2 IziKronike 24:1-27
24 UJehowashi wayeneminyaka eyisikhombisa lapho eqala ukubusa,+ wabusa eJerusalema iminyaka engamashumi amane.+ Igama likanina kwakunguZibhiya waseBheri-sheba.+
2 UJehowashi+ waqhubeka enza okulungile emehlweni kaJehova+ zonke izinsuku zikaJehoyada umpristi.+
3 UJehoyada wamthathela abafazi ababili, wazala amadodana namadodakazi.+
4 Kamuva kwathandeka kuJehowashi ukuba avuselele indlu kaJehova.+
5 Ngakho waqoqa abapristi+ namaLevi wathi kubo: “Yanini emizini yakwaJuda niqoqe imali ku-Israyeli wonke ukuze kulungiswe+ indlu kaNkulunkulu wenu unyaka nonyaka;+ futhi nina, kufanele nenze ngokushesha kule ndaba.” Kodwa amaLevi awazange enze ngokushesha.+
6 Ngakho inkosi yabiza uJehoyada inhloko yathi kuye:+ “Kungani ungazange ufune ukuba amaLevi alandise ngokulethwa kwentela engcwele evela kwaJuda naseJerusalema eyayalezwa uMose+ inceku kaJehova, ngisho neyebandla lika-Israyeli, yetende lobuFakazi?+
7 Ngoba ngokuqondene no-Athaliya owesifazane omubi, amadodana akhe+ ayegqekezile endlini kaNkulunkulu weqiniso,+ ngisho nazo zonke izinto ezingcwele+ zendlu kaJehova ayezinikele koBhali.”+
8 Khona-ke inkosi yakhipha izwi, ngakho benza umphongolo+ bawubeka ngaphandle esangweni lendlu kaJehova.
9 Ngemva kwalokho bakhipha isimemezelo kulo lonke elakwaJuda naseJerusalema sokuba kulethwe kuJehova intela engcwele+ eyayalezwa nguMose+ inceku kaNkulunkulu weqiniso ku-Israyeli ehlane.
10 Zonke izikhulu+ nabo bonke abantu baqala ukujabula,+ baqhubeka beyiletha futhi beyiphonsa emphongolweni+ kwaze kwaba yilapho sebenikele bonke.
11 Kwakuthi ngesikhathi esifanele awulethe umphongolo ngesandla samaLevi+ ukuba unakekelwe yinkosi, futhi lapho nje bebona ukuthi kwase kunemali eningi,+ unobhala+ wenkosi nomphathi wompristi omkhulu babeza bawuthulule umphongolo bawuphakamise bawubuyisele endaweni yawo. Yileyo ndlela ababenza ngayo usuku nosuku, kangangokuba baqoqa imali eningi.
12 Khona-ke inkosi noJehoyada babeyinika abenzi+ bomsebenzi wenkonzo yendlu kaJehova,+ futhi baqasha abasiki bamatshe+ nezingcweti+ ukuze kuvuselelwe indlu kaJehova,+ nababesebenza ngensimbi nangethusi ukuze kulungiswe indlu kaJehova.+
13 Abenzi bomsebenzi baqala imisebenzi,+ umsebenzi wokulungisa waqhubeka uthuthuka ngesandla sabo, ekugcineni bamisa indlu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso yaba sesimweni okwakufanele ibe yiso futhi bayiqinisa.
14 Ngokushesha lapho sebeqedile baletha phambi kwenkosi noJehoyada yonke enye imali esele, benza izinto zendlu kaJehova, izinto zenkonzo+ nezokwenza iminikelo, nezindebe+ nezinto zegolide+ nezesiliva; baba ngabanikela imihlatshelo yokushiswa+ endlini kaJehova njalo zonke izinsuku zikaJehoyada.
15 UJehoyada waba mdala waneliswa yiminyaka+ futhi ekugcineni wafa, wayeseneminyaka eyikhulu namashumi amathathu ubudala lapho efa.
16 Ngakho bamngcwaba eMzini KaDavide kanye namakhosi,+ ngoba wayenze okuhle kwa-Israyeli+ nakuNkulunkulu weqiniso nendlu yaKhe.
17 Ngemva kokufa kukaJehoyada izikhulu+ zakwaJuda zeza zakhothamela inkosi. Ngaleso sikhathi inkosi yazilalela izikhulu.+
18 Kancane kancane bayishiya indlu kaJehova uNkulunkulu wokhokho babo futhi baqala ukukhonza izigxobo ezingcwele+ nezithombe,+ kangangokuba wamthukuthelela uJuda neJerusalema ngenxa yaleli cala labo.+
19 Wayelokhu ethuma abaprofethi+ phakathi kwabo ukuba bababuyisele kuJehova; baqhubeka befakaza ngokumelene nabo, kodwa abazange balalele.+
20 Umoya kaNkulunkulu+ wagubuzela+ uZakariya+ indodana kaJehoyada+ umpristi, wema phambi kwabantu wathi kubo: “Yilokhu uNkulunkulu weqiniso akushilo, ‘Kungani neqa imiyalo kaJehova, nize ningakwazi ukuphumelela?+ Ngenxa yokuthi nimshiyile uJehova, naye uzonishiya.’”+
21 Ekugcineni bamakhela uzungu+ futhi bamkhanda ngamatshe+ ngomyalo wenkosi egcekeni lendlu kaJehova.
22 UJehowashi inkosi akazange awukhumbule umusa wothando uJehoyada uyise ayewubonise kuye,+ kangangokuthi wabulala indodana yakhe, okwathi, lapho isiseqophelweni lokufa, yathi: “UJehova makakubone aphindisele.”+
23 Kwathi lapho kuphenduka+ unyaka ibutho lempi laseSiriya+ lakhuphuka lizolwa naye,+ lahlasela uJuda neJerusalema. Khona-ke lachitha zonke izikhulu+ zesizwe phakathi kwabantu, futhi lathumela yonke impango yazo enkosini yaseDamaseku.+
24 Ngoba leli butho lempi lamaSiriya lalihlasele linesibalo esincane samadoda,+ kodwa uJehova wanikela esandleni salo ibutho lempi eliyisibalo esikhulu kakhulu,+ ngoba babemshiyile uJehova uNkulunkulu wokhokho babo; futhi lenza izenzo zokwahlulela phezu kukaJehowashi.+
25 Lapho lisuka kuye (ngoba lamshiya enezifo eziningi),+ izinceku zakhe zamakhela uzungu+ ngenxa yegazi+ lamadodana kaJehoyada+ umpristi; zambulalela phezu kombhede wakhe, wafa.+ Khona-ke wangcwatshwa eMzini KaDavide,+ kodwa akazange angcwatshwe emangcwabeni amakhosi.+
26 Yilaba abamakhela uzungu: UZabhadi+ indodana kaShimeyati umAmonikazi noJehozabhadi indodana kaShimriti umMowabikazi.
27 Ngokuqondene namadodana akhe nobuningi bezimemezelo ezimelene naye+ nokusekelwa+ kwendlu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso, bheka kulotshiwe esichasiselweni seNcwadi+ YamaKhosi. U-Amaziya+ indodana yakhe waqala ukubusa esikhundleni sakhe.
