2 YEZIGANEKO 19

₁Ke kaloku uYoshafati ukumkani wakwaJuda wabuyela ebhotwe eJerusalem esindile, ₂waza ke wahlangatyezwa yimboni uYehu unyana kaHanani, wathi kukumkani: “Ngaba kulungile ukuba usize isikhohlakali, ubathande abo bamthiyileyo *uNdikhoyo? Ngenxa yesi senzo ke ingqumbo kaNdikhoyo iphezu kwakho. ₃Kambe ke kukho le ndawana ikuthethelelayo, le yokuba wazisusa iintsika zika-Ashera kweli lizwe, waza wena wazimisela ukufunana noThixo.”

₄UYoshafati wahlala eJerusalem, wabuya wahamba-hamba phakathi kwabantu, athi eseBheshebha, abe ekweleentaba zakwaEfrayim. Abantu wababuyisela *kuNdikhoyo uThixo wooyise. ₅Wamisela abagwebi kuzo zonke izixeko ezinqatyisiweyo zakwaJuda. ₆Wathi kubo: “Zigqaleni ngenyameko izinto enizenzayo. Kaloku ezo zigqibo nizenzayo anizenzeli abantu, koko nizenza egameni likaNdikhoyo. Yena ke uhlala enani nanini na nisiwisa isigwebo. ₇Ngoko ke mhloneleni uNdikhoyo. Ze nigwebe ngenyameko, kuba yena uNdikhoyo uThixo wethu akayenzi into engekho mthethweni; akanagobe, yaye ke akanyobeki.”

₈NaseJerusalem ke uYoshafati wamisela abanye abaLevi nababingeleli neentloko zezindlu zakwaSirayeli, ukuze baphuhlise umthetho kaNdikhoyo, balamle iimbambano. Ke babehlala eJerusalem. ₉Wabayalela ngolu hlobo: “Sebenzani ngentembeko nangomxhelo wenu wonke, nimhlonela uNdikhoyo. ₁₀Kumbandela ngamnye oza kuni uphuma kumawenu ahlala ezixekweni (nokuba ngumcimbi wokuphalala kwegazi, okanye izinto eziphathelele emthethweni, imiyalelo, imimiselo, okanye imiqathango ethile) nina balumkiseni bangamoni uNdikhoyo, kungenjalo ingqumbo yakhe yoba phezu kwenu namawenu lawo. Yenzani loo nto ke ukuze ningoni.

₁₁“Umbingeleli omkhulu uAmariya nguye oya kunongamela kwimicimbi ephathelele kuNdikhoyo; kanti ke yena uZebhadiya unyana kaIshmayeli wonongamela kweziphathelele kukumkani. Ke bona abaLevi boba ngabaququzeleli benu. Yomelelani nizimisele! Ngamana ke uNdikhoyo wangakubo bonke abenza okulungileyo.”