Isimemo sikaHezekiya: Buyelani kuBaba wenu
UHezekiya umema wonke u-Israyeli, kuhlanganise nasenyakatho, ePhasikeni eligcinwa ngenyanga eyodwa sekwedlule isikhathi ngoba abapristi ababekulungele babembalwa kakhulu. Izithunywa zakhe ziyahlekwa kweminye imizi, zilalelwe kweminye. Abaningi badla bengahlanziwe, futhi uyabathandazela — futhi uBaba wethu uyezwa abaphilise.
30 1UHezekiya wathumela izwi kuwo wonke u-Israyeli noJuda, wabhalela u-Efrayimi noManase izincwadi, ukuba beze endlini kaBaba wethu eJerusalema ukugubha iPhasika likaBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli. 2Inkosi, izikhulu zayo, nebandla lonke eJerusalema base benqumile ukugubha iPhasika ngenyanga yesibili, 3ngokuba babengakwazanga ukuligubha ngaleso sikhathi, ngoba abapristi ababezingcwelisile babebalwa kakhulu, nabantu babengakabuthani eJerusalema. 4Lelo cebo labonakala lilungile enkosini nasebandleni lonke, 5ngakho bamemezela kuwo wonke u-Israyeli, kusukela eBherishebha kuze kube seDani, ukuba abantu beze eJerusalema ukugubha iPhasika likaBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli; ngokuba babengakaligubhi bendawonye bebaningi njengoba kulotshiwe.
6Izigijimi zahamba kuwo wonke u-Israyeli noJuda zinezincwadi ezivela enkosini nasezikhulwini zayo, njengokuyalwa yinkosi: “Bantwana bakwa-Israyeli, buyelani kuBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu ka-Abhrahama, no-Isaka, no-Israyeli, ukuze abuyele kinsali yenu enisindile naphunyuka emandleni amakhosi ase-Asiriya. 7Ningabi njengoyihlo nabafowenu, ababengathembekile kuBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu kawoyise, waze wabenza incithakalo, njengoba nibona. 8Ningabi nenkani njengoyihlo; zinikeleni kuBaba wethu, nize endlini yakhe engcwele, ayingcwelisela phakade, nikhonze uBaba wenu, ukuze intukuthelo yakhe evuthayo isuke kini. 9Ngokuba uma nibuyela kuBaba wethu, abafowenu nabantwana benu bayokwemukelwa ngesihawu yilabo ababathumbile, babuyele kuleli zwe. Ngokuba uBaba wenu unomusa nesihawu; ngeke abufulathelise ubuso bakhe kini uma nibuyela kuye.”
10Izigijimi zadabula imizi ngemizi kwa-Efrayimi nakwaManase kuze kube kwaZebuloni, kodwa abantu babahleka babaklolodela. 11Noma kunjalo, abanye bakwa-Asheri, noManase, noZebuloni bazithoba beza eJerusalema. 12Nesandla sikaBaba wethu sasiphezu kukaJuda, sibanika inhliziyo inye ukuba benze lokho inkosi nezikhulu ezakuyalayo ngezwi likaBaba wethu.
13Kwabuthana eJerusalema ibandla elikhulu kakhulu ukuba ligubhe uMkhosi weziNkwa eziNgenamvubelo ngenyanga yesibili. 14Basukuma basebenza, bakhipha ama-altare ayeseJerusalema, basusa wonke ama-altare empepho, bawalahla esigodini saseKidroni. 15Bahlaba iwundlu lePhasika ngosuku lweshumi nane lwenyanga yesibili. Abapristi namaLevi baba namahloni, bazingcwelisa baletha iminikelo yokushiswa endlini kaBaba wethu. 16Bema ezindaweni zabo ngokwesiko, njengokufuna koMthetho kaMose umuntu kaNkulunkulu; abapristi bafafaza igazi amaLevi abaliqhubela. 17Abaningi ebandleni babengazingcwelisanga, ngakho amaLevi aba nomsebenzi wokuhlabela wonke ongcolileyo amawundlu ePhasika, ukuze bangcweliselwe kuBaba wethu. 18Isixuku esikhulu sabantu, abaningi bevela kwa-Efrayimi, noManase, no-Isakare, noZebuloni, babengazihlambululanga, kodwa badla iPhasika, nakuba kungenjengoba kulotshiwe. Kepha uHezekiya wabakhulekela wathi: “Sengathi uBaba wethu olungileyo angathethelela wonke umuntu, 19obeka inhliziyo yakhe ukufuna uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu kawoyise, nakuba engahlambulukile ngokwemithetho yendlu engcwele.”
20UBaba wethu wamlalela uHezekiya, wabaphulukisa abantu. 21Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ababeseJerusalema bagubha uMkhosi weziNkwa eziNgenamvubelo izinsuku eziyisikhombisa ngenjabulo enkulu, imihla ngemihla amaLevi nabapristi badumisa uBaba wethu ngezinsimbi ezinkulu ezazikhala kuye. 22UHezekiya wakhuluma amazwi akhuthazayo kuwo wonke amaLevi ayenekhono ekukhonzeni uBaba wethu. Izinsuku eziyisikhombisa badla isabelo sabo somkhosi, benikela iminikelo yokuthula bebonga uBaba wethu, uNkulunkulu kawoyise.
23Base belivumelana lonke ibandla ukuba ligubhe umkhosi ezinye izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, bawugubha ezinye izinsuku eziyisikhombisa ngenjabulo. 24UHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda wanika ibandla izinkunzi eziyinkulungwane nezimvu eziyizinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa, nezikhulu zanika izinkunzi eziyinkulungwane nezimvu eziyizinkulungwane eziyishumi, abapristi abaningi bazingcwelisa. 25Lonke ibandla lakwaJuda lajabula, kanye nabapristi, namaLevi, nebandla lonke elavela kwa-Israyeli, nabafokazi abavela ezweni lakwa-Israyeli nalabo ababehlala kwaJuda. 26Injabulo enkulu yagcwala eJerusalema, ngokuba kwakungazange kwenzeke okunjengalokhu lapho kusukela ezinsukwini zikaSolomoni indodana kaDavide, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli. 27Abapristi namaLevi basukuma ukubusisa abantu, izwi labo lezwiwa; umkhuleko wabo wafinyelela endlini yakhe engcwele ezulwini.
