2 IZikhronike 23

23 ¹Ngonyaka wesikhombisa uJehoyada waqunga isibindi, wenza isivumelwano nezinduna zamakhulu—u-Azariya indodana kaJerohamu, u-Ishmayeli indodana kaJehohanani, u-Azariya indodana ka-Obede, uMahaseya indodana ka-Adaya, no-Elishafati indodana kaZikiri. ²Bahamba bedabula kwaJuda, baqoqa amaLevi emizini yonke yakhona nezinhloko zemindeni yakwa-Israyeli, bafika eJerusalema. ³Lonke ibandla lenza isivumelwano nenkosi endlini kaBaba wethu. UJehoyada wathi kubo: “Bhekani, indodana yenkosi iyakubusa, njengoba uBaba wethu athembisa ngamadodana kaDavide. ⁴Yenzani lokhu: ingxenye yesithathu yenu—abapristi namaLevi abangena ngeSabatha—bayakuba abalindisango eminyango. ⁵Ingxenye yesithathu endlini yenkosi, ingxenye yesithathu eSangweni leSisekelo, bonke abantu emagcekeni endlu kaBaba wethu. ⁶Makungangeni muntu endlini kaBaba wethu ngaphandle kwabapristi namaLevi akhonzayo; bona bangangena, ngokuba bangcwele. Bonke abanye mabagcine umlindo kaBaba wethu. ⁷AmaLevi kumele azungeze inkosi, kube ngulowo nalowo ephethe isikhali esandleni sakhe; noma ngubani ongena endlini uyakubulawa. Hlalani nenkosi noma ikuphi lapho ingena iphuma khona.”

⁸AmaLevi noJuda wonke benza khona kanye njengoba uJehoyada umpristi ayala. Ngulowo nalowo wathatha amadoda akhe—labo ababengena emsebenzini ngeSabatha kanye nalabo abaphumayo—ngokuba uJehoyada umpristi akazange ayekise amaqembu. ⁹UJehoyada umpristi wanika izinduna zamakhulu imikhonto nezihlangu ezinkulu nezincane zenkosi uDavide, okwakugcinwe endlini kaBaba wethu. ¹⁰Wabeka bonke abantu, kube ngulowo nalowo ephethe isikhali esandleni sakhe, kusukela ohlangothini lwaseningizimu lwethempeli kuze kube ohlangothini lwasenyakatho, bezungeze i-altare, nethempeli, nenkosi. ¹¹Bakhipha indodana yenkosi, bayifaka umqhele, bayinika umthetho wesivumelwano, bayibeka inkosi. UJehoyada namadodana akhe bayigcoba bamemeza bathi: “Mayiphile inkosi!” ^a a v11 Ubufakazi babuyikhophi yomthetho wesivumelwano sikaBaba wethu, obabekwa ezandleni zenkosi entsha njengophawu lokuthi yabusa ngaphansi kwegunya likaBaba wethu, hhayi elayo.

Indlu kaBaba wethu Ixosha Indlovukazi Ephange Ubukhosi

¹²Lapho u-Athaliya ezwa umsindo wabantu abagijimayo bedumisa inkosi, weza kubo endlini kaBaba wethu. ¹³Wabuka—nangu inkosi imi ngasensikeni yakhe ngasemnyango, izikhulu nabashayi bamacilongo beseceleni kwayo, bonke abantu bezwe bethaba beshaya amacilongo, nabahlabeleli bephethe iziginci behola udumo. U-Athaliya wadabula izingubo zakhe wamemeza wathi: “Uvukelo! Uvukelo!”

¹⁴UJehoyada umpristi wabiza izinduna zamakhulu ezaziphethe impi, wathi: “Mkhipheni phakathi kwemigqa; nize nibulale ngenkemba noma ngubani omlandelayo.” Ngokuba umpristi wayethe: “Ningambulaleli endlini kaBaba wethu.” ¹⁵Bambamba; kwathi lapho efika ngasemnyango weSango laMahhashi ngasendlini yenkosi, bambulalela khona lapho.

UJehoyada Uvuselela Isivumelwano Nendlu kaBaba wethu

¹⁶UJehoyada wenza isivumelwano phakathi kwakhe, nabantu bonke, nenkosi, sokuthi babe ngabantu bakaBaba wethu. ¹⁷Bonke abantu baya ethempelini likaBhali bayalidiliza, bawaphahlaza ama-altare awo nezithombe zawo, bambulala uMathani umpristi kaBhali phambi kwama-altare. ¹⁸UJehoyada wabeka abapristi abangamaLevi ukuba baphathe indlu kaBaba wethu, uDavide ayebabele khona, ukuba banikele iminikelo yokushiswa kuBaba wethu, njengoba kulotshiwe emthethweni kaMose, ngenjabulo nangengoma njengoba uDavide ayeyalile. ¹⁹Wabeka abalindisango emasangweni endlu kaBaba wethu ukuze kungangeni muntu ongcolileyo nganoma iyiphi indlela. ²⁰Wathatha izinduna zamakhulu, nezikhulu, nababusi babantu, nabo bonke abantu bezwe, wayehlisa inkosi isuka endlini kaBaba wethu, idabula iSango eliphezulu ingena endlini yenkosi, wayihlalisa esihlalweni sobukhosi. ²¹Bonke abantu bezwe bathaba, umuzi wathula, ngokuba u-Athaliya wabulawa ngenkemba.