Eyesibili YeziKronike

29 UHezekiya + waba inkosi eneminyaka engu-25, wabusa iminyaka engu-29 eJerusalema. Igama likanina kwakungu-Abhiya indodakazi kaZakariya. + 2 Waqhubeka enza okulungile emehlweni kaJehova, + njengoba nje uDavide ukhokho wakhe ayenzile. + 3 Ngonyaka wokuqala wokubusa kwakhe, ngenyanga yokuqala, wavula iminyango yendlu kaJehova wayilungisa. + 4 Ngemva kwalokho waletha abapristi namaLevi wabaqoqela endaweni evulekile ngasempumalanga. 5 Wathi kubo: “Ngilaleleni, nina maLevi. Manje zingcweliseni + ningcwelise nendlu kaJehova uNkulunkulu wokhokho benu, nisuse into engahlanzekile endaweni engcwele. + 6 Ngoba obaba abathembekanga futhi benze okubi emehlweni kaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu. + Bamshiyile, baphendula ubuso babo bangalibheka itabernakele likaJehova futhi bamfulathela. + 7 Bavala neminyango yompheme + bacima nezibani. + Bayeka ukushisa impepho + nokunikela imihlatshelo eshiswayo + endaweni engcwele kuNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. 8 Ngenxa yalokho uJehova wamthukuthelela uJuda neJerusalema, + kangangokuba wabenza baba yinto ethuthumelisayo, eshaqisayo neyinhlekisa,* njengoba nje nizibonela nani ngawenu. + 9 Bhekani okhokho bethu bawa ngenkemba, + amadodana ethu, amadodakazi ethu nomkethu bathunjwa ngenxa yalokhu. + 10 Manje kuyisifiso senhliziyo yami ukwenza isivumelwano noJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, + ukuze intukuthelo yakhe evuthayo isuke kithi. 11 Madodana ami, manje akusona isikhathi sokunganaki* ngoba yinina uJehova anikhethile ukuba nime phambi kwakhe ukuze nisebenze njengezikhonzi zakhe + nishunqise nomusi wemihlatshelo yakhe.” +

12 AmaLevi asukuma: uMahati indodana ka-Amasayi noJoweli indodana ka-Azariya kumaKohati; + kumaMerari, + 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; emadodaneni kaJeduthuni, + uShemaya no-Uziyeli. 15 Abe eseqoqela abafowabo ndawonye bazingcwelisa beza, njengoba inkosi yayiyalile ngokwamazwi kaJehova ukuba bahlanze indlu kaJehova. + 16 Abapristi babe sebengena ngaphakathi endlini kaJehova ukuze bayihlanze, bakhipha konke okungcolile abakuthola ethempelini likaJehova bakuyisa egcekeni + lendlu kaJehova. AmaLevi wona akuthatha akukhiphela ngaphandle eSigodini SaseKidroni. + 17 Ngakho baqala ukungcwelisa ngosuku lokuqala lwenyanga yokuqala, ngosuku luka-8 lwenyanga bafika emphemeni kaJehova. + Bangcwelisa indlu kaJehova ngezinsuku ezingu-8, baqeda ngosuku luka-16 lwenyanga yokuqala.

18 Ngemva kwalokho baya eNkosini uHezekiya bathi: “Siyihlanze yonke indlu kaJehova, i-altare lomnikelo oshiswayo + nazo zonke izinto zalo, + netafula lezinkwa ezitakelene *+ nazo zonke izinto zalo. 19 Zonke izinto iNkosi u-Ahazi eyazikhipha ethempelini ekuphambukeni kwayo + ngesikhathi isabusa sizilungisile sazingcwelisa, + ziphambi kwe-altare likaJehova.”

