1 UJosiya waqalisa ukulawula eneminyaka esibhozo, waza walawula eJerusalem iminyaka emashumi mathathu ananye.
2 Ke yena wênza okuhle emehlweni *kaNdikhoyo, ehamba ekhondweni likayise-mkhulu uDavide, enganxaxhi.
3 Kunyaka wesibhozo elawula, nakuba wayeselula, waqalisa ukufunana noThixo kayise-mkhulu uDavide. Kunyaka weshumi elinesibini waqalisa ukuzitshitshisa iindawo eziphakamileyo zonqulo kwaJuda naseJerusalem, wazisusa neentsika zika-Ashera kunye nemifanekiso eqingqiweyo netyhidiweyo.
4 Wayalela ukuba achithwe namaqonga kaBhali, kunye nalawo eziqhumiso ayephezu kwawo; wazintlekeza iintsika zika-Ashera, kwanemifanekiso eqingqiweyo netyhidiweyo. Ezi zinto wazikroboza waza wazisarhaza emangcwabeni abo babezinqula.
5 Amathambo ababingeleli baloo maqonga wawatshisela phezu kwawo; ngaloo ndlela ke wamhlambulula uJuda neJerusalem.
6 Kwiidolophu zakwaManase, kwaEfrayim, kwaSimon, de kuthi xhaxhe ngoNafetali, nakumabhodlo ajikelezileyo,
7 wawachitha amaqonga, wazisusa neentsika zika-Ashera, imifanekiso wayicola yangumgubo, onke amaqonga eziqhumiso wawadiliza kwaSirayeli ephela. Waza ke wabuyela eJerusalem.
8 Ngonyaka weshumi elinesibhozo elawula uJosiya, ekulihlambululeni kwakhe ilizwe elo kunye nendlu kaThixo, wathumela uShafan unyana ka-Azaliya noMaseya umlawuli-sixeko, kunye noJowa unyana kaYowahazi umgcini-manqaku, ukuze bahlaziye indlu kaNdikhoyo uThixo wakhe.
9 Baya kumbingeleli omkhulu uHilekiya, baza bamnika imali eyayiziswe endlwini kaThixo, eyayiqokelelwe ngabaLevi ababengabagcini-minyango, baza bayiqokelela kubantu bakwaManase, abakwaEfrayim, nakuwo onke amasalela kaSirayeli, nakubantu bakwaJuda nabakwaBhenjamin, ngokunjalo nakubemi baseJerusalem.
10 Bayigcinisa kubafo ababemiselwe ukuvelela umsebenzi wendlu kaNdikhoyo. Aba bafo ke bahlawula abasebenzi ababehlaziya indlu kaThixo.
11 Enye imali bayinika abachweli nabakhi ukuze bathenge amatye akroliweyo kunye nomthi wokuhlanganisa nowemiqadi ukuze kulungiswe ezo zakhiwo zayekwa zabhodloka ngookumkani bakwaJuda.
12 La madoda awenza ngentembeko loo msebenzi. Ayekhokelwa nguYahati no-Obhadiya, abaLevi abayinzala kaMerari, kunye noZakariya noMeshulam, inzala kaKohati. Aba baLevi bonke babeziingcungela ekudlaleni izikhalisi zengoma;
13 ngabo ababevelele abathwali bempahla nabasebenzi kwiinkalo ngeenkalo zomsebenzi. Bambi abaLevi babengoonobhala, namagosa, nabagcini-masango.
14 Bathe besakhupha imali eyayiziswe endlwini kaNdikhoyo, umbingeleli uHilekiya wayibhaqa incwadi yomthetho kaNdikhoyo, leyo yayinikelwe kuMosis.
15 UHilekiya wathetha noShafan unobhala, wathi: “Apha endlwini kaNdikhoyo ndiyifumene incwadi yomthetho.” Waza ke wayinika uShafan.
16 UShafan ke incwadi leyo wayisa kukumkani, wamazisa wathi: “Izicaka zakho ziyakwenza konke ezikuthunyiweyo.
17 Imali ebisendlwini kaNdikhoyo ziyithathile zayinikezela kubaveleli babasebenzi.”
18 Waza ke unobhala uShafan waxelela ukumkani wathi: “Umbingeleli uHilekiya undinike incwadi.” Wandula ke uShafan ukufundela ukumkani incwadi leyo.
