Bible Reading Plan – Day 175

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.

₁Emva kwalezo zinto naleso sibonelo sokuthembeka kwafika uSaneheribi inkosi yase-Asiriya, wangena kwaJuda, wamisa malungana nemizi ebiyelweyo, wathi uyakuzifohlela yona. ₂Lapho uHezekiya esebona ukuthi uSaneheribi ufikile nokuthi uqonda ukulwa neJerusalema, ₃welulekana nezikhulu zakhe namaqhawe akhe ukuba bavimbe amanzi emithombo eyayingaphandle komuzi; bamsiza. ₄Kwabuthana abantu abaningi, bavimba yonke imithombo, nomfudlana owawugobhoza phakathi nezwe, bathi: “Kungangani ukuba kufike amakhosi ase-Asiriya, afumane amanzi amaningi, na?” ₅Waziqinisa, wakha lonke ugange olwaludiliziwe, wabeka imibhoshongo phezu kwalo, nolunye ugange ngaphandle, waqinisa iMilo emzini kaDavide, wenza izikhali nezihlangu eziningi.

₆Wabeka izinduna zempi phezu kwabantu, wazibuthela bona esigcawini ngasesangweni lomuzi, wakhuluma kahle kubo, wathi: ₇“Qinani, nime isibindi, ningesabi, ningapheli amandla ngenkosi yase-Asiriya nangesixuku sonke esinayo, ngokuba onathi mkhulu kunonaye; ₈okunaye yingalo yenyama; okunathi nguJehova uNkulunkulu wethu ukuba asisize, alwe izimpi zethu.” Abantu bencika emazwini kaHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda.

₉Emva kwalokho uSaneheribi inkosi yase-Asiriya wathuma izinceku zakhe eJerusalema wayephambi kweLakishi nabo bonke ababusi benaye kuHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda nakuye wonke uJuda waseJerusalema, wathi:

₁₀“Usho kanje uSaneheribi, inkosi yase-Asiriya, uthi: Nethembani nina, njengokuba nihlala nivinjezelwe eJerusalema, na? ₁₁UHezekiya akaniyengi yini ukuba aninikele, nife ngendlala nangokoma, ethi: ‘UJehova uNkulunkulu wethu uyakusophula esandleni senkosi yase-Asiriya,’ na? ₁₂Yena lowo Hezekiya akasusanga yini izindawo eziphakemeyo nama-altare akhe, wayala uJuda neJerusalema, wathi: ‘Niyakukhuleka phambi kwe-altare linye, nishise impepho,’ na?

₁₃“Anazi yini ukuthi mina nawobaba senzeni kubo bonke abezizwe na? Onkulunkulu babezizwe babe namandla yini nakanjani okophula izwe labo esandleni sami na? ₁₄Ngubani phakathi kwabo bonke onkulunkulu balezo zizwe ezachithwa ngobaba owayenamandla okophula abantu bakhe esandleni sami, ukuze uNkulunkulu wenu anophule nina esandleni sami, na? ₁₅Ngalokho uHezekiya makanganikhohlisi, anganiyengi ngale ndlela, ningakholwa nguye, ngokuba kwakungekho nkulunkulu nakusiphi isizwe noma kumuphi umbuso owayenamandla okophula abantu bakhe esandleni sami nasesandleni sawobaba; kakhulu kangakanani anganophula esandleni sami uNkulunkulu wenu na?”

₁₆Izinceku zakhe zazikhuluma nokunye okuphambene noJehova uNkulunkulu nenceku yakhe uHezekiya. ₁₇Wayelobe nencwadi yokumhlambalaza uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, wakhuluma okuphambene naye, wathi: “Njengalokho onkulunkulu babezizwe bengabophulanga abantu babo esandleni sami, kanjalo uNkulunkulu kaHezekiya akayikubophula abantu bakhe esandleni sami.” ₁₈Bamemeza ngezwi elikhulu ngolimi lwabaJuda kubantu baseJerusalema ababe sogangeni ukuba babethuse, babesabise, ukuze bawuthathe umuzi. ₁₉Bakhuluma ngoNkulunkulu waseJerusalema njengangawonkulunkulu babantu bomhlaba abangumsebenzi wezandla zabantu.

₂₀UHezekiya inkosi no-Isaya umprofethi, indodana ka-Amose, bakhuleka ngenxa yalokho, bakhala ngasezulwini. ₂₁UJehova wathuma ingelosi eyanquma onke amaqhawe anamandla, nabaholi, nezinduna ekamu* lenkosi yase-Asiriya. Yayisibuyela ezweni layo ijabhile. Isingenile endlini kankulunkulu wayo, ababephume ezibilinini zayo bayibulala khona ngenkemba.

₂₂UJehova wasindisa-ke uHezekiya nabakhileyo eJerusalema esandleni sikaSaneheribi inkosi yase-Asiriya nasesandleni sabo bonke abanye, wabahola nxazonke. ₂₃Abaningi baletha izipho kuJehova eJerusalema namagugu kuHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda, waze waphakanyiswa emehlweni abo bonke abezizwe ngasemuva.

₂₄Ngalezo zinsuku uHezekiya wagula waze waba sengozini yokufa; wakhuleka kuJehova; yena wakhuluma kuye, wamnika isibonakaliso. ₂₅Kepha uHezekiya akabuyiselanga okuhle okwenzelwe yena, ngokuba inhliziyo yakhe yayikhukhumele; ngalokho kwaba khona ulaka phezu kwakhe, naphezu kukaJuda, naphezu kweJerusalema. ₂₆Kepha lapho uHezekiya esezithoba ekukhukhumaleni kwenhliziyo yakhe, yena nabakhileyo eJerusalema, ulaka lukaJehova alubehlelanga emihleni kaHezekiya.

₂₇UHezekiya wayenengcebo nodumo oluningi kakhulu, wazenzela izindlu zesiliva, nezegolide, nezamatshe angamagugu, nezamakha, nezezihlangu, nezezinto zonke ezinxanelekayo, ₂₈nezinqolobane zezithelo zamabele nezewayini nezamafutha, nezibaya zezinhlobo zonke zezilwane, nezindawo zezimvu. ₂₉Wazenzela nemizi, nemfuyo yezimvu, nezinkomo eziningi, ngokuba uNkulunkulu wayemnike impahla eningi kakhulu.

₃₀Yena lowo Hezekiya wavimbezela umthombo wasenhla wamanzi aseGihoni, wawaqondisa ngasentshonalanga komuzi kaDavide. UHezekiya waphumelela emisebenzini yakhe yonke. ₃₁Kanjalo namaqondana nezithunywa zezikhulu zaseBabele ezathumela kuye ukubuza ngesibonakaliso esenziwa ezweni uNkulunkulu wamshiya ukumvivinya nje ukuba azi konke okusenhliziyweni yakhe.

₃₂Ezinye izindaba zikaHezekiya nezenzo zakhe ezinhle, bheka, zilotshiwe embonweni ka-Isaya umprofethi, indodana ka-Amose, encwadini yamakhosi akwaJuda nakwa-Israyeli. ₃₃UHezekiya wayeselala koyise; bammbela emmangweni wamathuna amadodana kaDavide; wonke uJuda nabakhileyo eJerusalema bamenzela udumo ekufeni kwakhe. UManase indodana yakhe waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.