Isivuselelo sikaJosiya
1Inkosi yathumela, babuthela kuyo onke amalunga akwaJuda nawaseJerusalema. 2Inkosi yenyukela endlini kaJehova, bonke abantu bakwaJuda nabo bonke abakhileyo eJerusalema benayo, kanye nabapristi nabaprofethi, yebo, abantu bonke, abancane nabakhulu, yafunda ezindlebeni zabo onke amazwi encwadi yesivumelwano ebifunyenwe endlini kaJehova. 3Inkosi yema ngasensikeni, yenza isivumelwano phambi kukaJehova ukumlandela uJehova nokugcina imiyalo yakhe, nobufakazi bakhe, nezimiso zakhe ngenhliziyo yonke nangomphefumulo wonke ukuqinisa amazwi alesi sivumelwano alotshwe kule ncwadi; bonke abantu basivuma isivumelwano.
4Inkosi yayisiyala uHilikiya umpristi omkhulu, nabapristi besigaba sesibili, nabalindimnyango ukukhipha ethempelini likaJehova zonke izinto ezazenzelwe oBali, no-Ashera,* nebandla lonke lasezulwini, yazishisa ngaphandle kweJerusalema emasimini aseKidroni, yayisa umlotha wazo eBethele. 5Yabasusa abapristi bezithombe amakhosi akwaJuda abamisele ukushisa impepho ezindaweni eziphakemeyo emizini yakwaJuda nanxazonke zeJerusalema, kanye nabashisa impepho kuBali nakulo ilanga nenyanga nezinkanyezi nalo lonke ibandla lasezulwini. 6Yakhipha u-Ashera* endlini kaJehova, yamkhiphela phandle kweJerusalema, yamyisa ngasemfudlaneni iKidroni, yamshisa ngasemfudlaneni iKidroni, yamcolisisa waba yincushuncushu, yayiphonsa incushuncushu yakhe emathuneni abantu nje. 7Yadiliza izindlu zezifebe zethempeli ezazisendlini kaJehova, lapho abesifazane bemelukela khona u-Ashera* amatende.
8Yakhipha bonke abapristi emizini yakwaJuda, yangcolisa izindawo eziphakemeyo, lapho abapristi bebeshise khona impepho, kusukela eGeba kuze kube seBeri Sheba; yadiliza izindawo eziphakemeyo zasemasangweni asesikhaleni sesango likaJoshuwa umphathimuzi, ezazingakwesokhohlo somuntu ngasesangweni lomuzi. 9Kodwa abapristi basezindaweni eziphakemeyo babengenyukeli e-altare likaJehova eJerusalema, kepha badla isinkwa esingenamvubelo phakathi kwabafowabo.
10Yangcolisa iThofeti elisesigodini sabantwana bakwaHinomu ukuba kungabikho muntu odabulisa indodana yakhe noma indodakazi yakhe emlilweni kuMoloki. 11Yasusa namahhashi amakhosi akwaJuda anikele ngawo kulo ilanga ngasendleleni yokungena endlini kaJehova ngasekamelweni likaNathani Meleki induna yasePariwarimi, yashisa izinqola zelanga ngomlilo.
12Ama-altare ayesophahleni lwekamelo eliphezulu lika-Ahazi, elenziwe ngamakhosi akwaJuda, nama-altare enziwe nguManase emagcekeni omabili endlu kaJehova inkosi yawadiliza, yasuka yagijima, yalahla uthuli emfudlaneni iKidroni. 13Izindawo eziphakemeyo ezaziphambi kweJerusalema, ngakwesokunene kweNtaba Yokonakala, uSolomoni inkosi yakwa-Israyeli ayezakhele u-Ashitaroti isinengiso samaSidoni, noKemoshi isinengiso sakwaMowabi, noMilkomu isinengiso sabantwana bakwa-Amoni, inkosi yazingcolisa. 14Yaphahlaza izinsika, yanquma o-Ashera,* yagcwalisa izindawo zabo ngamathambo abantu.
15I-altare elaliseBethele, nendawo ephakemeyo eyenziwe nguJerobowamu indodana kaNebati owonisa u-Israyeli, nalelo altare kanye nendawo ephakemeyo yakudiliza, yayishisa indawo ephakemeyo, yayicolisisa yaba yincushuncushu, yashisa no-Ashera.* 16UJosiya waphenduka, wabona amathuna ayelapho entabeni; wathumela wakhipha amathambo emathuneni, wawashisa e-altare, walingcolisa njengezwi likaJehova alimemeza lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu owamemezela lezi zinto.