19 Akuweva ke amazwi omthetho lowo, ukumkani wasuka wazikrazula izambatho zakhe.
20 Wayalela uHilekiya, uAhikam unyana kaShafan, uAbhedon unyana kaMika, unobhala uShafan, noAsayi intong' esekhosi kakumkani, wathi:
21 “Hambani niye kubuzisa kuNdikhoyo malunga nam namasalela kaSirayeli noJuda, malunga noko kubhaliweyo kule ncwadi ivelileyo. Ayinganganto ingqumbo kaNdikhoyo ayiphokozele phezu kwethu, kuba oobawo abawathobelanga amazwi kaNdikhoyo, abaziphathanga ngokwala mazwi abhalwe kule ncwadi.”
22 Ke kaloku uHilekiya nâbo wayethunywe nabo ngukumkani baya *kumshumayeli obhinqileyo uHulda, owayengumfazi kaShulam unyana kaTokati, kaHasera umgcini-wegumbi lezambatho. Yena ke wayehlala eJerusalem kwisithili sesibini.
23 Wathetha nabo wathi: “Utsho uNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli ukuthi: Mxelele loo mntu unithumileyo nithi:
24 ‘Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: Uyabona, le ndawo, ikunye nabantu bayo, ndiza kuyizisela isithwakumbe. Ziza kuwa phezu kwayo zonke iziqalekiso ezibhaliweyo kule ncwadi ayifundelweyo ukumkani wakwaJuda.
25 Kaloku bandishiyile, baza benzela abanye *oothixo iziqhumiso. Ewe, bawuxhokonxile umsindo wam ngezi zinto bazenze ngezandla zabo. Ingqumbo yam iza kuwa phezu kwale ndawo, ingabi nakucimeka.’
26 Ukumkani wakwaJuda onithume ukuza kubuzisa kuNdikhoyo mxeleleni nithi: ‘Mayela namazwi owevileyo utsho uNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli ukuthi:
27 Ngenxa yokuba wena uhlabekile, waza wazithoba phambi koThixo wakuba uwevile amazwi ayikhalimela ngawo uThixo le ndawo nabemi bayo, wada ke wena wazithoba phambi kwam, wakrazula nezambatho zakho, ulila phambi kwam, ngoko ke ndikuvile, utsho uNdikhoyo.
28 Wena ke ndiya kukusa kooyihlo, ungcwatywe unoxolo. Awakho amehlo akayi kusibona esi sithwakumbe ndiza kusithoba phezu kwale ndawo kunye nabemi bayo.’ ”Loo mpendulo ke bayixelela ukumkani.
29 Ukumkani ke wawaqokelela onke amadoda amakhulu akwaJuda naseJerusalem.
30 Waya endlwini kaNdikhoyo, ehamba namadoda akwaJuda, abemi baseJerusalem, ababingeleli nabaLevi, enabantu bonke kuqalela koyena mncinci kuye koyena mkhulu. Wabafundela onke amazwi aloo ncwadi yomnqophiso, leyo yayifunyenwe endlwini kaNdikhoyo.
31 Ke ukumkani wema ngasentsikeni, wawuhlaziya umnqophiso wokuba yena uya kulandela uNdikhoyo, ayithobele imiyalelo, imiqathango, nemimiselo yakhe, oko akwenze ngentliziyo yakhe iphela, nomphefumlo wakhe uphela, ahambe ngokwamazwi omnqophiso abhalwe kule ncwadi.
32 Kananjalo wonke umntu eJerusalem nakwaBhenjamin wathi makazibophelele kuwo. Ke abemi baseJerusalem bayenza le nto ngokomnqophiso kaThixo, nditsho uThixo wooyise.
33 Kuwo wonke ummandla wakwaSirayeli uJosiya wazisusa izithixo ezingamasikizi, waza onke amaSirayeli wathi makakhonze uNdikhoyo uThixo wawo. Ngethuba lokudla kwakhe ubomi amaSirayeli zange ajike ekumlandeleni uNdikhoyo uThixo wooyise.