2 AMakhosi 23

23 ¹Inkosi yathumela izwi, babuthela kuyo bonke abadala bakwaJuda nabaseJerusalema. ²Inkosi yenyukela endlini kaBaba wethu kanye nawo wonke uJuda nabo bonke abahlala eJerusalema—abapristi, abaprofethi, nabantu bonke, kusukela komncane kuze kofika komkhulu. Bezwa, yafunda onke amazwi eNcwadi Yesivumelwano eyayitholwe endlini kaBaba wethu. ³Inkosi yema ngasensikeni yenza isivumelwano phambi kukaBaba wethu: ukumlandela nokugcina imiyalo yakhe, ubufakazo bakhe, nezimiso zakhe ngayo yonke inhliziyo yakhe nangawo wonke umphefumulo wakhe, iphethe amazwi esivumelwano abhalwe kule ncwadi. Bonke abantu bahlanganyela kulesi sivumelwano.

⁴Inkosi yayala uHilikiya umpristi omkhulu, nabapristi abalandela ngesikhundla, nabalindimnyango ukuba basuse ethempelini likaBaba wethu zonke izinto ezazenzelwe uBhali, no-Ashera, nalo lonke ibutho lasezulwini. Yazishisa ngaphandle kweJerusalema emasimini aseKidroni, yathwala umlotha wazo yawuyisa eBhetheli. ⁵Yasusa abapristi bezithombe amakhosi akwaJuda ayebamisile ukuba bashise impepho ezindaweni eziphakeme emizini yakwaJuda nakuzungeze iJerusalema, kanye nalabo ababeshisela impepho uBhali, nelanga, nenyanga, nemithala, nalo lonke ibutho lasezulwini. ⁶Yakhipha insika ka-Ashera endlini kaBaba wethu yayiyisa esigodini saseKidroni ngaphandle kweJerusalema, yayishisa, yayigaya yayenza uthuli, yahlakaza uthuli emathuneni abantukazana. ⁷Yadiliza izindlu zezifebe zesilisa ezazisendlini kaBaba wethu, lapho abesifazane babeselukela khona u-Ashera izindwangu. ⁸Yabuyisa bonke abapristi emizini yakwaJuda, yangcolisa izindawo eziphakeme lapho abapristi babeshisa khona impepho, kusukela eGeba kuze kube seBherishebha. Yadiliza izindawo eziphakeme ezazisemasangweni—emnyango weSango likaJoshuwa umbusi womuzi, ngakwesokunxele sesango lomuzi. ⁹Kodwa abapristi bezindawo eziphakeme abenyukelanga e-altare likaBaba wethu eJerusalema, nakuba babedla isinkwa esingenamvubelo phakathi kwabapristi ababekanye nabo. ¹⁰Yangcolisa iThofeti, esesigodini sikaBheni Hinomu, ukuze kungabikho muntu owedlulisa indodana yakhe noma indodakazi yakhe emlilweni kuMoleki. ¹¹Yasusa amahhashi amakhosi akwaJuda ayewanikele elangeni, ngasemnyango wendlu kaBaba wethu, eduze nekamelo likaNathani-Meleki isikhulu esasisegcekeni. Yazishisa ngomlilo izinqola zelanga. ¹²Ama-altare ayephezu kophahla lwekamelo eliphezulu lika-Ahazi, amakhosi akwaJuda ayewenzile, nama-altare uManase awenza emagcekeni amabili endlu kaBaba wethu, inkosi yawadiliza; yawaphihliza lapho yaphonsa uthuli lwawo esigodini saseKidroni. ¹³Inkosi yangcolisa izindawo eziphakeme ezazisempumalanga neJerusalema, eningizimu neNtaba Yokonakala, uSolomoni inkosi yakwa-Israyeli ayezakhele u-Ashithoreti, isithombe esinengekayo samaSidoni, noKemoshi, isithombe esinengekayo sakwaMowabi, noMilikomu, isithombe esinengekayo sama-Amoni. ^a a v13 INtaba Yokonakala kwakungumqolo oseningizimu weNtaba Yeminqumo, eyaphiwa leli gama elibi ngoba uSolomoni wayakhe khona izindawo zokukhonza zonkulunkulu bezizwe. ¹⁴Yaphihliza izinsika ezingcwele, yanquma izinsika zika-Ashera, yagcwalisa izindawo zazo ngamathambo abantu.

¹⁵Ngisho ne-altare laseBhetheli—indawo ephakeme uJerobowamu indodana kaNebhati ayelenzile, owaholela u-Israyeli esonweni—lelo altare nendawo ephakeme yakudiliza, yayishisa indawo ephakeme, yayigaya yayenza uthuli, yayishisa insika ka-Ashera. ¹⁶Kwathi uJosiya ephenduka wabona amathuna ayesentabeni, wathuma amadoda ukuba akhiphe amathambo awashise e-altare, elingcolisa—egcwalisa izwi likaBaba wethu umuntu kaNkulunkulu ayelimemezele mhla ebikezela lezi zinto. ¹⁷Wabuza wathi: “Yisiphi lesi sikhumbuzo engisibonayo?” Amadoda omuzi athi: “Yithuna lomuntu kaNkulunkulu owavela kwaJuda wamemezela ngokumelene ne-altare laseBhetheli lezo zinto ozenzile.”

