1Ke kaloku ngonyaka wesixhenxe uJoyada wabona ukuba lifikile ixesha. Wenza umnqophiso neengqwayi-ngqwayi zamaqela alikhulu: uAzariya unyana kaYehoram, uIshamayeli unyana kaYohanan, uAzariya unyana kaObhedi, uMaseya unyana ka-Adaya, noElishafati unyana kaZikri. 2Balityhutyha elakwaJuda, baqokelela abaLevi neentloko zazo zonke izindlu zamaSirayeli kuzo zonke iidolophu. Bakufika ke eJerusalem 3lonke elo bandla lenza umnqophiso nokumkani endlwini kaThixo.
Wathi kubo uJoyada: “Unyana kakumkani uza kulawula ngokomlomo *kaNdikhoyo mayela nesizukulwana sikaDavide. 4Ngoko yenzani le nto: isinye esithathwini sababingeleli nabaLevi abaza kuba semsebenzini *ngoMhla woPhumlo masilinde iminyango; 5esinye isinye esithathwini apha kuni masibe sebhotwe; size ke esinye sibe seSangweni lesiSeko; aze ke onke amanye amadoda abe sezinkundleni zendlu kaNdikhoyo. 6Makungabikho mntu ungenayo endlwini kaNdikhoyo ngaphandle kwababingeleli nabaLevi abasebenzayo. Bona bangangena, kuba bahlambulukile, kambe ke bonke abanye mabalinde ngokwezinto abamiselwe zona nguNdikhoyo. 7AbaLevi bona mabaphahle ukumkani, indoda nganye iphethe isixhobo sayo ngesandla. Nabani na ongenayo endlwini kaThixo makabulawe. Hlalani nikufuphi nokumkani naphi na apho aya khona.”
8AbaLevi ke ndawonye nawo onke amadoda akwaJuda benza njengoko babeyalelwe ngumbingeleli uJoyada. Ngamnye kubo wemka neqela lakhe, abo babesebenza *ngoMhla woPhumlo nabo babephumile emsebenzini – kaloku umbingeleli uJoyada zange akhulule nalinye iqela. 9Ke iingqwayi-ngqwayi zamaqela wazinika imikhonto namakhaka amakhulu namancinci, lawo awayengawokumkani uDavide, egcinwe endlwini kaThixo. 10Onke amadoda wawamisa aphahla ukumkani exhobile, bemi ngaseqongeni lendlu kaThixo, ukusukela kwicala elingasezantsi ukuya kwelingasentla apho endlwini kaThixo.
11Ke uJoyada noonyana bakhe baphuma naye unyana kakumkani, baza bamthwesa isithsaba, bamnika umnqophiso obhaliweyo, bebhengeza ukuba ungukumkani. Bamthambisa, bakhwaza bathi: “Phil' ud' ukhokhobe, kumkani!”
12Akuva loo ntswahla yayisenziwa ngabantu bebaleka bevuyisana nokumkani, uAtaliya waya kubo endlwini kaNdikhoyo. 13Akukhangela wabona, tyhini, nanko ukumkani emi ngakwintsika yakhe esesangweni. Amaphakathi nabakhalisi-maxilongo babephahle ukumkani, baye bonke abemi belizwe benemihlali bekhalisa amaxilongo, nezinye iimvumi ezinezikhalisi zikhokela ngemibongo. Ke uAtaliya wasuka wazikrazula iingubo zakhe, wadanduluka wathi: “Uvukelo! Uvukelo!”
14Umbingeleli uJoyada wathuma iingqwayi-ngqwayi zamabutho ezo zazongamele amabutho omkhosi, wathi kuzo: “Mthatheni nimkhuphe phakathi kwamabutho; nabani na omlandelayo nimbulale ngekrele.” Kaloku umbingeleli wayesithi: “Sanukumbulalela endlwini kaNdikhoyo.” 15Ngoko ke bambamba xa efika kwiSango lamaHashe eyadini yakomkhulu, bambulalela apho.
16Ke uJoyada wenza umnqophiso wokuba yena nabantu kunye nokumkani baya kuba ngabantu bakaNdikhoyo. 17Bonke ke abantu baya endlwini yokunqula uBhali, bafika bayidiliza. Bawantlekeza amaqonga ndawonye nemifanekiso, baza bambulala umbingeleli kaBhali uMatan apho phambi kwamaqonga.
18UJoyada wamisela ababingeleli ukuze bavelele indlu kaNdikhoyo, abo ke ngabo yayingabaLevi ababemiselwe ukusebenza endlwini kaThixo nguDavide, ukuze banikele amadini kaNdikhoyo atshiswayo njengoko kubhaliwe encwadini kaMosis. Loo nto babeyenza ngemivuyo bememelela ngokomlomo kaDavide. 19Wamisela nabagcini-masango emasangweni endlu kaNdikhoyo, ukuze kungangeni namnye kubantu abangahlambulukanga.
20Waqokelela iingqwayi-ngqwayi zamabutho alikhulu, izikhulu nabalawuli babantu, nabo bonke abemi belizwe, wamthatha nokumkani endlwini kaThixo, baya kungena ngesango elingasentla apho ebhotwe, ukumkani bamhlalisa kwisihlalo sobukhosi, 21baza ke bonke abantu bavuya. Isixeko eso ke saba nokuzola, kuba uAtaliya ebulewe ngekrele.
