AMAKHOSI II 23

₁Inkosi yathumela, babuthela kuyo onke amalunga akwaJuda nawaseJerusalema.

₂Inkosi yenyukela endlini kaJehova, bonke abantu bakwaJuda nabo bonke abakhileyo eJerusalema benayo, kanye nabapristi nabaprofethi, yebo, abantu bonke, abancane nabakhulu, yafunda ezindlebeni zabo onke amazwi encwadi yesivumelwano ebifunyenwe endlini kaJehova.

₃Inkosi yema ngasensikeni, yenza isivumelwano phambi kukaJehova ukumlandela uJehova nokugcina imiyalo yakhe, nobufakazi bakhe, nezimiso zakhe ngenhliziyo yonke nangomphefumulo wonke ukuqinisa amazwi alesisivumelwano alotshwé kulencwadi; bonke abantu basivuma isivumelwano.

₄Inkosi yayisiyala uHilikiya umpristi omkhulu, nabapristi besigaba sesibili, nabalindimnyango ukukhipha ethempelini likaJehova zonke izinto ezazenzelwe oBali, noAshera*, nebandla lonke lasezulwini, yazishisa ngaphandle kweJerusalema emasimini aseKidroni, yayisa umlotha wazo eBethele.

₅Yabasusa abapristi bezithombe amakhosi akwaJuda abamisele ukushisa impepho ezindaweni eziphakemeyo emizini yakwaJuda nanxazonke zeJerusalema, kanye nabashisa impepho kuBali nakulo ilanga nenyanga nezinkanyezi nalo lonke ibandla lasezulwini.

₆Yakhipha uAshera* endlini kaJehova, yamkhiphela phandle kweJerusalema, yamyisa ngasemfudlaneni iKidroni, yamshisa ngasemfudlaneni iKidroni, yamcolisisa waba-yincushuncushu, yayiphonsa incushuncushu yakhe emathuneni abantu nje.

₇Yadiliza izindlu zezifebe zethempeli ezazisendlini kaJehova, lapho abesifazane bemelukela khona uAshera* amatende.

₈Yakhipha bonke abapristi emizini yakwaJuda, yangcolisa izindawo eziphakemeyo, lapho abapristi bebeshisé khona impepho, kusukela eGeba kuze kube-seBeri-Sheba; yadiliza izindawo eziphakemeyo zasemasangweni asesikhaleni sesango likaJoshuwa umphathimuzi, ezazingakwesokhohlo somuntu ngasesangweni lomuzi.

₉Kodwa abapristi basezindaweni eziphakemeyo babengenyukeli ealtare likaJehova eJerusalema, kepha badla isinkwa esingenamvubelo phakathi kwabafowabo.

₁₀Yangcolisa iThofeti elisesigodini sabantwana bakwaHinomu ukuba kungabikho-muntu odabulisa indodana yakhe noma indodakazi yakhe emlilweni kuMoloki.

₁₁Yasusa namahashi amakhosi akwaJuda anikele ngawo kulo ilanga ngasendleleni yokungena endlini kaJehova ngasekamelweni likaNathani-Meleki induna yasePariwarimi, yashisa izinqola zelanga ngomlilo.

₁₂Ama-altare ayesophahleni lwekamelo eliphezulu lika-Ahazi, elenziwe ngamakhosi akwaJuda, nama-altare enziwe nguManase emagcekeni omabili endlu kaJehova inkosi yawadiliza, yasuka yagijima, yalahla uthuli emfudlaneni iKidroni.

₁₃Izindawo eziphakemeyo ezaziphambi kweJerusalema, ngakwesokunene kweNtaba yokOnakala, uSolomoni inkosi yakwaIsrayeli ayezakhele uAshitaroti isinengiso samaSidoni, noKemoshi isinengiso sakwaMowabi, noMilkomu isinengiso sabantwana bakwa-Amoni, inkosi yazingcolisa.

₁₄Yaphahlaza izinsika, yanquma oAshera*, yagcwalisa izindawo zabo ngamathambo abantu.

₁₅Ialtare elaliseBethele, nendawo ephakemeyo eyenziwe nguJerobowamu indodana kaNebati owonisa uIsrayeli, naleloaltare kanye nendawo ephakemeyo yakudiliza, yayishisa indawo ephakemeyo, yayicolisisa yaba-yincushuncushu, yashisa noAshera*.

₁₆UJosiya waphenduka, wabona amathuna ayelapho entabeni; wathumela wakhipha amathambo emathuneni, wawashisa ealtare, walingcolisa njengezwi likaJehova alimemeza lowomuntu kaNkulunkulu owamemezela lezizinto.

