2 Chronicles 29

UHezekhiya Uhlambulula Ithempeli

1UHezekhiya wayeleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lemihlanu ubudala ethatha ubukhosi, njalo wabusa eJerusalema okweminyaka engamatshumi amabili laficamunye. Ibizo likanina lalingu-Abhija indodakazi kaZekhariya. 2Wenza ukulunga phambi kukaJehova, njengalokho okwenziwa nguyise uDavida.

3Ngenyanga yakuqala ngomnyaka wakuqala wokubusa kwakhe, wavula iminyango yethempeli likaJehova wayilungisa. 4Wamema abaphristi kanye labaLevi, wababuthanisa egumeni eliseceleni langempumalanga 5wathi: “Lalelani kimi, lina baLevi! Zihlambululeni khathesi njalo lihlambulule lethempeli likaJehova, uNkulunkulu waboyihlo. Lisuse amanyala endaweni engcwele. 6Obaba babengathembekanga; benza okubi emehlweni kaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu bamdela. Indawo kaJehova bayincitsha ubuso bakhangela eceleni njalo bamfulathela uJehova. 7Bavala njalo izivalo zomphempe bacitsha izibane. Abazange batshise imphepha njalo kabalethanga iminikelo yokutshiswa endaweni engcwele kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. 8Ngakho ulaka lukaJehova selwehlele phezu kwabakoJuda laphezu kwabaseJerusalema; uJehova usebenze besabeka, bathuthumelisa baba yinto yokweyiswa, njengoba lizibonela ngawenu amehlo. 9Lokhu sekubangele ukubulawa kwabo ngenkemba njalo lokuthi amadodana lamadodakazi labomkethu babe sekuthunjweni. 10Khathesi ngifuna ukwenza isivumelwano loJehova, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ukuze ulaka lwakhe oluvuthayo lusidedele. 11Madodana ami, kalingabi ngabangananziyo ngoba uJehova uselikhethile lina ukuma phambi kwakhe limkhonze, limsebenzele lokutshisa impepha.”

12Ngakho laba abaLevi bahle baqalisa umsebenzi: KwabakaKhohathi, uMahathi indodana ka-Amasayi loJoweli indodana ka-Azariya; kwabakaMerari, uKhishi indodana ka-Abhidi lo-Azariya indodana kaJehaleleli; kwabakaGeshoni, uJowa indodana kaZima lo-Edeni indodana kaJowa;

13kwabosendo luka-Elizafani kunguShimiri loJeyiyeli; kwabosendo luka-Asafi, kunguZekhariya loMathaniya; kwabosendo lukaHemani, kunguJehiyeli loShimeyi;

14kwabosendo lukaJeduthuni, kunguShemayiya lo-Uziyeli.

15Bathi sebebuthanise abafowabo bazihlambulula bona, bangena ukuyahlambulula ithempeli likaJehova, njengokuqondisa kwenkosi, eyayilandela ilizwi likaNkulunkulu. 16Abaphristi bangena endaweni engcwele kaJehova ukuba bayeyihlambulula. Konke okwakungcolile ethempelini likaJehova bakukhuphela egumeni lethempeli likaJehova. AbaLevi bakuthwala baya lakho eSigodini saseKhidroni. 17Baqalisa ukwahlukanisela ngosuku lwakuqala lwenyanga yakuqala, kwathi ngosuku lweficamibili lwenyanga bafika emphempeni kaJehova. Ngezinsuku ezilandelayo ezificamibili bangcwelisa ithempeli likaJehova uqobo, baze baqeda ngosuku lwetshumi lesithupha lwenyanga yakuqala.

18Basebengena enkosini uHezekhiya ukuba bayembikela bathi: “Sesilihlambulule lonke ithempeli lika-Jehova, le-alithare lomnikelo wokutshiswa lezitsha zalo zonke, kanye lethala lokwendlalela isinkwa esingcwelisiweyo kanye lazo zonke izimpahla zakhona. 19Sesilungise sangcwelisa zonke izitsha ezasuswa yinkosi u-Ahazi ngokungathembeki kwakhe eseseyinkosi. Khathesi seziphambi kwe-alithare likaJehova.”

