< 2 Chronicles 23 >

1 After Joash had been hidden in the temple for six years, Jehoiada the priest decided that it was necessary to do something. So he made an agreement with the army commanders of groups of 100 soldiers: Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zicri.
Ngomnyaka wesikhombisa uJehoyada waqunga isibindi. Wenza isivumelwano labalawuli bamakhulu embuthweni: o-Azariya indodana kaJerohamu lo-Ishumayeli indodana kaJehohanani, lo-Azariya indodana ka-Obhedi, loMaseya indodana ka-Adaya kanye lo-Elishafathi indodana kaZikhiri.
2 They went throughout Judah and gathered the descendants of Levi and the leaders of Israeli families from all the towns. When they came to Jerusalem,
Bangena kulolonke elakoJuda, baqoqa abaLevi kuyo yonke imizi yakoJuda labayizinhloko zezimuli zako-Israyeli. Ekufikeni kwabo eJerusalema,
3 the whole group went to the temple and made an agreement with the young king there. Jehoiada said to them, “This is the son of the previous king of Judah. So he is the one who must rule, like Yahweh promised that the descendants of King David must do.
ibandla lonke lenza isivumelwano lenkosi ethempelini likaNkulunkulu. UJehoyada wathi kubo, “Indodana yenkosi izabusa, njengoba uThixo wathembisa abayinzalo kaDavida.
4 “So this is what you must do: One-third of you priests and other descendants of Levi who are starting their work on the Sabbath day must guard the doors [of the temple].
Ngakho nanku okumele likwenze: Ingxenye yesithathu yenu baphristi labaLevi abalinda ngeSabatha bafanele balinde eminyango,
5 One-third of you must guard the king’s palace, and one-third of you must guard the Foundation Gate. All the other people will be in the courtyards outside the temple.
eyinye ingxenye yesithathu esigodlweni somndlunkulu kanye lenye njalo ingxenye yesithathu ezalinda eSangweni leSisekelo, kuthi wonke amanye amadoda abesemagumeni ethempeli likaThixo.
6 Only the priests and the descendants of Levi who work there will enter the temple. They will be allowed to enter the temple because they are set apart [for that work]. All the others must remain in the courtyards, obeying what Yahweh has commanded.
Kakho ozangena ethempelini likaThixo ngaphandle kwabaphristi labaLevi abazabe besemsebenzini; labo bezangena ngoba behlanjululwe, kodwa wonke amanye amadoda azalinda lokho azabe ekutshengiswe nguThixo.
7 You descendants of Levi must stand around the young king, each of you with your weapon in your hand. Anyone else who tries to enter the temple you must kill. And stay close to the young king, wherever he goes.”
AbaLevi bazahonqolozela inkosi, ngulowo lalowo wabo ehlomile. Loba ngubani ozangena ethempelini kumele abulawe. Lingaxekelani lenkosi loba kungaphi lapho ezabe ikhona.”
8 So the descendants of Levi and all [the men of] Judah did what Jehoiada had told them. He did not allow anyone to go home after having finished his work on that Sabbath day. Each commander took charge of his men, the ones who were finishing their work on that day and those who were starting their work on that day.
AbaLevi lawo wonke amadoda akoJuda benza khonokho kanye ababekutshelwe nguJehoyada umphristi. Kwaba ngulowo lalowo wathatha abantu bakhe, kulabanye ababesiyaqalisa amazopho abo ngeSabatha labanye ababetshayisa ngemva kwamazopha abo ngoba uJehoyada umphristi wayelokhu engakakhululi loba iviyo elilodwa.
9 Then Jehoiada gave each of the commanders the spears and the large and small shields that had been put there in the temple by King David.
Wasenika abalawuli bamaviyo amabutho alikhulu imikhonto lamahawu amakhulu lamancinyane ayekade engawenkosi uDavida ayesethempelini likaNkulunkulu.
10 He commanded all the guards to stand in their positions, each with his sword in his hand, all around the king—around the altar and the temple, from the north side to the south side.
Wasemisa wonke amadoda, ngamunye ephethe izikhali zakhe ezandleni, ezingelezele inkosi eduze kwe-alithari lethempeli, kusukela eceleni langezansi kusiya enyakatho yethempeli.
11 Then Jehoiada and his sons brought Joash out. They put a crown on his head and gave him [a scroll] on which were written the rules [that the kings needed to obey], and proclaimed that he was now the king. They anointed him with olive oil and shouted, “We hope that the king will live for many years!”
