2 Emakhosi 23

₁Josaya, inkhosi, wase ubita bonkhe baholi bakaJuda nebaseJerusalema. ₂Wenyuka nabo waya ethempelini laSimakadze akanye nalamadvodza akaJuda, nebantfu bonkhe baseJerusalema, nebaphristi nebaphrofethi, ngisho nabo bonkhe bantfu kusukela kulomncane kuze kuyewufika kulomkhulu. Wabafundzela, baweva onkhe emavi encwadzi yesivumelwane, leyayitfolakele ethempelini laSimakadze. ₃Inkhosi yema eceleni kwensika yavusetela sivumelwane embikwaSimakadze, yavuma kulandzela Simakadze nekugcina imiyalo yakhe, nemitsetfo yakhe kanye netimiso takhe ngayo yonkhe inhlitiyo yayo nangawo wonkhe umphefumulo wayo, ngaloko yacinisa kwemukela emavi esivumelwane labhalwe kulencwadzi. Bonkhe bantfu batifaka kuleso sivumelwane.

₄Inkhosi yatjela Hilkiya, umPhristi Lomkhulu, nebaphristi labebangaphansi kwakhe kanye nabomahlalesangweni kutsi bakhiphe ethempelini laSimakadze konkhe lokwakwentelwe Bhali na-Ashera, nako konkhe lokwakwentelwe tonkhe tinkhulungwane tetinkhanyeti. Wakushisela ngaphandle kweJerusalema etikhotseni letigudla iKhidroni, wase utsatsa lomlotsa uwumikisa eBetheli. ₅Wabacitsa bonkhe baphristi bebumnyama lababekhetfwe ngemakhosi akaJuda kutsi batfuncise imphepho etindzaweni letiphakeme takaJuda kanye nasemaphetselweni aseJerusalema, labo bebatfuncisa imphepho kuBhali, naselangeni, nasenyangeni, nakuto tonkhe tinkhulungwane tetinkhanyeti. ₆Watsatsa insika ya-Ashera ethempelini laSimakadze, wayimikisa emfudlaneni iKhidroni ngephandle kweJerusalema, wayishisela khona. Wayisila, yaba yimphuphu, wabe sewuyisakata seyilutfuli etikwemadliza ebantfukatana. ₇Wabhidlita nemalawu etitabane labesethempelini laSimakadze, lapho labasikati babetfungela khona tingubo tekukhonta Ashera.

₈Josaya walandza bonkhe baphristi lababesemadolobheni akaJuda wahlazisa letindzawo letiphakeme, kusukela eGeba kuye eBherisheba, lapho baphristi bebatfuncisela khona imphepho. Wabhidlita tindzawo letiphakeme ekungeneni kwelisango laJoshuwa, umphatsi welidolobha, ngesancele kwelisango lelidolobha. ₉Nome baphristi baletindzawo letiphakeme bangazange bakhonte elatini laSimakadze eJerusalema, noko sinkhwa lesingenamvubelo babesidla kanye nalabanye baphristi.

₁₀Inkhosi Josaya yahlazisa indzawo iThofethi, leyayiseSigodzini sakaBheni Hinomu, ngako kwabate umuntfu labengayisebentisa ekunikeleni indvodzana yakhe nome indvodzakati yakhe ngekutsi ishiswe ngemlilo kuMoloki. ₁₁Titfombe temahhashi, emakhosi akaJuda labenikele ngato elangeni, watisusa emnyango welithempelini laSimakadze. Betibekwe ngekhatsi esibuyeni eceleni kwelikamelo lemphatsi lekwakutsiwa nguNathani Meleki. Josaya watishisa naletincola letatinikelwe elangeni.

₁₂Wawabhidlita onkhe lamalati labekakhiwe ngemakhosi akaJuda etulu eluphahleni eceleni kwelikamelo la-Ahazi lelisesitezi; wabhidlita nalamalati Manase labewakhe kuletibuya letimbili ethempelini laSimakadze. Wawesusa lapho, wawabhidlita, aba timvitsi letakhukhulelwa emfudlaneni iKhidroni. ₁₃Inkhosi yaphindza yacitsa letindzawo letiphakeme letatakhiwe ngasemphumalanga neJerusalema eningizimu neliGcuma Lekonakala, tona leto Solomoni, inkhosi yaka-Israyeli, latakhela Ashtarothe, sithicokati lesenyanyekako semaSidoni, naKhemoshi, sithico lesenyanyekako sakaMowabi, kanye naMoloki, sithico lesisinengiso sema-Amoni. ₁₄Josaya waphahlata ematje lekwakutsiwa angcwele, wagumula tinsika ta-Ashera, wasakata ematsambo ebantfu kuleto tindzawo.

₁₅Ngisho nelilati laseBetheli lekwakuyindzawo lephakeme leyayakhiwe nguJerobowamu, umsa waNebati, lowenta Israyeli kutsi one, nalo lelo lati nalendzawo lephakeme wakubhidlita. Washisa lendzawo lephakeme, wayigaya yaba yimphuphu, washisa nalensika ya-Ashera futsi. ₁₆Josaya wacalata, watsi kube abone emadliza labeseceleni lentsaba, wabutsa lamatsambo lakuwo wawashisela elatini kutawulingcolisa, kwaya ngekwelivi laSimakadze lalikhuluma ngemuntfu waNkulunkulu lowakhuluma kucala ngato letintfo tisengakenteki.

₁₇Inkhosi yabuta yatsi: “Labani lela dliza?”

