2 ImiLando 31 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

¹ Kwathi konke lokho sekuphelile, bonke abakoIsrayeli ababekhona baya emizini yakoJuda, badiliza izinsika zokukhonzela, bagamulela phansi insika zikankulunkulukazi uAshera, bavala indawo eziphakemeyo zokukhonzela, badiliza ama‐altare elizweni lonke lakoJuda lakoBenjamini lakoEfrayimi lakoManase, baze bakuqeda konke. Basebebuyelake bonke abantu bakoIsrayeli emizini yabo lasezindaweni zabo.

UHezekiya wondla abapristi lamaLevi

² UHezekiya wasebeka abapristi lamaLevi ezikhundleni zabo, izigaba ngezigaba, wanika lowo lalowompristi lomLevi umsebenzi wakhe owokunikela umnikelo wokutshiswa lomnikelo wokuthula, lowokubongwa lokudumisa, lowokusebenza emasangweni ethempeli.

³ Inkosi yanika izipho kweyayo impahla ukuba zibe ngezeminikelo yokutshiswa ekuseni lantambama, leyokutshiswa ngamaSabatha lasekuthwaseni kwenyanga, leyemikhosi emisiweyo, njengokulotshiweyo emlayweni weNkosi uNkulunkulu.

⁴ Yalaya abantu ababehlala eJerusalema ukuba banike abapristi lamaLevi isabelo sabo ukuze bazinikele emlayweni weNkosi.

⁵ Lowomlayo usumenyezelwe endaweni zonke, abantu bakoIsrayeli banikela kakhulu ngokwesivuno sokuqala, okwamabele lokwewayini, lokwamafutha, lokwenyosi, zonke izithelo zamasimu abo; baletha okwetshumi kwazo zonke izinto, kwaba kunengi.

⁶ AbakoIsrayeli labakoJuda ababehlala emizini yakoJuda labo baletha okwetshumi kwenkomo lokwezimvu lokwezinto ezingcwele ezazahlukaniselwe iNkosi uNkulunkulu wabo, bazibuthelela zaba zinqumbi.

⁷ Ngenyanga yesithathu baqalisa ukubuthelela izinqumbi, baqeda ngenyanga yesikhombisa.

⁸ Lapho uHezekiya lezikhulu befika babona izinqumbi, bayibonga iNkosi uNkulunkulu labantu bayo uIsrayeli.

⁹ UHezekiya wababuza abapristi lamaLevi ngalezinqumbi.

¹⁰ UAzariya umpristi omkhulu owayengowendlu kaZadoki wamphendula wathi: Selokhu baqalisa abantu ukuletha iziphiwo zabo ethempelini, siyadla sisuthe kuze kusale okunengi; ngoba iNkosi uNkulunkulu ibabusisile abantu bayo ukuze sibe lakho lokhu okunengi okusalayo.

¹¹ UHezekiya wasebalaya ukuba balungise izindlu ethempelini; bazilungisa.

¹² Baziletha izipho zabo ngobuqotho, okwetshumi lezinto ezinikelwayo. Induna enkulu eyayibaphethe yayinguKonaniya umLevi, elandelwa nguShimeyi umfowabo;

¹³ oJehiyeli loAzaziya loNahathi loAsaheli loJerimothi loJozabadi loEliyeli loIsimakhiya loMahathi loBenaya, bonke laba babengababonisi besiza oKonaniya loShimeyi umfowabo, bebekwe nguHezekiya inkosi loAzariya umpristi omkhulu wendlu kaNkulunkulu.

¹⁴ UKore indodana kaImna umLevi, umgcini wesango langasempumalanga, wayephethe iminikelo yesihle kaNkulunkulu ukwaba iziphiwo ezinikelwe eNkosini lezinto ezingcwele kakhulu.

¹⁵ Wayesizwa kuhle ngoEdeni loMiniyamini loJeshuwa loShemaya loAmariya loShekaniya emizini yabapristi ukwabela izihlobo zabo izabelo, abadala labatsha ngokufananayo, ngezigaba.

¹⁶ Ngaphandle kwabesilisa ababaliweyo bonke abaleminyaka emithathu kusiya phezulu abangena ethempelini insuku zonke ukwenza umsebenzi wabo enkonzweni ngezigaba zabo banikwa izabelo zabo.

¹⁷ Abapristi babalwa ngezindlu zabo; amaLevi, kusukela kwabaleminyaka engamatshumi amabili kusiya phezulu, abalwa ngomsebenzi wabo ngezigaba zabo.

¹⁸ Abapristi babalwa labomkabo lamadodana abo lamadodakazi abo, ibandla labo lonke, ngoba kwakudingeka ukuba bahlale bezigcinile bengcwele.

¹⁹ Phakathi kwabapristi bakaAroni ababehlala emadlelweni emizi yabo kwakukhona abantu emizini yonke ababeqanjwe ngamabizo ukwabela bonke abesilisa phakathi kwabapristi labo bonke kumaLevi ababebaliwe.

²⁰ Wenza njaloke uHezekiya elizweni lonke lakoJuda; wenza okuhle lokulungileyo lokuqotho phambi kweNkosi uNkulunkulu wakhe.

²¹ Wonke umsebenzi awenzayo enkonzweni yendlu kaNkulunkulu ngokomlayo langemithetho, edinga uNkulunkulu wakhe, wawenza ngenhliziyo yakhe yonke, waphumelela.