Isahluko 24
1
UJowashi wayeneminyaka eyisikhombisa ekuqaleni kwakhe ukubusa; wabusa iminyaka engamashumi amane eJerusalema; igama likanina lalinguSibiya waseBeri Sheba.
2
UJowashi wenza okulungile emehlweni kaJehova zonke izinsuku zikaJehoyada umpristi.
3
UJehoyada wamthathela abafazi ababili; wazala amadodana namadodakazi.
4
Kwathi emva kwalokho kwakusenhliziyweni kaJowashi ukuvusa indlu kaJehova.
5
Wabutha abapristi namaLevi, wathi kubo: “Phumani niye emizini yakwaJuda, niqoqe ku-Israyeli wonke imali yokulungisa indlu kaNkulunkulu wenu iminyaka ngeminyaka, niyisheshise le ndaba.” Kepha amaLevi awasheshanga.
6
Inkosi yayisibiza uJehoyada inhloko, yathi kuye: “Awubizanga ngani kumaLevi ukuba alethe kwaJuda naseJerusalema intela kaMose inceku kaJehova neyebandla lika-Israyeli, ibe ngeyetende lobufakazi na?”
7
Ngokuba amadodana ka-Athaliya, owesifazane lowo omubi, ayeyichithile indlu kaNkulunkulu, nezinto zonke ezingcwele zendlu kaJehova azenza ukuba zibe ngezikaBali.
8
Yayisikhuluma inkosi, benza umphongolo, bawubeka ngaphandle ngasesangweni lendlu kaJehova.
9
Kwase kumenyezelwa kwaJuda naseJerusalema ukuba balethe kuJehova intela uMose inceku kaNkulunkulu ayibeke phezu kuka-Israyeli ehlane.
10
Zonke izikhulu nabo bonke abantu bathokoza, bayiletha, bayiphonsa emphongolweni, baze baqeda.
11
Kwathi ngesikhathi umphongolo owayiswa ngaso ezinduneni zenkosi ngesandla samaLevi, nalapho zibona ukuthi imali iningi, umbhali wenkosi nenduna yompristi omkhulu beza, bawuthulula umphongolo, bawuthatha, bawubuyisela endaweni yawo. Benze njalo imihla ngemihla, baqoqa imali eningi.
12
Inkosi noJehoyada bayinika abenza umsebenzi wenkonzo endlini kaNkulunkulu, baqasha abakhi nababazi ukuvusa indlu kaJehova, nabasebenza ngensimbi nethusi ukuba baqinise indlu kaJehova.
13
Zase zisebenza-ke izisebenzi, zalungisa zaqeda ngezandla zazo, zayimisa indlu kaNkulunkulu ngezilinganiso zayo, zayiqinisa.
14
Sebeqedile baletha imali eseleyo phambi kwenkosi noJehoyada, benza ngayo izitsha zendlu kaJehova, izitsha zokukhonzela nezokunikelela, nezinkezo, nezinye izitsha zegolide nezesiliva. Banikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa endlini kaJehova njalo zonke izinsuku zikaJehoyada.
15
Kodwa uJehoyada waguga, wafa esanelisiwe yizinsuku; wayeneminyaka eyikhulu namashumi amathathu ekufeni kwakhe.
16
Bammbela emzini kaDavide phakathi kwamakhosi, ngokuba wayenze okuhle kwa-Israyeli, nakuNkulunkulu, nasendlini yakhe.
17
Emva kokufa kukaJehoyada kwafika izikhulu zakwaJuda, zakhuleka enkosini; khona inkosi yazilalela.
18
Bayishiya indlu kaJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise, bakhonza o-Ashera nezithombe; uJuda neJerusalema kwehlelwa yintukuthelo ngaleli cala labo.
19
Kepha wathuma abaprofethi kubo ukuba bababuyisele kuJehova; babaxwayisa, kepha kababekanga ndlebe.
20
UMoya kaNkulunkulu wembesa uZakariya indodana kaJehoyada umpristi; wema ngaphezu kwabantu, wathi kubo: “Usho kanje uNkulunkulu, uthi: ‘Neqelani imiyalo kaJehova ukuba ningabi nampumelelo na? Ngokuba nimshiyile uJehova, naye unishiyile nina.’ ”
21
Bamenzela ugobe, bamkhanda ngamatshe ngesiyalezo senkosi egcekeni lendlu kaJehova.
22
UJowashi, inkosi, akakhumbulanga umusa uJehoyada amenzele wona, wabulala indodana yakhe. Ekufeni kwakhe wathi: “UJehova makakubone lokhu, akuphindisele.”
23
Kwathi ngasekupheleni komnyaka impi yase-Aramu yakhuphukela kuye, yafika kwaJuda naseJerusalema, yabhubhisa zonke izikhulu zabantu phakathi kwabantu, yathuma yonke impango yazo enkosini yaseDamaseku.
24
Ngokuba impi yase-Aramu yafika neviyo elincane labantu, nokho uJehova wanikela impi enkulu kakhulu esandleni sabo, ngokuba babemshiyile uJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise. Base bemahlulela uJowashi.
25
Lapho sebemukile kuye ngokuba bamshiya egula kakhulu izinceku zakhe zamenzela ugobe ngenxa yegazi lamadodana kaJehoyada umpristi, zambulala embhedeni wakhe, wafa; bammbela emzini kaDavide, kodwa abammbelanga emathuneni amakhosi.
26
Nampa ababemenzela ugobe: nguZabadi indodana kaShimeyati umAmonikazi noJehozabadi indodana kaShimriti umMowabikazi.
27
Ngamadodana akhe, nangobukhulu bemithwalo phezu kwakhe, nangokuvuswa kwendlu kaNkulunkulu, bheka, kulotshiwe esichasiselweni sencwadi yamakhosi. U-Amasiya indodana yakhe waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.