2 Imilando 29
1 UHezekhiya wayeleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lemihlanu ubudala ethatha ubukhosi, njalo wabusa eJerusalema okweminyaka engamatshumi amabili lasificamunwemunye. Ibizo likanina lalingu-Abhija indodakazi kaZakhariya.
Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.
2 Wenza okulungileyo phambi kukaThixo, njengalokho okwakwenziwe nguyise uDavida.
He did that which was right in the LORD’s eyes, according to all that David his father had done.
3 Ngenyanga yakuqala ngomnyaka wakuqala wokubusa kwakhe, wavula iminyango yethempeli likaThixo wayilungisa.
In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the LORD’s house and repaired them.
4 Wamema abaphristi kanye labaLevi, wababuthanisa egumeni eliseceleni langempumalanga
He brought in the priests and the Levites and gathered them together into the wide place on the east,
5 wathi: “Lalelani kimi, lina baLevi! Zihlambululeni khathesi njalo lihlambulule lethempeli likaThixo, uNkulunkulu waboyihlo. Lisuse amanyala endaweni engcwele.
and said to them, “Listen to me, you Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers, and carry the filthiness out of the holy place.
6 Obaba babengathembekanga; benza okubi emehlweni kaThixo uNkulunkulu wethu bamdela. Indawo kaThixo bayincitsha ubuso bakhangela eceleni njalo bamfulathela uThixo.
For our fathers were unfaithful, and have done that which was evil in the LORD our God’s sight, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned their backs.
7 Bavala njalo izivalo zomphempe bacitsha izibane. Abazange batshise impepha njalo kabalethanga iminikelo yokutshiswa endaweni engcwele kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.
Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel.
8 Ngakho ulaka lukaThixo selwehlele phezu kwabakoJuda laphezu kwabaseJerusalema; uThixo usebenze besabeka, bathuthumelisa baba yinto yokweyiswa, njengoba lizibonela ngawenu amehlo.
Therefore the LORD’s wrath was on Judah and Jerusalem, and he has delivered them to be tossed back and forth, to be an astonishment and a hissing, as you see with your eyes.
9 Lokhu sekubangele ukubulawa kwabo ngenkemba njalo lokuthi amadodana lamadodakazi labomkethu babe sekuthunjweni.
For behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.
10 Khathesi ngifuna ukwenza isivumelwano loThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ukuze ulaka lwakhe oluvuthayo lusidedele.
Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, that his fierce anger may turn away from us.
11 Madodana ami, kalingabi ngabangananziyo ngoba uThixo uselikhethile lina ukuma phambi kwakhe limkhonze, limsebenzele lokutshisa impepha.”
My sons, don’t be negligent now; for the LORD has chosen you to stand before him, to minister to him, and that you should be his ministers and burn incense.”
12 Ngakho laba abaLevi bahle baqalisa umsebenzi: KwabakaKhohathi, uMahathi indodana ka-Amasayi loJoweli indodana ka-Azariya; kwabakaMerari, uKhishi indodana ka-Abhidi lo-Azariya indodana kaJehaleleli; kwabakaGeshoni, uJowa indodana kaZima lo-Edeni indodana kaJowa;
Then the Levites arose: Mahath, the son of Amasai, and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites; and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi, and Azariah the son of Jehallelel; and of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah, and Eden the son of Joah;
13 kwabosendo luka-Elizafani, kunguShimiri loJeyiyeli; kwabosendo luka-Asafi, kunguZakhariya loMathaniya;
and of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeuel; and of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah;
14 kwabosendo lukaHemani, kunguJehiyeli loShimeyi; kwabosendo lukaJeduthuni, kunguShemaya lo-Uziyeli.
and of the sons of Heman, Jehuel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel.
15 Bathi sebebuthanise abafowabo bazihlambulula bona, bangena ukuyahlambulula ithempeli likaThixo, njengokuqondisa kwenkosi, eyayilandela ilizwi likaThixo.
They gathered their brothers, sanctified themselves, and went in, according to the commandment of the king by the LORD’s words, to cleanse the LORD’s house.
16 Abaphristi bangena endaweni engcwele kaThixo ukuba bayeyihlambulula. Konke okwakungcolile ethempelini likaThixo bakukhuphela egumeni lethempeli likaThixo. AbaLevi bakuthwala baya lakho eSigodini saseKhidironi.
The priests went into the inner part of the LORD’s house to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the LORD’s temple into the court of the LORD’s house. The Levites took it from there to carry it out to the brook Kidron.
17 Baqalisa ukwahlukanisela ngosuku lwakuqala lwenyanga yakuqala, kwathi ngosuku lwesificaminwembili lwenyanga bafika emphempeni kaThixo. Ngezinsuku ezilandelayo ezificaminwembili bangcwelisa ithempeli likaThixo uqobo, baze baqeda ngosuku lwetshumi lesithupha lwenyanga yakuqala.
Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month they came to the LORD’s porch. They sanctified the LORD’s house in eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.
18 Basebengena enkosini uHezekhiya ukuba bayembikela bathi: “Sesilihlambulule lonke ithempeli likaThixo, le-alithari lomnikelo wokutshiswa lezitsha zalo zonke, kanye lethala lokwendlalela isinkwa esingcwelisiweyo kanye lazozonke impahla zakhona.
Then they went in to Hezekiah the king within the palace and said, “We have cleansed all the LORD’s house, including the altar of burnt offering with all its vessels, and the table of show bread with all its vessels.
19 Sesilungise sangcwelisa zonke izitsha ezasuswa yinkosi u-Ahazi ngokungathembeki kwakhe eseseyinkosi. Khathesi seziphambi kwe-alithari likaThixo.”
Moreover, we have prepared and sanctified all the vessels which King Ahaz threw away in his reign when he was unfaithful. Behold, they are before the LORD’s altar.”
20 Ekuseni ngosuku olulandelayo inkosi uHezekhiya wabuthanisa izikhulu zedolobho ndawonye wasesiya ethempelini likaThixo.
Then Hezekiah the king arose early, gathered the princes of the city, and went up to the LORD’s house.
21 Baletha inkunzi eziyisikhombisa, lenqama eziyisikhombisa, lamazinyane ezimvu amaduna ayisikhombisa kanye lempongo eziyisikhombisa kungumnikelo wesono sombuso, lesendlu yokukhonzela kanye lesikaJuda. Inkosi yalaya abaphristi, abenzalo ka-Aroni, ukunikela ngalokho e-alithareni likaThixo.
They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. He commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the LORD’s altar.
22 Ngakho babulala inkunzi, abaphristi bathatha igazi bachela ngalo e-alithareni; kwalandela inqama abazibulala bachela igazi lazo e-alithareni; basebebulala amazinyane ezimvu bachela igazi lawo e-alithareni.
So they killed the bulls, and the priests received the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. They killed the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar. They also killed the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar.
23 Impongo zomnikelo wesono zalethwa phambi kwenkosi laphambi kwebandla, babeka izandla zabo phezu kwazo.
They brought near the male goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly; and they laid their hands on them.
24 Abaphristi basebebulala impongo baletha igazi lazo e-alithareni kungumnikelo wesono ukuze kwenzelwe wonke u-Israyeli indlela yokubuyisana, ngoba inkosi yayilaye ukuthi kube lomnikelo wokutshiswa lomnikelo wesono kunikelelwa wonke u-Israyeli.
Then the priests killed them, and they made a sin offering with their blood on the altar, to make atonement for all Israel; for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.
25 AbaLevi yababeka phakathi kwethempeli likaThixo belezigubhu, lamachacho lemihubhe njengalokho okwakumiswe nguDavida loGadi umboni wenkosi loNathani umphrofethi; lokhu kwakungumlayo kaThixo oweza ngabaphrofethi bakhe.
He set the Levites in the LORD’s house with cymbals, with stringed instruments, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and Nathan the prophet; for the commandment was from the LORD by his prophets.
26 Ngakho abaLevi balinda belamachacho kaDavida, abaphristi belamacilongo.
The Levites stood with David’s instruments, and the priests with the shofars.
27 UHezekhiya wakhupha isiqondiso sokuba kwenziwe umnikelo wokutshiswa e-alithareni. Kuthe kuqalisa umnikelo, ukuhlabelela uThixo lakho kwaqalisa, kwahamba kanyekanye lamacilongo kanye lamachacho kaDavida inkosi yako-Israyeli.
Hezekiah commanded them to offer the burnt offering on the altar. When the burnt offering began, the LORD’s song also began, along with the shofars and instruments of David king of Israel.
28 Ibandla lonke lakhothama lakhonza, abahlabeleli behlabela labamacilongo bewavuthela. Konke lokhu kwaqhubeka kwaze kwaphela umnikelo wokutshiswa.
All the assembly worshiped, the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded. All this continued until the burnt offering was finished.
29 Ngemva kokuphela kweminikelo inkosi labo bonke ababekhona baguqa bakhonza.
When they had finished offering, the king and all who were present with him bowed themselves and worshiped.
30 Inkosi uHezekhiya lezikhulu zayo yatshela abaLevi ukuba badumise uThixo ngamazwi kaDavida kanye laka-Asafi umboni. Ngakho badumisa ngokuhlabelela ngenjabulo bakhothamisa amakhanda abo bakhonza.
Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praises to the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. They sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.
31 UHezekhiya wasesithi, “Selizinikele kuThixo khathesi. Wozani lilethe imihlatshelo leminikelo yokubonga ethempelini likaThixo.” Ngakho ibandla laletha imihlatshelo leminikelo, yokubonga, njalo ababelenhliziyo ezivumayo baletha iminikelo yokutshiswa.
Then Hezekiah answered, “Now you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD. Come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the LORD’s house.” The assembly brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings.
32 Inani leminikelo yokutshiswa eyalethwa libandla kwakuzinkunzi ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa, inqama ezilikhulu lamazinyane amaduna ezimvu angamakhulu amabili, konke kungokomnikelo wokutshiswa kuThixo.
The number of the burnt offerings which the assembly brought was seventy bulls, one hundred rams, and two hundred lambs. All these were for a burnt offering to the LORD.
33 Izifuyo ezahlukaniselwa ukuba ngumhlatshelo kwakuzinkunzi ezingamakhulu ayisithupha lezimvu lembuzi ezizinkulungwane ezintathu.
The consecrated things were six hundred head of cattle and three thousand sheep.
34 Kodwa, abaphristi babebalutshwana kakhulu ekuhlinzeni ezomnikelo wokutshiswa; ngakho basebencediswa ngabafowabo abaLevi waze waphela umsebenzi njalo abanye abaphristi baze bangcweliswa ngoba abaLevi babekunanzelele kakhulu ukuzingcwelisa kulabaphristi.
But the priests were too few, so that they could not skin all the burnt offerings. Therefore their brothers the Levites helped them until the work was ended, and until the priests had sanctified themselves, for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.
35 Umnikelo wokutshiswa wawumnengi, kanye lamafutha omnikelo wobudlelwano kanye lomnikelo wokunathwayo okwakuhambelana lomnikelo wokutshiswa. Ngakho lokhu kwaba yikuvuselelwa kwenkonzo ethempelini likaThixo.
Also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings and with the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the LORD’s house was set in order.
36 UHezekhiya labo bonke abantu bajabula ngababekuphiwe nguNkulunkulu ekwenzela abantu bakhe, ngoba kwakwenzakale ngokuphangisa.
Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced because of that which God had prepared for the people; for the thing was done suddenly.
