Ukondliwa kwabapristi namaLevi
1Sekuphelile konke lokho, u-Israyeli wonke owayekhona waphuma waya emizini yakwaJuda, waphula izinsika, wagawula o-Ashera,* wadiliza izindawo eziphakemeyo nama-altare kwaJuda wonke, nakwaBenjamini, nakwa-Efrayimi, nakwaManase, waze waqeda konke. Base bebuyela bonke abantwana bakwa-Israyeli, kwaba yilowo nalowo efeni lakhe, emizini yakubo.
2UHezekiya wamisa izigaba zabapristi nezamaLevi ngezigaba zabo, kwaba yilowo nalowo njengenkonzo yakhe, abapristi namaLevi beminikelo yokushiswa neminikelo yokuthula, ukuba bakhonze, babonge, badumise emasangweni ekamu* likaJehova, 3nesabelo senkosi emfuyweni yayo ukuba sibe ngeseminikelo yokushiswa, eseminikelo yokushiswa yasekuseni neyakusihlwa, neseminikelo yokushiswa yamasabatha, neyokwethwasa kwenyanga, neyemikhosi emisiweyo njengokulotshiweyo emthethweni kaJehova. 4Washo kubantu abakhileyo eJerusalema ukuba banike abapristi namaLevi izabelo, ukuze babambelele emthethweni kaJehova. 5Lanele ukusakazeka nje leli zwi, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli banikela kakhulu ngolibo lwamabele, nolwewayini, nolwamafutha, nolwezinyosi, nakuzo zonke izithelo zamasimu, baletha kakhulu okweshumi kwakho konke. 6Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli nabakwaJuda ababehlala emizini yakwaJuda baletha nabo okweshumi kwezinkabi nezimvu nokweshumi kwezinto ezingcwele ezazingcweliselwe uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo, bakubeka izinqwaba ngezinqwaba. 7Ngenyanga yesithathu baqala ukubeka izisekelo zezinqwaba, ngenyanga yesikhombisa baziqeda. 8Lapho uHezekiya nezikhulu beza ukuzibona izinqwaba, bambonga uJehova nabantu bakhe u-Israyeli.
9UHezekiya wababuza abapristi namaLevi ngezinqwaba. 10U-Azariya umpristi omkhulu wendlu kaSadoki wathi: “Kusukela ekuqaleni kokulethwa kweminikelo endlini kaJehova sidlile sasutha, sashiya okuningi, ngokuba uJehova ubusisile abantu bakhe; okuseleyo yile ngcebo.”
11Wayesesho uHezekiya ukuba kulungiswe amakamelo endlini kaJehova; bawalungisa-ke. 12Base bengenisa iminikelo, nokweshumi, nezinto ezingcwele ngokuthembeka; uKhonaniya, umLevi, waba ngumphathi walokho; uShimeyi umfowabo waba ngowesibili. 13OJehiyeli, no-Azaziya, noNahati, no-Asaheli, noJerimoti, noJozabadi, no-Eleyeli, noJisimakiya, noMahati, noBenaya babe ngababonisi phansi kwesandla sikaKhonaniya noShimeyi umfowabo ngesiyalezo sikaHezekiya inkosi no-Azariya umphathi wendlu kaNkulunkulu.
14UKore, indodana kaJimna umLevi, umlindisango wasesangweni lasempumalanga, wayephethe iminikelo yesihle kaNkulunkulu ukuba abele iminikelo kaJehova nezinto ezingcwele. 15Phansi kwakhe kwakungo-Edene, noMiniyamini, noJeshuwa, noShemaya, no-Amariya, noShekaniya emizini yabapristi ezikhundleni zabo ukuba babele abafowabo ngezigaba zabo abakhulu njengabancane, 16ngaphandle kwabesilisa ababhaliweyo ngezizukulwane zabo, kusukela kwabaneminyaka emithathu kuya phezulu, bonke ababengena endlini kaJehova ngendaba yomsebenzi wabo wemihla ngemihla ngezimfanelo zabo nezigaba zabo; 17abapristi babhalwa ngezindlu zawoyise, namaLevi abhalwa kusukela kwaneminyaka engamashumi amabili kuya phezulu ngezimfanelo zawo nezigaba zawo. 18Babhalwa ngezizukulwane kanye nezingane zabo, nawomkabo, namadodana abo, namadodakazi abo, isixuku sonke, ngokuba bazingcwelisa ngobungcwele ezikhundleni zabo.
19Namadodana ka-Aroni, abapristi ababe semasimini amadlelo emizi yabo, imizi ngemizi, ayenamadoda abizwa ngegama ukuba anike bonke abesilisa babapristi nawo onke amaLevi abhaliweyo ngezizukulwane izabelo.
20Wenze njalo uHezekiya kwaJuda wonke; wenza okuhle nokulungile nokuthembekile phambi kukaJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe. 21Emisebenzini yonke ayiqalayo enkonzweni yendlu kaNkulunkulu, nasemthethweni, nasemiyalweni, ukuba afune uNkulunkulu wakhe, wakwenza ngayo yonke inhliziyo yakhe, waphumelela.
