2 ImiLando 23 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

¹ Ngomnyaka wesikhombisa uJehoyada waqunga isibindi, wenza isivumelwano lezinduna zamakhulu, oAzariya indodana kaJerohamu loIshmayeli indodana kaJehohanani loAzariya indodana kaObedi loMahaseya indodana kaAdaya loElishafati indodana kaZikiri.

² Bahamba kulo lonke lakoJuda, baqoqa amaLevi kuyo yonke imizi yakoJuda lenhloko zezindlu zakoIsrayeli, beza eJerusalema.

³ Ibandla lonke lenza isivumelwano lenkosi uJowashi endlini kaNkulunkulu. UJehoyada wathi kubo: Nanguke umntwana wenkosi; kabuse njengokutsho kweNkosi uNkulunkulu mayelana labantwana bakaDavida.

⁴ Nanku elizakukwenza; lina bapristi lamaLevi, abesithathu benu abalinda ngeSabatha bazalinda amasango,

⁵ abesithathu balinde esigodlweni, labesithathu balinde eSangweni leSisekelo; bonke abantu bazakuba semagumeni ethempeli.

⁶ Kakungangeni muntu ethempelini ngaphandle kwabapristi lamaLevi asebenza khona; bona bangangena ngoba bangcwele, kodwa bonke abantu bazagcina umlayo weNkosi.

⁷ AmaLevi azaphahla inkosi, wonke ehlomile; lowo ongenayo ethempelini uzakubulawa. Kawabe lenkosi ekuhambeni kwayo konke.

⁸ AmaLevi labo bonke abakoJuda benza konke njengokutsho kukaJehoyada umpristi. Leyo laleyonduna yaletha abantu bayo ababengayikulinda ngeSabatha kanye lalabo ababezakulinda ngeSabatha; ngoba uJehoyada umpristi wayengazikhululanga izigaba.

⁹ UJehoyada umpristi wazinika induna imikhonto lezihlangu ezinkulu lezincinyane ezazingezenkosi uDavida zisendlini kaNkulunkulu.

¹⁰ Wabamisa bonke abantu ukuba balinde behlomile, kusukela ngaseningizimu kwendlu kusiya enyakatho, bezingelezele ialtare lethempeli inkosi iphakathi kwabo.

¹¹ UJehoyada waseyikhupha indodana yenkosi, wayithwalisa umqhele, wayinika icence; bayibeka yaba yinkosi, uJehoyada lamadodana akhe bayigcoba bathi: Bayethe, nkosi!

¹² Kwathi uAthaliya esizwa umsindo wabantu begijima besitsho izibongo zenkosi, wangena ethempelini, waya ebantwini;

¹³ wabona inkosi imi ngasensikeni yayo ngasemnyango, lezinduna labakhalisi bezimpondo beseceleni kwayo, labo bonke abantu belizwe bethokoza bakhalisa impondo, labahlabeleli bephethe izinto zokuhlabelela behola umkhosi wokuthokoza. UAthaliya wadabula izigqoko zakhe, wamemeza wathi: Umvukela! Umvukela!

¹⁴ UJehoyada umpristi waseletha izinduna zamakhulu, wathi kuzo: Mkhupheleni ngaphandle, limbulale omlandelayo. Ngoba umpristi wathi: Lingambulaleli ethempelini.

¹⁵ Basebembamba, bamkhupha, bamusa esigodlweni ngendlela yeSango leBhiza, bambulalela khona.

¹⁶ UJehoyada wenza isivumelwano phakathi kwakhe labantu bonke lenkosi ukuba babe ngabantu beNkosi uNkulunkulu.

¹⁷ Bonke abantu baya endlini kaBali, bayidilizela phansi, badiliza lama‐altare akhe lezithombe zakhe, babulala uMathani umpristi kaBali phambi kwama‐altare.

¹⁸ UJehoyada wabeka abalindi ethempelini bephathwe ngabapristi abangamaLevi langamaLevi uDavida ayebabeke ukukhangela ithempeli lokunikela iminikelo yokutshiswa eNkosini, njengokulotshiweyo emlayweni kaMose, ngokujabula langokuhlabela njengokumisa kukaDavida.

¹⁹ Wabeka abalindi bamasango emasangweni ethempeli ukuze kungangeni muntu ongcoliswe loba yini.

²⁰ Wathatha izinduna zamakhulu lezikhulu lababusi babantu labo bonke abantu belizwe, bayikhupha inkosi ethempelini, bangena esigodlweni ngesango elingaphezulu, bayihlalisa esihlalweni sobukhosi.

²¹ Bonke abantu belizwe bathokoza; lomuzi waba lokuthula ngemva kokubulawa kukaAthaliya.