U-Ahazi Ulahla Indlela kaBaba
U-Ahazi ushisa indodana yakhe uqobo emlilweni futhi uthenga ukuvikelwa yi-Asiriya ngesiliva lethempeli. Bese ebona i-altare eDamaseku alithandayo, uthumela isifanekiso salo ekhaya, futhi uyala u-Uriya ukuba akhe elifana nalo. I-altare lethusi likaBaba wethu liyaphushelwa eceleni, futhi u-Uriya wenza njengoba etshelwa.
16 1Ngonyaka weshumi nesikhombisa kaPhekiya indodana kaRemaliya, u-Ahazi indodana kaJothamu waba yinkosi yakwaJuda. 2U-Ahazi wayeneminyaka engamashumi amabili lapho eba yinkosi; wabusa iminyaka eyishumi nesithupha eJerusalema. Akazange enze okulungileyo emehlweni kaBaba wethu uNkulunkulu wakhe, ngokungafani noDavide ukhokho wakhe. 3Kunalokho walandela indlela yamakhosi akwa-Israyeli, waze wenza nendodana yakhe yadabula emlilweni, elingisa izenzo ezinengekayo zezizwe uBaba wethu azixosha phambi kwama-Israyeli. a a v3 Ukwenza umntwana “adabule emlilweni” kwakusho ukunikela ngalowo mntwana emalangabini kunkulunkulu wabahedeni — into eyesabekayo uBaba wethu ayeyilahlile. 4Wanikela washisa impepho ezindaweni eziphakeme, emagqumeni, naphansi kwemithi eluhlaza yonke.
5Khona-ke uRezini inkosi yase-Aramu noPhekiya indodana kaRemaliya inkosi yakwa-Israyeli benyukela eJerusalema ukuyokulwa; bamvimbezela u-Ahazi kodwa abakwazanga ukumnqoba. 6Ngaleso sikhathi uRezini inkosi yase-Aramu wabuyisela i-Elathi kwa-Aramu, waxosha amaJuda kuyo, kwase kufika ama-Edomi ahlala khona kuze kube manje. 7U-Ahazi wathuma izithunywa kuThigilati-Philezeri inkosi yase-Asiriya, wathi: “Ngiyinceku yakho nendodana yakho. Woza ungisindise esandleni senkosi yase-Aramu nenkosi yakwa-Israyeli, ezingihlaselayo.” 8U-Ahazi wathatha isiliva negolide elatholakala endlini kaBaba wethu nasemagugwini enkosi, wakuthumela njengesipho enkosini yase-Asiriya. 9Inkosi yase-Asiriya yavuma. Yahlasela iDamaseku, yayithumba, yathumbela abantu bayo eKiri, yabulala uRezini.
10Lapho inkosi u-Ahazi iya eDamaseku ukuyohlangana noThigilati-Philezeri inkosi yase-Asiriya, yabona i-altare lakhona. Ngakho yathumela u-Uriya umpristi umklamo walo nesifanekiso saso sonke, siqondile kuyo yonke imininingwane. 11U-Uriya umpristi wakha i-altare ngokufana ncamashi nalokho inkosi u-Ahazi eyakuthumela iseDamaseku, waqeda ngaphambi kokuba inkosi u-Ahazi ibuye. 12Lapho inkosi ibuya eDamaseku yabona i-altare, yasondela yakhuphukela kulo. 13Washisa umnikelo wakhe wokushiswa nomnikelo wakhe wokudla, wathela umnikelo wakhe wokuphuzwa, wafafaza igazi leminikelo yakhe yokuthula e-altareni. 14Wasusa i-altare lethusi elaliphambi kukaBaba wethu, elalingaphambi kwendlu—phakathi kwe-altare elisha nendlu kaBaba wethu—walibeka ngasenyakatho kwe-altare elisha. 15Inkosi u-Ahazi yayala u-Uriya umpristi, yathi: “E-altareni elikhulu shisa umnikelo wokushiswa wasekuseni, nomnikelo wokudla wakusihlwa, nomnikelo wenkosi wokushiswa nomnikelo wayo wokudla, nawo wonke umnikelo wabantu bezwe: iminikelo yabo yokushiswa, eyokudla, neyokuphuzwa. Fafaza kulo lonke igazi leminikelo yokushiswa nemihlatshelo. Kodwa i-altare lethusi ngelami ukuze ngibuze isiqondiso ngalo.” 16U-Uriya umpristi wakwenza konke njengoba nje inkosi u-Ahazi yayiyalile.
17Inkosi u-Ahazi yanquma izingcezu ezisemahlangothini ezinqe ezinyakazayo yasusa nemicengezi yazo. Yehlisa uLwandle lwethusi ezinkabini zethusi ezaziphansi kwalo yalubeka phezu kwesisekelo setshe. 18Ngenxa yenkosi yase-Asiriya, wasusa indlela yeSabatha eyayimbozwe eyayakhiwe endlini, nesango lenkosi elingaphandle, endlini kaBaba wethu. 19Konke-ke okunye akwenza u-Ahazi, lokho akwenzayo, akulotshiwe yini eNcwadini yamaKhroniki yamakhosi akwaJuda? 20U-Ahazi walala noyise, wembelwa kanye nabo eMzini kaDavide; uHezekiya indodana yakhe wabusa esikhundleni sakhe.
