Chapter 23
1 Wathumela ukumkani; ahlanganiselana kuye onke amadoda amakhulu akwaYuda neYerusalem.
2 Wenyuka ukumkani waya endlwini kaYehova, namadoda onke akwaYuda, nabemi bonke baseYerusalem kunye naye, nababingeleli, nabaprofeti, nabantu bonke, kwathabathela komncinane kwesa komkhulu. Wawalesa ezindlebeni zabo onke amazwi encwadi yomnqophiso eyafunyanwa endlwini kaYehova.
3 Wema ukumkani phezu kwendawo ephakamileyo, wenza umnqophiso phambi koYehova, wokulandela uYehova, nokugcina imithetho yakhe, nezingqino zakhe, nemimiselo yakhe, ngentliziyo yonke, nangomphefumlo wonke, nokuwamisa onke amazwi alo mnqophiso abhaliweyo kule ncwadi; bema ke bonke abantu emnqophisweni lowo.
4 Ukumkani wamwisela umthetho uHilekiya, umbingeleli omkhulu, nababingeleli bolwesibini udidi, nabagcini-mnyango, wokuba bazikhuphe ebhotweni likaYehova zonke iimpahla ezaye zenzelwe uBhahali, noAshera, nomkhosi wonke wezulu. Wazitshisela ngaphandle kweYerusalem emaphandleni aseKidron, uthuthu lwazo walusa eBheteli.
5 Wabaphelisa ababingeleli abangengabo, ababethe ookumkani bakwaYuda babamisela ukuqhumisela ezigangeni, emizini yakwaYuda, nangeenxa zonke eYerusalem; nabaqhumisela kuBhahali, nakwilanga, nakwinyanga, nakwiinkwenkwezi, nakumkhosi wonke wezulu.
6 Wamkhupha uAshera endlwini kaYehova, wamsa ngaphandle kweYerusalem, emlanjaneni oyiKidron, wamtshisela emlanjaneni oyiKidron; bamcola waluthuli; waluphosa uthuli lwakhe phezu kwamangcwaba oonyana babantu.
7 Wazidiliza izindlu zamang’awu ezibe zisendlwini kaYehova, apho amankazana abemlukela khona uAshera iintente.
8 Wabathabatha bonke ababingeleli emizini yakwaYuda, wazenza inqambi iziganga, apho babeqhumisela khona ababingeleli, ethabathela eGebha ase eBher-shebha, wazidiliza iziganga zamasango, ezisekungeneni kwesango likaYoshuwa, umphathi womzi, nezisekhohlo komntu ongena esangweni lomzi.
9 Kodwa ke ababingeleli abo beziganga abenyukanga beze esibingelelweni sikaYehova eYerusalem; banela ukudla izonka ezingenagwele phakathi kwabazalwana babo.
10 Wayenza inqambi iTofete, esemfuleni wakwaBhen-hinom, ukuze kungabikho mntu umcandisa emlilweni kuMoleki unyana wakhe, nokuba yintombi yakhe.
11 Wawasusa amahashe abemiselwe ilanga ngookumkani bakwaYuda, ekungeneni endlwini kaYehova, ngasegumbini likaNetan-meleki umbusi, elibe lingaphandle; wazitshisa neenqwelo zelanga ngomlilo.
12 Nezibingelelo ezibe ziphezu kophahla lwegumbi eliphezulu lika-Ahazi, abazenzayo ookumkani bakwaYuda, nezibingelelo awazenzayo uManase ezintendelezweni zombini zendlu kaYehova, wazidiliza ukumkani, wazikhanda kwakhona, waluphosa emlanjeni oyiKidron uthuli lwazo.
13 Neziganga eziphambi kweYerusalem, ezibe zisekunene kwentaba yolonakaliso, awayethe uSolomon ukumkani wakwaSirayeli wazakhela uAshtoreti, into enezothe yamaTsidon, noKemoshe, into enezothe yamaMowabhi, noMilikom, isikizi loonyana baka-Amon, wazenza inqambi ukumkani.
14 Waziqhekeza nezimiso zamatye, wabagawula ooAshera, wazizalisa iindawo zazo ngamathambo abantu.
15 Kananjalo isibingelelo esibe siseBheteli, isiganga awasenzayo uYarobheham, unyana kaNebhati, owawonisayo amaSirayeli, eso sibingelelo neso siganga wasidiliza; wasitshisa isiganga, wasicola saluthuli; wamtshisa uAshera.
16 Wabheka uYosiya, wawabona amangcwaba abekhona entabeni, wathumela, wawathabatha amathambo emangcwabeni lawo, wawatshisela phezu kwesibingelelo, wasenza inqambi ngokwelizwi likaYehova, awalimemezayo umfo wakwaThixo, owawamemezayo la mazwi.
