Iphasika likaHezekiya
1UHezekiya wathumela kuye wonke uIsrayeli noJuda, walobela oEfrayimi noManase izincwadi ukuba beze endlini kaJehova eJerusalema, bamenzele uJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli iphasika.
2Ngokuba inkosi yayelulekene nezikhulu zayo nebandla lonke laseJerusalema ukuba bagcine iphasika ngenyanga yesibili.
3Ngokuba babengenakulenza ngalesosikhathi, lokhu abapristi bebengazingcwelisanga ngokwaneleyo nabantu bebengakabuthani eJerusalema.
4Leyonto yabe ilungile emehlweni enkosi nasebandleni lonke.
5Benza isinqumo sokuhambisa izwi kuIsrayeli wonke kusukela eBeri-Sheba kuze kube-kwaDani ukuba bafike, bamenzele uJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli iphasika eJerusalema, ngokuba babengalenzanga ebandleni njengokulotshiweyo.
6Zase zihamba izigijimi nezincwadi eziphuma esandleni senkosi nasezikhulwini zayo, zaya kuye wonke uIsrayeli noJuda ngesiyalezo senkosi sokuthi: Ninabantwana bakwaIsrayeli, buyelani kuJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama nokaIsaka nokaIsrayeli ukuba abuyele kuyo insali yenu yabasindileyo esandleni samakhosi aseAsiriya.
7Ningabi-njengoyihlo nabafowenu ababephambuka kuJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise, waze wabanikela encithakalweni, njengalokhu nibona.
8Ningabi-ntamo elukhuni njengawoyihlo, kepha nimnike uJehova isandla senu, ningene endlini yakhe engcwele ayingcwelisile kuze kube-phakade, nimkhonze uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu ukuba ulaka lwakhe oluvuthayo lubuye kini.
9Ngokuba ekubuyeleni kwenu kuJehova abafowenu nabantwana benu bayakuthola umusa phambi kwababathumbayo, babuyele kulelizwe, ngokuba uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu unomusa nesihe, akayikunifulathela, uma nibuyela kuye.
10Izigijimi zazilokhu zidlula emizini ngemizi ezweni lakwaEfrayimi nelakwaManase kwaze kwaba-kwaZebuloni; kepha bazihleka usulu, baziklolodela.
11Kepha abathile babakwa-Asheri nabakwaManase nabakwaZebuloni bazithoba, beza eJerusalema.
12NakwaJuda sasikhona isandla sikaNkulunkulu ukubanika inhliziyonye ukuba benze isiyalezo senkosi nesezikhulu ngezwi likaJehova.
13Kwabuthana eJerusalema abantu abaningi ukuba bagubhe umkhosi wesinkwa esingenamvubelo ngenyanga yesibili, ibandla elikhulu kakhulu.
14Basuka, basusa ama-altare aseJerusalema; nawo onke ama-altare empepho bawasusa, bawaphonsa emfudlaneni iKidroni.
15Base belihlaba iphasika ngolweshumi nane lwenyanga yesibili; abapristi namaLevi babenamahloni, bazingcwelisa, baletha iminikelo yokushiswa endlini kaJehova.
16Bema ezindaweni zabo njengehlelo labo ngokomthetho kaMose, umuntu kaNkulunkulu; abapristi bafafaza ngegazi elalisesandleni samaLevi.
17Ngokuba babebaningi ebandleni ababengazingcwelisanga; amaLevi ayephezu kokuhlatshwa kwamaphasika abo bonke ababengahlambulukile ukuba abangcwelisele uJehova.
18Ngokuba isixuku sabantu, abaningi bakwaEfrayimi nakwaManase nakwaIsakare nakwaZebuloni, sasingazihlambululanga, salidla iphasika ngokungalotshiwe. Ngokuba uHezekiya wayebakhulekele ngokuthi: UJehova omuhle makathethelele
19bonke ababebhekisa izinhliziyo zabo ukufuna uNkulunkulu, uJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise, noma kungenjengokuhlanjululwa kwendlu engcwele.
20UJehova wamuzwa uHezekiya, wabaphilisa abantu.
21Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli ababekhona eJerusalema bawugubha umkhosi wesinkwa esingenamvubelo izinsuku eziyisikhombisa ngokuthokoza okukhulu; amaLevi nabapristi bamdumisa uJehova imihla ngemihla ngezinto zokubethwa ezizwakalayo kuJehova.
22UHezekiya wakhuluma kahle kuwo onke amaLevi ayebonakalisa ukuqonda inkonzo kaJehova. Badla-ke iminikelo yomkhosi izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, benikela ngemihlatshelo yeminikelo yokuthula, bembonga uJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise.
23Lonke ibandla lase livumelana ukugubha ezinye izinsuku eziyisikhombisa; bagubha ezinye izinsuku eziyisikhombisa ngokuthokoza.
24Ngokuba uHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda wayenikile ibandla izinkunzi eziyinkulungwane nezimvu eziyizinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa zibe-yiminikelo, nezikhulu zazinikile ibandla izinkunzi eziyinkulungwane nezimvu eziyizinkulungwane eziyishumi; abapristi abaningi bazingcwelisa.
25Lonke ibandla lakwaJuda kanye nabapristi namaLevi, nalo lonke ibandla elaphuma kuIsrayeli, nabafokazi abaphuma ezweni lakwaIsrayeli behlezi kwaJuda, bathokoza.
26Kwakukhona-ke ukuthokoza okukhulu eJerusalema, ngokuba kusukela esikhathini sikaSolomoni indodana kaDavide, inkosi yakwaIsrayeli, akuzange kube-khona okunjalo eJerusalema.
27Base besukuma abapristi bamaLevi, bababusisa abantu; izwi labo lezwakala, nomkhuleko wabo wafika endaweni yakhe engcwele ezulwini.
