UHezekiya uhlambulula indlu kaBawo wethu

Ngenyanga yakhe yokuqala uHezekiya uphinda azivule iingcango ezavalwa nguyise, aze abaLevi bakukhuphe ukungcola endaweni engcwele. Kubuya iminikelo, namacangci, neehadi, namaxilongo, buze buhlaziywe ubulungiseleli bendlu kaBawo wethu—ngequbuliso, luze luvuye wonke umntu.

Isahluko 29.

UHezekiya waba ngukumkani engominyaka emashumi mabini anesihlanu, waba neminyaka emashumi mabini anesithoba engukumkani eYerusalem. Unina igama lakhe lalinguAbhiya, intombi kaZekariya. Wenza okulungileyo emehlweni kaBawo wethu, njengoko wayenzayo uyise uDavide. Ngomnyaka wokuqala wokuba kwakhe ngukumkani, ngenyanga yokuqala, wazivula iingcango zendlu kaBawo wethu, wazilungisa. Wabangenisa ababingeleli nabaLevi, wabahlanganisela endaweni evulekileyo yasempumalanga. Wathi kubo: “Ndiveni, baLevi! Zingcwaliseni ngoku, niyingcwalise indlu kaBawo wethu, uThixo wooyihlo, nilukhuphe ukungcola endaweni engcwele. Oobawo bethu bameneza, benza okubi emehlweni kaBawo wethu; bamshiya, bazijika ubuso babo endaweni ohlala kuyo uBawo wethu, bamnikela ikhosi. Bazivala neengcango zebhotwe elingaphambili, bazicima izibane, abaqhumisela ngobulawu, abanyusa namadini anyukayo engcweleni kuBawo wethu, uThixo kaSirayeli. Ngenxa yoko wawela phezu kwelakwaYuda neYerusalem umsindo kaBawo wethu, wabenza into yoqhiphulo-mbilini, yento yentsini, neyengcikivo, njengoko nibonayo ngamehlo enu. Kuba oobawo bethu bawa likrele; oonyana bethu, neentombi zethu, nabafazi bethu bathinjelwa oku. Ngoko ke ndithi ndiza kwenza umnqophiso noBawo wethu, uThixo kaSirayeli, ukuze kujike kuthi ukuvutha komsindo wakhe. Bonyana bam, musani ukuyekelela ngoku, kuba uBawo wethu unikhethile ukuba nime phambi kwakhe, nimkhonze, nibe ngabakhonzi bakhe, niqhumisele.”

Besuka ke abaLevi: kumaKehati nguMahati unyana ka-Amasayi, noYoweli unyana ka-Azariya; kumaMerari nguKishe unyana ka-Abhedi, noAzariya unyana kaYehaleleli; kumaGershon nguYowa unyana kaZima, noEdeni unyana kaYowa; koonyana baka-Elitsafan nguShimri noYeheli; koonyana baka-Asafu nguZekariya noMataniya; koonyana bakaHeman nguYehiyeli noShimehi; nakoonyana bakaYedutun nguShemaya noUziyeli. Bahlanganisa abazalwana babo, bazingcwalisa, baya kuyihlambulula indlu kaBawo wethu, njengoko ukumkani wayaleza ngamazwi kaBawo wethu. Bangena ababingeleli endlwini yangaphakathi kaBawo wethu ukuba bayihlambulule, bakhupha konke ukungcola abakufumanayo etempileni kaBawo wethu, bakusa entendelezweni. AbaLevi bakuthwala, bakusa emlanjaneni oyiKidron. Baqala ukungcwalisa ngomhla wokuqala wenyanga yokuqala; ngomhla wesibhozo wenyanga leyo bafika ebhotweni elingaphambili likaBawo wethu. Bayingcwalisa indlu kaBawo wethu iintsuku ezisibhozo, bagqiba ngomhla weshumi elinesithandathu wenyanga yokuqala. Bangena ke kukumkani uHezekiya, bathi: “Siyihlambulule yonke indlu kaBawo wethu, isibingelelo sedini elinyukayo neempahla zaso zonke, netafile yezonka zokubonisa neempahla zayo zonke. ^a Zonke iimpahla awazilahlayo ukumkani uAhazi ngethuba lokumeneza kwakhe engukumkani sizilungisile, sazingcwalisa; nazo zimi phambi kwesibingelelo sikaBawo wethu.”

