UHezekiya uyinkosi kwaJuda. Uvusa inkonzo
1UHezekiya waqala ukubusa eneminyaka engamashumi amabili nanhlanu, wabusa iminyaka engamashumi amabili nesishiyagalolunye eJerusalema; igama likanina lalingu-Abiya indodakazi kaZakariya. 2Wenza okulungile emehlweni kaJehova njengakho konke akwenzileyo uDavide uyise.
3Ngomnyaka wokuqala wokubusa kwakhe ngenyanga yokuqala wavula izivalo zendlu kaJehova, wazilungisa. 4Wangenisa abapristi namaLevi, wababutha esigcawini ngasempumalanga, 5wathi kubo: “Ngizweni nina maLevi; zingcweliseni, niyingcwelise nendlu kaJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise, nikhiphe ukungcola endaweni engcwele. 6Ngokuba oyihlo baphambukile, benza okubi emehlweni kaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu, bamshiya, baphendula ubuso babo endlini kaJehova, bamfulathela. 7Bavala nezivalo zompheme, bacima izibani, abashisanga impepho, abanikelanga ngeminikelo yokushiswa endaweni engcwele kuNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. 8Intukuthelo kaJehova yayisiba phezu kukaJuda neJerusalema, wabanikela baba yisibonelo esibi, nesimangaliso, nento enximfelwayo, njengalokhu nibona ngamehlo enu. 9Bhekani, obaba bawile ngenkemba, amadodana ethu namadodakazi ethu nawomkethu basekuthunjweni ngenxa yalokho. 10Manje sekusenhliziyweni yami ukwenza isivumelwano noJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ukuba ulaka lwakhe oluvuthayo lubuye kithina. 11Madodana ami, ningadebeseli, ngokuba nina uJehova unikhethile ukuba nime phambi kwakhe, nimkhonze, nibe yizikhonzi zakhe, nishise impepho.”
12Kwase kusukuma amaLevi: nguMahathi indodana ka-Amasayi noJoweli indodana ka-Azariya emadodaneni amaKohati; emadodaneni kaMerari: nguKishi indodana ka-Abidi no-Azariya indodana kaJehaleli; kumaGereshoni: nguJowa indodana kaZima no-Edene indodana kaJowa; 13emadodaneni ka-Elisafani: ngoShimri noJehiyeli; emadodaneni ka-Asafa: ngoZakariya noMathaniya; 14emadodaneni kaHemani: ngoJehiyeli noShimeyi; emadodaneni kaJeduthuni: ngoShemaya no-Uziyeli.
15Babutha abafowabo, bazingcwelisa, bangena njengesiyalezo senkosi ngamazwi kaJehova ukuba bayihlambulule indlu kaJehova. 16Abapristi bangena kokuphakathi kwendlu kaJehova ukuba bayihlambulule, nakho konke ukungcola abakufumanisayo ethempelini likaJehova bakukhiphela egcekeni lendlu kaJehova. AmaLevi akuthatha, akukhipha, akuyisa emfudlaneni iKidroni. 17Baqala ukungcwelisa ngolokuqala lwenyanga yokuqala; ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili lwenyanga bafika emphemeni kaJehova, bayingcwelisa indlu kaJehova ngezinsuku eziyisishiyagalombili; ngosuku lweshumi nesithupha lwenyanga yokuqala baqeda.
18Base bengena phakathi kuHezekiya inkosi, bathi: “Sihlambulule yonke indlu kaJehova, ne-altare leminikelo yokushiswa, kanye nazo zonke izinto zayo, netafula lezinkwa zokubukwa. 19Zonke izinto inkosi u-Ahazi eyazilahla ekuphambukeni kwayo isabusa, sizilungisile, sazingcwelisa; bheka, seziphambi kwe-altare likaJehova.”
20UHezekiya inkosi wayesevuka ekuseni, wabutha izinduna zomuzi, wakhuphukela endlini kaJehova. 21Baletha izinkunzi eziyisikhombisa, nezinqama eziyisikhombisa, namawundlu ayisikhombisa, nezimpongo eziyisikhombisa, kube ngumnikelo wokona ngombuso nangendlu engcwele nangoJuda. Wayaleza abapristi, amadodana ka-Aroni, ukuba banikele ngakho e-altare likaJehova. 22Base bezihlaba izinkunzi; abapristi bamukela igazi, bafafaza ngalo i-altare; bazibulala izinqama, bafafaza i-altare ngegazi; bawabulala amawundlu, bafafaza i-altare ngegazi. 23Base besondeza izimpongo ngenxa yomnikelo wesono phambi kwenkosi nebandla; babeka izandla zabo phezu kwazo; 24abapristi bazihlaba, benza umnikelo wesono ngegazi lazo e-altare ukuba benzele u-Israyeli wonke ukubuyisana, ngokuba inkosi yayaleza ukuba umnikelo wokushiswa nomnikelo wesono ube ngoka-Israyeli wonke.
25Wawamisa amaLevi endlini kaJehova ephethe amasimbali,* nezingubhu, namahabu* njengesiyalezo sikaDavide nesikaGadi umboni wenkosi nesikaNathani umprofethi, ngokuba isiyalezo sasingesikaJehova ngesandla sabaprofethi bakhe. 26AmaLevi ayesema ephethe izinto zokubethwa zikaDavide, ekanye nabapristi bephethe amacilongo.
27UHezekiya wayala ukunikela ngomnikelo wokushiswa e-altare. Ngesikhathi sokuqala komnikelo wokushiswa kwaqala nesihlabelelo sikaJehova, namacilongo, kanye nezinto zokubethwa zikaDavide inkosi yakwa-Israyeli. 28Lonke ibandla lakhuleka, abahlabeleli bahlabelela, abamacilongo babetha; konke kwaqhubeka waze waphela umnikelo wokushiswa.
29Sebeqedile ukunikela, inkosi nabo bonke ababe nayo bakhothama, bakhuleka. 30UHezekiya inkosi nezikhulu bawayala amaLevi ukumdumisa uJehova ngamazwi kaDavide nangaka-Asafa umboni. Badumisa ngokuthokoza, bakhothamisa amakhanda abo, bakhuleka.
31Wayesethatha uHezekiya, wathi: “Senizahlukanisele uJehova; sondelani, nilethe imihlatshelo neminikelo yokubonga endlini kaJehova.” Ibandla laletha imihlatshelo neminikelo yokubonga, nabo bonke abaqhutshwa yinhliziyo evumayo baletha iminikelo yokushiswa.
32Inani leminikelo yokushiswa elalethwa yibandla laliyizinkunzi ezingamashumi ayisikhombisa, nezinqama eziyikhulu, namawundlu angamakhulu amabili; konke lokhu kwakungokomnikelo wokushiswa kuJehova. 33Okungcwelisiwe kwakuyizinkabi ezingamakhulu ayisithupha nezimvu eziyizinkulungwane ezintathu. 34Abapristi babe yingcosana nje, babengenakuhlinza yonke iminikelo yokushiswa; abafowabo amaLevi base bebasiza, waze waphela umsebenzi, nabapristi baze bazingcwelisa, ngokuba amaLevi ayelungele ngezinhliziyo kunabapristi ukuba azingcwelise. 35Neminikelo yokushiswa yayiminingi kanye namanoni eminikelo yokuthula neminikelo yokuphuzwa yeminikelo yokushiswa. Yayisihleliwe inkonzo yendlu kaJehova. 36UHezekiya wathokoza kanye nabantu bonke ngenxa yalokho uNkulunkulu ayebalungisele khona abantu, ngokuba leyo nto yavela ingalindelwanga.
