2 IINKRONIKE 29

₁UHezekhiya gade aneminyaka ematjhumi amabili nahlanu lokha naba yikosi. Wabusa eJerusalema iminyaka ematjhumi amabili nethoba. Ibizo lakanina gade kungu-Abiya indodakazi kaZakariya. ₂Wenza okuhle phambi kwakaSomnini njengombana kwenza uyisemkhulu uDavida.

₃Ngenyanga yokuthoma yomnyaka wokuthoma wokubusa kwakhe, wavula iminyango yethempeli lakaSomnini bewayilungisa. ₄Wangenisa abaphristi namaLevi, wabahlanganisela ndawonye esirhodlweni esingepumalanga yethempeli, ₅wathi kibo: “Akhese ningilalele nina maLevi! Nje-ke zihlambululeni nicwengise nethempeli lakaSomnini uZimu waboyihlomkhulu. Susani koke okusilapheleko endaweni ecwengileko. ₆Abobaba azange bathembeke; benza ubumbi phambi kwakaSomnini uZimethu, bebamhlubuka. Bafulathela ithaberinakeli lakaSomnini bebakhunyalalisa iintamo zabo. ₇Godu bavala neminyango yamathuri bacima neembani. Azange batjhise itjhwalo namkha benzele uZimu wakwa-Israyeli imihlabelo yokutjhiswa endaweni ecwengileko. ₈Ngalokho itukuthelo kaSomnini yehlela kuJuda neJerusalema. Yabenza baba zizinto zokwesatjwa, indawo yabo yaba marubhi nesiga njengombana nani nizibonela ngamehlwenu ₉bona abobaba babulawa njani ngesabula. Abafazi bethu, amadodana namadodakazethu basekuthunjweni ngalokho. ₁₀Sele ngizimisele ukwenza isivumelwano noSomnini uZimu wakwa-Israyeli ukuze itukuthelwakhe eyesabekako isuke kithi. ₁₁Nje-ke madodanami, ningaliseleli izinto ngombana uSomnini ukhethe nina kobana nize phambi kwakhe nizomlotjha bese nitjhisa netjhwalo.”

₁₂Yeke amaLevi azihlela ngokomsebenzi ngalendlela:

₁₅Kuthe bona bahlanganise abafowabo ababaphristi ndawonye bazihlambulula. Bathoma ukuhlwengisa ithempeli lakaSomnini uZimu njengombana ikosi uHezekhiya beyibatjelile ukuya ngelizwi lakaZimu. ₁₆Abaphristi bangena baya emsamo wethempeli lakaSomnini bonyana balihlwengise. Bakhupha yoke into engakahlambuluki abayifumana ngethempelini lakaSomnini bayisa ngesirhodlweni sethempeli. AmaLevi athatha koke lokho akusa emrhobeni weKidroni.

₁₇Ngelanga lokuthoma lenyanga yokuthoma bathoma ukuhlambulula ithempeli ngaphakathi. Elangeni lobunane lenyanga besele bafikelele emathurini wethempeli. Ngamanye amezwi kwabathatha amalanga abunane kobana bahlwengise ithempeli lakaSomnini ngokwalo. Umsebenzi wokuhlambulula loke ithempeli bawuqeda elangeni letjhumi nantandathu lenyanga yokuthoma.

₁₈Basuka lapho bayokubikela ikosi uHezekhiya bathi: “Sihlambulule loke ithempeli lakaSomnini, sahlambulula i-aldari lomhlabelo wokutjhiswa nazo zoke izitja zalo, netafula lokubeka izikwa ezicwengisiweko nazo zoke izitja zalo. ₁₉Silungise besahlambulula yoke ipahla eyasuswa yikosi u-Arhazi ngokungathembeki kwakhe lokha nasese yikosi. Sikhuluma nje sele iphambi kwe-aldari lakaSomnini.”

