I-altare leminikelo yokushiswa. Umkhosi wamadokodo. Isisekelo sethempeli
1Lapho isisondela inyanga yesikhombisa, abantwana bakwa-Israyeli besemizini, abantu babuthana eJerusalema njengomuntu munye. 2Kwase kusuka uJeshuwa indodana kaJosadaki, nabafowabo abapristi, noZerubabele indodana kaSheyalitiyeli, nabafowabo, bakha i-altare likaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ukuba banikele ngeminikelo yokushiswa phezu kwalo njengokulotshiweyo emthethweni kaMose umuntu kaNkulunkulu. 3Balimisa i-altare endaweni yalo, ngokuba babe novalo ngenxa yabantu balawo mazwe, banikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa kuJehova phezu kwalo, yebo, iminikelo yokushiswa ekuseni nakusihlwa. 4Bagcina umkhosi wamadokodo njengokulotshiweyo, banikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa imihla ngemihla ngomumo njengokomthetho nanjengokwesiyalezo sezinsuku ngezinsuku, 5nangasemuva umnikelo oshiswa imihla yonke, neyokwethwasa kwenyanga, neyemikhosi yonke emisiweyo kaJehova eyayingcwelisiwe, neyabo bonke abanikela ngenhliziyo ngeminikelo yesihle kuJehova.
6Ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yesikhombisa baqala ukunikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa kuJehova; kepha isisekelo sethempeli sasingakabekwa. 7Banika nababazi bamatshe imali kanye nababazi bemithi; banika amaSidoni nabaseTire ukudla nokuphuza namafutha ukuba balande imisedari* eLebanoni, bayiyise elwandle eJopha ngemvume kaKoresi inkosi yasePheresiya kubo.
8Ngomnyaka wesibili wokufika kwabo endlini kaNkulunkulu eJerusalema ngenyanga yesibili uZerubabele, indodana kaSheyalitiyeli, noJeshuwa indodana kaJosadaki, nensali yabafowabo abapristi, namaLevi, nabo bonke abafike eJerusalema bevela ekuthunjweni baqala ukumisa amaLevi, kusukela kwabaneminyaka engamashumi amabili kuya phezulu ukuba babonise umsebenzi wendlu kaJehova. 9Base bema uJeshuwa namadodana akhe nabafowabo, noKadimiyeli namadodana akhe, amadodana akwaJuda, njengomuntu munye ukuba babonise izisebenzi endlini kaJehova, kanye namadodana kaHenadadi namadodana awo nabafowabo amaLevi.
10Lapho abakhi sebebeka isisekelo sethempeli likaJehova, bamisa abapristi begqokile benamacilongo kanye namaLevi, amadodana ka-Asafa, enamasimbali* ukuba badumise uJehova njengehlelo likaDavide inkosi yakwa-Israyeli. 11Baphendulana ngokumdumisa nangokumbonga uJehova, bathi: “Ngokuba muhle, ngokuba umusa wakhe umi phakade phezu kuka-Israyeli.” Bonke abantu bakhamuluka ngokukhamuluka okukhulu ekumdumiseni kwabo uJehova, ngokuba isisekelo sendlu kaJehova sase sibekiwe. 12Abaningi babapristi namaLevi, nezinhloko zawoyise, abadala ababeyibonile indlu yokuqala, bakhala ngezwi elikhulu ekubekweni kwesisekelo saleyo ndlu phambi kwamehlo abo; abaningi bakhamuluka ngentokozo, 13ngangokuba abantu babengenakwahlukanisa izwi lokukhamuluka kwentokozo nezwi lokukhala kwabantu, ngokuba abantu bakhamuluka ngokukhamuluka okukhulu, umsindo wezwakala kude.
