1 Salaateen 22

jhootay nabiyon aur meekaayaah ka muqaablaa

¹teen saal tak shaam aur israaeel kay darmiyaan sulah rahee. ²teesray saal yahoodaah ka baadshaah yahoosafat israaeel kay baadshaah akhiyab say milnay gaya. ³us vaqt israaeel kay baadshaah nay apnay afsaron say baat kee, “dekhen, raamaat-jiliaad hamaara hee shaher hai. to phir ham kyoon kuchh naheen kar rahay? hamen usay shaam kay baadshaah kay qabzay say chhudvaana chaahiay.” ⁴us nay yahoosafat say savaal kiya, “kya aap meray saath raamaat-jiliaad jaaengay taaki us par qabza karen?” yahoosafat nay javaab diya, “jee zaroor. ham to bhaaee hain. meree qaum ko apnee qaum aur meray ghodon ko apnay ghoday samjhen! ⁵lekin meharbaanee karkay pahelay rabb kee marzee maaloom kar len.”

⁶israaeel kay baadshaah nay taqreeban 400 nabiyon ko bula kar un say poochha, “kya main raamaat-jiliaad par hamla karoon ya is iraaday say baaz rahoon?” nabiyon nay javaab diya, “jee karen, kyoonki rabb usay baadshaah kay havaalay kar dega.”

⁷lekin yahoosafat mutmain na hua. us nay poochha, “kya yahaan rabb ka koee nabee naheen jis say ham darayaaft kar saken?” ⁸israaeel ka baadshaah bola, “haan, ek to hai jis kay zareeay ham rabb kee marzee maaloom kar saktay hain. lekin main us say nafrat karta hoon, kyoonki vah meray baaray men kabhee bhee achchhee peshgoee naheen karta. vah hamesha buree peshgoiyaan sunaata hai. us ka naam meekaayaah bin imla hai.” yahoosafat nay etiraaz kiya, “baadshaah aisee baat na kahay!” ⁹tab israaeel kay baadshaah nay kisee mulaazim ko bula kar hukm diya, “meekaayaah bin imla ko fauran hamaaray paas pahuncha dena!”

¹⁰akhiyab aur yahoosafat apnay shaahee libaas pahenay huay saamriya kay darvaazay kay qareeb apnay apnay takht par baithay thay. yah aisee khulee jagah thee jahaan anaaj gaaha jaata tha. tamaam 400 nabee vahaan un kay saamnay apnee peshgoiyaan pesh kar rahay thay. ¹¹ek nabee banaam sidaqiyaah bin kan’aana nay apnay liyay lohay kay seeng bana kar elaan kiya, “rabb farmaata hai ki in seengon say too shaam kay faujiyon ko maar maar kar halaak kar dega.” ¹²doosray nabee bhee is qism kee peshgoiyaan kar rahay thay, “raamaat-jiliaad par hamla karen, kyoonki aap zaroor kaamyaab ho jaaengay. rabb shaher ko aap kay havaalay kar dega.”

¹³jis mulaazim ko meekaayaah ko bulaanay kay liyay bheja gaya tha us nay raastay men usay samjhaaya, “dekhen, baaqee tamaam nabee mil kar kah rahay hain ki baadshaah ko kaamyaabee haasil hogee. aap bhee aisee hee baaten karen, aap bhee fatah kee peshgoee karen!” ¹⁴lekin meekaayaah nay etiraaz kiya, “rabb kee hayaat kee qasam, main baadshaah ko sirf vahee kuchh bataaoonga jo rabb mujhay faramaaega.”

¹⁵jab meekaayaah akhiyab kay saamnay khada hua to baadshaah nay poochha, “meekaayaah, kya ham raamaat-jiliaad par hamla karen ya main is iraaday say baaz rahoon?” meekaayaah nay javaab diya, “us par hamla karen, kyoonki rabb shaher ko aap kay havaalay karkay aap ko kaamyaabee bakhshega.” ¹⁶baadshaah naaraaz hua, “mujhay kitnee dafa aap ko samjhaana padega ki aap qasam kha kar mujhay rabb kay naam men sirf vah kuchh sunaaen jo haqeeqat hai.”

