1 Yakuba yonke le nto ifezekile, amaSirayeli awayelapho aphuma, aya kwiidolophu zakwaJuda, afika awaqhekeza amatye anqulwayo, azigawula iintsika zika-Ashera. Iindawo eziphakamileyo zonqulo azitshabalalisa, ngokunjalo namaqonga, kulo lonke elakwaJuda nakwaBhenjamin, kwaEfrayim nakwaManase. Akuba ezitshabalisile zonke ezo zinto, amaSirayeli onke agoduka aya ngeedolophu zawo emihlabeni yawo.
2 UHezekiya wamisela ababingeleli nabaLevi ngamaqela abo, iqela ngalinye ngokwemisebenzi yalo kubabingeleli nakubaLevi, ukuze banikele amadini atshiswayo nawobudlelwana, nokuze balungiselele, benze imibulelo, batsholoze ngeendumiso emasangweni endlu *kaNdikhoyo.
3 Ukumkani warhuma kwezakhe izinto, wanikela amadini atshiswayo akusasa nawamatshona, kwakunye namadini atshiswayo *eMihla yokuPhumla, awokuthwasa kwenyanga, nawamatheko amisiweyo, njengoko kubhaliweyo emthethweni kaNdikhoyo.
4 Abantu abahlala eJerusalem wabayalela ukuba bakhuphe izabelo zababingeleli nabaLevi, ukuze bona bakwazi ukuzinikezela ngokupheleleyo emthethweni kaNdikhoyo.
5 Akuwuva loo myalelo amaSirayeli enza izinwe, akhupha ulibo lwengqolowa newayini entsha, amafutha omnquma, nobusi, nayo yonke into eyimveliso yamasimi. Wamninzi umnikelo abawuzisayo, bethatha isishumi sento nganye.
6 Abantu bakwaSirayeli nakwaJuda ababehlala kwiidolophu zakwaJuda bezisa nezishumi zeenkomo nezeegusha ndawonye nesishumi sezinto ezingcwele bazinikela kuNdikhoyo uThixo wabo; ewe, bazigalela zaziingqumba.
7 Le nto ke bayiqala ngenyanga yesithathu, baza bayigqiba kwinyanga yesixhenxe.
8 UHezekiya enamaphakathi akhe wathi akuzibona ezo ngqumba wamdumisa uNdikhoyo, wabathamsanqelisa abantu bakhe amaSirayeli.
9 UHezekiya wathetha nababingeleli nabaLevi ngezo ngqumba,
10 waza ke umbingeleli omkhulu, uAzariya wendlu kaZadoki wathi: “Oko abantu baqalayo ukuzisa imirhumo yabo endlwini kaNdikhoyo, sitsho sanokutya okwaneleyo kude kubekho nentsalela, kuba uNdikhoyo ubathamsanqele abantu bakhe – ewe, le ntaphane ingaka ngamasalela.”
11 UHezekiya wayalela ukuba kulungiswe oovimba endlwini kaNdikhoyo; yenziwa ke loo nto.
12 Beza nayo ngenyameko ke yonke imirhumo leyo – izishumi neminikelo. Owayevelele lo msebenzi yayinguKonaniya umLevi encediswa ngumntakwabo uShimeyi.
13 Ukumkani uHezekiya noAzariya iphakathi elalongamele indlu kaThixo, bamisela la madoda ukuba asebenze phantsi koKonaniya nomntakwabo uShimeyi: uYehiyeli, uAzaziya, uNahati, uAsaheli, uJerimoti, uYozabhadi, uEliyeli, uIsemakiya, uMahati, noBhenaya.
14 Ke kaloku uKore unyana kaImna umLevi owayengumlindi wesango elisempuma, wayongamele iminikelo yokuqhutywa yintliziyo enikelwa kuThixo, esaba imirhumo kaNdikhoyo kwakunye nezipho ezizodwa.
15 Wayencediswa nguEden, uMiniyamin, uYeshuwa, uShemaya, uAmariya, noShekaniya, besebenza ngenyameko kwiidolophu zababingeleli, ababingeleli bebabela ngokwamaqela abo, abadala kwanabanci, bengenagobe.
16 Ngaphezu koko babela bonke abangamadoda abaminyaka mithathu nangaphezulu abamagama afumanekayo kuludwe lweenkcukacha zomlibo – bonke ababenelungelo lokungena endlwini kaNdikhoyo basebenze imisebenzi yabo yemihla ngemihla kumaqela ahlukeneyo ngokwemisebenzi yawo.
17 Bababela ababingeleli ababhaliswe kuludwe ngokwezindlu zabo, ngokunjalo nabaLevi abaminyaka imashumi mabini nangaphezulu, ngokwamaqela nemisebenzi yabo.
18 Babandakanya nabantwana, abafazi, oonyana neentombi zebandla lonke, abo bakuludwe lweenkcukacha zomlibo. Kaloku babethembekile ekuzihlambululeni.
19 Ke ababingeleli, inzala ka-Aron, abo babehlala emaphandleni ajikeleze iidolophu, kanti nasezidolophini, kwakhethwa amadoda ukuhambisa izabelo kuye wonke oyindoda phakathi kwabo, nakubo bonke abakuludwe lwemilibo yabaLevi.
20 Nantso ke imisebenzi eyenziwa nguHezekiya kulo lonke elakwaJuda; ewe, wenza okuhle nokufanelekileyo, wanyaniseka kuNdikhoyo uThixo wakhe.
21 Kuko konke awayekwenzela indlu kaThixo, nasekuthobeleni umthetho nemiyalelo, wayesoloko efunana noThixo wakhe, emsebenzela ngomxhelo wakhe wonke. Ngenxa yale nto ke waba nempumelelo.