₁₇Wayesethi: Yitshe lini leli engilibonayo na? Abantu bomuzi bamtshela bathi: Yithuna lalowomuntu kaNkulunkulu owavela kwaJuda, wamemezela lezizindaba osuzenzile ngealtare laseBethele.

₁₈Wathi: Myekeni; mawanganyakaziswa-muntu amathambo akhe. Base beyeka amathambo akhe kanye namathambo alowomprofethi owavela eSamariya.

₁₉Nazo zonke izindlu zezindawo eziphakemeyo ezazisemizini yaseSamariya, ezenziwa ngamakhosi akwaIsrayeli acunula ngazo, uJosiya wazisusa, wenza kuzona njengazo zonke izenzo azenzileyo eBethele.

₂₀Wabulala ema-altare bonke abapristi basezindaweni eziphakemeyo ababelapho, washisa amathambo abantu phezu kwawo, wabuyela eJerusalema.

₂₁Inkosi yayisiyala bonke abantu ngokuthi: Yenzelani uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu iphasika njengokulotshiwe kulencwadi yesivumelwano.

₂₂Ngokuba iphasika elinjalo lalingagcinwanga kusukela emihleni yabahluleli abahlulela uIsrayeli, nasemihleni yonke yamakhosi akwaIsrayeli, nakweyakwaJuda.

₂₃Kepha ngomnyaka weshumi nesishiyagalombili wenkosi uJosiya leliphasika lenzelwa uJehova eJerusalema.

₂₄Futhi abanamadlozi, nabathakathi, namatherafi*, nezithombe, nazo zonke izinengiso ezazibonwa ezweni lakwaJuda naseJerusalema uJosiya wakuqeda ukuba afeze amazwi omthetho alotshwé encwadini uHilikiya umpristi ayifuinanayo endlini kaJehova.

₂₅Kwakungekho-nkosi phambi kwakhe eyaphendukela kuJehova ngayo yonke inhliziyo yayo nangawo onke amandla ayo njengawo wonke umthetho kaMose, nangasemva kwakhe akuvelanga enjengaye.

₂₆Nokho uJehova akabuyanga ekuvutheni kwentukuthelo yakhe enkulu, intukuthelo yakhe eyavuthela ngakho uJuda ngenxa yakho konke ukucunula uManase ayemcunulé ngakho.

₂₇UJehova wathi: Naye uJuda ngiyakumsusa ebusweni bami, njengalokho ngisusé uIsrayeli, ngiwulahle lomuzi engawukhethayo, nendlu engasho ngayo ukuthi igama lami liyakuba-khona lapho.

₂₈Ezinye izindaba zikaJosiya nakho konke akwenzayo angithi kulotshiwe encwadini yezindaba zemihla ngemihla yamakhosi akwaJuda na?

₂₉Emihleni yakhe uFaro-Nekho inkosi yaseGibithe wenyukela enkosini yaseAsiriya ngasemfuleni uEwufrathe; inkosi uJosiya yaya ukuhlangabezana naye; wayibulala eMegido, isanele ukumbona nje.

₃₀Izinceku zayo zayisusa ngenqola eMegido ifile, zayiyisa eJerusalema, zayimbela ethuneni layo. Abantu bezwe bamthatha uJehowahazi indodana kaJosiya, bamgcoba, bambeka inkosi esikhundleni sikayise.

₃₁UJehowahazi wayeneminyaka engamashumi amabili nantathu ekuqaleni kwakhe ukubusa, wabusa izinyanga ezintathu eJerusalema; igama likanina lalinguHamuthali indodakazi kaJeremiya waseLibina.

₃₂Wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova njengakho konke abakwenzileyo oyise.

₃₃UFaro-Nekho wambopha eRibila ezweni laseHamati ukuba angabe esabusa eJerusalema, wathelisa izwe amatalenta* ayikhulu esiliva netalenta legolide.

₃₄UFaro-Nekho wambeka uEliyakimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi esikhundleni sikaJosiya uyise, waguqula igama lakhe laba-nguJehoyakimi, kepha wamsusa uJehowahazi, waze waya eGibithe, wafela khona.

₃₅UJehoyakimi wamnika uFaro isiliva negolide, kepha wathelisa izwe ukuba anike imali njengezwi likaFaro. Wakhiphisa abantu bezwe isiliva negolide, kwaba-yilowo nalowo njengentela yakhe ukukunika uFaro-Nekho.

₃₆UJehoyakimi wayeneminyaka engamashumi amabili nanhlanu ekuqaleni kwakhe ukubusa, wabusa iminyaka eyishumi nanye eJerusalema; igama likanina lalinguZebida indodakazi kaPhedaya waseRuma.

₃₇Wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova njengakho konke abakwenzileyo oyise.