16
Thumelani izimvu njengendlela yokuhlonipha
kumbusi welizwe
evela eSela, edabula enkangala,
esiya entabeni yeNdodakazi yeZiyoni.
Njengenyoni ephaphazelayo
isuswe esidlekeni,
banjalo abesifazane baseMowabi
emazibukweni ase-Arinoni.
 
UMowabi uthi, “Zinzisani ingqondo zenu
lenze isinqumo.
Yenzani isithunzi senu sibe njengobusuku
emini enkulu;
bafihleni ababalekayo,
linganikeli iziphepheli.
Vumelani iziphepheli zamaMowabi zihlale kini;
libe yisiphephelo sazo kubachithi.”
 
Umncindezeli uzakufa,
ukuchitheka kuzaphela,
umhlaseli uzanyamalala elizweni.
Ngothando, kuzamiswa isihlalo sobukhosi;
ngokwethembeka, indoda izahlala kuso,
ivela endlini kaDavida,
yona ethi ekwahluleleni ifune imfanelo,
njalo iphangisisa indlela yokulunga.
 
Sizwile ngokuzigqaja kukaMowabi.
Ukuzigqaja kwakhe kokuzikhukhumeza lokuzazisa,
ukuzigqaja kwakhe lobuqholo bakhe,
kodwa ukuzikhukhumeza kwakhe kuyize.
Ngakho-ke abaseMowabi bayalila,
balilela iMowabi bonke.
Khalani libubulele
izinkwa ezilezithelo zevini eKhiri-Haresethi.
Amasimu aseHeshibhoni ayabuna,
anjalo lamavini aseSibhima.
Ababusi bezizwe
sebewanyathelele phansi amavini amahle
kuqala ayefika eJazeri,
njalo anda kusiya ngasenkangala.
Amahlumela awo anaba
aze ayafika ngasolwandle.
Ngakho ngiyakhala njengalokhu iJazeri ikhala,
ngikhalela amavini aseSibhima.
Awu Heshibhoni lawe Eliyale,
ngilithambisa ngezinyembezi.
Ukuklabalalela izithelo zenu esezivuthiwe
ngentokozo lezivuno zenu sekuphelile.
10 Ukuthokoza lokuthaba akusekho ezivinini;
kakho ohlabelayo loba amemeze ezivinini;
kakho onyathela iwayini ezikhamelweni
ngoba umsindo sengiwuqedile.
11 Inhliziyo yami ikhalela uMowabi njengechacho,
ingaphakathi yami ikhalela iKhiri-Haresethi.
12 Lapho uMowabi evela endaweni yakhe ephakemeyo
uyazidinisa nje kuphela;
lalapho esiya endaweni yakhe yokukhonzela
ukuba akhuleke akusizi lutho.
13 Leli yilizwi uThixo avele eselikhulumile ngoMowabi. 14 Kodwa khathesi uThixo uthi: “Phakathi kweminyaka emithathu, njengesisebenzi esibotshwe yisivumelwano singayibala, udumo lukaMowabi labantu bakhe bonke abanengi kuzakweyiswa, njalo abazasinda bakhona bazakuba balutshwana kakhulu njalo bengelamandla.”