¹⁷tab meekaayaah nay javaab men kaha, “mujhay tamaam israaeel gallaabaan say maheroom bhed-bakriyon kee tarah pahaadon par bikhra hua nazar aaya. phir rabb mujh say hamkalaam hua, ‘in ka koee maalik naheen hai. har ek salaamatee say apnay ghar vaapas chala jaaay’.”

¹⁸israaeel kay baadshaah nay yahoosafat say kaha, “lo, kya main nay aap ko naheen bataaya tha ki yah shakhs hamesha meray baaray men buree peshgoiyaan karta hai?”

¹⁹lekin meekaayaah nay apnee baat jaaree rakhee, “rabb ka farmaan sunen! main nay rabb ko us kay takht par baithay dekha. aasmaan kee pooree fauj us kay daaen aur baaen haath khadee thee. ²⁰rabb nay poochha, ‘kaun akhiyab ko raamaat-jiliaad par hamla karnay par akasaaega taaki vah vahaan ja kar mar jaaay?’ ek nay yah mashvra diya, doosray nay vah. ²¹aakhirkaar ek rooh rabb kay saamnay khadee huee aur kahenay lagee, ‘main usay ukasaaoongee.’ ²²rabb nay savaal kiya, ‘kis tarah?’ rooh nay javaab diya, ‘main nikal kar us kay tamaam nabiyon par yoon qaaboo paaoongee ki vah jhoot hee bolengay.’ rabb nay farmaaya, ‘too kaamyaab hogee. ja aur yoon hee kar!’ ²³ai baadshaah, rabb nay aap par aafat laanay ka faisla kar liya hai, is liyay us nay jhootee rooh ko aap kay in tamaam nabiyon kay munh men daal diya hai.”

²⁴tab sidaqiyaah bin kan’aana nay aagay badh kar meekaayaah kay munh par thappad maara aur bola, “rabb ka rooh kis tarah mujh say nikal gaya taaki tujh say baat karay?” ²⁵meekaayaah nay javaab diya, “jis din aap kabhee is kamray men, kabhee us men khisak kar chhupnay kee koshish karengay us din aap ko pata chalega.”

²⁶tab akhiyab baadshaah nay hukm diya, “meekaayaah ko shaher par muqarrar afsar amoon aur meray betay yooaas kay paas vaapas bhej do! ²⁷unhen bata dena, ‘is aadmee ko jel men daal kar meray saheeh-salaamat vaapas aanay tak kam say kam rotee aur paanee diya karen’.” ²⁸meekaayaah bola, “agar aap saheeh-salaamat vaapas aaen to matlab hoga ki rabb nay meree maarifat baat naheen kee.” phir vah saath khaday logon say mukhaatib hua, “tamaam log dhyaan den!”

akhiyab raamaat kay qareeb mar jaata hai

²⁹is kay baad israaeel ka baadshaah akhiyab aur yahoodaah ka baadshaah yahoosafat mil kar raamaat-jiliaad par hamla karnay kay liyay ravaana huay. ³⁰jang say pahelay akhiyab nay yahoosafat say kaha, “main apna bhes badal kar maidaan-ay-jang men jaaoonga. lekin aap apna shaahee libaas na utaaren.” chunaanchay israaeel ka baadshaah apna bhes badal kar maidaan-ay-jang men aaya. ³¹shaam kay baadshaah nay rathon par muqarrar apnay 32 afsaron ko hukm diya tha, “sirf aur sirf baadshaah par hamla karen. kisee aur say mat ladna, khwaah vah chhota ho ya bada.”

³²jab ladaaee chhid gaee to rathon kay afsar yahoosafat par toot paday, kyoonki unhon nay kaha, “yaqeenan yahee israaeel ka baadshaah hai!” lekin jab yahoosafat madad kay liyay chilla uthaa ³³to dushmanon ko maaloom hua ki yah akhiyab baadshaah naheen hai, aur vah us ka taaqqub karnay say baaz aaay. ³⁴lekin kisee nay khaas nishaana baandhay baghair apna teer chalaaya to vah akhiyab ko aisee jagah ja laga jahaan ziraabaktar ka jod tha. baadshaah nay apnay rathbaan ko hukm diya, “rath ko mod kar mujhay maidaan-ay-jang say baahar lay jaao! mujhay chot lag gaee hai.” ³⁵lekin choonki us pooray din shadeed qism kee ladaaee jaaree rahee, is liyay baadshaah apnay rath men tek laga kar dushman kay muqaabil khada raha. khoon zakhm say rath kay farsh par tapakta raha, aur shaam kay vaqt akhiyab mar gaya. ³⁶jab sooraj ghuroob honay laga to israaeelee fauj men buland aavaaz say elaan kiya gaya, “har ek apnay shaher aur apnay ilaaqay men vaapas chala jaaay!”

