UJowashi uyinkosi kwaJuda. Ukulungiswa kwethempeli
1UJowashi wayeneminyaka eyisikhombisa ekuqaleni kwakhe ukubusa; wabusa iminyaka engamashumi amane eJerusalema; igama likanina lalinguSibiya waseBeri Sheba. 2UJowashi wenza okulungile emehlweni kaJehova zonke izinsuku zikaJehoyada umpristi. 3UJehoyada wamthathela abafazi ababili; wazala amadodana namadodakazi.
4Kwathi emva kwalokho kwakusenhliziyweni kaJowashi ukuvusa indlu kaJehova. 5Wabutha abapristi namaLevi, wathi kubo: “Phumani niye emizini yakwaJuda, niqoqe ku-Israyeli wonke imali yokulungisa indlu kaNkulunkulu wenu iminyaka ngeminyaka, niyisheshise le ndaba.” Kepha amaLevi awasheshanga.
6Inkosi yayisibiza uJehoyada inhloko, yathi kuye: “Awubizanga ngani kumaLevi ukuba alethe kwaJuda naseJerusalema intela kaMose inceku kaJehova neyebandla lika-Israyeli, ibe ngeyetende lobufakazi na?”
7Ngokuba amadodana ka-Athaliya, owesifazane lowo omubi, ayeyichithile indlu kaNkulunkulu, nezinto zonke ezingcwele zendlu kaJehova azenza ukuba zibe ngezikaBali.
8Yayisikhuluma inkosi, benza umphongolo, bawubeka ngaphandle ngasesangweni lendlu kaJehova. 9Kwase kumenyezelwa kwaJuda naseJerusalema ukuba balethe kuJehova intela uMose inceku kaNkulunkulu ayibeke phezu kuka-Israyeli ehlane. 10Zonke izikhulu nabo bonke abantu bathokoza, bayiletha, bayiphonsa emphongolweni, baze baqeda. 11Kwathi ngesikhathi umphongolo owayiswa ngaso ezinduneni zenkosi ngesandla samaLevi, nalapho zibona ukuthi imali iningi, umbhali wenkosi nenduna yompristi omkhulu beza, bawuthulula umphongolo, bawuthatha, bawubuyisela endaweni yawo. Benze njalo imihla ngemihla, baqoqa imali eningi. 12Inkosi noJehoyada bayinika abenza umsebenzi wenkonzo endlini kaNkulunkulu, baqasha abakhi nababazi ukuvusa indlu kaJehova, nabasebenza ngensimbi nethusi ukuba baqinise indlu kaJehova.
13Zase zisebenza-ke izisebenzi, zalungisa zaqeda ngezandla zazo, zayimisa indlu kaNkulunkulu ngezilinganiso zayo, zayiqinisa. 14Sebeqedile baletha imali eseleyo phambi kwenkosi noJehoyada, benza ngayo izitsha zendlu kaJehova, izitsha zokukhonzela nezokunikelela, nezinkezo, nezinye izitsha zegolide nezesiliva. Banikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa endlini kaJehova njalo zonke izinsuku zikaJehoyada.
15Kodwa uJehoyada waguga, wafa esanelisiwe yizinsuku; wayeneminyaka eyikhulu namashumi amathathu ekufeni kwakhe. 16Bammbela emzini kaDavide phakathi kwamakhosi, ngokuba wayenze okuhle kwa-Israyeli, nakuNkulunkulu, nasendlini yakhe.
17Emva kokufa kukaJehoyada kwafika izikhulu zakwaJuda, zakhuleka enkosini; khona inkosi yazilalela. 18Bayishiya indlu kaJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise, bakhonza o-Ashera* nezithombe; uJuda neJerusalema kwehlelwa yintukuthelo ngaleli cala labo. 19Kepha wathuma abaprofethi kubo ukuba bababuyisele kuJehova; babaxwayisa, kepha kababekanga ndlebe.
20UMoya kaNkulunkulu wembesa uZakariya indodana kaJehoyada umpristi; wema ngaphezu kwabantu, wathi kubo: “Usho kanje uNkulunkulu, uthi: ‘Neqelani imiyalo kaJehova ukuba ningabi nampumelelo na? Ngokuba nimshiyile uJehova, naye unishiyile nina.’ ”
21Bamenzela ugobe, bamkhanda ngamatshe ngesiyalezo senkosi egcekeni lendlu kaJehova. 22UJowashi, inkosi, akakhumbulanga umusa uJehoyada amenzele wona, wabulala indodana yakhe. Ekufeni kwakhe wathi: “UJehova makakubone lokhu, akuphindisele.”
23Kwathi ngasekupheleni komnyaka impi yase-Aramu yakhuphukela kuye, yafika kwaJuda naseJerusalema, yabhubhisa zonke izikhulu zabantu phakathi kwabantu, yathuma yonke impango yazo enkosini yaseDamaseku. 24Ngokuba impi yase-Aramu yafika neviyo elincane labantu, nokho uJehova wanikela impi enkulu kakhulu esandleni sabo, ngokuba babemshiyile uJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise. Base bemahlulela uJowashi. 25Lapho sebemukile kuye ngokuba bamshiya egula kakhulu izinceku zakhe zamenzela ugobe ngenxa yegazi lamadodana kaJehoyada umpristi, zambulala embhedeni wakhe, wafa; bammbela emzini kaDavide, kodwa abammbelanga emathuneni amakhosi.
26Nampa ababemenzela ugobe: nguZabadi indodana kaShimeyati umAmonikazi noJehozabadi indodana kaShimriti umMowabikazi. 27Ngamadodana akhe, nangobukhulu bemithwalo phezu kwakhe, nangokuvuswa kwendlu kaNkulunkulu, bheka, kulotshiwe esichasiselweni sencwadi yamakhosi. U-Amasiya indodana yakhe waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.
