2 Imilando 29

1 UHezekhiya waba yinkosi eleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lanhlanu; wabusa iminyaka engamatshumi amabili lesificamunwemunye eJerusalema. Lebizo likanina lalinguAbhiya indodakazi kaZekhariya.

2 Wasesenza okuqondileyo emehlweni eNkosi njengokwenza konke kukaDavida uyise.

3 Yena, ngomnyaka wokuqala wokubusa kwakhe ngenyanga yokuqala, wavula iminyango yendlu yeNkosi, wayilungisa.

4 Wasengenisa abapristi lamaLevi, wababuthanisa egumeni elingasempumalanga.

5 Wasesithi kubo: Ngilalelani, maLevi; khathesi zingcweliseni, njalo lingcwelise indlu yeNkosi uNkulunkulu waboyihlo, likhuphe ingcekeza endaweni engcwele.

6 Ngoba obaba babephambukile, benza okubi emehlweni eNkosi uNkulunkulu wethu, bayitshiya, baphendula ubuso babo bebususa endaweni yokuhlala yeNkosi, bafulathela.

7 Bavala leminyango yekhulusi, bacitsha izibane, kabatshisanga impepha, kabanikelanga umnikelo wokutshiswa kuNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli endaweni engcwele.

8 Ngakho ulaka lweNkosi lwaba phezu kukaJuda leJerusalema, yabanikela evalweni, ekuchithekeni, lekuncifelweni, njengoba libona ngamehlo enu.

9 Ngoba khangelani, obaba bawile ngenkemba, lamadodana ethu lamadodakazi ethu labomkethu basekuthunjweni ngenxa yalokhu.

10 Khathesi kusenhliziyweni yami ukwenza isivumelwano leNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ukuze ukuvutha kolaka lwayo kuphenduke kusuke kithi.

11 Madodana ami, khathesi lingonwabi, ngoba iNkosi ilikhethile ukuthi lime phambi kwayo, liyikhonze, libe zinceku zayo labatshisi bempepha.

12 Asesukuma amaLevi, oMahathi indodana kaAmasayi loJoweli indodana kaAzariya emadodaneni amaKohathi; lemadodaneni kaMerari oKishi indodana kaAbidi loAzariya indodana kaJehaleleli; lakumaGerishoni oJowa indodana kaZima loEdeni indodana kaJowa;

13 lemadodaneni kaElizafani oShimiri loJehiyeli; lemadodaneni kaAsafi oZekhariya loMathaniya;

14 lemadodaneni kaHemani oJehiyeli loShimeyi; lemadodaneni kaJeduthuni oShemaya loUziyeli.

15 Basebebuthanisa abafowabo, bazingcwelisa, beza njengomlayo wenkosi ngamazwi kaJehova, ukuhlanza indlu kaJehova.

16 Abapristi basebengena ngaphakathi kwendlu yeNkosi ukuyihlanza, bakhupha konke ukungcola abakuthola ethempelini leNkosi egumeni lendlu yeNkosi; lamaLevi akuthatha, akukhuphela esifuleni iKidroni ngaphandle.

17 Basebeqala ukungcwelisa ngolokuqala lwenyanga yokuqala, njalo ngosuku lwesificaminwembili lwenyanga bafika ekhulusini leNkosi; bangcwelisa indlu yeNkosi ngensuku eziyisificaminwembili; kwathi ngosuku lwetshumi lesithupha lwenyanga yokuqala baqeda.

18 Basebengena phakathi kuHezekhiya inkosi bathi: Sesiyihlanzile yonke indlu yeNkosi, lelathi lomnikelo wokutshiswa, lezitsha zalo zonke, letafula lezinkwa zokubukiswa, lezitsha zalo zonke.

19 Lazo zonke izitsha inkosi uAhazi eyayizilahlile ekubuseni kwayo, esiphambekweni sayo, sizilungisile sazingcwelisa, khangela-ke, ziphambi kwelathi leNkosi.

