UJosiya Ugubha iPhasika Elikhulu
UJosiya ugcina iPhasika elingakaze libe khona kusukela ezinsukwini zikaSamuweli, yena uqobo enikela ngezinkulungwane zezilwane futhi emisa wonke umpristi, umLevi, umhlabeleli nomlindi wesango endaweni yakhe. Bese egcizelela ukulwa noNeko, engazinaki izixwayiso atshelwa ukuthi zivela kuBaba wethu, futhi ufela eMegido.
35 1UJosiya wagubhela uBaba wethu iPhasika eJerusalema; bahlaba iwundlu lePhasika ngosuku lweshumi nane lwenyanga yokuqala. 2Wabela abapristi imisebenzi yabo, wabakhuthaza enkonzweni yendlu kaBaba wethu. 3Wathi kumaLevi ayefundisa u-Israyeli wonke, engcwele kuBaba wethu: “Bekani umphongolo ongcwele endlini eyakhiwa nguSolomoni indodana kaDavide, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli. Anisadingi ukuwuthwala emahlombe enu. Manje khonzani uBaba wenu nabantu bakhe u-Israyeli. 4Zilungiseni ngezindlu zoyihlo, ngezigaba zenu, ngemiyalo ebhaliwe kaDavide inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, nangemiyalo kaSolomoni indodana yakhe. 5Mani endaweni engcwele ngokwamaqembu emindeni yabafowenu abangewona amaLevi, isigaba samaLevi esisodwa kwiqembu ngalinye. 6Hlabani iwundlu lePhasika, nizingcwelise, nilungiselele abafowenu, nilandela izwi likaBaba wethu ngoMose.”
7UJosiya wanika abantu amawundlu nezimbuzi ezincane ezingu-30 000, nezinkunzi ezingu-3 000, kube yiminikelo yePhasika—kubo bonke ababekhona, kokwakhe ayenakho. 8Izikhulu zakhe nazo zanikela ngokuzithandela ebantwini, kubapristi, nakumaLevi. OHilikiya, uZakariya, noJehiyeli, izikhulu ezinkulu zendlu kaBaba wethu, banika abapristi iminikelo yePhasika engu-2 600 nezinkunzi ezingu-300. 9UKhonaniya, kanye nabafowabo uShemaya noNethaneli, noHashabiya, uJeyiyeli, noJozabadi, abaholi bamaLevi, banika amaLevi iminikelo yePhasika engu-5 000 nezinkunzi ezingu-500.
10Inkonzo yalungiswa; abapristi bema ezindaweni zabo, amaLevi ngezigaba zawo, njengokuyala kwenkosi. 11Bahlaba amawundlu ePhasika; abapristi bafafaza igazi ababelinikwa, amaLevi awahlinza. 12Babeka eceleni iminikelo yokushiswa, bayabela ngezigaba zemindeni phakathi kwabantu, ukuze banikele kuBaba wethu njengokulotshiwe encwadini kaMose; kanjalo nangezinkunzi. 13Bosa iwundlu lePhasika emlilweni njengokufaneleyo, bapheka iminikelo engcwele emabhodweni, ezindengezini, nasezimbizeni, bakuletha ngokushesha kubo bonke abantu. 14Emva kwalokho bazilungiselela bona kanye nabapristi, ngokuba abapristi, amadodana ka-Aroni, babematasa benikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa namanoni kwaze kwahlwa; ngakho amaLevi azilungiselela wona kanye nabapristi, amadodana ka-Aroni. 15Abahlabeleli, amadodana ka-Asafa, bema ezindaweni zabo njengokuyala kukaDavide, u-Asafa, uHemani, noJeduthuni umboni wenkosi. Abalindisango bahlala esangweni ngalinye; babengadingi ukushiya umsebenzi wabo, ngokuba amaLevi ayizihlobo zabo ayebalungiselela.
16Ngakho yonke inkonzo kaBaba wethu yahlelwa ngalolo suku: ukugubha iPhasika nokunikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa e-altare likaBaba wethu, ngokuyala kwenkosi uJosiya. 17Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ababekhona bagubha iPhasika ngaleso sikhathi, noMkhosi weSinkwa esingenamvubelo izinsuku eziyisikhombisa. 18Kwakungakaze kugujwe iPhasika elinjengalo kwa-Israyeli kusukela ezinsukwini zikaSamuweli umprofethi; akukho inkosi yakwa-Israyeli eyake yagubha iPhasika elinjengelikaJosiya, nabapristi, amaLevi, uJuda wonke no-Israyeli ababekhona, nezakhamuzi zaseJerusalema. 19Leli Phasika lagujwa ngonyaka weshumi nesishiyagalombili wokubusa kukaJosiya.
UJosiya Uwela Empini eMegido
20Emva kwakho konke lokhu, uJosiya eselilungisile ithempeli, uNeko inkosi yaseGibhithe wenyuka ukuyokulwa eKharikemishi ngaseYufrathe, uJosiya waphuma ukuyomhlangabeza. 21Kodwa uNeko wathumela izithunywa kuye, ethi: “Sinamsebenzi muni omunye nomunye, nkosi yakwaJuda? Angizi ukulwa nawe namuhla, kodwa ukulwa nendlu engilwa nayo. UNkulunkulu ungitshele ukuba ngiphuthume—yeka ukuphikisa uNkulunkulu, onami, funa akubhubhise.”
22UJosiya akazange aphenduke kuye, kodwa wazifihla ukuze alwe naye. Akawanakanga amazwi kaNeko aphuma emlonyeni kaBaba wethu, wahamba wayokulwa ethafeni laseMegido. a a v22 Isixwayiso sikaBaba wethu safinyelela kuJosiya naphezu kokuba saphuma emlonyeni wenkosi yezizwe, kodwa uJosiya akazange alalele — futhi lokho obekumele kumvikele akunakwanga. 23Abacibisheli badubula inkosi uJosiya; wathi ezincekwini zakhe: “Ngikhipheni—ngilimele kabi.”
24Izinceku zakhe zamsusa enqoleni zambeka kweyesibili inqola yakhe, zamletha eJerusalema, lapho afela khona wangcwatshwa emathuneni oyise. UJuda wonke neJerusalema bamlilela uJosiya.
25UJeremiya waqamba izililo ngoJosiya, nanamuhla bonke abahlabeleli, abesilisa nabesifazane, bahlabelela izililo ngoJosiya. Lokhu kwaba ngumkhuba kwa-Israyeli, futhi kulotshiwe eZililweni. 26Ezinye izenzo zikaJosiya, nemisebenzi yakhe yokwethembeka ngokuvumelana nalokho okulotshiwe emthethweni kaBaba wethu. 27Izenzo zakhe, kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kube sekugcineni, zilotshiwe eNcwadini yamaKhosi akwa-Israyeli noJuda.
