2 iziKronike 35

₁UJosiya wamenzela uJehova iphasika eJerusalema; balihlaba iphasika ngolweshumi nane lwenyanga yokuqala. ₂Wamisa abapristi ezikhundleni zabo, wabaqinisa emsebenzini wendlu kaJehova. ₃Washo kumaLevi afundisa wonke u-Israyeli, ayengcwele kuJehova, wathi: “Bekani umphongolo ongcwele endlini ayakhayo uSolomoni indodana kaDavide, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli; akusayikubakho mthwalo emahlombe enu; khonzani manje uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu nabantu bakhe u-Israyeli. ₄Zilungiseni ngezindlu zawoyihlo ngezigaba zenu njengokubhala kukaDavide inkosi yakwa-Israyeli nanjengokubhala kukaSolomoni indodana yakhe, ₅nime endaweni engcwele njengamaqembu ezindlu zawoyise babafowenu, abantu besizwe, yilelo nalelo libe nesigaba sendlu kayise yamaLevi. ₆Lihlabeni iphasika, nizingcwelise, nilungisele abafowenu ukuba benze njengezwi likaJehova ngesandla sikaMose.”

₇UJosiya wabanika abantu besizwe bonke ababekhona emihlambini amawundlu namazinyane ezimbuzi, onke abengaweminikelo yephasika, umumo uyizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amathathu nezinkunzi eziyizinkulungwane ezintathu; lokho kwakungokwempahla yenkosi.

₈Izikhulu zakhe zabanika abantu, nabapristi, namaLevi iminikelo yesihle. OHilikiya, noZakariya, noJehiyeli, abaphathi bendlu kaNkulunkulu, babanika abapristi amawundlu ayizinkulungwane ezimbili namakhulu ayisithupha nezinkabi ezingamakhulu amathathu, kube ngokweminikelo yephasika. ₉OKhonaniya, noShemaya, noNethaneli, abafowabo, noHashabiya noJehiyeli, noJozabadi, izinduna zamaLevi, bawanika amaLevi amawundlu ayizinkulungwane eziyisihlanu nezinkabi ezingamakhulu ayisihlanu, kube ngokweminikelo yephasika.

₁₀Yayisilungiswa-ke inkonzo; abapristi bema ezindaweni zabo namaLevi ngezigaba zawo njengesiyalezo senkosi. ₁₁Balihlaba iphasika, abapristi bafafaza ngezandla zabo, amaLevi alihlinza. ₁₂Ayisusa iminikelo yokushiswa ukuba ayabele njengamaqembu ezindlu zawoyise babantu besizwe, ukuze banikele ngayo kuJehova njengokulotshiweyo encwadini kaMose. Enze njalo nakuzo izinkabi. ₁₃Alosa iphasika ngomlilo njengokomthetho, neminikelo engcwele ayosa emakhanzini, nasezocweni, nasemabhodweni, ashesha akuletha kubantu besizwe. ₁₄Ngasemuva azilungiselela wona nabapristi, ngokuba abapristi, amadodana ka-Aroni, babesekunikeleni iminikelo namanoni kwaze kwaba sebusuku; ngalokho amaLevi azilungiselela wona nabapristi, amadodana ka-Aroni.

₁₅Abahlabeleli, amadodana ka-Asafa, babe sendaweni yabo njengokwesiyalezo sikaDavide, no-Asafa, noHemani, noJeduthuni umboni wenkosi; abalindisango babengasesangweni; kwakungadingeki ukuba basuke emsebenzini wabo, ngokuba abafowabo amaLevi babalungisela.

₁₆Yayisilungiswa-ke inkonzo kaJehova ngalusuku lunye ukwenza iphasika nokunikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa e-altare likaJehova njengesiyalezo senkosi uJosiya. ₁₇Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ababekhona balenza iphasika ngaleso sikhathi nomkhosi wesinkwa esingenamvubelo izinsuku eziyisikhombisa. ₁₈Alenziwanga iphasika elinjengalelo kwa-Israyeli kusukela emihleni kaSamuweli umprofethi, nawo onke amakhosi akwa-Israyeli awenzanga iphasika elinjengalelo elenziwa nguJosiya, nabapristi, namaLevi, naye wonke uJuda no-Israyeli owayekhona, kanye nabakhileyo eJerusalema. ₁₉Ngomnyaka weshumi nesishiyagalombili wokubusa kukaJosiya leli phasika lenziwa.

₂₀Emva kwakho konke lokho uJosiya eselilungisile ithempeli, uNekho inkosi yaseGibithe wenyuka ukulwa neKharikemishi ngase-Ewufrathe; uJosiya waphuma ukumhlangabeza. ₂₁Kepha wathuma izithunywa, wathi: “Nginamsebenzi muni nawe nkosi yakwaJuda na? Angiphambene nawe namuhla, kepha ngiphambene nendlu engilwa nayo; uNkulunkulu ungitshelile ukuba ngisheshe; mgweme uNkulunkulu onami ukuba angakuchithi.”

₂₂Kepha uJosiya akaphendukanga kuye, kodwa waziguqula ukuba alwe naye; akalalelanga amazwi kaNekho emlonyeni kaNkulunkulu, weza ukulwa esigodini saseMegido.

₂₃Abacibishelayo bacibishela inkosi; inkosi yathi ezincekwini zayo: “Ngikhipheni, ngokuba ngikhutshaziwe kakhulu.” ₂₄Izinceku zayo zayikhipha enqoleni, zayikhwelisa enqoleni yesibili eyayinayo, zayiyisa eJerusalema; yafa, yembelwa emathuneni awoyise. Wonke uJuda neJerusalema bamlilela uJosiya.

₂₅Naye uJeremiya wamlilela uJosiya; bonke abahlabeleli besilisa nabesifazane bakhuluma ngoJosiya ekulileni kwabo kuze kube namuhla; bakwenza kwaba yisimiso kwa-Israyeli; bheka, kulotshiwe eziLilweni.

₂₆Ezinye izindaba zikaJosiya, nezenzo zakhe ezinhle njengokulotshiweyo emthethweni kaJehova, ₂₇nezindaba zakhe, ezokuqala nezokugcina, bheka, zilotshiwe encwadini yamakhosi akwa-Israyeli nakwaJuda.