17Wayesethi: “Yitshe lini leli engilibonayo na?”
Abantu bomuzi bamtshela bathi: “Yithuna lalowo muntu kaNkulunkulu owavela kwaJuda, wamemezela lezi zindaba osuzenzile nge-altare laseBethele.”
18Wathi: “Myekeni; mawanganyakaziswa muntu amathambo akhe.” Base beyeka amathambo akhe kanye namathambo alowo mprofethi owavela eSamariya.
19Nazo zonke izindlu zezindawo eziphakemeyo ezazisemizini yaseSamariya, ezenziwa ngamakhosi akwa-Israyeli acunula ngazo, uJosiya wazisusa, wenza kuzona njengazo zonke izenzo azenzileyo eBethele. 20Wabulala ema-altare bonke abapristi basezindaweni eziphakemeyo ababe lapho, washisa amathambo abantu phezu kwawo, wabuyela eJerusalema.
21Inkosi yayisiyala bonke abantu ngokuthi: “Yenzelani uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu iphasika njengokulotshiwe kule ncwadi yesivumelwano.” 22Ngokuba iphasika elinjalo lalingagcinwanga kusukela emihleni yabahluleli abahlulela u-Israyeli, nasemihleni yonke yamakhosi akwa-Israyeli, nakweyakwaJuda. 23Kepha ngomnyaka weshumi nesishiyagalombili wenkosi uJosiya leli phasika lenzelwa uJehova eJerusalema.
24Futhi abanamadlozi, nabathakathi, namatherafi,* nezithombe, nazo zonke izinengiso ezazibonwa ezweni lakwaJuda naseJerusalema uJosiya wakuqeda ukuba afeze amazwi omthetho alotshwe encwadini uHilikiya umpristi ayifumanayo endlini kaJehova. 25Kwakungekho nkosi phambi kwakhe eyaphendukela kuJehova ngayo yonke inhliziyo yayo nangawo onke amandla ayo njengawo wonke umthetho kaMose, nangasemva kwakhe akuvelanga enjengaye.
26Nokho uJehova akabuyanga ekuvutheni kwentukuthelo yakhe enkulu, intukuthelo yakhe eyavuthela ngakho uJuda, ngenxa yakho konke ukucunula uManase ayemcunule ngakho. 27UJehova wathi: “Naye uJuda ngiyakumsusa ebusweni bami, njengalokho ngisuse u-Israyeli, ngiwulahle lo muzi engawukhethayo, nendlu engasho ngayo ukuthi igama lami liyakuba khona lapho.”
28Ezinye izindaba zikaJosiya nakho konke akwenzayo angithi kulotshiwe encwadini yezindaba zemihla ngemihla yamakhosi akwaJuda na?
Ukufa kukaJosiya
29Emihleni yakhe uFaro Nekho inkosi yaseGibithe wenyukela enkosini yase-Asiriya ngasemfuleni u-Ewufrathe; inkosi uJosiya yaya ukuhlangabezana naye; wayibulala eMegido, isanele ukumbona nje. 30Izinceku zayo zayisusa ngenqola eMegido ifile, zayiyisa eJerusalema, zayimbela ethumeni layo. Abantu bezwe bamthatha uJehowahazi indodana kaJosiya, bamgcoba, bambeka inkosi esikhundleni sikayise.
OJehowahazi noJehoyakimi bangamakhosi kwaJuda
31UJehowahazi wayeneminyaka engamashumi amabili nantathu ekuqaleni kwakhe ukubusa, wabusa izinyanga ezintathu eJerusalema; igama likanina lalinguHamuthali, indodakazi kaJeremiya waseLibina. 32Wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova njengakho konke abakwenzileyo oyise. 33UFaro Nekho wambopha eRibila ezweni laseHamati ukuba angabe esabusa eJerusalema, wathelisa izwe amatalenta* ayikhulu esiliva netalenta legolide. 34UFaro Nekho wambeka u-Eliyakimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi esikhundleni sikaJosiya uyise, waguqula igama lakhe laba nguJehoyakimi, kepha wamsusa uJehowahazi, waze waya eGibithe, wafela khona.