UHezekiya Ulungiselela Ukunikelelwa Kwabaphristi NabaLevi
1Kwathi ukuba kuphele konke lokhu, u-Israyeli wonke owayelapho waphuma waya emizini yakwaJuda, waphihliza izinsika, wagawula o-Ashera, wadiliza izindawo eziphakemeyo nama-althare wonke kwaJuda, kwaBhenjamini, kwa-Efrayimi nakwaManase, waze wakuqeda konke. Base bonke abantu bakwa-Israyeli bephindela emuva, kwaba yilowo nalowo efeni lakhe, emizini yakubo.
2UHezekiya wabeka abaphristi nabaLevi ngezigaba zabo, kwaba yilowo nalowo ngokomsebenzi wakhe, njengabaphristi nabaLevi beminikelo yokushiswa neyokuthula, ukuba bakhonze, babonge, badumise emasangweni enkambu kaSimakade. 3Isabelo senkosi emfuyweni yayo kwakuba ngesokwenza iminikelo yokushiswa, eyasekuseni neyakusihlwa, iminikelo yokushiswa yamasabatha, eyokwethwasa kwenyanga neyemikhosi emisiweyo, njengokulotshiweyo emthethweni kaSimakade. 4Watshela abantu abayizakhamuzi zaseJerusalema ukuba banikele ingxenye yabaphristi neyabaLevi, ukuze babambelele baqine emthethweni kaSimakade. 5Lathi ukuba leli lizwi lisabalale, abantu bakwa-Israyeli banikela kakhulu ngolibo lokusanhlamvu, olwewayini, olwamafutha, oloju, nolwazo zonke izithelo zamasimu nokweshumi kwakho konke, bakuletha okweshumi kwakho konke lokhu. 6Abantu bakwa-Israyeli nabakwaJuda ababehlala emizini yakwaJuda, baletha nabo okweshumi kwezinkabi nezimvu, nokweshumi kwezinto ezingcwele ezazingcweliselwe uSimakade uNkulunkulu wabo, bakubeka kwaba yizinqwaba ngezinqwaba. 7Ngenyanga yesithathu, baqala ukubeka izinqwaba, kwathi ngenyanga yesikhombisa, baqeda. 8Lapho uHezekiya nezikhulu beza, babona izinqwaba, bambonga uSimakade nabantu bakhe u-Israyeli.
9UHezekiya wabuza kubaphristi nakubaLevi ngezinqwaba. 10Kwaphendula u-Azariya, umphristi omkhulu, wendlu kaZadoki, wathi: “Kusukela ngesikhathi okuqalwe ngaso ukuletha iminikelo endlini kaSimakade, sidle sasutha, futhi sinokuningi kunesikudingayo, ngokuba uSimakade ubabusisile abantu bakhe; yingakho sinalokhu okuningi kangaka okuseleyo.”
11UHezekiya wayaleza ukuba kulungiswe amakamelo endlini kaSimakade, base beyawalungisa. 12Baletha iminikelo yokweshumi nezinto ezingcwele ngokwethembeka, owayebengamele kwakunguKhonaniya, umLevi, uShimeyi, umfowabo, engomesekeleyo. 13UJehiyeli, u-Azaziya, uNahathi, u-Asaheli, uJerimothi, uJozabhadi, u-Eleyeli, uJisimakhiya, uMahathi noBhenaya babengamele ngasohlangothini lukaKhonaniya, uShimeyi, umfowabo, wayekhethwe nguHezekiya, inkosi, no-Azariya owayengumphathi wendlu kaNkulunkulu.
14UKhore, indodana kaJimina umLevi, umlindi wesango elalisempumalanga, wayengamele iminikelo kaNkulunkulu yesihle, ukuze ayabe iminikelo kaSimakade neyezinto ezingcwelengcwele. 15Phansi kwakhe kwakukhona u-Edene, uMiniyamini, uJeshuwa, uShemaya, u-Amariya, noShekhaniya emizini yabaphristi abayaba iminikelo ngokwethembeka kubafowabo, ngokwezigaba zabo, abadala nabancane. 16Ngaphandle kokulotshiwe kwabesilisa ngokwezizukulwane zabo, bababela kusukela kowesilisa oneminyaka emithathu kuya phezulu, nabo bonke ababengena endlini kaSimakade, ngokwemisebenzi yabo, ngokwehlukana kwayo, nangokwezigaba zabo. 17Ukubalwa kwabaphristi kwakuya ngokwezindlu zoyise; abaLevi babebhalwa kusukela kwabaneminyaka engama-20 kuya phezulu, ngokwemisebenzi yabo nezigaba zabo. 18Abaphristi babalwa ngokwezizukulwane zabo nezingane zabo, omkabo, amadodana namadodakazi abo nesixuku sonke, ngokuba bazingcwelisa ngokwethembeka.
19Ozalweni luka-Aroni, abaphristi, ababesemasimini angamadlelo emizi yabo, kwaqokwa amadoda emizini yonke, abizwa ngamagama ayezokwaba izabelo kubo bonke abesilisa phakathi kwabaphristi ababebhalwe ngokozalo lwabo, phakathi kwabaLevi.
20UHezekiya wenza kanjalo kulo lonke elakwaJuda; wenza okuhle, nokulungile, nokuqotho phambi kukaSimakade uNkulunkulu wakhe. 21Kuyo yonke imisebenzi ayiqalayo uHezekiya eyenzela indlu kaNkulunkulu, umthetho nemiyalo, ukuze afune uNkulunkulu wakhe ngenhliziyo yakhe yonke, waphumelela.
