2 IZikhronike 29

₁UHezekiya waba yinkosi eneminyaka engama-25, wabusa iminyaka engama-29 eJerusalema. Igama likanina kwakungu-Abhiya, indodakazi kaZakhariya. ₂Wenza okulungileyo phambi kukaSimakade njengakho konke okwakwenziwe nguDavide, ukhokho wakhe.

₃Ngonyaka wokuqala wokubusa kwakhe, ngenyanga yokuqala, wavula iminyango yendlu kaSimakade, wayilungisa. ₄Wangenisa abaphristi nabaLevi, wabaqoqela esigcawini ngasempumalanga, ₅wathi kubo: “Ngilaleleni, nina baLevi. Manje, zingcweliseni, ningcwelise nendlu kaSimakade uNkulunkulu wokhokho benu, nisuse ukungcola endaweni engcwele. ₆Obaba baphambukile, benza okubi phambi kukaSimakade uNkulunkulu wethu, bamshiya, bayifulathela indlu kaSimakade, bamhlubuka. ₇Bavala nezivalo zompheme, bacima izibani, abayishisanga impepho, abanikelanga ngeminikelo yokushiswa endaweni engcwele kuNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. ₈Ngakho-ke intukuthelo kaSimakade yehlele phezu kukaJuda neJerusalema, wabenza into esabekayo, eyesabisayo nenximfelwayo, njengalokhu nibona ngamehlo enu. ₉Bhekani, obaba bawile ngenkemba, amadodana ethu namadodakazi ethu nawomkethu basekuthunjweni ngenxa yalokho. ₁₀Manje kusenhliziyweni yami ukuba ngenze isivumelwano noSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ukuze ulaka lwakhe lusuke kithi. ₁₁Madodana ami, ningabi ngabanganaki, ngokuba nina uSimakade unikhethile ukuba nime phambi kwakhe, nimkhonze, nibe yizikhonzi zakhe, nishise impepho.”

₁₂AbaLevi base besukuma: uMahathi, indodana ka-Amasayi, noJoweli, indodana ka-Azariya, wozalo lwamaKhohathi. Kwabozalo lukaMerari: kwakunguKhishi, indodana ka-Abhidi no-Azariya, indodana kaJahaleli. Kwabozalo lukaGereshoni: kwakunguJowa, indodana kaZima no-Edene, indodana kaJowa. ₁₃Kwabozalo luka-Elizafani: kwakunguShimri noJehiyeli; kwabozalo luka-Asafa: kwakunguZakhariya noMathaniya. ₁₄Kwabozalo lukaHemani: kwakunguJehiyeli noShimeyi; kwabozalo lukaJeduthuni: kwakunguShemaya no-Uziyeli.

₁₅Baqoqa abafowabo, bazingcwelisa, bangena endlini kaSimakade njengesiyalezo senkosi ngamazwi kaSimakade, ukuba bayihlambulule indlu kaSimakade. ₁₆Abaphristi bangena ngaphakathi endlini kaSimakade ukuba bayihlambulule, kwathi konke ukungcola abakuthola ethempelini likaSimakade bakukhiphela egcekeni lendlu kaSimakade. AbaLevi bakuthatha bakukhiphela ngaphandle, bakuyisa emfudlaneni iKidroni. ₁₇Baqala ukungcwelisa indlu kaSimakade ngosuku lokuqala, ngenyanga yokuqala, kwathi ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili kuleyo nyanga, bafinyelela emphemeni kaSimakade. Bayingcwelisa indlu kaSimakade izinsuku eziyisishiyagalombili; kwathi ngosuku lwe-16 lwenyanga yokuqala, bawuphothula wonke umsebenzi.

₁₈Basuka bangena phakathi ukuyokhuluma nenkosi uHezekiya, bathi: “Siyihlambulule yonke indlu kaSimakade, i-althare leminikelo yokushiswa, zonke izinto zayo, netafula lezinkwa zokubukwa. ₁₉Zonke izinto inkosi u-Ahazi eyazilahla ekuphambukeni kwayo isabusa, sizilungisile, sazingcwelisa; bheka, seziphambi kwe-althare likaSimakade.”

