Isahluko 29
1
UHezekiya waqala ukubusa eneminyaka engamashumi amabili nanhlanu, wabusa iminyaka engamashumi amabili nesishiyagalolunye eJerusalema; igama likanina lalingu-Abiya indodakazi kaZakariya.
2
Wenza okulungile emehlweni kaJehova njengakho konke akwenzileyo uDavide uyise.
3
Ngomnyaka wokuqala wokubusa kwakhe ngenyanga yokuqala wavula izivalo zendlu kaJehova, wazilungisa.
4
Wangenisa abapristi namaLevi, wababutha esigcawini ngasempumalanga,
5
wathi kubo: “Ngizweni nina maLevi; zingcweliseni, niyingcwelise nendlu kaJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise, nikhiphe ukungcola endaweni engcwele.
6
Ngokuba oyihlo baphambukile, benza okubi emehlweni kaJehova uNkulunkulu wethu, bamshiya, baphendula ubuso babo endlini kaJehova, bamfulathela.
7
Bavala nezivalo zompheme, bacima izibani, abashisanga impepho, abanikelanga ngeminikelo yokushiswa endaweni engcwele kuNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.
8
Intukuthelo kaJehova yayisiba phezu kukaJuda neJerusalema, wabanikela baba yisibonelo esibi, nesimangaliso, nento enximfelwayo, njengalokhu nibona ngamehlo enu.
9
Bhekani, obaba bawile ngenkemba, amadodana ethu namadodakazi ethu nawomkethu basekuthunjweni ngenxa yalokho.
10
Manje sekusenhliziyweni yami ukwenza isivumelwano noJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli ukuba ulaka lwakhe oluvuthayo lubuye kithina.
11
Madodana ami, ningadebeseli, ngokuba nina uJehova unikhethile ukuba nime phambi kwakhe, nimkhonze, nibe yizikhonzi zakhe, nishise impepho.”
12
Kwase kusukuma amaLevi: nguMahathi indodana ka-Amasayi noJoweli indodana ka-Azariya emadodaneni amaKohati; emadodaneni kaMerari: nguKishi indodana ka-Abidi no-Azariya indodana kaJehaleli; kumaGereshoni: nguJowa indodana kaZima no-Edene indodana kaJowa;
13
emadodaneni ka-Elisafani: ngoShimri noJehiyeli; emadodaneni ka-Asafa: ngoZakariya noMathaniya;
14
emadodaneni kaHemani: ngoJehiyeli noShimeyi; emadodaneni kaJeduthuni: ngoShemaya no-Uziyeli.
15
Babutha abafowabo, bazingcwelisa, bangena njengesiyalezo senkosi ngamazwi kaJehova ukuba bayihlambulule indlu kaJehova.
16
Abapristi bangena kokuphakathi kwendlu kaJehova ukuba bayihlambulule, nakho konke ukungcola abakufumanisayo ethempelini likaJehova bakukhiphela egcekeni lendlu kaJehova. AmaLevi akuthatha, akukhipha, akuyisa emfudlaneni iKidroni.
17
Baqala ukungcwelisa ngolokuqala lwenyanga yokuqala; ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili lwenyanga bafika emphemeni kaJehova, bayingcwelisa indlu kaJehova ngezinsuku eziyisishiyagalombili; ngosuku lweshumi nesithupha lwenyanga yokuqala baqeda.
18
Base bengena phakathi kuHezekiya inkosi, bathi: “Sihlambulule yonke indlu kaJehova, ne-altare leminikelo yokushiswa, kanye nazo zonke izinto zayo, netafula lezinkwa zokubukwa.
19
Zonke izinto inkosi u-Ahazi eyazilahla ekuphambukeni kwayo isabusa, sizilungisile, sazingcwelisa; bheka, seziphambi kwe-altare likaJehova.”
20
UHezekiya inkosi wayesevuka ekuseni, wabutha izinduna zomuzi, wakhuphukela endlini kaJehova.
