2 Chronicles 15
1 The Spirit of God came upon Azariah, the son of Obed.
Umoya kaNkulunkulu wehlela phezu kuka-Azariya indodana ka-Odedi.
2 Azariah went to talk with Asa, and said to him, “Asa and all [you men of the tribes of] Judah and Benjamin, listen to me. Yahweh is with you whenever you are trusting in him. If you request him [to help you], he will help you, but if you abandon him, he will abandon you.
Waphuma ukuba ayehlangabezana lo-Asa wasesithi kuye, “Lalela kimi, Asa labo bonke abakoJuda labakoBhenjamini. UThixo ulawe nxa wena ukuye. Nxa umfuna, uzamthola, kodwa nxa umlahla uzakulahla.
3 For many years the Israeli people did not know the true God, and they did not have priests or God’s laws.
Okwesikhathi eside abako-Israyeli babengelaye uNkulunkulu weqiniso, bengelaye umphristi wokufundisa njalo bengelawo umthetho.
4 But when they experienced trouble, they turned to Yahweh our God, and requested him to help them. And he helped them.
Kodwa osizini lwabo baphendukela kuThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, bamdinga bamthola.
5 At that time, people were not safe when they traveled, because all the people who lived in the nearby countries were experiencing many difficulties.
Ngalezonsuku, ngenxa yokuxokozela okukhulu kwezizwe, kwakungelula ukuhambahamba.
6 The people of various nations were thoroughly defeated by [armies of] other nations, and people in some cities were crushed by [armies from] other cities, because God was allowing them to experience many difficulties.
Kwakulencithakalo isizwe sichithwa ngesinye, umuzi uchithwa ngomunye, ngoba uNkulunkulu wabehlisela zonke inhlobonhlobo zosizi.
7 But you people, you must be strong and do not become discouraged, because [God] will reward you for what you do [to please him.”]
Kodwa wena, qina ungayekethisi, ngoba owakho umsebenzi uzakuba lomvuzo.”
8 When Asa heard what the prophet Azariah said, he was encouraged. He [commanded his workers to] remove all the detestable idols from everywhere in the land of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and from the towns that [his soldiers] had captured in the hills of the tribe of Ephraim. Asa’s workers repaired the altar [where people offered sacrifices] to Yahweh that was in front of the entrance to the temple [in Jerusalem].
U-Asa wathi ewezwa lamazwi lesiphrofethi sika-Azariya indodana ka-Odedi umphrofethi, waqina waba lesibindi. Wasusa zonke izithombe ezinengisayo kulolonke ilizwe lakoJuda lelakoBhenjamini lasemizini ayeyithumbile emaqaqeni ako-Efrayimi. Wavuselela i-alithari likaThixo elaliphambi komkoto wethempeli likaThixo.
9 Then he gathered all [the people of the tribes of] Judah and Benjamin and many people from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who were living among them. [He was able to do that] because many people from [those tribes in] Israel had come to me to Judah when they realized that Yahweh, the God that Asa [worshiped], was helping him.
Wasebuthanisa bonke abakoJuda labakoBhenjamini kanye labantu ababevela ko-Efrayimi, lakoManase kanye lakoSimiyoni ababehlezi phakathi kwabo, ngoba babebanengi kakhulu abako-Israyeli ababethe ngokubona ukuthi uThixo uNkulunkulu wayelaye bathutha beza ngakuye.
10 After Asa had been ruling for almost 15 years, in May of that year, those people gathered in Jerusalem.
Babuthana eJerusalema ngenyanga yesithathu ngomnyaka wetshumi lanhlanu wokubusa kuka-Asa.
11 At that time they sacrificed to Yahweh 700 bulls and 7,000 sheep and goats, from the animals that they had captured [when they defeated the army of Ethiopia/Sudan].
Ngalesosikhathi benza imihlatshelo kuThixo eyezinkomo ezingamakhulu ayisikhombisa lezimvu kanye lembuzi eziyizinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa kulezo ababezithumbe babuya lazo.
12 They solemnly made an agreement to very sincerely worship Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors [worshiped].
Benza isivumelwano sokuba bamdinge uThixo, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho babo, ngezinhliziyo zabo ezipheleleyo langomoya.
13 They promised to execute all those who would not worship Yahweh, including those who were important and those who were not important, both men and women.
Bonke ababengayi kumdinga uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, babefanele babulawe, loba bebancinyane loba bebakhulu, loba kungowesilisa kumbe owesifazane.
14 They shouted and blew trumpets and other horns while they solemnly promised to do that.
Benza isifungo kuThixo ngokuvungama, bememeza njalo bevuthela lamacilongo lempondo.
15 All the people who were living in Judah were happy with the agreement because they had solemnly and very sincerely promised to keep it. They eagerly requested help from Yahweh, and he helped them. So he enabled them to have peace throughout their country.
AbakoJuda bathokoza bonke ngesifungo ngoba babesenze ngenhliziyo yabo yonke. Bamdinga uThixo ngokulangatha, wabavumela ukuthi bamthole. Ngakho uThixo wabanika ukuthula inxa zonke.
16 King Asa’s grandmother Maacah had made a disgusting pole for [worshiping the goddess] Asherah. So Asa [commanded his workers to] cut down that pole and chop it into pieces and burn it in the Kidron Valley. He then did not allow Maacah to continue [to influence the people because of her] being the mother of the previous king.
Inkosi u-Asa yasusa ugogo wayo uMahakha esikhundleni sokuba yindlovukazi ngoba wayenze insika yokukhonzela unkulunkulukazi u-Ashera oyisinengiso. U-Asa wayidiliza insika, wayiqumaquma wayitshisela eSigodini saseKhidironi.
17 Although Asa’s [workers] did not get rid of the shrines on the hilltops in Israel, he was very determined to [do what] pleased Yahweh all his life.
Lanxa engasusanga izindawo zokukhonzela ko-Israyeli, u-Asa wayezinikele kuThixo ngenhliziyo yakhe yonke empilweni yakhe yonke.
18 He [ordered his workers to] bring into God’s temple all the silver and gold and other valuable items that he and his father had dedicated [to God].
Wangenisa ethempelini likaNkulunkulu isiliva legolide lezinto lezo yena kanye loyise ababezahlukanisele uThixo.
19 There were no more wars [in Judah] until Asa had been ruling Judah almost 35 years.
Akusazange kube lempi kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka wamatshumi amathathu lanhlanu wokubusa kuka-Asa.