20 INkosi uHezekiya yavuka ekuseni kakhulu yaqoqela ndawonye izikhulu zedolobha, bakhuphukela endlini kaJehova. 21 Baletha izinkunzi eziyisikhombisa, izinqama eziyisikhombisa, amawundlu angamaduna ayisikhombisa nezimpongo eziyisikhombisa kwaba umnikelo wesono wombuso, wendlu engcwele nokaJuda. + Ngakho yatshela abapristi, inzalo ka-Aroni, ukuba banikele ngazo e-altare likaJehova. 22 Babe sebehlaba izinkomo, + abapristi bathatha igazi balifafaza e-altare; + ngemva kwalokho bahlaba izinqama igazi balifafaza e-altare, bahlaba namawundlu angamaduna igazi balifafaza e-altare. 23 Baletha izimpongo zomnikelo wesono phambi kwenkosi nebandla, babeka izandla zabo phezu kwazo. 24 Abapristi bazihlaba benza umnikelo wesono ngegazi lazo e-altare ukuze benzele wonke u-Israyeli isihlawulelo, ngoba inkosi yayithe umnikelo oshiswayo nomnikelo wesono kufanele ube ngowawo wonke u-Israyeli.

25 Phakathi naleso sikhathi yayala ukuba kumiswe amaLevi endlini kaJehova, ephethe amasimbali, izinsimbi zomculo ezinezintambo namahabhu, + ngomyalo kaDavide + nokaGadi + umboni wemibono wenkosi nokaNathani + umprofethi, ngoba umyalo wawuvela kuJehova ngabaprofethi bakhe. 26 Ngakho amaLevi ayemile ephethe izinsimbi zomculo zikaDavide, abapristi bephethe amacilongo. +

27 UHezekiya wayala ukuba kunikelwe umhlatshelo oshiswayo e-altare. + Ngesikhathi umnikelo oshiswayo uqala, kwaqala nengoma kaJehova namacilongo, elandela ukuqondisa kwezinsimbi zomculo zikaDavide inkosi yakwa-Israyeli. 28 Lonke ibandla lakhothama ngesikhathi kuculwa ingoma kukhala namacilongo—konke lokhu kwaqhubeka waze waqedwa umnikelo oshiswayo. 29 Ngokushesha nje lapho beqeda ukwenza umnikelo, inkosi nabo bonke ababekanye nayo bakhothama bawa ngobuso. 30 INkosi uHezekiya nezikhulu batshela amaLevi ukuba adumise uJehova ngamazwi kaDavide + naka-Asafa + umboni wemibono. Ngakho adumisa ngenjabulo enkulu, akhothama awa ngobuso.

31 UHezekiya wabe esethi: “Manje njengoba senihlukaniselwe uJehova, wozani nilethe imihlatshelo neminikelo yokubonga endlini kaJehova.” Ngakho ibandla laqala ukuletha imihlatshelo neminikelo yokubonga futhi wonke umuntu owayenenhliziyo ethandayo waletha iminikelo eshiswayo. + 32 Iminikelo eshiswayo eyalethwa ibandla yaba izinkomo ezingu-70, izinqama ezingu-100, amawundlu angu-200—konke lokhu kwaba umnikelo oshiswayo oya kuJehova +— 33 iminikelo engcwele yayiyizinkomo ezingu-600 nezimvu nezimbuzi ezingu-3 000. 34 Kodwa abapristi babembalwa kakhulu ukuba bangahlinza yonke iminikelo eshiswayo, ngakho abafowabo abangamaLevi babasiza + waze waqedwa umsebenzi nabapristi baze bakwazi ukuzingcwelisa, + ngoba amaLevi ayeqotho* ekuzingcweliseni kunabapristi. 35 Iminikelo eshiswayo nayo yayiminingi kakhulu, + kanye namaqatha anonile emihlatshelo ehlanganyelwayo + neminikelo ephuzwayo yeminikelo eshiswayo. + Yavuselelwa* kanjalo inkonzo yendlu kaJehova. 36 Ngakho uHezekiya nabo bonke abantu bajabula ngalokho uNkulunkulu weqiniso ayekwenzele abantu, + ngoba konke lokhu kwakwenzeke ngokushesha okukhulu.