17 Wathi, Lelani na elaa litye lithe nkqampu ndilibonayo? Athi kuye amadoda aloo mzi, Lingcwaba lomfo wakwaThixo, owavela kwaYuda, wamemeza ezi zinto uzenzileyo kwisibingelelo saseBheteli.
18 Wathi, Myekeni; makangashukunyiswa mntu amathambo akhe. Bawasindisa ke amathambo akhe, namathambo omprofeti owavela kwaSamari.
19 Kananjalo zonke izindlu zeziganga, ezibe zisemizini yakwaSamari, abazenzayo ookumkani bamaSirayeli ukuba bamqumbise uYehova, wazisusa uYosiya; wenza kuzo ngokwezenzo zonke awazenzayo eBheteli.
20 Wababingelela bonke ababingeleli beziganga ababekhona, phezu kwezibingelelo; watshisa amathambo abantu phezu kwazo. Wabuya ke weza eYerusalem.
21 Ukumkani wabawisela umthetho abantu bonke, wathi, Yenzani ipasika kuYehova, uThixo wenu, ngoko kubhaliweyo encwadini yalo mnqophiso.
22 Ngokuba bekungazanga kwenziwe pasika ngokwale pasika, kususela kwimihla yabagwebi ababelawula amaSirayeli, nangemihla yonke yookumkani bakwaSirayeli, nookumkani bakwaYuda.
23 Kwaba ngomnyaka weshumi elinesibhozo wokumkani uYosiya, ukwenziwa kwale pasika kuYehova eYerusalem.
24 Kananjalo ke abaneshologu, noosiyazi, nemilonde-khaya, nezigodo ezizizithixo, neento zonke ezinezothe, ezibe zibonwa ezweni lakwaYuda naseYerusalem, wazitshayela uYosiya, ukuze amise amazwi omyalelo abhaliweyo encwadini abeyifumene uHilekiya umbingeleli endlwini kaYehova.
25 Ngaphambi kwakhe akubangakho kumkani unjengaye, ubuyeleyo kuYehova ngentliziyo yakhe yonke, nangomphefumlo wakhe wonke, nangamandla akhe onke, ngokomyalelo wonke kaMoses; nangasemva kwakhe akuvelanga unjengaye.
26 Akabuyanga noko uYehova ekuvutheni komsindo wakhe omkhulu, umsindo wakhe owavutha kumaYuda, ngenxa yokuqumbisa konke abequmbise ngako uManase.
27 Wathi uYehova, Ndiya kuwasusa namaYuda ebusweni bam, njengokuba ndawasusayo amaSirayeli, ndiwulahle lo mzi ndawunyulayo, iYerusalem le, nendlu le ndathi, Liya kuba kuyo igama lam.
28 Ezinye izinto zikaYosiya, nako konke awakwenzayo, azibhalwanga na encwadini yemicimbi yemihla yookumkani bakwaYuda?
29 Ngemihla yakhe wenyuka uFaro-neko, ukumkani waseYiputa, waya kulwa nokumkani waseAsiriya, emlanjeni ongumEfrati. Wahamba ukumkani uYosiya, waya kumhlangabeza; wambulala eMegido, akumbona.
30 Bamthwala ngenqwelo abakhonzi bakhe, efele eMegido, bamsa eYerusalem, bamngcwabela engcwabeni lakhe. Abantu belizwe bathabatha uYehowahazi unyana kaYosiya, bamthambisa, bamenza ukumkani esikhundleni sikayise.
31 UYehowahazi ubeminyaka imashumi mabini anamithathu ezelwe, ukuba ngukumkani kwakhe; zaba ntathu iinyanga engukumkani eYerusalem. Igama lonina belinguHamutali, intombi kaYeremiya waseLibhena.
32 Wenza okubi emehlweni kaYehova, njengako konke abakwenzayo ooyise.
33 UFaro-neko wamkhonkxa eRibhela, ezweni laseHamati, ukuze angabi ngukumkani eYerusalem. Ilizwe walihlahlisa ikhulu leetalente zesilivere, netalente yegolide.
34 UFaro-neko wamenza ukumkani uEliyakim, unyana kaYosiya, esikhundleni sikaYosiya uyise, waliguqula igama lakhe languYehoyakim. Ke wamthabatha uYehowahazi, weza naye eYiputa; wafela khona.
35 UYehoyakim wayinika uFaro isilivere leyo negolide leyo; kodwa ke walihlahlisa ilizwe ukuba anike imali ngokomlomo kaFaro, elowo ngokuhlahliswa kwakhe. Wabaqhuba abantu belizwe, ukuba bayirhole isilivere negolide, ukuba ayinike uFaro-neko.
36 UYehoyakim ubeminyaka imashumi mabini anamihlanu ezelwe, ukuba ngukumkani kwakhe; waba neminyaka elishumi linamnye engukumkani eYerusalem. Igama lonina belinguZebhuda, intombi kaPedaya waseRuma.
37 Wenza okubi emehlweni kaYehova, njengako konke abakwenzayo ooyise.