Bantfu baseBetheli baphendvula batsi: “Lidliza lalowo muntfu waNkulunkulu labephuma kaJuda, wakhuluma ngato letintfo telilati laseBetheli kutsi titakwenteka, njengobe setentekile nje.”

₁₈Yakhuluma yatsi: “Liyekeleni. Ningavumeli muntfu kutsi aphatamise ematsambo akhe.”

Ngako ematsambo akhe kanye newemphrofethi labephuma eSamariya bavele bawayekela.

₁₉Josaya wachubeka wenta njengobe enta eBetheli ngekususa kanye nekuhlazisa tonkhe tindzawo lekwakutsiwa tingcwele, etindzaweni letiphakeme letatakhiwe ngemakhosi aka-Israyeli emadolobheni aseSamariya, tona kanye letacunula Simakadze tamtfukutselisa. ₂₀Josaya wababulalela emalatini bonkhe baphristi baleto tindzawo letiphakeme, lamatsambo ebantfu wabashisela etikwawo. Wase uyancandzeka ubuyela eJerusalema.

₂₁Inkhosi Josaya yakhipha umlayeto lowawuya esiveni sonkhe, yatsi: “Gubhani liPhasika laSimakadze Nkulunkulu wenu, njengobe kubhaliwe encwadzini yesivumelwane.” ₂₂Bekungazange sekube neliPhasika lelake lagujwa njengaleli kusukela ngetikhatsi tetikhulu letatihola ema-Israyeli nangesikhatsi semakhosi aka-Israyeli kanye newakaJuda. ₂₃Kodvwa ngalomnyaka weli-18 wekubusa kwenkhosi Josaya leliPhasika lagujelwa Simakadze eJerusalema.

₂₄Ngetulu kwaloko Josaya wabucitsa bonkhe bungoma, nemandzawe, netithico temindeni, netitfombe kanye nato tonkhe tintfo letisinengiso kaJuda naseJerusalema. Loko wakwentela kugcwalisa nekuhlangabetana naloko lokwakufunwa ngumtsetfo lowawubhalwe encwadzini leyatfolwa nguHilkiya, umphristi, ethempelini laSimakadze. ₂₅Akuzange sekube nenkhosi leyake yafanana naJosaya, ngembili kwakhe nangemuva kwakhe, ngekutsi itilahlele kuSimakadze njengobe yena enta, ngenhlitiyo yakhe yonkhe, nangemphefumulo wakhe wonkhe, nangemandla akhe onkhe ngekulandzela wonkhe umtsetfo waMosi.

₂₆Noko nome kunjalo, Simakadze akazange agucuke ekufutsekeni kwentfukutselo yakhe leyavutsela Juda ngenca yako konkhe Manase lakwenta kwamtfukutselisa. ₂₇Ngako Simakadze wakhuluma, watsi: “Juda ngitamsusa ebukhoneni bami, njengobe ngamsusa na-Israyeli; neJerusalema, lidolobha lengalikhetsa, ngitalisusa, ngisho nalo lithempeli imbala lengase ngakhuluma ngalo ngatsi: Libito lami liyawuhlala lapho.”

₂₈Leminye imininingwane ngekubusa kwenkhosi Josaya, nako konkhe lakwenta, kubhaliwe encwadzini yemilandvo yemakhosi akaJuda.

₂₉Ngesikhatsi Josaya ayinkhosi, Faro Nekho, inkhosi yaseGibhithe, wenyuka wayawusita inkhosi yase-Asiriya ngasemfuleni iYufrathe. Inkhosi Josaya yamhlangabeta, imphi yabambana etulu, kodvwa Nekho wabhekana naJosaya, wambulalela eMegido. ₃₀Tindvuna taJosaya tatsatsa sidvumbu sakhe tasekhweta encoleni kusuka eMegido tambuyisela eJerusalema, tafike tamfihla ethuneni lakhe. Sive sakaJuda satsatsa Jehoyahazi, umsa waJosaya, samgcoba, samenta inkhosi esikhundleni seyise.

₃₁Jehoyahazi abeneminyaka lengema-23 budzala, nakabekwa kuba yinkhosi. Wabusela eJerusalema tinyanga letintsatfu. Libito lenina bekunguHamutali, indvodzakati yaJeremiya, waseLibna. ₃₂Jehoyahazi wenta lokubi emehlweni aSimakadze, njengobe boyise babentile. ₃₃Faro Nekho wambopha ngetinketane eRibla, eveni laseHamathi, kuze kutsi angakhoni kubusa eJerusalema, wabe sewuhlisibeta bakaJuda ngemtselo wesiliva lengemakhilogremu labengaba ti-3 400, negolide lengemakhilogremu labengaba ngema-34. ₃₄Faro Nekho wabeka Eliyakimu, umsa waJosaya, kutsi abe yinkhosi esikhundleni seyise. Wagucula libito la-Eliyakimu, wametsa libito watsi nguJehoyakimu. Kodvwa watsatsa Jehoyahazi wammikisa eGibhithe, lapho wafike wafela khona.

₃₅Jehoyakimu wanika Faro Nekho isiliva negolide labetsite ayikhishwe. Loko wakwenta ngekutselisa live, wagulula isiliva negolide kubantfu bakhona, kwaya ngebungako babo.

₃₆Jehoyakimu abeneminyaka lengema-25 budzala, nakabekwa kuba yinkhosi. Wabusela eJerusalema iminyaka leli-11. Libito lenina bekunguZebida, indvodzakati yaPhedaya, waseRuma. ₃₇Wenta lokubi emehlweni aSimakadze, njengobe bekwenta boyise.