³⁷baadshaah kee maut kay baad us kee laash ko saamriya la kar dafnaaya gaya. ³⁸shaahee rath ko saamriya kay ek taalaab kay paas laaya gaya jahaan kasbiyon kee nahaanay kee jagah thee. vahaan usay dhoya gaya. kuttay bhee a kar khoon ko chaatnay lagay. yoon rabb ka farmaan poora hua.

³⁹baaqee jo kuchh akhiyab kee hukoomat kay dauraan hua vah ‘shaahaan-ay-israaeel kee taareekh’ kee kitaab men darj hai. us men baadshaah ka taameerkarda haatheedaant ka mahel aur vah shaher bayaan kiay gaay hain jin kee qil’aabandee us nay kee. ⁴⁰jab vah mar kar apnay baapdaada say ja mila to us ka beta akhaziyaah takhtnasheen hua.

yahoodaah ka baadshaah yahoosafat

⁴¹aasa ka beta yahoosafat israaeel kay baadshaah akhiyab kee hukoomat kay chauthay saal men yahoodaah ka baadshaah bana. ⁴²us vaqt us kee umr 35 saal thee. us ka daar-ul-hakoomat yarooshalam raha, aur us kee hukoomat ka dauraaniya 25 saal tha. maan ka naam azooba bint silhee tha. ⁴³vah har kaam men apnay baap aasa kay namoonay par chalta aur vah kuchh karta raha jo rabb ko pasand tha. lekin us nay bhee oonchay maqaamon kay mandiron ko khatm na kiya. aisee jagahon par jaanvaron ko qurbaan karnay aur bakhoor jalaanay ka intizaam jaaree raha. ⁴⁴yahoosafat aur israaeel kay baadshaah kay darmiyaan sulah qaaim rahee.

⁴⁵baaqee jo kuchh yahoosafat kee hukoomat kay dauraan hua vah ‘shaahaan-ay-yahoodaah kee taareekh’ kee kitaab men darj hai. us kee kaamyaabiyaan aur jangen sab us men bayaan kee gaee hain. ⁴⁶jo jismafrosh mard aur aurten aasa kay zamaanay men bach gaay thay unhen yahoosafat nay mulk men say mita diya. ⁴⁷us vaqt mulq-ay-adom ka baadshaah na tha balki yahoodaah ka ek afsar us par hukmraanee karta tha.

⁴⁸yahoosafat nay baheree jahaazon ka beda banvaaya taaki vah tijaarat karkay ofeer say sona laaen. lekin vah kabhee istemaal na huay balki apnee hee bandargaah asyoon-jaabar men tabaah ho gaay. ⁴⁹tabaah honay say pahelay israaeel kay baadshaah akhaziyaah bin akhiyab nay yahoosafat say darakhwaast kee thee ki israaeel kay kuchh log jahaazon par saath chalen. lekin yahoosafat nay inkaar kiya tha.

⁵⁰jab yahoosafat mar kar apnay baapdaada say ja mila to usay yarooshalam kay hissay men jo ‘daaood ka shaher’ kahelaata hai khaandaanee qabr men dafnaaya gaya. phir us ka beta yahooraam takhtnasheen hua.

israaeel ka baadshaah akhaziyaah

⁵¹akhiyab ka beta akhaziyaah yahoodaah kay baadshaah yahoosafat kee hukoomat kay 17ven saal men israaeel ka baadshaah bana. vah do saal tak israaeel par hukmaraan raha. saamriya us ka daar-ul-hakoomat tha. ⁵²jo kuchh us nay kiya vah rabb ko naapsand tha, kyoonki vah apnay maan-baap aur yarubiaam bin nabaat kay namoonay par chalta raha, usee yarubiaam kay namoonay par jis nay israaeel ko gunaah karnay par uksaaya tha. ⁵³apnay baap kee tarah baal devta kee khidmat aur pooja karnay say us nay rabb, israaeel kay khuda ko taish dilaaya.