₂₀Ngakusasa ngovivi ikosi uHezekhiya yahlanganisa ndawonye zoke iinkhulu zedorobho, yenyukela ethempelini lakaSomnini. ₂₁Baletha iinkunzi ezilikhomba, amaqama alikhomba, iimvana eziduna ezilikhomba neempongo ezilikhomba njengomhlabelo wesono malungana nombuso, indawo ecwengileko kanye noJuda. Ikosi uHezekhiya yayalela abaphristi, iinzukulwana zaka-Aroni kobana bathathe koke lokhu benze ngakho umhlabelo e-aldarini lakaSomnini. ₂₂Yeke bahlaba iinkunzezo, abaphristi bathatha iingazi bazifafaza e-aldarini. Bahlaba amaqama bafafaza iingazi zawo e-aldarini, bahlaba neemvana bafafaza iingazi zazo e-aldarini. ₂₃Kwalethwa iimbuzi zomhlabelo wesono phambi kwehlangano nekosini uHezekhiya, babeka izandla zabo phezu kwazo. ₂₄Abaphristi bahlaba iimbuzezo baletha iingazi zazo e-aldarini kobana zibe mhlabelo wehlambululo kuthethelelwe woke u-Israyeli ngombana uHezekhiya gade athe kwenziwe umhlabelo wokutjhiswa kanye nowehlambululo malungana no-Israyeli woke.

₂₅UHezekhiya wahlela amaLevi ethempelini lakaSomnini aphethe iiwahlo, imihlobohlobo yamaharibha njengombana kwatjho uDavida noGathi umboni wekosi kanye noNathani umphorofidi. Lokhu gade kumyalo kaSomnini awukhuluma ngabaphorofidi bakhe. ₂₆Yeke amaLevi ajama ngendlela yakhona aphethe iinliliswa zakaDavida nabaphristi ngokunjalo baphethe iimporompita zabo.

₂₇UHezekhiya wakhupha umyalo bonyana kwenziwe umhlabelo wokutjhiswa e-aldarini. Kwathi lokha nakuthonywa umhlabelo, kwaliliswa iimporompita bekwathonywa kwabhinelwa uSomnini. Umbhino bewuphekelelwa ziinliliswa zakaDavida ikosi yakwa-Israyeli. ₂₈Yoke ihlangano yakhothama yadumisa, abakhaleli bakhalela, abosomporompita nabo bavuthela bavuthele. Koke lokhu kwaraga njalo bekwaphela ukwenziwa komhlabelo wokutjhiswa. ₂₉Ngemva kobana sele kwenziwe imihlabelo, ikosi nabantu boke agade banayo baguqa balotjha. ₃₀Ikosi uHezekhiya neenkhulu zayo bayalela amaLevi kobana adumise uSomnini ngamezwi kaDavida no-Asafa umboni. Yeke bavuma iingoma zokudumisa ngokujekezela bahloma iinhloko phasi balotjha.

₃₁UHezekhiya wathi: “Njengombana sele nizinikele ekosini nje, yizani nilethe imihlabelo neminikelo yokuthokoza ethempelini lakaSomnini.”

Yeke ihlangano yaletha imihlabelo neminikelo yokuthokoza, nabo boke ebebaneenhliziyo ezivumako baletha imihlabelo yokutjhiswa. ₃₂Isibalo somhlabelo wokutjhiswa owalethwa yihlangano gade uziinkunzi ezimatjhumi alikhomba, amaqama alikhulu neemvana eziduna ezimakhulu amabili. Koke lokhu kwalethwa kuSomnini bona kube mhlabelo wokutjhiswa. ₃₃Iinlwana ezahlukaniselwa bona zibe mhlabelo zafikelela emakhulwini asithandathu weenkunzi kanye neenkulungwana ezintathu zezimvu neembuzi. ₃₄Abaphristi gade bambalwa khulu bonyana bangahlinza yoke imihlabelo yokutjhiswa. Yeke basizwa bafowabo amaLevi bekwaphela woke umsebenzi. AmaLevi asiza kwaphela kufikela lapha abaphristi abanye bazihlambulula khona. (AmaLevi gade akutjheje khulu ukuzihlambulula kunabaphristi.) ₃₅Ngaphezu kwemihlabelo yokutjhiswa eminengi, abaphristi bekufuze basebenze ngamafutha wemihlabelo yetjhebiswano kanye neminikelo yeenselo ekhambisana nemihlabelo yokutjhiswa.

Ngaleyondlela umsebenzi wethempeli lakaSomnini wavuselelwa. ₃₆UHezekhiya nabo boke abantu bathokoza ngalokho uSomnini akwenzela abantu bakhe ngombana ukuvuselelwa kwethempeli kwabafikela bangakalindeli.