Amatjhuguluko alethwa nguJosiya
1UJosiya gade aneminyaka ebunane lokha naba yikosi. Wabusa eJerusalema iminyaka ematjhumi amathathu nanye. 2Wenza okuhle phambi kwakaSomnini, wakhamba eendleleni zakayisemkhulu uDavida, azange aphambukele ngesinceleni namkha ngesidleni.
3Kuthe emnyakeni wobunane wokubusa kwakhe, asesemncani njalo, wathoma ukufuna uZimu kayisemkhulu uDavida. Emnyakeni wetjhumi nambili wokubusa kwakhe wathoma ukuhlwengisa ikwaJuda neJerusalema ngokususa iindunduma, imifanekiso yabo-Atjhera, iinthombembazwa neenthombembunjwa. 4Waqinisekisa bonyana kubhuruzwa ama-aldari waboBhali, kwagawulwa nama-aldari wetjhwalo ebegade angehla kwaboBhalabo. Waphohloza imifanekiso yabo-Atjhera, abosingazimu neenthombembunjwa. Wathatha zoke izintwezo wazephulaphula zaba ziinquqwana wazirhatjha phezu kwamathuna wabagade bazenzela imihlabelo. 5Watjhisa amathambo wabaphristi ema-aldarenabo, ngalokho wahlwengisa ikwaJuda neJerusalema. 6Waphenya amathempedlana asemabhodulukweni wamadorobho wakwaManase, kwa-Efrayimu nakwaSimiyoni ukuyokufika kwaNafitali. 7Wabhuruza ama-aldari, wafahlaza imifanekiso yabo-Atjhera neenthombembazwa bewagawula ama-aldari wetjhwalo aba ziinquqwana kilo loke lakwa-Israyeli. Yeke wabuyela eJerusalema.
8Emnyakeni wetjhumi nabunane wokubusa kwakaJosiya lokha nasahlambulula inarha nethempeli, wathumela uTjhafani umsa ka-Atsaliya noMaseya oyinduna yedorobho noJowarhi umsa kaJowarhazi unobhala wekosi kobana bayokuvuselela ithempeli lakaSomnini.
9Bona baya kuRhilikhiya umphristi omkhulu bamnikela imali egade ilethwe ethempelini lakaZimu. AmaLevi agade abogosa bekabuthelele imali leyo ebantwini bakwaManase, bakwa-Efrayimu, kiyo yoke imisalela yakwa-Israyeli, ebantwini bakwaJuda, bakwaBhenjamini kanye nezakhamuzini zeJerusalema. 10Imali leyo yanikelwa amadoda agade akhethelwe ukutjheja umsebenzi ethempelini lakaSomnini. Amadoda lawo ayinikela iinsebenzi ezazilungisa begodu zivuselela ithempeli, 11okutjho abafuleli nabakhi kobana bathenge amatje abaziweko kanye neengodo zamabalelo namabhaluga malungana nemakho eyafadalaliswa makhosi wakwaJuda.
12Amadoda enza umsebenzi ngokwethembeka. Wona gade eluswe nguJarhathi no-Obadiya amaLevi aziinzukulwana zakaMerari, noZakariya noMetjhulamu iinzukulwana zakaKhehathi. Woke amaLevi agade anekghono lokudlala iinliliso zombhino, 13gade anikelwe umsebenzi wokwelusa abasebenza ngezandla kanye neensebenzi ngokuhlukahlukana komsebenzi. Amanye wamaLevi gade abososiba, abomabhalana nabogosa.
Ukufunyanwa kwencwadi yomthetho
14Kwathi lokha aboTjhafani nabasakhuphela ngaphandle imali egade ingeniswe ngethempelini lakaSomnini, uRhilikhiya umphristi wafumana incwadi yomthetho kaSomnini eyatlolwa nguMosi. 15URhilikhiya wathi kuTjhafani umabhalana: “Ngifunyene nasi incwadi yomthetho ethempelini lakaSomnini.” Wamnikela yona.
16Yeke uTjhafani wathatha incwadi leyo wayisa ekosini, wayibikela wathi: “Iinkhulu zekosami zenze koke ezinikelwe bona zikwenze. 17Ziyikhuphile imali egade ingethempelini lakaSomnini zayinikela iinduna zomsebenzi kanye nabasebenzi.”
18UTjhafani ongumabhalana godu wathi ekosini: “URhilikhiya umphristi unginikele nasi incwadi.”
