Iphasika likaJosiya
1UJosiya wamenzela uJehova iphasika eJerusalema; balihlaba iphasika ngolweshumi nane lwenyanga yokuqala.
2Wamisa abapristi ezikhundleni zabo, wabaqinisa emsebenzini wendlu kaJehova.
3Washo kumaLevi afundisa wonke uIsrayeli, ayengcwele kuJehova, wathi: Bekani umphongolo ongcwele endlini ayakhayo uSolomoni indodana kaDavide, inkosi yakwaIsrayeli; akusayikubakhomthwalo emahlombe enu; khonzani manje uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu nabantu bakhe uIsrayeli.
4Zilungiseni ngezindlu zawoyihlo ngezigaba zenu njengokubhala kukaDavide inkosi yakwaIsrayeli nanjengokubhala kukaSolomoni indodana yakhe,
5nime endaweni engcwele njengamaqembu ezindlu zawoyise babafowenu, abantu besizwe, yilelo nalelo libe-nesigaba sendlu kayise yamaLevi.
6Lihlabeni iphasika, nizingcwelise, nilungisele abafowenu ukuba benze njengezwi likaJehova ngesandla sikaMose.
7UJosiya wabanika abantu besizwe bonke ababekhona emihlambini amawundlu namazinyane ezimbuzi, onke abengaweminikelo yephasika, umumo uyizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amathathu nezinkunzi eziyizinkulungwane ezintathu; lokho kwakungokwempahla yenkosi.
8Izikhulu zakhe zabanika abantu, nabapristi, namaLevi iminikelo yesihle. OHilikiya, noZakariya, noJehiyeli, abaphathi bendlu kaNkulunkulu, babanika abapristi amawundlu ayizinkulungwane ezimbili namakhulu ayisithupha nezinkabi ezingamakhulu amathathu, kube-ngokweminikelo yephasika.
9OKhonaniya, noShemaya, noNethaneli, abafowabo, noHashabiya noJehiyeli, noJozabadi, izinduna zamaLevi, bawanika amaLevi amawundlu ayizinkulungwane eziyisihlanu nezinkabi ezingamakhulu ayisihlanu, kube-ngokweminikelo yephasika.
10Yayisilungiswa-ke inkonzo; abapristi bema ezindaweni zabo namaLevi ngezigaba zawo njengesiyalezo senkosi.
11Balihlaba iphasika, abapristi bafafaza ngezandla zabo, amaLevi alihlinza.
12Ayisusa iminikelo yokushiswa ukuba ayabele njengamaqembu ezindlu zawoyise babantu besizwe, ukuze banikele ngayo kuJehova njengokulotshiweyo encwadini kaMose. Enze njalo nakuzo izinkabi.
13Alosa iphasika ngomlilo njengokomthetho, neminikelo engcwele ayosa emakhanzini, nasezocweni, nasemabhodweni, ashesha akuletha kubantu besizwe.
14Ngasemuva azilungiselela wona nabapristi, ngokuba abapristi, amadodana ka-Aroni, babesekunikeleni iminikelo namanoni kwaze kwaba-sebusuku; ngalokho amaLevi azilungiselela wona nabapristi, amadodana ka-Aroni.
15Abahlabeleli, amadodana ka-Asafa, babesendaweni yabo njengokwesiyalezo sikaDavide, noAsafa, noHemani, noJeduthuni umboni wenkosi; abalindisango babengasesangweni; kwakungadingeki ukuba basuke emsebenzini wabo, ngokuba abafowabo amaLevi babalungisela.
16Yayisilungiswa-ke inkonzo kaJehova ngalusuku lunye ukwenza iphasika nokunikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa ealtare likaJehova njengesiyalezo senkosi uJosiya.
17Abantwana bakwaIsrayeli ababekhona balenza iphasika ngalesosikhathi nomkhosi wesinkwa esingenamvubelo izinsuku eziyisikhombisa.
18Alenziwanga iphasika elinjengalelo kwaIsrayeli kusukela emihleni kaSamuweli umprofethi, nawo onke amakhosi akwaIsrayeli awenzanga iphasika elinjengalelo elenziwa nguJosiya, nabapristi, namaLevi, naye wonke uJuda noIsrayeli owayekhona, kanye nabakhileyo eJerusalema.
19Ngomnyaka weshumi nesishiyagalombili wokubusa kukaJosiya leliphasika lenziwa.
Ukufa kukaJosiya
20Emva kwakho konke lokho uJosiya eselilungisile ithempeli, uNekho inkosi yaseGibithe wenyuka ukulwa neKharikemishi ngase-Ewufrathe; uJosiya waphuma ukumhlangabeza.
21Kepha wathuma izithunywa, wathi: Nginamsebenzi muni nawe-nkosi yakwaJuda na? Angiphambene nawe namuhla, kepha ngiphambene nendlu engilwa nayo; uNkulunkulu ungitshelile ukuba ngisheshe; mgweme uNkulunkulu onami ukuba angakuchithi.
22Kepha uJosiya akaphendukanga kuye, kodwa waziguqula ukuba alwe naye; akalalelanga amazwi kaNekho emlonyeni kaNkulunkulu, weza ukulwa esigodini saseMegido.
23Abacibishelayo bacibishela inkosi; inkosi yathi ezincekwini zayo: Ngikhipheni, ngokuba ngikhutshaziwe kakhulu.
24Izinceku zayo zayikhipha enqoleni, zayikhwelisa enqoleni yesibili eyayinayo, zayiyisa eJerusalema; yafa, yembelwa emathuneni awoyise. Wonke uJuda neJerusalema bamlilela uJosiya.
25Naye uJeremiya wamlilela uJosiya; bonke abahlabeleli besilisa nabesifazane bakhuluma ngoJosiya ekulileni kwabo kuze kube-namuhla; bakwenza kwabayisimiso kwaIsrayeli; bheka, kulotshiwe eziLilweni.
26Ezinye izindaba zikaJosiya, nezenzo zakhe ezinhle njengokulotshiweyo emthethweni kaJehova,
27nezindaba zakhe, ezokuqala nezokugcina, bheka, zilotshiwe encwadini yamakhosi akwaIsrayeli nakwaJuda.
