2 IziKronike 29:1-36
29 UHezekiya+ waba yinkosi eneminyaka engamashumi amabili nanhlanu, wabusa iminyaka engamashumi amabili nesishiyagalolunye eJerusalema. Igama likanina kwakungu-Abhiya indodakazi kaZakariya.+
2 Wayelokhu enza okulungile emehlweni kaJehova,+ ngokuvumelana nakho konke uDavide ukhokho wakhe ayekwenzile.+
3 Yena, ngonyaka wokuqala wokubusa kwakhe, ngenyanga yokuqala, wavula iminyango yendlu kaJehova wayeseyilungisa.+
4 Khona-ke waletha abapristi namaLevi wabaqoqela endaweni evulekile+ ngasempumalanga.
5 Wathi kubo: “Ngilaleleni, nina maLevi. Manje zingcweliseni+ ningcwelise nendlu kaJehova uNkulunkulu wokhokho benu, niyikhiphe into engahlanzekile endaweni engcwele.+
6 Ngoba obaba benzé ngokungathembeki+ futhi benzé okubi emehlweni kaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu,+ kangangokuthi bamshiyile+ futhi baphendula ubuso babo babususa etabernakele likaJehova+ futhi balifulathela.
7 Bavala iminyango+ yompheme bagcina nezibani zicinyiwe,+ futhi abayishisanga impepho,+ nomhlatshelo wokushiswa abawunikelanga endaweni engcwele kuNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.+
8 Intukuthelo kaJehova+ yamelana noJuda neJerusalema, kangangokuba wabenza baba yinto ethuthumelisayo,+ into eshaqisayo+ nembangela yokushaya ikhwelo,+ njengoba nje nizibonela nani ngawenu.
9 Bhekani okhokho bethu bawa ngenkemba,+ futhi amadodana ethu namadodakazi ethu nomkethu babesekuthunjweni ngenxa yalokhu.+
10 Manje kuyathandeka enhliziyweni yami ukwenza isivumelwano+ noJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ukuze intukuthelo yakhe evuthayo isuke kithi.
11 Manje, madodana ami, ningazinikeli ekuphumuleni,+ ngoba yinina uJehova anikhethile ukuba nime phambi kwakhe ukuze nimkhonze+ futhi niqhubeke njengezikhonzi zakhe+ nabashunqisi bomusi womhlatshelo.”+
12 AmaLevi+ asukuma, uMahati indodana ka-Amasayi noJoweli indodana ka-Azariya emadodaneni amaKohati;+ emadodaneni kaMerari,+ uKishi indodana ka-Abhidi no-Azariya indodana kaJehaleleli; kumaGereshoni,+ uJowa indodana kaZima no-Edene indodana kaJowa;
13 emadodaneni ka-Elizafani,+ uShimri noJewuweli; emadodaneni ka-Asafa,+ uZakariya noMathaniya;
14 emadodaneni kaHemani,+ uJehiyeli noShimeyi; nasemadodaneni kaJeduthuni,+ uShemaya no-Uziyeli.
15 Khona-ke baqoqela abafowabo ndawonye bazingcwelisa+ beza ukuba bahlanze+ indlu kaJehova ngokuvumelana nomyalo wenkosi ngokwamazwi+ kaJehova.
16 Abapristi manje bangena ngaphakathi endlini kaJehova ukuze bayihlanze futhi bakhipha konke ukungahlanzeki abakuthola ethempelini likaJehova bakuyisa egcekeni+ lendlu kaJehova. AmaLevi wona akwamukela ukuze akukhiphele esigodini sesifufula saseKidroni+ ngaphandle.
17 Ngakho baqala ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yokuqala ukungcwelisa, kwathi ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili lwenyanga bafika emphemeni+ kaJehova; kangangokuba bayingcwelisa indlu kaJehova ngezinsuku eziyisishiyagalombili, ngosuku lweshumi nesithupha lwenyanga yokuqala+ baqeda.
18 Ngemva kwalokho beza ngaphakathi kuHezekiya inkosi bathi: “Siyihlanzé yonke indlu kaJehova, i-altare+ lomnikelo wokushiswa nazo zonke izinto zalo,+ netafula+ lesinkwa esibekwa ngezinhla nazo zonke izinto zalo.+
19 Futhi zonke izinto+ iNkosi u-Ahazi+ eyazisusa ukuze zingasetshenziswa phakathi nokubusa kwayo ekubeni kwayo nokungathembeki+ sizilungisile, sazingcwelisa;+ futhi bheka ziphambi kwe-altare likaJehova.”