₂₀UHezekiya, inkosi, wavuka ekuseni waqoqa izinduna zomuzi, bakhuphukela endlini kaSimakade. ₂₁Baletha izinkunzi eziyisikhombisa, izinqama eziyisikhombisa, amawundlu ayisikhombisa, nezimpongo eziyisikhombisa, kwaba ngumnikelo wokona kombuso, kwendlu engcwele nangoJuda. Wayaleza ukuba abaphristi abangamadodana ka-Aroni banikele ngakho e-althare likaSimakade. ₂₂Bazihlaba izinkunzi, abaphristi bamukela igazi, balifafaza e-althare. Bahlaba izinqama, bafafaza ngegazi lazo e-althare, bahlaba namawundlu, igazi lawo balifafaza e-althare. ₂₃Base besondeza izimpongo zomnikelo wesono phambi kwenkosi nebandla, babeka izandla zabo phezu kwazo; ₂₄abaphristi bazihlaba, benza ngegazi lazo umnikelo wesono e-althare, ukuze benzele wonke u-Israyeli ukubuyisana. Inkosi yayiyalezile ukuba umnikelo wokushiswa nomnikelo wesono ube ngoka-Israyeli wonke.

₂₅Wamisa abaLevi endlini kaSimakade bephethe amasimbali, izingubhu namahabhu njengalokhu uDavide noGadi, umboni wenkosi, noNathani umphrofethi, babeyalezile, ngokuba isiyalezo sasivela kuSimakade ngomlomo wabaphrofethi bakhe. ₂₆AbaLevi bema bephethe izinsimbi zokucula zikaDavide, nabaphristi ababephethe amacilongo.

₂₇UHezekiya wayala ukuba kunikelwe ngomnikelo wokushiswa e-althare. Ngesikhathi kuqalwa ukunikela ngomnikelo wokushiswa, kwaqala nesihlabelelo sikaSimakade, amacilongo nezinye izinsimbi zokubethwa zikaDavide, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli. ₂₈Lonke ibandla lakhuleka, abahlabeleli bahlabelela, abamacilongo bawabetha; konke kwaqhubeka waze waphela umnikelo wokushiswa.

₂₉Kwathi sebeqedile ukunikela, inkosi nabo bonke ababenayo bakhothama, bakhuleka. ₃₀UHezekiya, inkosi, nezikhulu bayala abaLevi ukuba badumise uSimakade ngamazwi kaDavide nangaka-Asafa, umboni. Badumisa ngokuthokoza, bakhothamisa amakhanda abo, bakhuleka.

₃₁UHezekiya wayesethatha ethi: “Senizehlukanisele uSimakade. Sondelani, nilethe imihlatshelo neminikelo yokubonga endlini kaSimakade.”

Ibandla laletha imihlatshelo neminikelo yokubonga; bonke abaqhutshwa yinhliziyo evumayo baletha iminikelo yokushiswa.

₃₂Inani leminikelo yokushiswa elalethwa yibandla laliyizinkunzi ezingama-70, izinqama eziyi-100, namawundlu angama-200. Konke lokho kwaba ngokomnikelo wokushiswa kuSimakade. ₃₃Okungcwelisiwe kwaba yizinkabi ezingama-600, nezimvu eziyizi-3 000. ₃₄Ngenxa yokuthi abaphristi babeyingcosana, babengenakuwumela bodwa umsebenzi wokuhlinza yonke iminikelo yokushiswa, basizwa ngabafowabo, abaLevi, waze waphela umsebenzi, baze abaphristi bazingcwelisa ngokuba abaLevi babelungile ukuba bazingcwelise kunabaphristi. ₃₅Ngaphezu kwenani eliphezulu leminikelo yokushiswa, kwakukhona namanoni eminikelo yokuthula neminikelo yokuphuzwayo yeminikelo yokushiswa. Yavuselelwa kanjalo-ke inkonzo yendlu kaSimakade. ₃₆UHezekiya nabantu bonke bathokoza ngenxa yalokho uNkulunkulu ayebalungiselele khona abantu, ngokuba lokho kwenzeka kungalindelwanga muntu.