UHezekiya Ulungiselela Umgubho WePhasika
1UHezekiya wathumela ku-Israyeli wonke noJuda, walobela u-Efrayimi noManase izincwadi ukuba beze endlini kaSimakade eJerusalema, ukuba bazogcina iphasika likaSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. 2Inkosi yayelulekene nezikhulu zayo nebandla lonke laseJerusalema ukuba bagcine iphasika ngenyanga yesibili, 3ngokuba babengakwazanga ukulenza ngaleso sikhathi, ngokuba abaphristi babengazingcwelisanga ngokwaneleyo futhi nabantu babengaqoqene eJerusalema. 4Lokho kwakulungile phambi kwenkosi nasebandleni lonke. 5Bakhipha izwi lokuba kuthunyelwe umyalezo ku-Israyeli wonke, kusukela eBheri Sheba kuze kube kwaDani, ukuba beze, bazogcina iphasika likaSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli eJerusalema, ngokuba babengaligcinanga ngobuningi babo ebandleni, njengokuba kulotshiwe.
6Izigijimi zaphuma nezincwadi eziphuma esandleni senkosi nasezikhulwini zayo, zaya kuye wonke u-Israyeli noJuda njengokwesiyalezo senkosi esithi: “Nina bakwa-Israyeli, buyelani kuSimakade uNkulunkulu ka-Abhrahama, noka-Isaka noka-Israyeli ukuze naye abuyele ensalini yenu ephunyuke esandleni samakhosi ase-Asiriya. 7Ningafani nokhokho benu nabafowenu abenza okungalungile kuSimakade uNkulunkulu wokhokho babo, waze wabenza into eyesabisayo, njengalokhu nibona. 8Manje ningabi ngontamolukhuni njengawoyihlomkhulu, kodwa mnikeni uSimakade isandla senu, ningene endaweni yakhe engcwele, ayingcwelisa kuze kube phakade, nimkhonze uSimakade uNkulunkulu wenu ukuze ulaka lwakhe oluvuthayo lusuke kini. 9Uma nibuyela kuSimakade, abafowenu nabantwana benu bayofumana umusa kwababathumbayo babuyele kuleli lizwe, ngoba uSimakade uNkulunkulu wenu ulungile, unomusa; akayukunifulathela, uma nibuyela kuye.”
10Izigijimi zangena kuyo yonke imizi kwa-Efrayimi, kwaManase, nakwaZebuloni, kodwa babezihleka usulu, beziklolodela. 11Kepha abantu bakwa-Asheri, abakwaManase, nabakwaZebuloni bazithoba, beza eJerusalema. 12Isandla sikaNkulunkulu sasikuJuda ukubenza babe nhliziyonye ukuze bagcine isiyalezo senkosi nesezikhulu ngezwi likaSimakade.
Ukugujwa Komkhosi WePhasika
13Abantu abaningi babuthana eJerusalema ukuba bagcine umkhosi wesinkwa esingenamvubelo ngenyanga yesibili; kwakuyibandla elikhulu kakhulu. 14Bawasusa wonke amanye ama-althare ayeseJerusalema, nawo wonke ama-althare empepho bawasusa, bawaphonsa emfudlaneni iKidroni.
15Kwathi ngosuku lwe-14, ngenyanga yesibili, base belihlaba iphasika. Abaphristi nabaLevi babenamahloni, bazingcwelisa, base beletha iminikelo yokushiswa endlini kaSimakade. 16Bema ezindaweni zabo ngokohlelo lwabo, ngokomthetho kaMose, umuntu kaNkulunkulu. Abaphristi bafafaza ngegazi elaliphethwe ngabaLevi ngezandla. 17Ngenxa yokuba babebaningi ebandleni ababengazingcwelisanga, ngakho-ke abaLevi bengamela ukuhlatshwa kwamaphasika abo bonke ababengahlambulukile, ukuze bawangcwelisele uSimakade. 18Ingxenye enkulu yabantu eyayivela kwa-Efrayimi, kwaManase, kwa-Isakhare nakwaZebuloni, yayingazihlambululanga, balidla iphasika ngokungalotshiwe, ngokuba uHezekiya wayebakhulekele, wathi: “USimakade omuhle makathethelele, 19bonke abazinhliziyo zabo bezibhekise ekufuneni uNkulunkulu uSimakade, uNkulunkulu wokhokho babo, nakuba kungenziwanga ngokuhambisana nemithetho yokuhlanjululwa kwendlu engcwele.”
20USimakade wamuzwa uHezekiya, wabaphilisa abantu.
21Abakwa-Israyeli ababekhona eJerusalema bawugubha umkhosi wesinkwa esingenamvubelo izinsuku eziyisikhombisa ngokukhulu ukuthokoza; abaLevi nabaphristi babemdumisa uSimakade imihla ngemihla ngezinto ezikhaliswayo, ezizwakalayo kuSimakade.
22UHezekiya wakhuluma kahle kubo bonke abaLevi ababebonakalisa ukuthi bayayiqonda inkonzo kaSimakade. Badla-ke iminikelo yomkhosi izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, benikela ngemihlatshelo yeminikelo yokuthula, bembonga uSimakade uNkulunkulu wokhokho babo.
23Lonke ibandla lase livumelana ukugubha ezinye izinsuku eziyisikhombisa; bazigubha-ke ezinye izinsuku eziyisikhombisa ngokuthokoza. 24UHezekiya, inkosi yakwaJuda, wayekhiphele ibandla izinkunzi eziyinkulungwane nezimvu eziyizi-7 000 ukuba kube yiminikelo, izikhulu zakhipha izinkunzi eziyinkulungwane nezimvu eziyizi-10 000; abaphristi bazingcwelisa ngobuningi bazo. 25Lonke ibandla lakwaJuda, abaphristi nabaLevi, nalo lonke ibandla elalivela kwa-Israyeli, nabafokazi ababephuma kwa-Israyeli behlala kwaJuda, bathokoza. 26Kwakukhona ukuthokoza okukhulu eJerusalema, ngokuba kusukela ngesikhathi sikaSolomoni, indodana kaDavide, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, akukaze kube khona ukujabula okunjalo eJerusalema. 27Kwase kusukuma abaphristi nabaLevi babusisa abantu; izwi labo lezwakala, nomkhuleko wabo wafika endaweni kaSimakade engcwele, ezulwini.
