1 Manje kwenzeka ukuthi ngesikhathi u-Alima ehamba esuka ezweni lakwaGidiyoni eya ngaseningizimu, eya ezweni laseManti, bheka, wamangala, ^aesehlangana ^bnamadodana kaMosiya ehamba eya ngasezweni lakwaZarahemla.

2 Manje lamadodana kaMosiya ayeno-Alima ngesikhathi ingelosi ^aifika okokuqala kuye; ngakho-ke u-Alima nempela wathokoza kakhulu ukubona abafowabo; futhi okwengeza kakhulu ekujabuleni kwakhe, ayeseyibo abafowabo eNkosini; yebo, futhi ayesekhule aqina olwazini lweqiniso; ngokuba ayengamadoda anokuqonda okuphelele futhi ayeseyi ^bcwaningile imibhalo engcwele ngenkuthalo, ukuze alazi izwi likaNkulunkulu.

3 Kodwa akukhona konke lokhu; ayesezinikele kakhulu ^aekukhulekeni, kanye nasekuzileni ukudla; ngakho-ke ayesenomoya wokuphrofetha, kanye nomoya wokwambulelwa, futhi kwakuthi uma ^befundisa, ayefundisa ngamandla kanye nangegunya likaNkulunkulu.

4 Futhi ayekade efundisa izwi likaNkulunkulu isikhathi esingangeshumi nane leminyaka phakathi kwamaLamani, esebe ^anempumelelo enkulu ^bekuletheni abaningi ekulazini iqiniso; yebo, ngamandla amazwi awo abaningi balethwa phambi kwe-altare likaNkulunkulu, ukuthi babize igama lakhe futhi ^cbavume izono zabo phambi kwakhe.

5 Manje lezi yizimo abahlangabezana nazo ohambweni lwabo, ngokuba baba neziningi izinkathazo; bezwa kakhulu, emzimbeni kanye nesengqondweni, njengendlala, wukoma kanye nokucobeka, futhi phezu kwalokho ^abasebenza kakhulu ngokomoya.

6 Manje nantu uhambo lwabo: Emva kokuthi ^asebemshiyile uyise, uMosiya, onyakeni wokuqala wokubusa kwabehluleli; ^bbewunqabile umbuso uyise ayenesifiso sokubanikeza wona, futhi phezu kwalokho lokhu kwakuyizifiso zabantu;

7 Nokho bahamba baphuma ezweni lakwaZarahemla, bathatha izinkemba zabo, nemikhonto yabo, neminsalo yabo, nemicibisholo yabo, kanye nezihlilingi zabo; futhi lokhu bakwenza ukuze bazitholele ukudla ngesikhathi besehlane.

8 Bahamba kanjalo-ke baya ehlane kanye nesibalo ababesikhethile, ukuthi bahambe bakhuphukele ezweni lakwaNefi, ukuze bayoshumayela izwi likaNkulunkulu kumaLamani.

9 Futhi kwenzeka ukuthi bahamba izinsuku eziningi ehlane, futhi bazila ukudla kakhulu ^abakhuleka kakhulu ukuthi iNkosi ibaphe inxenye kaMoya wayo ukuthi ahambe nabo, futhi ahlale nabo, ukuze babe ^bngabasetshenziswa nguNkulunkulu ukuthi balethe, uma kwakungenzeka, abafowabo, amaLamani, olwazini lweqiniso, olwazini lobubi ^cbamasiko oyise, ayengalungile.

10 Futhi kwenzeka ukuthi iNkosi nempela ^ayabavakashela ngo ^bMoya wayo, futhi yathi kubo: ^cDuduzekani. Futhi baduduzeka.

11 Futhi iNkosi yaphinda yathi kubo: Hambani niye phakathi kwamaLamani, abafowenu, nimise izwi lami; kepha nibe ^anokubekezela ekubeni nenhliziyo ende kanye nasezinkathazweni, ukuze nibe yizibonelo ezinhle kubo ngami, futhi ngizonenza abasetshenziswa yimi ukuze kusindiswe abantu abaningi.

12 Futhi kwenzeka ukuthi izinhliziyo zamadodana kaMosiya, ngokunjalo nalabo ababe nabo, bama isibindi ukuthi baqhubekele phambili kuwo amaLamani ukuthi bamemezele kuwo izwi likaNkulunkulu.

13 Futhi kwenzeka ngesikhathi sebefike emingceleni yezwe lamaLamani, ^abazehlukanisa bahamba ngamunye ngamunye, bethembele eNkosini ukuthi babezobuye bahlangane futhi ekupheleni ^bkwesivuno sabo; ngokuba babecabanga ukuthi wawumkhulu lomsebenzi ababezithwese wona.