21
Baletha izinkunzi eziyisikhombisa, nezinqama eziyisikhombisa, namawundlu ayisikhombisa, nezimpongo eziyisikhombisa, kube ngumnikelo wokona ngombuso nangendlu engcwele nangoJuda. Wayaleza abapristi, amadodana ka-Aroni, ukuba banikele ngakho e-altare likaJehova.
22
Base bezihlaba izinkunzi; abapristi bamukela igazi, bafafaza ngalo i-altare; bazibulala izinqama, bafafaza i-altare ngegazi; bawabulala amawundlu, bafafaza i-altare ngegazi.
23
Base besondeza izimpongo ngenxa yomnikelo wesono phambi kwenkosi nebandla; babeka izandla zabo phezu kwazo;
24
abapristi bazihlaba, benza umnikelo wesono ngegazi lazo e-altare ukuba benzele u-Israyeli wonke ukubuyisana, ngokuba inkosi yayaleza ukuba umnikelo wokushiswa nomnikelo wesono ube ngoka-Israyeli wonke.
25
Wawamisa amaLevi endlini kaJehova ephethe amasimbali, nezingubhu, namahabu njengesiyalezo sikaDavide nesikaGadi umboni wenkosi nesikaNathani umprofethi, ngokuba isiyalezo sasingesikaJehova ngesandla sabaprofethi bakhe.
26
AmaLevi ayesema ephethe izinto zokubethwa zikaDavide, ekanye nabapristi bephethe amacilongo.
27
UHezekiya wayala ukunikela ngomnikelo wokushiswa e-altare. Ngesikhathi sokuqala komnikelo wokushiswa kwaqala nesihlabelelo sikaJehova, namacilongo, kanye nezinto zokubethwa zikaDavide inkosi yakwa-Israyeli.
28
Lonke ibandla lakhuleka, abahlabeleli bahlabelela, abamacilongo babetha; konke kwaqhubeka waze waphela umnikelo wokushiswa.
29
Sebeqedile ukunikela, inkosi nabo bonke ababe nayo bakhothama, bakhuleka.
30
UHezekiya inkosi nezikhulu bawayala amaLevi ukumdumisa uJehova ngamazwi kaDavide nangaka-Asafa umboni. Badumisa ngokuthokoza, bakhothamisa amakhanda abo, bakhuleka.
31
Wayesethatha uHezekiya, wathi: “Senizahlukanisele uJehova; sondelani, nilethe imihlatshelo neminikelo yokubonga endlini kaJehova.” Ibandla laletha imihlatshelo neminikelo yokubonga, nabo bonke abaqhutshwa yinhliziyo evumayo baletha iminikelo yokushiswa.
32
Inani leminikelo yokushiswa elalethwa yibandla laliyizinkunzi ezingamashumi ayisikhombisa, nezinqama eziyikhulu, namawundlu angamakhulu amabili; konke lokhu kwakungokomnikelo wokushiswa kuJehova.
33
Okungcwelisiwe kwakuyizinkabi ezingamakhulu ayisithupha nezimvu eziyizinkulungwane ezintathu.
34
Abapristi babe yingcosana nje, babengenakuhlinza yonke iminikelo yokushiswa; abafowabo amaLevi base bebasiza, waze waphela umsebenzi, nabapristi baze bazingcwelisa, ngokuba amaLevi ayelungele ngezinhliziyo kunabapristi ukuba azingcwelise.
35
Neminikelo yokushiswa yayiminingi kanye namanoni eminikelo yokuthula neminikelo yokuphuzwa yeminikelo yokushiswa. Yayisihleliwe inkonzo yendlu kaJehova.
36
UHezekiya wathokoza kanye nabantu bonke ngenxa yalokho uNkulunkulu ayebalungisele khona abantu, ngokuba leyo nto yavela ingalindelwanga.