UJosiya uyinkosi kwaJuda. Isivuselelo sakhe
1UJosiya wayeneminyaka eyisishiyagalombili ekuqaleni kwakhe ukubusa, wabusa iminyaka engamashumi amathathu nanye eJerusalema.
2Wenza okulungile emehlweni kaJehova, wahamba ngezindlela zikaDavide uyise, kachezukelanga ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo.
3Ngomnyaka wesishiyagalombili wokubusa kwakhe esengumfana waqala ukufuna uNkulunkulu kaDavide uyise; ngomnyaka weshumi nambili waqala ukuhlambulula uJuda neJerusalema, wasusa izindawo eziphakemeyo, nawoAshera*, nezithombe ezibaziweyo, nezithombe ezibunjiweyo.
4Bawadiliza phambi kwakhe ama-altare awoBali; nama-altare empepho ayephezu kwawo wawanquma; waphula oAshera*, nezithombe ezibaziweyo, nezithombe ezibunjiweyo, wakucolisisa, wakuvumvuzela phezu kwamathuna ababenikele kukho.
5Wawashisa amathambo abapristi ema-altare abo, wahlambulula uJuda neJerusalema.
6Emizini yakwaManase, nakwaEfrayimi, nakwaSimeyoni kwaze kwaba-nakwaNafetali wacinga ezindlini zabo nxazonke.
7Wawadiliza ama-altare, waphula oAshera* nezithombe ezibaziweyo kwabaluthuli, wawanquma onke ama-altare empepho ezweni lonke lakwaIsrayeli, wabuyela eJerusalema.
8Ngomnyaka weshumi nesishiyagalombili wokubusa kwakhe esehlambululile izwe nendlu, wathuma uShafani indodana ka-Asaliya, noMahaseya umbusi womuzi, noJowa indodana kaJowahazi umabhalana ukuba bayilungise indlu kaJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe.
9Bafika kuHilikiya umpristi omkhulu, bayinikeza imali eyayilethwé endlini kaNkulunkulu iqoqwé ngamaLevi, abalindisango, esandleni sakwaManase noEfrayimi, nakuyo yonke insali yakwaIsrayeli, nakuye wonke uJuda noBenjamini, nakwabakhileyo eJerusalema;
10bayinikeza ezandleni zababewenza umsebenzi ababeyiphethe indlu kaJehova; bona bayinika ababesebenza umsebenzi wasendlini kaJehova ukuba bayilungise, bayiqinise indlu;
11bayinika nababazi nabakhi ukuba bathenge amatshe abaziweyo nemithi yokuhlanganisa, benze imishayo yezindlu amakhosi akwaJuda abezichithile.
12Amadoda enza umsebenzi wawo ngokuthembeka; ababonisi phezu kwabo babengoJahati no-Obadiya amaLevi emadodaneni akwaMerari, noZakariya noMeshulamu emadodaneni amaKohati, ukuba babahole, kanye namaLevi onke ayeqonda izinto zokubethwa.
13Ayephezu kwabathwala imithwalo, ahola bonke abenza umsebenzi wezinkonzo ngezinkonzo; kumaLevi kwakukhona nababhali, nezinduna, nabalindisango.
Incwadi yomthetho kaNkulunkulu
14Lapho beyikhipha imali eyayilethwé endlini kaJehova, uHilikiya umpristi wafumana incwadi yomthetho kaJehova eyalotshwa ngesandla sikaMose.
15UHilikiya wathatha wathi kuShafani umbhali: Ngifumene incwadi yomthetho endlini kaJehova. UHilikiya wayinika uShafani incwadi.
16UShafani wayiyisa incwadi enkosini, waletha nombiko wokuthi: Konke okwanikelwa ezandleni zezinceku zakho ziyakwenza.
17Ziyithululile imali eyafunyanwa endlini kaJehova, zayinikeza ezandleni zababonisi nasezandleni zezisebenzi.
18UShafani umbhali wayitshela inkosi, wathi: UHilikiya umpristi unginiké incwadi. UShafani wafunda kuyo phambi kwenkosi.
19Kwathi lapho inkosi isizwile amazwi omthetho, yaziklebhula izingubo zayo.
20Inkosi yayala oHilikiya, noAhikamu indodana kaShafani, noAbidoni indodana kaMika, noShafani umbhali, noAsaya inceku yenkosi, yathi:
21Hambani ningibuzele kuJehova, mina nabaseleyo kwaIsrayeli nakwaJuda ngamazwi encwadi efunyenweyo, ngokuba inkulu intukuthelo kaJehova ethululelwe phezu kwethu, ngokuba obaba abaligcinanga izwi likaJehova ukwenza njengakho konke okulotshiweyo kulencwadi.
Umprofethikazi uHulida
22Wayesehamba uHilikiya nabanye benkosi, baya kuHulida umprofethikazi, umkaShalumi indodana kaThokathi kaHasira, umgcinizingubo — wahlala eJerusalema enxenyeni yesibili — bakhuluma kuye ngokunjalo.
23Wathi kubo: Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, uthi: Tshelani umuntu onithumé kimi ukuthi:
24Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Bhekani, ngiyakwehlisela okubi phezu kwalendawo naphezu kwabakhileyo kuyo, zonke iziqalekiso ezilotshiweyo encwadini abayifundileyo phambi kwenkosi yakwaJuda,
25ngokuba bangishiyile, bashisela abanye onkulunkulu impepho baze bangicunula ngayo yonke imisebenzi yezandla zabo; intukuthelo yami isithululewe kulendawo, ayiyikucinywa.
26Kepha enkosini yakwaJuda eyanithuma ukubuza kuJehova niyakusho kuyo kanje, nithi: Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, uthi: Maqondana namazwi owezwileyo,
27ngenxa yokuba inhliziyo yakho yayithambile, wazithoba phambi kukaNkulunkulu ekuzweni kwakho amazwi akhe ngalendawo nangabakhileyo kuyo, yebo, wazithoba phambi kwami, waziklebhula izingubo zakho, wakhala phambi kwami, mina ngikuzwile, usho uJehova.
28Bheka, ngiyakukubuthela koyihlo, ubuthelwe ethuneni lakho ngokuthula, angaboni amehlo akho konke okubi engiyakukwehlisela phezu kwalendawo naphezu kwabakhileyo kuyo. Babuyisela enkosini lelizwi.
29Inkosi yayisithumela, yabutha onke amalunga akwaJuda naseJerusalema.
30Inkosi yakhuphukela endlini kaJehova kanye nabo bonke abantu bakwaJuda nabakhileyo eJerusalema, nabapristi, namaLevi, nabantu bonke, abakhulu nabancane, wafunda ezindlebeni zabo onke amazwi encwadi yesivumelwano ebifunyenwe endlini kaJehova.
31Inkosi yema endaweni yayo, yenza isivumelwano phambi kukaJehova ukumlandela uJehova nokugcina imiyalo yakhe, nobufakazi bakhe, nezimiso zakhe ngayo yonke inhliziyo yayo nangawo wonke umphefumulo wayo ukuba iwenze amazwi esivumelwano ayelotshwé kulencwadi.
32Wenza ukuba bonke abafunyanwa eJerusalema nakwaBenjamini beme kuso. Abakhileyo eJerusalema benza njengesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu wawoyise.
33UJosiya wazisusa zonke izinengiso emazweni onke akwaIsrayeli, wenza ukuba bonke abafunyanwa kwaIsrayeli bakhonze, bamkhonze uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo. Zonke izinsuku zakhe abasukanga ekumlandeleni uJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise.
