UBizo lukaHezekiya: Buyelani kuBawo wenu

UHezekiya umema onke amaSirayeli, kuquka nasentla, kwipasika ebanjwa ngenyanga yesibini ngenxa yokuba ababingeleli abazingcwalisileyo babembalwa. Abathunywa bakhe bayahlekiswa kweminye imizi, baphulaphulwe kweminye. Abaninzi badla bengazihlambululanga, aze abathandazele—aze uBawo wethu abeve, abaphilise.

Isahluko 30.

UHezekiya wathumela ilizwi kuwo onke amaSirayeli namaYuda, wabhala neencwadi kwaEfrayim nakwaManase, ukuba beze endlwini kaBawo wethu eYerusalem, bazokwenza ipasika kuBawo wethu, uThixo wamaSirayeli. Ukumkani, nabathetheli bakhe, nalo lonke ibandla eYerusalem, babegqibe ukwenza ipasika ngenyanga yesibini; kuba babengenako ukuyenza ngelo xesha, ngenxa yokuba ababingeleli abazingcwalisileyo bambalwa, nabantu babengahlanganiselwanga eYerusalem. Lalunga elo zwi emehlweni okumkani nasemehlweni ebandla lonke, ngoko bathumela isibhengezo kuwo onke amaSirayeli, bethabathela eBher-shebha besa kwaDan, ukuba abantu beze eYerusalem, bazokwenza ipasika kuBawo wethu, uThixo wamaSirayeli; kuba babengayenzanga ndawonye bebaninzi njengoko kubhaliweyo.

Ahamba ke abathunywa kuwo onke amaSirayeli namaYuda, eneencwadi ezivela kukumkani nabathetheli bakhe, ngokomthetho wokumkani, esithi: “Bantwana bakwaSirayeli, buyelani kuBawo wethu, uThixo ka-Abraham, noThixo ka-Isake, noThixo kaSirayeli, ukuze abuyele kuni nina masalela asindileyo, naphepha emandleni ookumkani baseAsiriya. Musani ukuba njengooyihlo nabazalwana benu, abameneza kuBawo wethu, uThixo wooyise, waza wabenza inxowa, njengoko nibonayo. Musani ukuba ngabantamo ilukhuni njengooyihlo; zinikeleni kuBawo wethu, nize engcweleni yakhe, ayingcwalisileyo ngonaphakade, nikhonze uBawo wenu, ukuze ukuvutha komsindo wakhe kusuke kuni. Kuba ukuba nithe nabuya kuBawo wethu, abazalwana benu nabantwana benu baya kufumana imfesane kwababathimbileyo, babuyele kweli lizwe. Kuba uBawo wenu unobabalo unemfesane; akayi kububuyisa umva ubuso bakhe kuni, ukuba nithe nabuya kuye.”

Ahamba ke abathunywa, esuka komnye umzi esiya komnye, ecanda kwaEfrayim nakuManase, esa kwaZebhulon; kodwa abantu babahleka, badlala ngabo. Noko ke, abathile bakwa-Ashere, nakuManase, naZebhulon, bathoba, beza eYerusalem. Kwanesandla sikaBawo wethu saba phezu kwaYuda, siwanike intliziyo enye ukuba benze oko okuyalelwe ngukumkani nabathetheli ngokwelizwi likaBawo wethu.

Kwahlanganisana ibandla elikhulu kakhulu eYerusalem, ukuba benze umthendeleko wezonka ezingenagwele ngenyanga yesibini. Basuka basebenza, bazisusa izibingelelo ezaziseYerusalem, bazisusa nazo zonke izibingelelo zokuqhumisela, bazilahlela emlanjaneni oyiKidron. Bayixhela imvana yepasika ngomhla weshumi elinesine wenyanga yesibini. Ababingeleli nabaLevi badana, ngoko bazingcwalisa, bazisa amadini atshiswayo endlwini kaBawo wethu. Bema ezindaweni zabo ngokwesiko, njengoko kufuna umthetho kaMoses umntu kaThixo; ababingeleli batshiza igazi abalinikwa ngabaLevi. Baninzi ebandleni ababengazingcwalisanga, ngoko abaLevi baba nembopheleleko yokuxhela iimvana zepasika ngenxa yabo bonke ababeziinqambi, ukuze bazingcwalisele kuBawo wethu. Inkitha enkulu yabantu, abaninzi bakwaEfrayim, nakuManase, naIsakare, naZebhulon, babengazihlambululanga, kodwa bayidla ipasika, nangona kungekho njengoko kubhaliweyo. Kodwa uHezekiya wabathandazela, wathi: “Wanga uBawo wethu olungileyo angamxolela wonke ubani, obeka intliziyo yakhe ukuba amfune uBawo wethu, uThixo wooyise, nangona engahlambululwanga ngokomthetho wengcwele.”

UBawo wethu wamphulaphula uHezekiya, wabaphilisa abantu. Benza ke oonyana bakaSirayeli ababeseYerusalem umthendeleko wezonka ezingenagwele imihla esixhenxe bevuya kakhulu; imihla ngemihla abaLevi nababingeleli bamdumisa uBawo wethu ngezixhobo ezivakala kakhulu zidumela kuye. UHezekiya wathetha ngohlobo olukhuthazayo kubo bonke abaLevi ababenobuchule bokumkhonza uBawo wethu. Imihla esixhenxe badla isabelo sabo somthendeleko, benza iminikelo yoxolo, bebulela kuBawo wethu, uThixo wooyise.

Laza ke lonke ibandla lavumelana ukuba lenze umthendeleko kwezinye iintsuku ezisixhenxe, benza ezinye iintsuku ezisixhenxe bevuya. UHezekiya ukumkani wakwaYuda wanika ibandla iinkunzi eziliwaka neegusha ezingamawaka asixhenxe, nabathetheli banika iinkunzi eziliwaka neegusha ezilishumi lamawaka; baza baba baninzi ababingeleli abazingcwalisayo. Lavuya ke lonke ibandla lakwaYuda, kunye nababingeleli, nabaLevi, nalo lonke ibandla elavela kwaSirayeli, nabasemzini abavela ezweni lakwaSirayeli nabo babehleli kwaYuda. Kwabakho uvuyo olukhulu eYerusalem, kuba kwakungazanga kubekho into enje khona kususela emihleni kaSolomon unyana kaDavide, ukumkani wamaSirayeli. Basuka ke ababingeleli nabaLevi basikelele abantu, laza izwi labo laviwa; umthandazo wabo wafika ekhayeni lakhe elingcwele ezulwini.