2 AMakhosi 12

12 ¹Ngonyaka wesikhombisa kaJehu uJehowashi waba yinkosi; wabusa iminyaka engamashumi amane eJerusalema. Unina kwakunguZibiya waseBheri-Sheba. ²UJehowashi wenza okulungile emehlweni kaBaba wethu iminyaka yonke uJehoyada umpristi amfundisa ngayo. ³Nokho izindawo eziphakeme zazisekhona; abantu babelokhu benikela imihlatshelo beshisa impepho khona.

⁴UJehowashi wathi kubapristi: “Yonke imali yeminikelo engcwele elethwa endlini kaBaba wethu—imali yokubalwa kwabantu, imali yesilinganiso somuntu ngamunye, nayo yonke imali umuntu azizwa enhliziyweni yakhe ukuyiletha endlini kaBaba wethu, ⁵abapristi mabayithathe, kube ngamunye kumgcini-mafa wakhe, balungise noma yikuphi ukonakala okutholakala ethempelini.”

⁶Kwathi ngonyaka wamashumi amabili nantathu wenkosi uJehowashi, abapristi babengakakulungisi ukonakala kwethempeli. ⁷Inkosi uJehowashi yabiza uJehoyada umpristi nabanye abapristi, yathi: “Kungani ningakulungisi ukonakala kwethempeli na? Manje ningabe nisathatha mali kubagcini-mafa benu—iniseni ukuba kulungiswe.”

⁸Abapristi bavuma ukuba bangabe besathatha mali kubantu nokuba bangalilungisi bona ngokwabo ithempeli. ⁹UJehoyada umpristi wathatha umphongolo, wabhoboza isivalo sawo, wawubeka eceleni kwe-altare, ngakwesokunene lapho ungena endlini kaBaba wethu. Abapristi abalinda umnyango bafaka khona yonke imali eyayilethwa endlini kaBaba wethu. ¹⁰Kwakuthi lapho bebona ukuthi kukhona imali eningi emphongolweni, unobhala wenkosi nompristi omkhulu benyuke, bayibale, bayifake emasakeni imali eyayitholakala endlini kaBaba wethu. ¹¹Imali eyayikaliwe bayinika izisebenzi ezaziphethe umsebenzi wendlu kaBaba wethu, ezazikhokhela ababazi nabakhi ababesebenza endlini kaBaba wethu, ¹²nakubakhi ngamatshe nabaqophi bamatshe, ukuze bathenge izigodo namatshe aqoshiwe ukulungisa ukonakala kwendlu kaBaba wethu, nakho konke okwachithwa ekulungiseni kwayo. ¹³Ayikho imali eyayilethwa endlini kaBaba wethu eyenza imikhombe yesiliva, izihlakulo zezibani, izitsha zokufafaza, amacilongo, noma yini yegolide noma yesiliva; ¹⁴yayikhokhelwa izisebenzi, ezaziyisebenzisa ukulungisa indlu kaBaba wethu. ¹⁵Abazange bafune ukulandiswa kwaleyo mali kubantu ababephathiswe imali ukuba bakhokhele izisebenzi, ngokuba babenza ngokwethembeka. ¹⁶Imali yeminikelo yecala neyesono ayingenanga endlini kaBaba wethu; yayingeyabapristi.

Ukuwa kukaJowashi

¹⁷Khona-ke uHazayeli inkosi yase-Aramu wahlasela iGati wayithumba, wabe esesuka ukuyohlasela iJerusalema. ¹⁸Kodwa uJehowashi inkosi yakwaJuda wathatha yonke iminikelo engcwele okhokho bakhe oJehoshafati, uJehoramu, no-Ahaziya, amakhosi akwaJuda, abayingcwelisa, nokwakhe uqobo, nalo lonke igolide elaliseziphaleni zendlu kaBaba wethu nasendlini yenkosi, wakuthumela kuHazayeli inkosi yase-Aramu. Ngakho uHazayeli wamuka eJerusalema.

¹⁹Ezinye izenzo zikaJowashi, konke akwenza—akubhaliwe yini encwadini yomlando wamakhosi akwaJuda na? ²⁰Izikhulu zakhe uqobo zenza itulo zambulala uJowashi eBheti-Milo, endleleni eyehlela eSila. ²¹Izikhulu zakhe uJozabadi indodana kaShimeyati noJehozabadi indodana kaShomeri zamshaya zambulala. Zammbela nokhokho bakhe emzini kaDavide, kwathi indodana yakhe u-Amaziya waba yinkosi esikhundleni sakhe.