20 UHezekiya+ inkosi wavuka ekuseni kakhulu+ wabuthela ndawonye izikhulu+ zomuzi wakhuphukela endlini kaJehova.
21 Beza belethe izinkunzi eziyisikhombisa+ nezinqama eziyisikhombisa namawundlu angamaduna ayisikhombisa nezimpongo eziyisikhombisa njengomnikelo wesono+ wombuso nowendlu engcwele nokaJuda. Ngakho wathi amadodana ka-Aroni abapristi+ akunikele phezu kwe-altare likaJehova.
22 Ngokuvumelana nalokho bazihlaba+ izinkomo futhi abapristi bamukela igazi+ balifafaza+ phezu kwe-altare; okwathi ngemva kwalokho bahlaba izinqama+ igazi balifafaza+ phezu kwe-altare, bahlaba namawundlu angamaduna igazi balifafaza phezu kwe-altare.
23 Khona-ke basondeza izimpongo+ zomnikelo wesono phambi kwenkosi nebandla babeka izandla zabo phezu kwazo.+
24 Abapristi manje bazihlaba benza umnikelo wesono ngegazi lazo phezu kwe-altare, ukuze benzele wonke u-Israyeli isihlawulelo;+ ngoba inkosi yayithé umnikelo wokushiswa nomnikelo wesono kwakufanele+ ibe ngeka-Israyeli wonke.+
25 Phakathi naleso sikhathi, wayemise amaLevi+ endlini kaJehova, namasimbali,+ nezinsimbi zomculo ezinezintambo+ namahabhu,+ ngomyalo kaDavide+ nokaGadi+ umboni wemibono wenkosi nokaNathani+ umprofethi, ngoba umyalo wawuze ngesandla sikaJehova ukuba unikezwe ngabaprofethi bakhe.+
26 Ngakho amaLevi aqhubeka emile ephethe izinsimbi zomculo+ zikaDavide, nabapristi bephethe amacilongo.+
27 Khona-ke uHezekiya wathi kunikelwe umhlatshelo wokushiswa e-altare; kwathi ngesikhathi umnikelo wokushiswa uqala, kwaqala nengoma+ kaJehova namacilongo futhi, yebo ngaphansi kokuqondisa kwezinsimbi zomculo zikaDavide inkosi yakwa-Israyeli.
28 Lonke ibandla lalikhotheme+ ngesikhathi ingoma ihlokoma+ namacilongo ekhala—konke lokhu kwaqhubeka waze waqedwa umnikelo wokushiswa.
29 Ngokushesha nje lapho beqeda ukuwunikela, inkosi nabo bonke ababekanye nayo bakhothama bawa ngobuso.+
30 UHezekiya inkosi nezikhulu+ base betshela amaLevi ukuba adumise uJehova ngamazwi kaDavide+ naka-Asafa+ umboni wemibono. Ngakho aqala ukudumisa ngisho nangokujabula,+ futhi aqhubeka eguqé phansi futhi ewé ngobuso.+
31 Ekugcineni uHezekiya waphendula wathi: “Manje niye nagcwalisela+ uJehova isandla senu ngamandla. Sondelani, nilethe imihlatshelo+ nemihlatshelo yokubonga+ endlini kaJehova.” Ibandla laqala ukuletha imihlatshelo nemihlatshelo yokubonga, nawo wonke umuntu owayenenhliziyo ethandayo waletha iminikelo yokushiswa.+
32 Isibalo seminikelo yokushiswa ibandla elayiletha saba izinkomo ezingamashumi ayisikhombisa, izinqama eziyikhulu, amawundlu angamaduna angamakhulu amabili—konke lokhu njengomnikelo wokushiswa oya kuJehova;+
33 neminikelo engcwele, izinkomo ezingamakhulu ayisithupha nezimvu nezimbuzi eziyizinkulungwane ezintathu.
34 Kuphela abapristi+ babembalwa kakhulu, futhi abazange bakwazi ukuhlinza yonke iminikelo yokushiswa.+ Ngakho abafowabo+ amaLevi abasiza waze waqedwa umsebenzi+ nabapristi baze bakwazi ukuzingcwelisa,+ ngoba amaLevi ayeqotho+ enhliziyweni kakhulu ekuzingcweliseni ngaphezu kwabapristi.
35 Kanti, neminikelo yokushiswa+ yayiminingi kakhulu namaqatha anonile+ emihlatshelo yenhlanganyelo+ neminikelo yokuphuzwayo+ yeminikelo yokushiswa. Yalungiswa kanjalo inkonzo yendlu kaJehova.+
36 Ngenxa yalokho uHezekiya nabo bonke abantu bajabulela ukuthi uNkulunkulu weqiniso wayebalungiselele abantu,+ ngoba le nto yayenzeke kungazelelwe.+