Wayifundela ikosi. 19Kuthe lokha ikosi nayizwa amezwi womthetho, yadabula izambatho zayo. 20Yakhupha nasi imiyalo ngoRhilikhiya, u-Arhikhamu umsa kaTjhafani, u-Abidoni umsa kaMika, uTjhafani umabhalana nango-Asaya isandla sekosi yathi: 21“Khambani niyosibuzela kuSomnini, mina nemisalela yakwa-Israyeli nakwaJuda, ngokutlolwe encwadini efunyenweko le. Maye, yikulu kangangani itukuthelo kaZimu phezu kwethu ngebanga labobamkhulu abangazange balonde ilizwi lakaSomnini! Azange benze njengokutjho kwakho koke okutlolwe encwadinapha.”
22URhilikhiya nalabo ikosi egade imthume nabo bakhamba bayokubona umphorofidikazi uRhulda ogade amfazi kaTjhalumu umsa kaTokehathi omsa kaRhasira usompherho. URhulda gade ahlala engcenyeni etja yeJerusalema. Kuthe bona bamtjele amezwi kaJosiya 23yena wathi kibo: “Nakhu okutjhiwo nguSomnini uZimu wakwa-Israyeli, ‘Tjelani umuntu onithumele kimi loyo 24bonyana ngithi ngizokwehlisela ihlekelele phezu kwendawo le nebantwini bayo, okutjho woke amanikelela atlolwe encwadini efundwe phambi kwekosi yakwaJuda. 25Ngizokwenza lokhu ngombana bangihlubukile bebatjhisela abosingazimu itjhwalo ukuze bangihlabekise ngazo zoke iinthombe abazenze ngezandla zabo. Yeke ubukhali bami ngizabuthululela endaweni le begodu angeze bacinywa mumuntu.’ 26Ikosi yakwaJuda enithumileko leyo bona nizoyibuzela kuSomnini uZimu, itjeleni naku umyalezo kaSomnini uZimu wakwa-Israyeli uthi, ‘Uwalalele kuhle amezwi wencwadi leyo. 27Ihliziywakho ithintekile wazithoba phambi kwakaZimu lokha nawuzwa lokho akukhulume ngokujamelana nendawo le nabantu bayo. Ngebanga lokuzithoba kwakho phambi kwami bewadabula nezambatho zakho walila phambi kwami, ngithi ngikuzwile.’ Lawa mamezwi kaSomnini uZimu.
28“Begodu uSomnini uZimu wathi, ‘Lokha nangizokubuthelela kiboyihlomkhulu, ngiqinisile bona uzokubulungwa ngokuthula. Amehlwakho akasoze abona yoke ihlekelele engizoyehlisela phezu kwendawo le nebantwini abahlala lapha.’ ”
Yeke bathatha amezwi womphorofidikazi loyo bawasa ekosinabo.
Ukuvuselelwa kwesivumelwano
29Yeke ikosi uJosiya yabiza boke abaphathi bakwaJuda nebeJerusalema. 30Yakhuphukela ethempelini lakaSomnini ikhambisana namadoda wakwaJuda, abantu beJerusalema, abaphristi namaLevi, boke abantu ukusukela kwabakhulu ukuya kwabancani. Wabafundela bona bezwe woke amezwi wencwadi yesivumelwano efunyenwe ngethempelini lakaSomnini. 31Ikosi yajama endawenayo yenza isivumelwano phambi kwakaSomnini uZimu bona izakulandela uZimu nokobana izakulonda imiyalwakhe, iimfuneko neemiso zakhe ngehliziywayo nangomphefumulwayo woke. Ngalokho beyiqinisa bona izakukhamba ngokwamezwi wesivumelwano agade atlolwe encwadinapho.
32Yasuka lapho yayala bona woke umuntu eJerusalema nakwaBhenjamini enze isibopho ngencwadi leyo. Yeke abantu beJerusalema bakwenza lokho ngokukhambisana nesivumelwano sakaZimu, uZimu waboyisemkhulu.
33UJosiya wasusa zoke iinthombembazwa ezinyenyisako kizo zoke iinarha zama-Israyeli, wayala boke ebegade bakhona kwa-Israyeli bonyana balotjhe uSomnini uZimabo. Azange bahluleke ukulandela uSomnini uZimu waboyisemkhulu emihleni yoke yokuphila kwakhe.
