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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, nawo-Ashera,* nezithombe ezibaziweyo, nezithombe ezibunjiweyo. ₄Bawadiliza phambi kwakhe ama-altare awoBali; nama-altare empepho ayephezu kwawo wawanquma; waphula o-Ashera,* nezithombe ezibaziweyo, nezithombe ezibunjiweyo, wakucolisisa, wakuvumvuzela phezu kwamathuna ababenikele kukho. ₅Wawashisa amathambo abapristi ema-altare abo, wahlambulula uJuda neJerusalema. ₆Emizini yakwaManase, nakwa-Efrayimi, nakwaSimeyoni kwaze kwaba nakwaNafetali wacinga ezindlini zabo nxazonke. ₇Wawadiliza ama-altare, waphula o-Ashera* nezithombe ezibaziweyo kwaba luthuli, wawanquma onke ama-altare empepho ezweni lonke lakwa-Israyeli, 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 eyayilethwe endlini kaNkulunkulu iqoqwe ngamaLevi, abalindisango, esandleni sakwaManase no-Efrayimi, nakuyo yonke insali yakwa-Israyeli, 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 babe ngoJahati 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.

₁₄Lapho beyikhipha imali eyayilethwe 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 unginike incwadi.” UShafani wafunda kuyo phambi kwenkosi.

₁₉Kwathi lapho inkosi isizwile amazwi omthetho, yaziklebhula izingubo zayo. ₂₀Inkosi yayala oHilikiya, no-Ahikamu indodana kaShafani, no-Abidoni indodana kaMika, noShafani umbhali, no-Asaya inceku yenkosi, yathi: ₂₁“Hambani ningibuzele kuJehova, mina nabaseleyo kwa-Israyeli nakwaJuda ngamazwi encwadi efunyenweyo, ngokuba inkulu intukuthelo kaJehova ethululelwe phezu kwethu, ngokuba obaba abaligcinanga izwi likaJehova ukwenza njengakho konke okulotshiweyo kule ncwadi.”

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 ka-Israyeli, uthi: Tshelani umuntu onithume kimi ukuthi: ₂₄‘Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Bhekani, ngiyakwehlisela okubi phezu kwale ndawo 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 isithululelwe kule ndawo, ayiyikucinywa.’ ₂₆Kepha enkosini yakwaJuda eyanithuma ukubuza kuJehova niyakusho kuyo kanje, nithi: ‘Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Maqondana namazwi owezwileyo, ₂₇ngenxa yokuba inhliziyo yakho yayithambile, wazithoba phambi kukaNkulunkulu ekuzweni kwakho amazwi akhe ngale ndawo 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 kwale ndawo naphezu kwabakhileyo kuyo.’ ” Babuyisela enkosini leli zwi.

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 ayelotshwe kule ncwadi.

₃₂Wenza ukuba bonke abafunyanwa eJerusalema nakwaBenjamini beme kuso. Abakhileyo eJerusalema benza njengesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu wawoyise.

₃₃UJosiya wazisusa zonke izinengiso emazweni onke akwa-Israyeli, wenza ukuba bonke abafunyanwa kwa-Israyeli bakhonze, bamkhonze uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo. Zonke izinsuku zakhe abasukanga ekumlandeleni uJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise.