2 AmaKhosi 23

¹Inkosi yathumela, babuthela kuyo onke amalunga akwaJuda nawaseJerusalema.

²Inkosi yenyukela endlini kaJehova, bonke abantu bakwaJuda nabo bonke abakhileyo eJerusalema benayo, kanye nabapristi nabaprofethi, yebo, abantu bonke, abancane nabakhulu, yafunda ezindlebeni zabo onke amazwi encwadi yesivumelwano ebifunyenwe endlini kaJehova.

³Inkosi yema ngasensikeni, yenza isivumelwano phambi kukaJehova ukumlandela uJehova nokugcina imiyalo yakhe, nobufakazi bakhe, nezimiso zakhe ngenhliziyo yonke nangomphefumulo wonke ukuqinisa amazwi alesi sivumelwano alotshwe kule ncwadi; bonke abantu basivuma isivumelwano.

⁴Inkosi yayisiyala uHilikiya umpristi omkhulu, nabapristi besigaba sesibili, nabalindimnyango ukukhipha ethempelini likaJehova zonke izinto ezazenzelwe oBali, no-Ashera, nebandla lonke lasezulwini, yazishisa ngaphandle kweJerusalema emasimini aseKidroni, yayisa umlotha wazo eBethele.

⁵Yabasusa abapristi bezithombe amakhosi akwaJuda abamisele ukushisa impepho ezindaweni eziphakemeyo emizini yakwaJuda nanxazonke zeJerusalema, kanye nabashisa impepho kuBali nakulo ilanga nenyanga nezinkanyezi nalo lonke ibandla lasezulwini.

⁶Yakhipha u-Ashera endlini kaJehova, yamkhiphela phandle kweJerusalema, yamyisa ngasemfudlaneni iKidroni, yamshisa ngasemfudlaneni iKidroni, yamcolisisa waba yincushuncushu, yayiphonsa incushuncushu yakhe emathuneni abantu nje.

⁷Yadiliza izindlu zezifebe zethempeli ezazisendlini kaJehova, lapho abesifazane bemelukela khona u-Ashera amatende.

⁸Yakhipha bonke abapristi emizini yakwaJuda, yangcolisa izindawo eziphakemeyo, lapho abapristi bebeshise khona impepho, kusukela eGeba kuze kube seBeri Sheba; yadiliza izindawo eziphakemeyo zasemasangweni asesikhaleni sesango likaJoshuwa umphathimuzi, ezazingakwesokhohlo somuntu ngasesangweni lomuzi.

⁹Kodwa abapristi basezindaweni eziphakemeyo babengenyukeli e-altare likaJehova eJerusalema, kepha badla isinkwa esingenamvubelo phakathi kwabafowabo.

¹⁰Yangcolisa iThofeti elisesigodini sabantwana bakwaHinomu ukuba kungabikho muntu odabulisa indodana yakhe noma indodakazi yakhe emlilweni kuMoloki.

¹¹Yasusa namahhashi amakhosi akwaJuda anikele ngawo kulo ilanga ngasendleleni yokungena endlini kaJehova ngasekamelweni likaNathani Meleki induna yasePariwarimi, yashisa izinqola zelanga ngomlilo.

¹²Ama-altare ayesophahleni lwekamelo eliphezulu lika-Ahazi, elenziwe ngamakhosi akwaJuda, nama-altare enziwe nguManase emagcekeni omabili endlu kaJehova inkosi yawadiliza, yasuka yagijima, yalahla uthuli emfudlaneni iKidroni.

¹³Izindawo eziphakemeyo ezaziphambi kweJerusalema, ngakwesokunene kweNtaba Yokonakala, uSolomoni inkosi yakwa-Israyeli ayezakhele u-Ashitaroti isinengiso samaSidoni, noKemoshi isinengiso sakwaMowabi, noMilkomu isinengiso sabantwana bakwa-Amoni, inkosi yazingcolisa.

¹⁴Yaphahlaza izinsika, yanquma o-Ashera, yagcwalisa izindawo zabo ngamathambo abantu.

¹⁵I-altare elaliseBethele, nendawo ephakemeyo eyenziwe nguJerobowamu indodana kaNebati owonisa u-Israyeli, nalelo altare kanye nendawo ephakemeyo yakudiliza, yayishisa indawo ephakemeyo, yayicolisisa yaba yincushuncushu, yashisa no-Ashera.

¹⁶UJosiya waphenduka, wabona amathuna ayelapho entabeni; wathumela wakhipha amathambo emathuneni, wawashisa e-altare, walingcolisa njengezwi likaJehova alimemeza lowo muntu kaNkulunkulu owamemezela lezi zinto.

¹⁷Wayesethi: “Yitshe lini leli engilibonayo na?” Abantu bomuzi bamtshela bathi: “Yithuna lalowo muntu kaNkulunkulu owavela kwaJuda, wamemezela lezi zindaba osuzenzile nge-altare laseBethele.”

¹⁸Wathi: “Myekeni; mawanganyakaziswa muntu amathambo akhe.” Base beyeka amathambo akhe kanye namathambo alowo mprofethi owavela eSamariya.

¹⁹Nazo zonke izindlu zezindawo eziphakemeyo ezazisemizini yaseSamariya, ezenziwa ngamakhosi akwa-Israyeli acunula ngazo, uJosiya wazisusa, wenza kuzona njengazo zonke izenzo azenzileyo eBethele.

²⁰Wabulala ema-altare bonke abapristi basezindaweni eziphakemeyo ababe lapho, washisa amathambo abantu phezu kwawo, wabuyela eJerusalema.

²¹Inkosi yayisiyala bonke abantu ngokuthi: “Yenzelani uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu iphasika njengokulotshiwe kule ncwadi yesivumelwano.”

²²Ngokuba iphasika elinjalo lalingagcinwanga kusukela emihleni yabahluleli abahlulela u-Israyeli, nasemihleni yonke yamakhosi akwa-Israyeli, nakweyakwaJuda.

²³Kepha ngomnyaka weshumi nesishiyagalombili wenkosi uJosiya leli phasika lenzelwa uJehova eJerusalema.

²⁴Futhi abanamadlozi, nabathakathi, namatherafi, nezithombe, nazo zonke izinengiso ezazibonwa ezweni lakwaJuda naseJerusalema uJosiya wakuqeda ukuba afeze amazwi omthetho alotshwe encwadini uHilikiya umpristi ayifumanayo endlini kaJehova.

²⁵Kwakungekho nkosi phambi kwakhe eyaphendukela kuJehova ngayo yonke inhliziyo yayo nangawo onke amandla ayo njengawo wonke umthetho kaMose, nangasemva kwakhe akuvelanga enjengaye.

²⁶Nokho uJehova akabuyanga ekuvutheni kwentukuthelo yakhe enkulu, intukuthelo yakhe eyavuthela ngakho uJuda, ngenxa yakho konke ukucunula uManase ayemcunule ngakho.

²⁷UJehova wathi: “Naye uJuda ngiyakumsusa ebusweni bami, njengalokho ngisuse u-Israyeli, ngiwulahle lo muzi engawukhethayo, nendlu engasho ngayo ukuthi igama lami liyakuba khona lapho.”

²⁸Ezinye izindaba zikaJosiya nakho konke akwenzayo angithi kulotshiwe encwadini yezindaba zemihla ngemihla yamakhosi akwaJuda na?

²⁹Emihleni yakhe uFaro Nekho inkosi yaseGibithe wenyukela enkosini yase-Asiriya ngasemfuleni u-Ewufrathe; inkosi uJosiya yaya ukuhlangabezana naye; wayibulala eMegido, isanele ukumbona nje.

³⁰Izinceku zayo zayisusa ngenqola eMegido ifile, zayiyisa eJerusalema, zayimbela ethumeni layo. Abantu bezwe bamthatha uJehowahazi indodana kaJosiya, bamgcoba, bambeka inkosi esikhundleni sikayise.

³¹UJehowahazi wayeneminyaka engamashumi amabili nantathu ekuqaleni kwakhe ukubusa, wabusa izinyanga ezintathu eJerusalema; igama likanina lalinguHamuthali, indodakazi kaJeremiya waseLibina.

³²Wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova njengakho konke abakwenzileyo oyise.

³³UFaro Nekho wambopha eRibila ezweni laseHamati ukuba angabe esabusa eJerusalema, wathelisa izwe amatalenta ayikhulu esiliva netalenta legolide.

³⁴UFaro Nekho wambeka u-Eliyakimi indodana kaJosiya inkosi esikhundleni sikaJosiya uyise, waguqula igama lakhe laba nguJehoyakimi, kepha wamsusa uJehowahazi, waze waya eGibithe, wafela khona.

³⁵UJehoyakimi wamnika uFaro isiliva negolide, kepha wathelisa izwe ukuba anike imali njengezwi likaFaro. Wakhiphisa abantu bezwe isiliva negolide, kwaba yilowo nalowo njengentela yakhe ukunika uFaro Nekho.

³⁶UJehoyakimi wayeneminyaka engamashumi amabili nanhlanu ekuqaleni kwakhe ukubusa, wabusa iminyaka eyishumi nanye eJerusalema; igama likanina lalinguZebida, indodakazi kaPhedaya waseRuma.

³⁷Wenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova njengakho konke abakwenzileyo oyise.