2 IZikhronike 24

24 ¹UJowashi waba yinkosi eneminyaka eyisikhombisa, wabusa iminyaka engamashumi amane eJerusalema. Unina uZibiya wayevela eBheri Sheba. ²UJowashi wenza okulungileyo emehlweni kaBaba wethu zonke izinsuku zikaJehoyada umpristi. ³UJehoyada wamkhethela abafazi ababili, uJowashi waba namadodana namadodakazi.

⁴Emva kwesikhathi, uJowashi wabeka inhliziyo yakhe ekuvuseleleni indlu kaBaba wethu. ⁵Wabutha abapristi namaLevi, wathi kubo: “Hambani emizini yakwaJuda, niqoqe imali kubo bonke abo-Israyeli minyaka yonke ukuze nilungise indlu kaBaba wenu—sheshani.” Kodwa amaLevi awasheshanga. ⁶Inkosi yabiza uJehoyada umpristi omkhulu, yathi: “Kungani ungawatshelanga amaLevi ukuba alethe intela evela kwaJuda naseJerusalema, leyo uMose, inceku kaBaba wethu, nebandla abayibeka phezu kuka-Israyeli ngenxa yetende lobufakazi?” ^a a v6 Itende lobufakazi laliyindlu engcwele eyayithuthwa yabo-Israyeli ehlane, iThabhanakele. ⁷Amadodana ka-Athaliya, lowo wesifazane omubi, agqekeza indlu kaBaba wethu, aze asebenzisa zonke izinto ezingcwele zendlu kaBaba wethu ekukhonzeni oBhali.

⁸Ngokomyalo wenkosi, benza umphongolo, bawubeka ngaphandle kwesango lendlu kaBaba wethu. ⁹Bamemezela kwaJuda naseJerusalema ukuthi: lethani kuBaba wethu intela uMose, inceku kaBaba wethu, ayibeka phezu kuka-Israyeli ehlane. ¹⁰Zonke izikhulu nabantu bonke bajabula, baletha, baphonsa iminikelo yabo emphongolweni waze wagcwala. ¹¹Njalo lapho amaLevi eletha umphongolo ezikhulwini zenkosi, bewubona ugcwele imali, unobhala wenkosi nenduna yompristi omkhulu bawuthulula, bawubuyisela endaweni yawo. Insuku zonke baqoqa imali eningi. ¹²Inkosi noJehoyada bayinika izisebenzi zendlu kaBaba wethu, ezaqasha ababazi bamatshe nababazi bezingodo ukuba bayivuselele, nezisebenzi zensimbi nezethusi ukuba zilungise indlu kaBaba wethu. ¹³Izisebenzi zasebenza; umsebenzi wokulungisa waqhubeka ngezandla zazo. Bayibuyisela indlu kaBaba wethu esimweni sayo, bayiqinisa. ¹⁴Lapho sebeqedile, baletha imali eseleyo enkosini noJehoyada, benza ngayo izinto zendlu kaBaba wethu: izitsha zenkonzo nezomnikelo wokushiswa, izindishi, izitsha zegolide nezesiliva. Banikela iminikelo yokushiswa endlini kaBaba wethu njalonjalo, zonke izinsuku zokuphila kukaJehoyada.

¹⁵UJehoyada waguga, wagcwala iminyaka, wayesefa; ekufeni kwakhe wayeneminyaka eyikhulu namashumi amathathu. ¹⁶Bammbela eMzini kaDavide phakathi kwamakhosi, ngokuba enza okuhle kwa-Israyeli kuBaba wethu nasendlini yakhe.

UJowashi Ushiya uBaba wethu Emva Kokufa kukaJehoyada

¹⁷Emva kokufa kukaJehoyada, izikhulu zakwaJuda zeza zakhothama enkosini, yazilalela. ¹⁸Bayishiya indlu kaBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu wawokhokho babo, bakhonza izinsika zika-Ashera nezithombe—ngakho intukuthelo yehlela phezu kukaJuda naseJerusalema ngenxa yaleli cala. ¹⁹Nokho uBaba wethu wathumela kubo abaprofethi ukuba bababuyisele kuye; babaxwayisa, kodwa abavumanga ukulalela.

²⁰UMoya kaBaba wethu wehlela phezu kukaZakariya indodana kaJehoyada umpristi. Wema phambi kwabantu, wathi: “Usho kanje uBaba wethu: Kungani niseqa imiyalo yakhe? Ngeke niphumelele—nimshiyile, ngakho uyanishiya.”

²¹Bamenzela uzungu, bamkhanda ngamatshe egcekeni lendlu kaBaba wethu ngomyalo wenkosi. ²²INkosi uJowashi wakhohlwa umusa uJehoyada uyise kaZakariya ayemenzele wona, wabulala indodana yakhe. Lapho uZakariya esafa wathi: “UBaba wethu makakubone, akubize.”

Isahlulelo sikaBaba wethu Sehlela uJowashi Ongathembekile

²³Ekuguqukeni konyaka, impi yase-Aramu yahlasela uJowashi, yangena kwaJuda naseJerusalema, yabulala zonke izikhulu zabantu, yathumela yonke impango yazo enkosini yaseDamaseku. ²⁴Noma impi yase-Aramu yafika namadoda ambalwa, uBaba wethu wanikela impi enkulu kakhulu esandleni sayo, ngokuba uJuda emshiyile uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu wawokhokho babo. Ngakho isahlulelo sehlela phezu kukaJowashi.

²⁵Lapho ama-Aramu esuka, emshiya elimele kabi, izinceku zakhe zamenzela uzungu ngenxa yegazi lendodana kaJehoyada umpristi, zambulala embhedeni wakhe. Wafa, wambelwa eMzini kaDavide, kodwa hhayi emathuneni amakhosi. ²⁶Labo abamenzela uzungu: uZabadi indodana kaShimeyati, owesifazane wakwa-Amoni, noJehozabadi indodana kaShimriti, owesifazane wakwaMowabi. ²⁷Amadodana akhe, iziprofetho eziningi ngaye, nokwakhiwa kabusha kwendlu kaBaba wethu, kulotshiwe eNcwadini yencazelo yamaKhosi; indodana yakhe u-Amasiya wabusa esikhundleni sakhe.