UJehoyada lamadodana akhe basebeveza indodana yenkosi njalo bayethesa umqhele; bayiqhubela lencwadi yesivumelwano bayibeka yaba yinkosi. Bayigcoba bavungama bathi: “Mpilonde nkosi!”
12 When Athaliah heard the noise being made by the people running [toward the king] and cheering, she ran to the temple.
U-Athaliya uthe esizwa umsindo wabantu begijima njalo behalalisa inkosi, wasuka waya kubo ethempelini likaThixo.
13 She saw the young king there, standing alongside the pillar at the entrance of the temple, [which is the place at the temple] where the kings usually stood. The army commanders and trumpet players were standing beside the king, and all the people of Judah were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and singers with their musical instruments were leading the people while they praised God. Then Athaliah tore her robes and started screaming, “You are committing treason!”
Lakanye wayibona inkosi imi ensikeni yayo ngasemangenelweni. Izikhulu labavutheli bamacilongo besekele inkosi, njalo bonke abantu belizwe bejabula bevuthela amacilongo, kanye labahlabeleli bephethe izinto zokuhlabelela bekhokhela emkhosini wokuhaya inkosi. U-Athaliya wadabula izigqoko zakhe njalo wamemeza ethi: “Umvukela! Umvukela!”
14 Jehoiada the Supreme Priest said to the army commanders, “Kill her, but do not kill her at the temple of Yahweh!” Then he said to them, “Bring Athaliah out in front of the troops and kill anyone who tries to follow her!”
UJehoyada umphristi wathumela abalawuli bamaviyo amabutho alikhulu, ababelawula amabutho, wathi: “Mkhupheleni phandle u-Athaliya phakathi kwamaviyo kuthi loba ngubani omlandelayo limbulale ngenkemba.” Ngoba umphristi wayethe, “Lingambulaleli ethempelini likaThixo.”
15 [She tried to flee, but] they seized her as she reached the gate where horses enter the palace area, and they killed her there.
Ngakho bambamba esefikile emangenelweni eSango laMabhiza emagumeni esigodlo, njalo kulapho abambulalela khona.
16 Then Jehoiada made an agreement that he and the king and all the other people would be Yahweh’s people.
UJehoyada wasesenza isivumelwano sokuthi yena kanye labantu lenkosi bazakuba ngabantu bakaThixo
17 Then all the people who were there went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars [of Baal]. They also killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of those altars.
Bonke abantu baya ethempelini likaBhali, balidilizela phansi, babhidliza lama-alithare akhe lezithombe zakhe, babulala uMathani umphristi kaBhali phambi kwama-alithare.
18 Then Jehoiada appointed the priests, who were also descended from Levi, to work at the temple. They were part of the group to whom King David had given various jobs at the temple, to sacrifice the animals that were to be completely burned on the altar, doing what was written in the laws that Moses had given to them. He also told them to rejoice and sing, which was also what David had commanded.
UJehoyada wabeka abalindi bethempeli likaThixo ezandleni zabaphristi, ababengabaLevi, bona uDavida ayevele ebenzele amazopho abo ethempelini, ukuze balethe iminikelo yokutshiswa kaThixo njengokulotshwa kwayo eMthethweni kaMosi, kulokujabula lokuhlabelela njengokulaya kukaDavida.
19 He also put guards at the gates of the temple in order that anyone who was unacceptable to God would not be allowed to enter.
Wahlalisa njalo abalindiminyango emasangweni ethempeli likaThixo ukuze kungangeni loyedwa ongahlanjululwanga.
20 Jehoiada took with him the army commanders, the important men, the leaders and many others, and brought the king down from the temple. They went into the palace through the Upper Gate, and put the king on his throne.
Wasethatha abalawuli bamabutho alikhulu, lezikhulu lababusi babantu kanye labantu bonke belizwe basebeletha inkosi ethempelini likaThixo. Bangena esigodlweni ngeSango elingaPhezulu bahlalisa khona inkosi esihlalweni soBukhosi,
21 Then all the people of Judah rejoiced. And there was calm throughout the city, because Athaliah had been killed.
njalo bonke abantu elizweni bajabula. Kwaba lokuthula kulolonke idolobho ngoba u-Athaliya wayesebulewe ngenkemba.

< 2 Chronicles 23 >