwakho kuyakuba sesikhundleni sokuphila kwakhe, noma uyakukhokha italenta lesiliva.’
Verse 40: Kwathi lapho inceku yakho isasebenza ngalapha nangalapha, kanti wayesehambile.” Yayisithi kuye inkosi yakwa-Israyeli: “Kunjalo ukwahlulelwa kwakho; nguwe onqumile.”
Verse 41: Washesha wasusa iqhele emehlweni akhe; yayisimbona inkosi yakwa-Israyeli ukuthi ungowabaprofethi.
Verse 42: Wathi kuyo: “Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: ‘Ngokuba umyekile ukuba aphume esandleni sakho umuntu engangimqalekisile, ukuphila kwakho kuyakuba sesikhundleni sokuphila kwakhe, nabantu bakho babe sesikhundleni sabantu bakhe.’ ”
Verse 43: Inkosi yakwa-Israyeli yaya endlini yayo ihluneme, ithukuthele, yeza eSamariya.