14 Eqinisweni wawumkhulu, ngokuba babezithwese ukushumayela izwi likaNkulunkulu kubantu ^aababeyimidlwembe belukhuni futhi benobudlova; abantu ababethokoziswa wukubulala amaNefi, nokuwagcweleza kanye nokuwaphanga; futhi izinhliziyo zabo babezibeke engcebweni, noma kulo igolide nesiliva, kanye namatshe ayigugu; kepha babefuna ukuzithola lezi zinto ngokubulala kanye nokuphanga, ukuze bangazisebenzeli ngezandla zabo uqobo.

15 Ngaleyondlela babengabantu abavilaphayo kakhulu, abaningi babo babekhonza izithixo, futhi ^aisiqalekiso sikaNkulunkulu sasiwele phezu kwabo ngenxa ^byamasiko oyise, nakuba izethembiso zeNkosi zazelulelwe kubo uma babephenduka.

16 Ngakho-ke, lokhu ^akwakuyisizathu esenza ukuthi amadodana kaMosiya azithwese lomsebenzi, ukuze mhlawumbe abalethe ekuphendukeni; ukuze mhlawumbe abalethe ekwazini ngesu lokukhululwa.

17 Ngakho-ke bazehlukanisa omunye komunye, futhi bahamba baya phakathi kwabo, wonke umuntu ngayedwa, ngokwezwi kanye nangamandla kaNkulunkulu ayenikezwe bona.

18 Manje u-Amoni emkhulu phakathi kwabo, noma-ke ngokuyikho wabasiza, futhi wase emuka kubo, emva kokuthi ^aesebabusisile ngokwezikhundla zabo ezahlukene, esabelene nabo ngezwi likaNkulunkulu, noma esebasizile ngaphambi kokuhamba kwakhe; futhi ngaleyondlela bathatha izindlela zabo ezahlukene kulo lonke izwe.

19 Futhi u-Amoni wahamba waya ezweni lakwa-Ishmayeli, izwe elaqanjwa ngamadodana ka-^aIshmayeli, nawo aba ngamaLamani.

20 Futhi ngesikhathi u-Amoni engena ezweni lakwa-Ishmayeli, amaLamani amthatha futhi ambopha, njengoba kwakuyisiko lawo ukuthi abophe wonke amaNefi ayewele ezandleni zawo, bese bewathwala bewayisa phambi kwenkosi; futhi ngaleyondlela kwakuba sentandweni yenkosi ukuthi ibabulale noma ibagcine besekuthunjweni, noma ibaphose etilongweni, noma ibaxoshe baphume ezweni layo, ngokwesifiso nangokuthanda kwayo.

21 Ngakho-ke u-Amoni wathwalwa wayiswa phambi kwenkosi eyayibusa ezweni lakwa-Ishmayeli; igama layo kwakunguLamoni; futhi yabe ingowozalo luka-Ishmayeli.

22 Futhi iNkosi yabuza ku-Amoni ukuthi ngabe kwakuyisifiso sakhe yini ukuthi ahlale ezweni phakathi kwamaLamani, noma phakathi kwabantu bakhe.

23 U-Amoni wathi kuyo; Yebo, ngifisa ukuthi ngihlale phakathi kwalaba bantu okwesikhashana; yebo, futhi mhlawumbe kuze kube wusuku lokufa kwami.

24 Futhi kwenzeka ukuthi inkosi uLamoni yathokoza kakhulu ngo-Amoni, futhi yenza ukuthi izibopho zakhe zixegiswe; futhi yayifuna nokuthi u-Amoni athathe enye yamadodakazi ayo ibe ngumkakhe.

25 Kodwa u-Amoni wathi kuyo: Cha, kodwa ngizoba yinceku yakho. Ngakho-ke u-Amoni waba yinceku enkosini uLamoni. Futhi kwenzeka ukuthi wabekwa phakathi kwezinye izinceku ukuthi aqaphele imfuyo kaLamoni, njengokwesiko lamaLamani.

26 Futhi emva kokuthi esesebenzele inkosi izinsuku ezintathu, ngesikhathi enezinceku ezingamaLamani besahamba nemihlambi yabo beya endaweni yamanzi, eyayibizwa ngokuthi ngamanzi aseSebu, kanye nawo wonke amaLamani besaqhuba imihlambi yabo beya lapho, ukuze ithole amanzi—

27 Ngakho-ke, ngesikhathi u-Amoni kanye nezinceku zenkosi besaqhuba imihlambi yabo beya kulendawo yamanzi, bheka, isibalo esithile samaLamani, ayekade enemihlambi yawo emanzini, ama ayihlakaza imihlambi ka-Amoni kanye neyezinceku zenkosi, futhi ayihlakaza kangangokuthi yabaleka ngezindlela eziningi.