Unqulo lubuyela endlwini kaBawo wethu

Wavuka kusasa ukumkani uHezekiya, wazihlanganisa izikhulu zomzi, wenyuka waya endlwini kaBawo wethu. Bazisa iinkunzi ezisixhenxe, neenkunzi zezimvu ezisixhenxe, neemvana ezisixhenxe, neenkunzi zeebhokhwe ezisixhenxe, zibe lidini lesono ngenxa yobukumkani, nangenxa yengcwele, nangenxa yelakwaYuda; wabayala oonyana baka-Aron, ababingeleli, ukuba bazinyuse esibingelelweni sikaBawo wethu. Bazixhela iinkunzi; ababingeleli balithabatha igazi, balitshiza esibingelelweni. Baxhela iinkunzi zezimvu, balitshiza igazi esibingelelweni, bandula ukuxhela iimvana, balitshiza igazi esibingelelweni. Bazisa iinkunzi zeebhokhwe zedini lesono phambi kokumkani nebandla, bacinezela ngezandla zabo phezu kwazo. Bazixhela ababingeleli, benza idini lesono ngegazi lazo esibingelelweni ukuba bacamagushele onke amaSirayeli, ngokuba ukumkani wayalela idini elinyukayo nedini lesono ngenxa yawo onke amaSirayeli.

Wabamisa abaLevi endlwini kaBawo wethu, benamacangci, neehadi, nemirhubhe, njengoko wayalezayo uDavide, noGadi imboni kakumkani, noNatan umprofeti; kuba umthetho wawuvela kuBawo wethu ngabaprofeti bakhe. Bema abaLevi beneempahla zengoma zikaDavide, nababingeleli beneempondo zamaxilongo. Wawisa umthetho uHezekiya ukuba kunyuswe idini elinyukayo esibingelelweni; lakuqala, yaqala nayo ingoma kaBawo wethu, kunye namaxilongo neempahla zengoma zikaDavide, ukumkani kaSirayeli. Lonke ibandla laqubuda, iimvumi zivuma ingoma, abavutheli bamaxilongo bevuthela, lada laphela idini elinyukayo.

Lakuphela idini, ukumkani nabo bonke ababelapho kunye naye baqubuda, banqula. Ukumkani uHezekiya nezikhulu babayala abaLevi ukuba badumise uBawo wethu ngamazwi kaDavide noAsafu imboni. Bavuma ngovuyo, baqubuda, banqula.

Wandula uHezekiya ukuthi: “Nizingcwalisile ngoku kuBawo wethu. Sondelani, nizise imibingelelo nemibingelelo yombulelo endlwini kaBawo wethu.” Laza ibandla lazisa imibingelelo nemibingelelo yombulelo; bonke abantliziyo zibaqhubayo bazisa amadini anyukayo. Inani lamadini anyukayo awazisa libandla laba ziinkunzi ezimashumi asixhenxe, neenkunzi zezimvu ezilikhulu, neemvana ezimakhulu mabini, onke ezi zibe lidini elinyukayo kuBawo wethu. Imibingelelo engcwalisiweyo yaba ziinkomo ezimakhulu mathandathu, nempahla emfutshane eyamawaka amathathu. Ababingeleli bebembalwa, bengenako ukuwahlinza onke amadini anyukayo, baza babancedisa abazalwana babo abaLevi, wada wagqitywa umsebenzi, bada bazingcwalisa ababingeleli; kuba abaLevi bebenentliziyo ethe tye ngaphezu kwababingeleli ukuzingcwalisa. Ngaphandle kwamadini anyukayo amaninzi, kwakukho namanqatha amadini oxolo, neminikelo ethululwayo yawo. Waza ke wabuyiselwa umsebenzi wendlu kaBawo wethu. Wavuya uHezekiya nabantu bonke ngoko uBawo wethu wayebalungiselele kona, kuba yenzeke ngesiquphe loo nto.