2 ImiLando 34 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

Imvuselelo kaJosiya

¹ UJosiya wayeleminyaka eficaminwembili lapho eqalisa ukubusa; wabusa iminyaka engamatshumi amathathu lanye eJerusalema.

² Wenza okulungileyo phambi kweNkosi, walandela indlela zikaDavida ukhokho wakhe, kaphambukelanga ngakwesokunene loba kwesokhohlo.

³ Ngomnyaka wesificaminwembili wokubusa kwakhe esesengumfana waqala ukumdinga uNkulunkulu kaDavida ukhokho wakhe; ngomnyaka wetshumi lambili waqala ukuhlambulula uJuda leJerusalema, wavala indawo eziphakemeyo zokukhonzela, wadiliza insika zikankulunkulukazi uAshera, wasusa izithombe ezibaziweyo lezibunjiweyo.

⁴ Wadiliza ama‐altare aboBali, wadilizela phansi ama‐altare okutshisela impepha ayemi ngaphezu kwawo, wadiliza insika zikankulunkulukazi uAshera, wabulala izithombe ezibaziweyo lezibunjiweyo, wazenza zaba yimpuphu, wayichithela phezu kwamaliba alabo ababenikele imihlatshelo kizo.

⁵ Watshisela amathambo abapristi phezu kwama‐altare abo, wahlambulula uJuda leJerusalema.

⁶ Emizini yakoManase leyakoEfrayimi leyakoSimeyoni kuze kufike koNafitali lemanxiweni akhona

⁷ wadiliza ama‐altare, lensika zikankulunkulukazi uAshera wazibulala lezithombe zaze zaba yimpuphu, wadilizela phansi ama‐altare empepha kulo lonke ilizwe lakoIsrayeli. Wasebuyela eJerusalema.

UJosiya lencwadi yomlayo

⁸ Kwathi ngomnyaka wetshumi lesificaminwembili wokubusa kwakhe, eselihlambulule ilizwe lethempeli, wathuma uShafani indodana kaAzaliya loMahaseya umbusi womuzi loJowa indodana kaJowahazi umbhali ukuba balungise indlu yeNkosi uNkulunkulu wakhe.

⁹ Bafika kuHilikiya umpristi omkhulu, bamnika imali eyayilethwe endlini kaNkulunkulu, amaLevi ayelondoloza umnyango ayeyiqoqe koManase lakoEfrayimi lakubo bonke abaseleyo koIsrayeli labo bonke abakoJuda labakoBenjamini labaseJerusalema.

¹⁰ Bayinika abaphathi bezisebenzi ababewukhangela umsebenzi wethempeli ukuba balungise indlu ngayo;

¹¹ bayinika ababazi labakhi ukuba bathenge amatshe abaziweyo lentungo lezigodo zezindlu amakhosi akoJuda ayeziyekele zadilika.

¹² Abantu bawenza umsebenzi ngobuqotho bephethwe nguJahathi loObadiya amaLevi, abakoMerari, loZekariya loMeshulamu, abakoKohathi. AmaLevi wonke ayekwazi ukutshaya izinto zokuhlabelela

¹³ ayephethe abantu bokuthwala imithwalo labo bonke ababesebenza imisebenzi yenhlobo ezinengi; amanye amaLevi ayengababhali, amanye engabaphathi, lamanye engabagcini bamasango.

¹⁴ Kwathi bekhupha imali eyayilethwe ethempelini, uHilikiya umpristi wafumanisa ugwalo lomlayo weNkosi owawunikwe ngoMose.

¹⁵ UHilikiya wasesithi kuShafani umabhalane: Sengifumene ugwalo lomlayo ethempelini. UHilikiya waselunika uShafani

¹⁶ owaluletha enkosini, wabika kuyo wathi: Konke okwakunikelwe inceku zakho ziyakwenza;

¹⁷ scziyikhuphile imali ebisethempelini, zayinika abaphathi lezisebenzi.

¹⁸ UShafani umabhalane wasesithi enkosini: UHilikiya umpristi unginike ugwalo Waseyibalela ugwalo inkosi.

¹⁹ Kwathi inkosi isiwazwile amazwi omlayo yadabula izigqoko zayo.

²⁰ Yasilaya oHilikiya loAhikamu indodana kaShafani loAbidoni indodana kaMika loShafani umabhalane loAsaya inceku yenkosi, yathi:

²¹ Hambani liyesibuzela eNkosini uNkulunkulu mina lalabo abaseleyo koIsrayeli lakoJuda mayelana lamazwi alolugwalo olufunyenweyo; ngoba lukhulu ulaka lweNkosi olusehleleyo, ngoba obaba kabaligcinanga ilizwi layo ukuba benze njengokulotshiweyo kulolugwalo.

²² Ngakho uHilikiya lalabo ayethunywe labo yinkosi baya kuHulida umprofethikazi, umkaShaluma indodana kaTokhathi kaHasira, umgcini wezigqoko; yena wayehlala eJerusalema esigabeni sesibili. Bambikela ngalindaba.

²³ UHulida wathi kibo: INkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ithi: Tshelani umuntu olithume kimi

²⁴ ukuthi iNkosi ithi: Ngizakwehlisela ububi kulindawo laphezu kwabahlala kiyo, zonke iziqalekiso ezigwaliweyo ogwalweni olubalelwe inkosi yakoJuda.

²⁵ Ngoba bangidelile, batshisela abanye onkulunkulu impepha, ukuze bangithukuthelise ngezithombe zabo abazenzayo; ngakho ulaka lwami luzakwehlela phezu kwalindawo, lungadedi.

²⁶ Kodwa inkosi yakoJuda elithumileyo ukubuza kimi liyitshele ukuthi iNkosi uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli ithi: Mayelana lamazwi owazwileyo,

²⁷ ngoba inhliziyo yakho izisolile, wazithoba phambi kwami lapho usizwa amazwi ami ngalindawo langabahlala kiyo, uzithoba phambi kwami, wadabula izigqoko zakho wakhala, lami ngikuzwile.

²⁸ Khangela, uzakuya kwabaphansi, ubekwe elibeni lakho ngokuthula, amehlo akho kawayikubona konke okubi engizakukwehlisela kulindawo laphezu kwabahlala kiyo. Bakubika lokhu enkosini.

²⁹ Inkosi yasibuthanisa bonke abadala bakoJuda labaseJerusalema.

³⁰ Yaya ethempelini kanye labo bonke abakoJuda labaseJerusalema labapristi lamaLevi, bonke abantu abakhulu labancinyane; yababalela wonke amazwi ogwalo lwesivumelwano olwalufunyenwe ethempelini.

³¹ Inkosi yema endaweni yayo, yenza isivumelwano phambi kweNkosi ukuba izayilalela, igcine imilayo yayo lemithetho yayo ngenhliziyo yayo yonke langomoya wayo wonke, yenze okutshiwo ngamazwi esivumelwano ayelotshiwe kulolugwalo.

³² Yasibafungisa bonke ababekhona eJerusalema ukusigcina. AbaseJerusalema basebesenza njengokutsho kwesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho babo.

³³ UJosiya wasesusa wonke amanyala ayekhona elizweni lakoIsrayeli, wabenza bonke ababehlala koIsrayeli bayikhonze iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo. Ngensuku zakhe zonke kabaphambukanga ekuyilandeleni iNkosi, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho babo.