20 UHezekhiya inkosi wasevuka ngovivi, wabuthanisa izinduna zomuzi, wenyukela endlini kaJehova.

21 Basebeletha amajongosi ayisikhombisa lenqama eziyisikhombisa lamawundlu ayisikhombisa lempongo eziyisikhombisa, kwaba ngumnikelo wesono sombuso lesendlu engcwele lesakoJuda. Wasesithi emadodaneni kaAroni, abapristi, akunikele phezu kwelathi leNkosi.

22 Basebehlaba izinkabi, labapristi bemukela igazi balifafaza elathini; bahlaba lezinqama bafafaza igazi elathini; bahlaba lamawundlu bafafaza igazi elathini.

23 Basebesondeza impongo zomnikelo wesono phambi kwenkosi lebandla, babeka izandla zabo phezu kwazo.

24 Abapristi basebezihlaba, benza ukubuyisana ngegazi lazo phezu kwelathi ukwenzela uIsrayeli wonke inhlawulo yokuthula. Ngoba inkosi yalaya: Umnikelo wokutshiswa lomnikelo wesono ngokaIsrayeli wonke.

25 Wasebeka amaLevi endlini kaJehova elensimbi ezincencethayo, lezigubhu zezintambo, njalo lamachacho, njengomlayo kaDavida lokaGadi umboni wenkosi lokaNathani umprofethi; ngoba lumlayo wawungesandla sikaJehova ngesandla sabaprofethi bakhe.

26 LamaLevi ema elezinto zokuhlabelela zikaDavida labapristi belempondo.

27 UHezekhiya waselaya ukunikela umnikelo wokutshiswa phezu kwelathi; kwathi ngesikhathi umnikelo wokutshiswa uqalisa, ingoma yeNkosi yaqalisa kanye lezimpondo, langezandla zezinto zokuhlabelela zikaDavida inkosi yakoIsrayeli.

28 Lebandla lonke lakhonza, labahlabeleli bahlabelela, labakhalisi bempondo bakhalisa; konke lokhu, kwaze kwaphela umnikelo wokutshiswa.

29 Lekupheleleni kokunikela inkosi labo bonke abatholakala layo bakhothama bakhonza.

30 Khona uHezekhiya inkosi leziphathamandla bathi kumaLevi kawayidumise iNkosi ngamazwi kaDavida lakaAsafi umboni. Asedumisa kwaze kwaba yintokozo, akhothama akhonza.

31 UHezekhiya wasephendula wathi: Selizehlukanisele iNkosi; sondelani lilethe imihlatshelo leminikelo yokubonga endlini yeNkosi. Ibandla laseliletha imihlatshelo leminikelo yokubonga, laye wonke olenhliziyo ekhululekileyo, iminikelo yokutshiswa.

32 Lenani leminikelo yokutshiswa ibandla elayilethayo lalizinkunzi ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa, inqama ezilikhulu, amawundlu angamakhulu amabili; konke lokhu kwakungokomnikelo wokutshiswa eNkosini.

33 Izinto ezazingcwelisiwe kwakuzinkunzi ezingamakhulu ayisithupha lezimvu ezizinkulungwane ezintathu.

34 Kodwa abapristi babebalutshwana, okokuthi babengelakho ukuhlinza yonke iminikelo yokutshiswa; ngakho abafowabo amaLevi babancedisa waze waphela umsebenzi, labapristi baze bazingcwelisa, ngoba amaLevi ayeqondile ngenhliziyo kulabapristi ukuzingcwelisa.

35 Leminikelo yokutshiswa layo yayiminengi, lamahwahwa eminikelo yokuthula kanye leminikelo yokunathwayo yeminikelo yokutshiswa. Ngokunjalo inkonzo yendlu yeNkosi yamiswa.

36 UHezekhiya labantu bonke basebethokoza ngalokho uNkulunkulu ayekulungisele abantu, ngoba into yahle yenzeka.