2 IZikhronike 19

19 ¹UJehoshafati inkosi yakwaJuda wabuyela ngokuphepha endlini yakhe eJerusalema. ²UJehu indodana kaHanani umboni wahlangabeza inkosi uJehoshafati, wambuza wathi: “Kufanele yini usize ababi, uthande labo abazonda uBaba wethu? Ngenxa yalokho, ulaka oluvela kuBaba wethu lukuwe. ³Kodwa, kutholakala okuhle kuwe: ususile izinsika zika-Ashera ezweni, wabeka inhliziyo yakho ukuba ufune uBaba wethu.”

⁴UJehoshafati wahlala eJerusalema, wabuye waphuma phakathi kwabantu, kusukela eBherishebha kuze kufike ezweni lezintaba lakwa-Efrayimi, ebabuyisela kuBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu wawokhokho babo. ⁵Wamisa abahluleli ezweni, kuwo wonke amadolobha anezinqaba akwaJuda, idolobha ngedolobha. ⁶Wathi kubahluleli: “Qaphelani lokho enikwenzayo—anahluleleli abantu kodwa nahlulelela uBaba wethu, futhi unani kuzo zonke izindaba enizinqumayo. ⁷Manje, ukwesaba uBaba wethu makube phezu kwenu. Qaphelani nenze, ngokuba kuBaba wethu akukho ukungalungi, akukho ukukhetha ubuso, akukho ukufumbathisa.”

⁸Nakhona eJerusalema, uJehoshafati wamisa abanye abaLevi, nabaphristi, nezinhloko zezindlu zawoyise zakwa-Israyeli ukuba banikeze isahlulelo sikaBaba wethu, baxazulule izingxabano; babuyela eJerusalema. ⁹Wabayala wathi: “Yenzani kanjalo, ngokwesaba uBaba wethu, ngokuthembeka nangenhliziyo yenu yonke. ¹⁰Noma nini abafowenu abahlala emadolobheni abo beniletha ingxabano—mayelana nokuchitheka kwegazi, noma mayelana nomthetho nomyalo, nezimiso nezinqumo—nibaxwayise, ukuze bangabi necala phambi kukaBaba wethu, baletha ulaka phezu kwenu nabafowenu. Yenzani lokhu, ngeke nibe necala. ¹¹Manje, u-Amariya umphristi omkhulu uniphethe kuzo zonke izindaba zikaBaba wethu; uZebadiya indodana ka-Ishmayeli, umholi wesizwe sakwaJuda, kuzo zonke izindaba zenkosi. AbaLevi bayizikhulu phambi kwenu. Yibani namandla nenze—sengathi uBaba wethu angaba nalabo abenza okuhle.”