¹⁸Wathi: “Liyekeni. Makungabikho muntu othinta amathambo akhe.” Ngakho awawayeka amathambo akhe, kanye namathambo omprofethi owavela eSamariya. ¹⁹UJosiya wasusa nazo zonke izindlu zokukhonza zezindawo eziphakeme emizini yaseSamariya, amakhosi akwa-Israyeli ayezakhile ukuze athukuthelise uBaba wethu; wenza kuzo njengoba enzile eBhetheli. ²⁰Wabulala bonke abapristi balezo zindawo eziphakeme phezu kwama-altare, washisa amathambo abantu kuwo, wabuyela eJerusalema.

UJosiya Ubuyisela IPhasika

²¹Inkosi yayala bonke abantu, yathi: “Gubhani iPhasika kuBaba wenu, njengoba kulotshiwe kule Ncwadi Yesivumelwano.” ²²Alikaze ligujwe iPhasika elinjengaleli kusukela ezinsukwini zabahluleli ababehola u-Israyeli, nasezinsukwini zonke zamakhosi akwa-Israyeli nawakwaJuda. ²³Kodwa ngonyaka weshumi nesishiyagalombili wenkosi uJosiya, leli Phasika lagujwa kuBaba wethu eJerusalema.

²⁴UJosiya wasusa nabo abathandazi bemimoya, nezangoma, nonkulunkulu bomndeni, nezithombe, nazo zonke izinto ezinengekayo ezazibonwa kwaJuda naseJerusalema—egcwalisa amazwi omthetho ayelotshwe encwadini uHilikiya umpristi ayeyitholile endlini kaBaba wethu. ²⁵Ayikho inkosi engaphambi kukaJosiya noma emva kwakhe eyaphendukela kuBaba wethu njengaye—ngayo yonke inhliziyo yakhe, nangawo wonke umphefumulo wakhe, nangawo wonke amandla akhe, ilandela wonke umthetho kaMose. ²⁶Noma kunjalo, uBaba wethu akazange adede entukuthelweni yakhe enkulu nevuthayo ayethukuthelele ngayo uJuda, ngenxa yakho konke uManase ayekwenzile ukumthukuthelisa.

²⁷Ngokuba uBaba wethu wayethe: “NoJuda ngizomsusa phambi kwami, njengoba ngasusa u-Israyeli, ngiwulahle nalo muzi engawukhetha, iJerusalema, nale ndlu engathi ngayo, Igama lami liyoba khona.”

²⁸Ezinye izenzo zikaJosiya, nakho konke akwenza—akulotshiwe yini encwadini yezindaba zemihla yamakhosi akwaJuda? ²⁹Ezinsukwini zakhe uFaro uNeko waseGibhithe wenyuka eyosiza inkosi yase-Asiriya ngasemfuleni i-Ewufrathe. Inkosi uJosiya yaphuma yamhlangabeza, kodwa uNeko wayibulala eMegido lapho eyibona. ³⁰Izinceku zakhe zathwala isidumbu sakhe ngenqola zisuka eMegido ziya eJerusalema, zamngcwaba ethuneni lakhe siqu. Abantu balelo zwe bathatha uJehowahazi indodana kaJosiya, bamgcoba, bambeka waba yinkosi esikhundleni sikayise.

UJehowahazi Uyabusa Bese Eyathunjwa

³¹UJehowahazi wayeneminyaka engamashumi amabili nantathu lapho eba yinkosi, wabusa izinyanga ezintathu eJerusalema. Unina kwakunguHamuthali indodakazi kaJeremiya, waseLibhina. ³²Wenza okubi emehlweni kaBaba wethu, njengoba benzile oyise. ³³UFaro uNeko wambopha ngamaketanga eRibila ezweni laseHamati, ukuze angabusi eJerusalema, wahlawulisa izwe isiliva esingaba amathani amane negolide elingaba amaphawundi angamashumi ayisikhombisa nanhlanu. ³⁴UFaro uNeko wabeka u-Eliyakimi indodana kaJosiya waba yinkosi esikhundleni sikayise, wamqamba kabusha igama wathi uJehoyakimi. Wathatha uJehowahazi wamusa eGibhithe, lapho afela khona. ³⁵UJehoyakimi wakhokha isiliva negolide kuFaro, kodwa wathelisa izwe ukuze afeze isidingo sikaFaro. Waqoqa isiliva negolide kubantu belizwe, kube yilowo nalowo ngokulinganiselwa kwakhe, ukuze akunike uFaro uNeko.

UJehoyakimi Uyabusa KwaJuda

³⁶UJehoyakimi wayeneminyaka engamashumi amabili nanhlanu lapho eba yinkosi, wabusa iminyaka eyishumi nanye eJerusalema. Unina kwakunguZebhida indodakazi kaPhedaya, waseRuma. ³⁷Wenza okubi emehlweni kaBaba wethu, njengoba benzile oyise.