20Ekuseni ngosuku olulandelayo inkosi uHezekhiya wabuthanisa izikhulu zedolobho ndawonye wasesiya ethempelini likaJehova.

21Baletha izinkunzi eziyisikhombisa, lezinqama eziyisikhombisa, lamazinyane ezimvu amaduna ayisikhombisa kanye lezimbuzi ezinduna eziyisikhombisa kungumnikelo wesono sombuso, lesendlu yokukhonzela kanye lesikaJuda. Inkosi yalaya abaphristi, abenzalo ka-Aroni, ukunikela ngalokho e-alithareni likaJehova. 22Ngakho babulala izinkunzi, abaphristi bathatha igazi bachela ngalo ealithareni; kwalandela izinqama abazibulala bachela igazi lazo e-alithareni; basebebulala amazinyane ezimvu bachela igazi lawo ealithareni.

23Izimbuzi zomnikelo wesono zalethwa phambi kwenkosi laphambi kwebandla, babeka izandla zabo phezu kwazo.

24Abaphristi basebebulala imbuzi baletha igazi lazo e-alithareni kungumnikelo wesono ukuze kwenzelwe wonke u-Israyeli indlela yokubuyisana, ngoba inkosi yayilaye ukuthi kube lomnikelo wokutshiswa lomnikelo wesono kunikelelwa wonke u-Israyeli.

25AbaLevi yababeka phakathi kwethempeli likaJehova belezigubhu, lamachacho lemihubhe njengalokho okwakumiswe nguDavida loGadi umboni wenkosi loNathani umprofethi; lokhu kwakungumlayo kaJehova oweza ngabaphrofethi bakhe. 26Ngakho abaLevi balinda belamachacho kaDavida, abaphristi belamacilongo.

27UHezekhiya wakhupha isiqondiso sokuba kwenziwe umhlatshelo wokutshiswa ealithareni. Kuthe kuqalisa umnikelo, ukuhlabelela uJehova lakho kwaqalisa, kwahamba kanyekanye lamacilongo kanye lamachacho kaDavida inkosi yako-Israyeli.

28Ibandla lonke lakhothama lakhonza, abahlabeleli behlabela labamacilongo bewavuthela. Konke lokhu kwaqhubeka kwaze kwaphela umhlatshelo wokutshiswa.

29Ngemva kokuphela kweminikelo inkosi labo bonke ababekhona baguqa bakhonza.

30Inkosi uHezekhiya lezikhulu zayo yatshela abaLevi ukuba badumise uJehova ngamazwi kaDavida kanye laka-Asafi umboni. Ngakho badumisa ngokuhlabelela ngenjabulo bakhothamisa amakhanda abo bakhonza.

31UHezekhiya wasesithi, “Selizinikele kuJehova khathesi. Wozani lilethe imihlatshelo leminikelo yokubonga ethempelini likaJehova. Ngakho ibandla laletha imihlatshelo leminikelo, yokubonga, njalo ababelezinhliziyo ezivumayo baletha iminikelo yokutshiswa.

32Inani leminikelo yokutshiswa eyalethwa libandla kwakuyizinkunzi ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa, izinqama ezilikhulu lamazinyane amaduna ezimvu angamakhulu amabili – konke kungokomnikelo wokutshiswa kuJehova. 33Izifuyo ezahlukaniselwa ukuba ngumhlatshelo kwakuyizinkunzi ezingamakhulu ayisithupha lezimvu lezimbuzi ezizinkulungwane ezintathu.

34Kodwa, abaphristi babebalutshwana kakhulu ekuhlinzeni ezomnikelo wokutshiswa; ngakho basebencediswa ngabafowabo abaLevi waze waphela umsebenzi njalo abanye abaphristi baze bangcweliswa ngoba abaLevi babekunanzelele kakhulu ukuzingcwelisa kulabaphristi. 35Umnikelo wokutshiswa wawumnengi, kanye lamafutha omnikelo wobudlelwano kanye lomnikelo wokunathwayo okwakuhambelana lomnikelo wokutshiswa. Ngakho lokhu kwaba yikuvuselelwa kwenkonzo ethempelini likaJehova.

36UHezekhiya labo bonke abantu bajabula ngababekuphiwe nguNkulunkulu ekwenzela abantu bakhe, ngoba kwakwenzakale ngokuphangisa.