2 IZikhronike 24

₁UJowashi wayeneminyaka eyisikhombisa ngesikhathi eba yinkosi, wabusa iminyaka engama-40 eJerusalema. Igama likanina kwakunguSibhiya waseBheri Sheba. ₂UJowashi wenza okulungile phambi kukaSimakade ngazo zonke izinsuku zokuphila kukaJehoyada, umphristi. ₃UJehoyada wamthathela abafazi ababili; wazala amadodana namadodakazi.

₄Kwathi emveni kwalokho, kwaba senhliziyweni kaJowashi ukuvuselela indlu kaSimakade. ₅Waqoqa abaphristi nabaLevi, wathi kubo: “Phumani niye emizini yakwaJuda; niqoqe imali yokulungisa indlu kaNkulunkulu wenu ku-Israyeli wonke, lokho nikwenze unyaka nonyaka: lusukumeleni ngokushesha lolu daba.”

Kepha abaLevi abalusukumelanga ngokushesha lolo daba.

₆Inkosi yayisibiza uJehoyada, inhloko, yathi kuye: “Kungani ungajubanga abaLevi ukuba balethe kwaJuda naseJerusalema intela eyamiswa nguMose, inceku kaSimakade, ebandleni lika-Israyeli, ibe ngeyethende lobufakazi na?”

₇Amadodana ka-Athaliya alowo wesifazane okhohlakele, ayefohle angena endlini kaNkulunkulu, futhi asebenzisa zonke izinto ezingcwele zendlu kaSimakade, ezisebenzisela uBhali.

₈Inkosi yabayala ukuba benze umphongolo, bawubeke ngaphandle ngasesangweni lendlu kaSimakade. ₉Kwase kumenyezelwa kwaJuda naseJerusalema ukuba balethe kuSimakade intela uMose, inceku kaNkulunkulu, ayeyale u-Israyeli ukuba ayikhokhe esesehlane. ₁₀Zonke izikhulu nabo bonke abantu bathokoza, bayiletha, bayiphonsa emphongolweni, baze baqeda. ₁₁Ngesikhathi umphongolo ulethwa ngabaLevi ezinduneni zenkosi, zazithi uma zibona ukuthi isiningi imali, umbhali wenkosi nenduna yomphristi omkhulu, bayithulule imali emphongolweni, wona bawubuyisele endaweni yawo. Benza kanjalo imihla ngemihla, baqoqa imali eningi. ₁₂Inkosi noJehoyada banika labo ababenza umsebenzi wokulungisa indlu kaSimakade, imali, baqasha abakhi nababazi ukuba bavuselele indlu kaSimakade, nabasebenza ngensimbi nethusi ukuba baqinise indlu kaSimakade.

₁₃Izisebenzi zasebenza, kwathi umsebenzi wokulungiswa kwayo waqhubeka ezandleni zazo. Zayilungisa indlu kaNkulunkulu yaba sesimeni sayo, zayiqinisa. ₁₄Zathi ukuba ziyiqede, zabuyisela enkosini nakuJehoyada yonke imali eyayisele. Kwenziwa ngayo izitsha zendlu kaSimakade, izitsha zokukhonzela nezokunikelela, izinkezo, nezinye izitsha zegolide nezesiliva. Base benikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa endlini kaSimakade, ngazo zonke izinsuku esaphila uJehoyada.

₁₅UJehoyada wakhula waze wamdala, wafa esenelisiwe yizinsuku aziphilile; wayeneminyaka eyi-130 ngesikhathi efa. ₁₆Bamngcwaba emzini kaDavide namakhosi, ngokuba wayenze okuhle kwa-Israyeli, nakuNkulunkulu, nasendlini yakhe.

₁₇Emveni kokufa kukaJehoyada, kwafika abaholi bakwaJuda, bakhuleka enkosini; inkosi yase iyabalalela. ₁₈Bayishiya indlu kaSimakade uNkulunkulu wokhokho babo, bakhonza o-Ashera nezithombe; intukuthelo kaSimakade yehlela uJuda neJerusalema ngenxa yalokho. ₁₉USimakade wathumela abaphrofethi phakathi kwabo ukuba bababuyisele kuye, babaxwayisa, kodwa abazange balalele.

₂₀UMoya kaNkulunkulu wasibekela uZakhariya, indodana kaJehoyada, umphristi, wema ngaphezu kwabantu, wathi kubo: “Usho kanje uNkulunkulu uthi: ‘Niyeqelani imiyalo kaSimakade, ukuze ningabi nampumelelo na? Ngokuba nimshiyile uSimakade, naye unishiyile.’ ”

₂₁Bamenzela ugobe, bamkhanda ngamatshe, beyalelwa yinkosi, egcekeni lendlu kaSimakade. ₂₂Inkosi uJowashi ayikhumbulanga ukwethembeka ayenakho kuye uJehoyada uyise ngesikhathi ibulala indodana yakhe. Lapho isifa yathi: “USimakade makakubone lokhu, aphindisele.”

₂₃Kwathi ngasekupheleni konyaka impi yase-Aramu yakhuphukela kuye, yafika kwaJuda naseJerusalema, yabhubhisa bonke abaholi babantu, yathumela yonke impango eyayiyiphange kubantu enkosini yaseDamaseku. ₂₄Nakuba impi yase-Aramu yayize neviyo elincane, uSimakade wanikela esandleni sayo impi enkulu kakhulu, ngokuba uJuda neJerusalema babemshiyile uSimakade uNkulunkulu wokhokho babo. UJowashi bamehlulela. ₂₅Ngesikhathi sebesuka kuye, bamshiya ngoba wayegula kakhulu, izinceku zakhe zamakhela uzungu, ngenxa yegazi lamadodana kaJehoyada umphristi, zambulalela embhedeni wakhe. Wafa, zamngcwaba emzini kaDavide, kodwa azimngcwabanga emadlinzeni amakhosi.

₂₆Nampa labo abamakhela uzungu: uZabhadi, indodana kaShimeyathi umAmonikazi; noJehozabhadi, indodana kaShimrithi wakwaMowabi. ₂₇Indaba ngamadodana akhe, nangobukhulu bemithwalo phezu kwakhe, nangokuvuswa kwendlu kaNkulunkulu, bheka, kulotshiwe emlandweni wencwadi yamakhosi. U-Amaziya, indodana yakhe, waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.