2 YEZIGANEKO 24

₁Ukungena kwakhe ebukhosini uYowashe wayeneminyaka esixhenxe, waza ke walawula eJerusalem iminyaka engamashumi amane. Unina yayinguZibheya intombi yaseBheshebha. ₂Ngalo lonke ixesha lombingeleli uJoyada uYowashe wenza okuhle emehlweni *kaNdikhoyo. ₃UJoyada wamfunela abafazi ababini, waza ke wanoonyana neentombi.

₄Emva koko ke uYowashe wazimisela ukuyihlaziya indlu kaNdikhoyo. ₅Wabiza ababingeleli nabaLevi, wathi kubo: “Ngenani kwiidolophu zakwaJuda, niqokelele imali engumrhumo wonyaka kuwo onke amaSirayeli, ukuze kulungiswe indlu yoThixo wenu. Loo nto ke yenzeni ngoku.” Kodwa ke abaLevi abayenzanga kwangoko loo nto.

₆Ngoko ke ukumkani wabiza umbingeleli omkhulu uJoyada, wathi kuye: “Ngani ukuba ungatsho abaLevi bezise imali engumrhumo owamiswa nguMosis isicaka *sikaNdikhoyo waza wabethelelwa libandla likaSirayeli – mrhumo lowo abaLevi bebefanele ukuwuqokelela kumaJuda naseJerusalem – ingumrhumo wentente engqinela ubukho bukaNdikhoyo.”

₇Ke amahlakani alaa mfazi ukhohlakeleyo uAtaliya aqhekeza indlu kaThixo, aza athatha izitya ezingcwele zendlu kaNdikhoyo, azisebenzisa kunqulo lukaBhali.

₈Ngomyalelo kakumkani kwenziwa ityesana, yaza yabekwa ngaphandle kwesango lendlu kaNdikhoyo. ₉Wonke uJuda neJerusalem wakhutshelwa isaziso sokuba makezise kuNdikhoyo loo mrhumo wamiswa nguMosis isicaka sikaThixo, ewumisela uSirayeli entlango. ₁₀Onke amaphakathi kwakunye nabantu bonke, bakuthakazelela ukuzisa loo mrhumo, baza ke bamana bewufaka apho kuloo tyesana yada yazala. ₁₁Loo tyesana yayisithi yakuziswa ngabaLevi kumaphakathi kakumkani aze abone ukuba sekukho isixa semali, unobhala wasebhotwe negosa lombingeleli omkhulu babeyithatha bayikhuphe loo mali, baze bayiphindisele kwasendaweni yayo ityesana leyo. Le nto ke babeyenza njalo-njalo, baza ke ngaloo ndlela baqokelela imali eninzi. ₁₂Ukumkani noJoyada bayinikezela kuloo madoda ayesenza umsebenzi wendlu kaNdikhoyo. Baqesha iingcibi nabachweli ukuze zihlaziye indlu kaNdikhoyo, kananjalo bafuna nabasebenzi bentsimbi nobhedu ukuze balungise indlu kaNdikhoyo.

₁₃Loo madoda ayongamele umsebenzi lowo ayekhuthele, waza ke umsebenzi wokuhlaziya waqhubela phambili phantsi kwawo. Indlu kaThixo baphinda bayakha, bayibuyisela kwimo yayo yantlandlolo bayixhasa. ₁₄Bakuyiphetha ke, imali eseleyo bayisa kukumkani noJoyada; kwaza ke ngayo kwenziwa izinto zokusetyenziswa endlwini kaNdikhoyo: izixhobo zokusebenza, ezamadini atshiswayo, imicephe, nezinye izinto zegolide nezesiliva. Ngethuba lobomi bukaJoyada amadini atshiswayo ayenikezelwa engaphezi endlwini kaNdikhoyo.

₁₅Ke uJoyada wayeseleneminyaka, ekhulile emdala, enekhulu elinamashumi amathathu eminyaka ukufa kwakhe. ₁₆Wangcwatywa phakathi kookumkani kwisixeko sikaDavide, kuba kaloku wayenze okulungileyo kuThixo nendlu yakhe kwaSirayeli.

₁₇Emva kokusweleka kukaJoyada amaphakathi akwaJuda eza kubusa kukumkani, waza ke wawaphulaphula. ₁₈Bayilahla indlu *kaNdikhoyo uThixo wooyise, banqula iintsika zika-Ashera nemifanekiso. Ngenxa yobutyala bawo ke ingqumbo kaThixo yaba phezu koJuda neJerusalem. ₁₉UNdikhoyo wathumela *abashumayeli apho ebantwini ukuze babashumayeze baguqukele kuye, kodwa abazange baguquke naxa bebakhalimela.

₂₀Ke uMoya kaThixo wamfikela uZakariya unyana wombingeleli uJoyada. Wema phambi kwabantu, wathi: “UThixo uthi: ‘Kungani na ukuba ningayithobeli imiyalelo kaNdikhoyo? Soze nibe nto! Ngenxa yokuba nimlahlile uNdikhoyo, naye ke unilahlile.’ ”

₂₁Kambe ke basuka bamenzela iyelenqe, baza ngokomyalelo kakumkani bamgibisela ngamatye wafela enkundleni yendlu kaNdikhoyo. ₂₂Ukumkani uYowashe wabulibala ubuntu awayebenzelwe nguyise kaZakariya, wasuka wambulala unyana wakhe. Ke xa afayo uZakariya wathi: “Ngamana uNdikhoyo wakugqala ngesi senzo, akubuyekeze.”

₂₃Ngentlakohlaza yaloo nyaka umkhosi wama-Aram wahlasela uYowashe, wamngenela uJuda neJerusalem, wazibulala zonke iinkokheli zabantu. Amaxhoba onke bawathumela kukumkani wabo eDamasko. ₂₄Nangona loo mkhosi wama-Aram wawungemkhulu ngamanani kodwa uNdikhoyo wanikezela esandleni sawo umkhosi omkhulu kunawo. UJuda wamlahla uNdikhoyo uThixo wooyise, yaza ke ingqumbo yawa phezu koYowashe. ₂₅Ukurhoxa kwawo ama-Aram lawo amshiya emngxwelerhile uYowashe. Amaphakathi akhe amenzela iyelenqe, aza ambulala ngenxa yokuba wabulala unyana wombingeleli uJoyada; ewe, bambulalela emandlalweni wakhe. Wafa ke, waza wangcwatyelwa kwisixeko sikaDavide, phofu akafihlwa phakathi kookumkani.

₂₆Abamenzela iyelenqe nguZabhadi ozalwa nguShimeyati umAmonikazi, noYozabhadi ozalwa nguShimriti umMowabhikazi. ₂₇Ke ingcombolo yoonyana bakhe kwaneentshumayelo ezingaye, nenkcazo mayela nokuhlaziywa kwendlu kaThixo, nâzo encwadini yamanqaku eembali zookumkani. Esikhundleni sakhe kwangena unyana wakhe uAmaziya.