2 Tavaareekh 18

jhootay nabiyon aur meekaayaah ka muqaablaa

¹gharaz yahoosafat ko badee daulat aur izzat haasil huee. us nay apnay pahelauthay kee shaadee israaeel kay baadshaah akhiyab kee betee say karaaee.

²kuchh saal kay baad vah akhiyab say milnay kay liyay saamriya gaya. israaeel kay baadshaah nay yahoosafat aur us kay saathiyon kay liyay bahut see bhed-bakriyaan aur gaay-bail zabah kiay. phir us nay yahoosafat ko apnay saath raamaat-jiliaad say jang karnay par uksaaya. ³akhiyab nay yahoosafat say savaal kiya, “kya aap meray saath raamaat-jiliaad jaaengay taaki us par qabza karen?” us nay javaab diya, “jee zaroor, ham to bhaaee hain, meree qaum ko apnee qaum samjhen! ham aap kay saath mil kar ladnay kay liyay nikalengay. ⁴lekin meharbaanee karkay pahelay rabb kee marzee maaloom kar len.”

⁵israaeel kay baadshaah nay 400 nabiyon ko bula kar un say poochha, “kya ham raamaat-jiliaad par hamla karen ya main is iraaday say baaz rahoon?” nabiyon nay javaab diya, “jee, karen, kyoonki allaah usay baadshaah kay havaalay kar dega.”

⁶lekin yahoosafat mutmain na hua. us nay poochha, “kya yahaan rabb ka koee nabee naheen jis say ham darayaaft kar saken?” ⁷israaeel 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!” ⁸tab israaeel kay baadshaah nay kisee mulaazim ko bula kar hukm diya, “meekaayaah bin imla ko fauran hamaaray paas pahuncha dena!”

⁹akhiyab 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. ¹⁰ek 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.”

¹¹doosray 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.”

¹²jis 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!” ¹³lekin meekaayaah nay etiraaz kiya, “rabb kee hayaat kee qasam, main baadshaah ko sirf vahee kuchh bataaoonga jo mera khuda faramaaega.”

¹⁴jab 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 unhen aap kay havaalay kar diya jaaega, aur aap ko kaamyaabee haasil hogee.” ¹⁵baadshaah 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.”

¹⁶tab 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’.”

¹⁷israaeel 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?”

¹⁸lekin 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. ¹⁹rabb nay poochha, ‘kaun israaeel kay baadshaah akhiyab ko raamaat-jiliaad par hamla karnay par akasaaega taaki vah vahaan ja kar mar jaaay?’ ek nay yah mashvra diya, doosray nay vah. ²⁰aakhirkaar ek rooh rabb kay saamnay khadee huee aur kahenay lagee, ‘main usay ukasaaoongee’. rabb nay savaal kiya, ‘kis tarah?’ ²¹rooh 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!’ ²²ai 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.”

²³tab 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?” ²⁴meekaayaah 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.”

²⁵tab akhiyab baadshaah nay hukm diya, “meekaayaah ko shaher par muqarrar afsar amoon aur meray betay yooaas kay paas vaapas bhej do! ²⁶unhen bata dena, ‘is aadmee ko jel men daal kar meray saheeh-salaamat vaapas aanay tak kam say kam rotee aur paanee diya karen’.” ²⁷meekaayaah 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

²⁸is kay baad israaeel ka baadshaah akhiyab aur yahoodaah ka baadshaah yahoosafat mil kar raamaat-jiliaad par hamla karnay kay liyay ravaana huay. ²⁹jang 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. ³⁰shaam kay baadshaah nay rathon par muqarrar apnay afsaron ko hukm diya tha, “sirf aur sirf baadshaah par hamla karen. kisee aur say mat ladna, khwaah vah chhota ho ya bada.”

³¹jab ladaaee chhid gaee to rathon kay afsar yahoosafat par toot paday, kyoonki unhon nay kaha, “yahee israaeel ka baadshaah hai!” lekin jab yahoosafat madad kay liyay chilla utha to rabb nay us kee sunee. us nay un ka dhyaan yahoosafat say khainch liya, ³²kyoonki jab dushmanon ko maaloom hua ki yah akhiyab baadshaah naheen hai to vah us ka taaqqub karnay say baaz aaay. ³³lekin 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.” ³⁴lekin choonki us pooray din shadeed qism kee ladaaee jaaree rahee, is liyay baadshaah apnay rath men tek laga kar dushman kay muqaabil khada raha. jab sooraj ghuroob honay laga to vah mar gaya.