2 ImiLando 30 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Abantu bagcina iPhasika

¹ UHezekiya wabiza bonke abakoIsrayeli labakoJuda, wabhalela abakoEfrayimi labakoManase izincwadi, ukuba beze ethempelini eJerusalema ukugcina iPhasika leNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli.

² Inkosi lezikhulu zayo lalo lonke ibandla eJerusalema bavumelana ukugcina iPhasika ngenyanga yesibili,

³ ngoba babehlulekile ukuligcina ngesikhathi salo ngoba babengakabi banengi abapristi abazihlambululileyo, labantu babengakabuthani eJerusalema.

⁴ Ngakho inkosi lalo lonke ibandla bakubona lokhu ukuthi kulungile.

⁵ Basebemisa ukwenza isimemezelo kulo lonke elakoIsrayeli kusukela eBerisheba kusiya koDani, ukuba abantu bagcine iPhasika leNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli eJerusalema; ngoba babebalutshwana ababeligcinile njengokulotshiweyo.

⁶ Ngakho izigijimi zahamba kulo lonke elakoIsrayeli lelakoJuda ziphethe incwadi ezivela enkosini lezikhulu zayo ezitsho ilizwi lenkosi elithi: Bantu bakoIsrayeli, buyelani eNkosini, uNkulunkulu kaAbrahama loIsaka loIsrayeli, ukuze ibuyele kulabo benu abaphunyukileyo ezandleni zamakhosi eAsiriya.

⁷ Lingabi njengaboyihlo lezihlobo zenu ababengathembekanga eNkosini uNkulunkulu wabokhokho benu, yaze yabanikela ukuba bachithwe njengoba libona nje.

⁸ Lingabi lenkani njengaboyihlo, kodwa zinikeleni eNkosini, lize endlini yayo engcwele esizahlukanisele yona kuze kube nininini, likhonze iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu, ukuba ulaka lwayo ludede kini.

⁹ Uba libuyela eNkosini, izihlobo zenu labantwana benu bazafumana isihawu kulabo ababathumbileyo, babuye kulelilizwe. Ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu wenu ilomusa lesihawu, kayiyikulifulathela uba libuyela kuyo.

¹⁰ Zahambake izigijimi kuyo yonke imizi elizweni lakoEfrayimi lelakoManase zaze zafika koZebuluni; kodwa bazihleka ulunya baziklolodela.

¹¹ Kwaba labantu abalutshwana nje abakoAsheri labakoManase labakoZebuluni abazithobayo, beza eJerusalema.

¹² Isandla seNkosi sasilabakoJuda ukubanika inhliziyonye ukwenza lokho inkosi lezikhulu ezazikutshilo ngelizwi leNkosi uNkulunkulu.

¹³ Abantu abanengi, ibandla elikhulu kakhulu, babuthana eJerusalema ukugcina umkhosi wesinkwa esingelamvubelo ngenyanga yesibili.

¹⁴ Baqalisa ukusebenza, badiliza ama‐altare ayeseJerusalema, lawo wonke ama‐altare okutshisela impepha bawasusa, bawaphosela esihotsheni seKidroni.

¹⁵ Bahlaba amawundlu ePhasika ngosuku lwetshumi lane lwenyanga yesibili; abapristi lamaLevi bayangeka, bazihlambulula, baletha iminikelo yokutshiswa ethempelini.

¹⁶ Bangena endaweni zabo ezejwayelekileyo njengomlayo kaMose umuntu kaNkulunkulu; abapristi bachela igazi abalamukela kumaLevi.

¹⁷ Babebanengi ebandleni ababengazihlambululanga; ngakho amaLevi ahlabela lowo lalowo ongcolileyo amawundlu ePhasika ukuba babe ngcwele eNkosini.

¹⁸ Ngoba abantu abanengi, ikakhulu abakoEfrayimi labakoManase labakoIsakari labakoZebuluni babengazihlambululanga, ngakho balidla iPhasika ngendlela engesiyo emisiweyo. Kodwa uHezekiya wayebakhulekele wathi: INkosi elungileyo ibathethelele bonke

¹⁹ abazimisele ukumdinga uNkulunkulu, iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabokhokho babo, lanxa bengayilandelanga imithetho yokuhlanjululwa kwendlu engcwele.

²⁰ INkosi yamuzwa uHezekiya, yabayekela abantu.

²¹ Abantu bakoIsrayeli ababekhona eJerusalema bawugcina umkhosi wesinkwa esingelamvubelo insuku eziyisikhombisa, bethokoza kakhulu; amaLevi labapristi bayidumisa iNkosi insuku ngensuku, beyihlabelela ngamandla abo wonke.

²² UHezekiya wawakhuthaza wonke amaLevi atshengisa ukuhlakanipha enkonzweni yeNkosi. Abantu badla ukudla komkhosi insuku eziyisikhombisa benikela iminikelo yokuthula, beyibonga iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho babo.

²³ Ibandla laselivumelana lonke ukugcina umkhosi ezinye insuku eziyisikhombisa; ngakho basebewugcina ngokuthokoza ezinye insuku eziyisikhombisa.

²⁴ Ngoba uHezekiya inkosi wanika ibandla inkunzi eziyinkulungwane lezimvu eziyizinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa zibe ngezomnikelo, lezikhulu zalinika ibandla inkunzi eziyinkulungwane lezimvu ezizinkulungwane ezilitshumi; abapristi abanengi bazihlambulula.

²⁵ Ibandla lonke lakoJuda, labapristi lamaLevi, lebandla lonke elivela koIsrayeli, labezizweni ababevela elizweni lakoIsrayeli lababehlala koJuda, bathokoza.

²⁶ Kwaba khona ukuthokoza okukhulu eJerusalema, ngoba kusukela esikhathini sikaSolomoni indodana kaDavida inkosi yakoIsrayeli kakuzanga kube khona eJerusalema okunje.

²⁷ Basebesukuma abapristi lamaLevi, babusisa abantu; ilizwi labo lezwakala, umkhuleko wabo wafinyelela ezulwini endaweni engcwele kaNkulunkulu.