2 IZikhronike 35

₁UJosiya waligcina iphasika likaSimakade eJerusalema. Balihlaba iphasika ngosuku lwe-14, ngenyanga yokuqala. ₂Wabeka abaphristi ezikhundleni zabo, wabagqugquzela emsebenzini wendlu kaSimakade. ₃Wathi kubaLevi ababefundisa wonke u-Israyeli, futhi ababengcwele kuSimakade: “Bekani umphongolo ongcwele endlini eyakhiwa nguSolomoni, indodana kaDavide, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli. Akuseyukuba bikho mthwalo phezu kwamahlombe enu, manje mkhonzeni uSimakade uNkulunkulu wenu nabantu bakhe, u-Israyeli. ₄Zilungiseni ngokwezindlu zokhokho nangokwezigaba zenu, njengokubhala kukaDavide, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, nanjengokubhala kukaSolomoni, indodana yakhe, ₅nime endaweni engcwele ngokwezigaba zezindlu zokhokho babafowenu, abantu besizwe, kube khona abaLevi kuleso naleso sigaba sendlu yokhokho. ₆Lihlabeni iphasika, nizingcwelise, nilungise abafowenu ukuba benze njengokwezwi likaSimakade njengoba kulobe uMose.”

₇UJosiya wanika abantu besizwe bonke ababekhona, imihlambi yamawundlu namazinyane ezimbuzi, konke kwaba yiminikelo yephasika, sekukonke kwakuyizi-30 000, nezinkunzi eziyizi-3 000 okwakuthathwe empahleni yenkosi.

₈Izikhulu zakhe zanika abantu, abaphristi nabaLevi iminikelo yesihle. UHilikiya, uZakhariya, noJiheyeli abaphathi bendlu kaNkulunkulu banika abaphristi amawundlu ayizi-2 600, nezinkabi ezingama-300, ukuba benze iminikelo yephasika. ₉UKhonaniya, uShemaya, uNethaneli nabafowabo, uHashabhiya, uJehiyeli, noJozabhadi abaholi babaLevi, banika abaLevi amawundlu ayizi-5 000 nezinkabi ezingama-500, kwaba ngokweminikelo yephasika.

₁₀Yalungiswa-ke inkonzo: abaphristi bema ezindaweni zabo, nabaLevi bema ngezigaba zabo njengesiyalezo senkosi. ₁₁Balihlaba iphasika abaphristi ngezandla zabo, bafafaza igazi, abaLevi balihlinza. ₁₂Babeka eceleni iminikelo yokushiswa ukuze yabelwe abantu besizwe ngokwamaqembu nangokwezindlu zokhokho ukuze bakunikele kuSimakade, njengalokhu kulotshwe encwadini kaMose. Benza kanjalo nasezinkabini. ₁₃Balosa iphasika emlilweni njengokomthetho, neminikelo engcwele bayibilisa emabhodweni, ezisefeni nasemapanini, bashesha bayinika bonke abantu besizwe. ₁₄Kamuva bazilungisela bona nabaphristi, ngokuba abaphristi abangamadodana ka-Aroni babelokhu benikela iminikelo namanoni kwaze kwaba sebusuku, yingakho-ke abaLevi bazilungisela bona nabaphristi abangamadodana ka-Aroni.

₁₅Abahlabeleli, amadodana ka-Asafa, babesendaweni yabo njengokomyalo kaDavide, u-Asafa, uHemani noJeduthuni, umboni wenkosi; abalindimasango babengasesangweni; sasingekho isidingo sokuba basuke emsebenzini wabo, ngokuba abafowabo, abaLevi, babebalungisele.

₁₆Ngakho-ke yonke inkonzo kaSimakade yalungiswa ngalolo lusuku ukuba kugcinwe iphasika, kunikelwe ngeminikelo yokushiswa e-althare likaSimakade njengalokhu kwakuyaleze inkosi uJosiya. ₁₇Abakwa-Israyeli ababekhona lapha baligcina iphasika ngaleso sikhathi nomkhosi wesinkwa esingenamvubelo, izinsuku eziyisikhombisa. ₁₈Kwakungakaze kwenziwe iphasika elinjengalelo, kusukela emihleni kaSamuweli, umphrofethi, kwa-Israyeli. Wonke amakhosi akwa-Israyeli ayengakaze aligcine iphasika elinjengalelo elenziwa nguJosiya, nabaphristi, abaLevi, uJuda wonke, no-Israyeli wonke bendawonye, nazo zonke izakhamuzi zaseJerusalema. ₁₉Leli phasika lagcinwa ngonyaka we-18 wokubusa kukaJosiya.

₂₀Sekwedlule konke lokhu, uJosiya eselilungisile ithempeli, kwakhuphuka uNekho, inkosi yaseGibhithe, ukuba ayokulwa neKharikhemishi ngaseYufrathe; uJosiya waphuma ukuyomhlangabeza. ₂₁Kepha wathumela izithunywa kuJosiya, wathi: “Nginandabani nawe nkosi yakwaJuda na? Angize khona ukuba ngizokulwa nawe, kepha ngixabene nendlu engilwa nayo. UNkulunkulu ungitshele ukuba ngisheshe, mgweme uNkulunkulu onami ukuze angakubhubhisi.”

₂₂Kepha uJosiya akaphendukanga, kunalokho wazifihla ukuze alwe naye, akawalalelanga amazwi kaNekho ayevela emlonyeni kaNkulunkulu, wahamba wayokulwa esigodini saseMegido.

₂₃Abacibayo bayinemba inkosi, inkosi yathi ezincekwini zayo: “Ngikhipheni ngokuba ngilimele kakhulu.”

₂₄Izinceku zayo zayikhipha enqoleni, zayigibelisa enqoleni yayo yesibili, zayiyisa eJerusalema. Yakhothama, yangcwatshwa emadlinzeni okhokho bayo. UJuda wonke neJerusalema bamlilela uJosiya.

₂₅UJeremiya wamlilela uJosiya. Bonke abahlabeleli besilisa nabesifazane bayakhuluma ngoJosiya ekulileni kwabo kuze kube namuhla. Bakwenza kwaba yisimiso kwa-Israyeli; bheka, kulotshiwe ezililweni.

₂₆Ezinye izindaba zikaJosiya, izenzo zakhe ezilungileyo njengokulotshiweyo emthethweni kaSimakade, ₂₇izindaba zakhe, ezakuqala nezokugcina; bheka, zilotshiwe encwadini yamakhosi akwa-Israyeli nakwaJuda.