28 Manje izinceku zenkosi zaqala ukuvungama, zithi: Manje inkosi izosibulala, njengoba yenza kubafowethu ngenxa yokuthi imihlambi yabo yayihlakaziwe ngobubi balamadoda. Futhi zaqala zakhihla isililo kakhulu, zithi: Bhekani, imihlambi yethu vele isihlakaziwe.

29 Manje bakhihla isililo ngenxa yokwesaba ukubulawa. Manje ngesikhathi u-Amoni ekubona lokhu inhliziyo yakhe yagcwala injabulo; ngokuba, wathi, ngizobakhombisa amandla ami laba engisebenza nabo, noma amandla akimi, ngokubuyisela lemihlambi enkosini, ukuze ngizuze izinhliziyo zalaba engisebenza nabo, ukuze ngibaholele ekutheni bakholelwe emazwini ami.

30 Manje, lokhu kwakuyimicabango ka-Amoni, ngesikhathi ebona izinkathazo zalabo ayebabiza ngokuthi bangabafowabo.

31 Futhi kwenzeka ukuthi wabancenga ngamazwi akhe, ethi: Bafowethu, yimani isibindi futhi masihambe siyoyifuna imihlambi, futhi sizoyiqoqela ndawonye siyibuyisele endaweni yamanzi; futhi ngaleyondlela sizoyigcinela inkosi imihlambi yayo futhi ngeke isibulale.

32 Futhi kwenzeka ukuthi bahamba bayoyifuna imihlambi, futhi nempela bamlandela u-Amoni, baphuthuma baya phambili ngokushesha okukhulu futhi nempela bayinqanda imihlambi yenkosi, bayiqoqela ndawonye futhi endaweni yamanzi.

33 Futhi lawo madoda aphinde ama futhi ukuze ayihlakaze imihlambi yabo; kodwa u-Amoni wathi kubafowabo: Zungezani imihlambi nxazonke ukuze ingabaleki; mina ngizohamba ngiyolwa nalamadoda ahlakaza imihlambi yethu.

34 Ngakho-ke, benza njengoba u-Amoni ayebayalile, yena wahamba waya phambili wayolwa nalabo abebemi ngasemanzini aseSebu; futhi ngesibalo babengebancane.

35 Ngakho-ke abamesabanga u-Amoni, ngokuba babecabanga ukuthi oyedwa wabo wayengambulala ngokwentando yabo, ngokuba babengazi ukuthi iNkosi yayimthembisile uMosiya ukuthi ^aiyowakhulula amadodana akhe ezandleni zawo; futhi babengazi lutho mayelana neNkosi; ngakho-ke babethokoza ekonakalisweni kwabafowabo; futhi ngalesi sizathu babemela ukuhlakaza imihlambi yenkosi.

36 Kodwa u-^aAmoni wama ngaphambili waqala ukubakhanda ngamatshe ngesihlilingi sakhe; yebo, ngamandla akhe amakhulu nempela wabajikijela ngamatshe; futhi ngaleyondlela wabulala ^bidlanzana elithize lawo kangangokuthi aqala ukwethuswa ngamandla akhe; nokho athukuthela ngenxa yokubulawa kwabafowabo, futhi aphikelela efuna ukuthi awe; ngakho-ke, ebona ukuthi ^cayengakwazi ukumshaya ngamatshe awo, eza kuye nezagila ezombulala.

37 Kodwa bheka, wonke umuntu owayephakamisa isagila sakhe ukuthi ashaye u-Amoni, wamshaya wamsusa ingalo yakhe ngenkemba yakhe; ngokuba nempela wawamela amagalelo awo ngokuwashaya izingalo zawo ngokudla kwenkemba yakhe, kangangokuthi aqala ukwethuka, futhi aqala ukumbalekela; yebo, futhi ayengemancane ngokwesibalo; futhi wenza ukuthi abaleke ngamandla engalo yakhe.

38 Manje abayisithupha babo base bewile ngesihlilingi, kodwa akabulalanga namunye ngaphandle komholi wabo ngenkemba yakhe; futhi wabashaya wabanquma izingalo zabo abaningi abaziphakamisela kuye, futhi babengembalwa.

39 Futhi ngesikhathi esewaqhubile wawayisa kude, wabuya futhi baphuzisa imihlambi yabo bayibuyisela emadlelweni enkosi, futhi emva kwalokho bahamba baya enkosini, bethwele izingalo ezazinqunywe ngenkemba ka-Amoni, zalabo ababefuna ukumbulala; futhi zathwalwa zayiswa enkosini ukuthi zibe ngubufakazi bezinto ababezenzile.