1 UJosiya waqalisa ukulawula eneminyaka esibhozo, waza walawula eJerusalem iminyaka emashumi mathathu ananye. Unina yayinguYedida intombi ka-Adaya waseBhozekati.
2 Ke yena wênza okuhle emehlweni *kaNdikhoyo, ehamba ekhondweni likayise-mkhulu uDavide, enganxaxhi.
3 Ngonyaka wakhe weshumi elinesibhozo ukumkani uJosiya wathumela unobhala onguShafan unyana ka-Azaliya kaMeshulam endlwini kaNdikhoyo, wathi kuye:
4 “Yiya kumbingeleli omkhulu uHilekiya, utsho alungise laa mali ibiziswe endlwini kaNdikhoyo, leya ibiqokelelwe ngabagcini-mnyango ebantwini.
5 Yitsho bayigcinise kuloo madoda amiselwe ukongamela umsebenzi wendlu kaThixo. Loo madoda ke wona aze ahlawule abasebenzi abahlaziya indlu kaNdikhoyo:
6 abachweli, abakhi, neengcibi. Kananjalo mabathenge imithi namatye akroliweyo, ukuze kuhlaziywe indlu kaThixo.
7 Kambe ke ze bangenzi nkcukacha yangxelo ngaloo mali isezandleni zabo, kuba bangabantu abasebenza ngentembeko.”
8 UHilekiya umbingeleli omkhulu ke waxelela uShafan unobhala lowo, wathi: “Apha endlwini kaNdikhoyo ndifumene incwadi yomthetho.” Waza ke wamnika, ke yena uShafan wayifunda.
9 UShafan lowo ke waya kukumkani, waza wamazisa wathi: “Izicaka zakho ziyikhuphile imali ebisendlwini kaNdikhoyo, zaza zayinikezela kubasebenzi nakwabo bongamele umsebenzi wokuhlaziywa kwendlu kaThixo.”
10 Kananjalo ke unobhala lowo unguShafan wathi kukumkani: “Umbingeleli uHilekiya undinike incwadi.” Waza ke wayirhola, wayifundela ukumkani lowo.
11 Uthe ke ukumkani akuweva amazwi encwadi leyo yomthetho, suka wazikrazula izambatho zakhe.
12 Wamnika lo myalelo, ewubhekisa kumbingeleli uHilekiya, uAhikam unyana kaShafan, uAkibho unyana kaMikaya, uShafan unobhala, kunye noAsaya igosa likakumkani, esithi:
13 “Hambani niye kuqondisisa kuNdikhoyo egameni lam, nelabantu, noJuda ephela, nibuzise ngako konke okubhaliweyo kule ncwadi ifunyenweyo. Awunganganto umsindo kaNdikhoyo ngakuthi ngenxa yoobawo abangazange bawathobele amazwi ale ncwadi. Ewe, abenzanga ngokufanelekileyo mayela namazwi athethwa yile ncwadi ngokubhekiselele kuthi.”
14 Ke umbingeleli uHilekiya, noAhikam, uAkibho, uShafan, noAsaya, baya kuthetha nomshumayelikazi uHulda owayengumka-Shalum unyana kaTikiwa kaHarase, owayengumgcini wegumbi lezambatho. Yena wayehlala kwisithili sesibini eJerusalem.
15 Ke yena wathetha nabo wathi: “Utsho uNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli ukuthi: ‘Mxeleleni loo mntu unithume kum nithi:
16 Utsho uNdikhoyo ukuthi: Niyabona, le ndawo ndiza kuyizisela isithwakumbe kunye nabantu bayo, ngokwamazwi onke abhaliweyo kule ncwadi ayifundileyo ukumkani wakwaJuda.
17 Kaloku bona bandilahlile, basuka benza iziqhumiso, besenzela thixo bambi, nto leyo iwuxhokonxileyo umsindo wam. Ewe, umsindo wam soze uthothe mayela neli lizwe; kaloku abantu balo basuke baxabisa imifanekiso abayenze ngezandla zabo.
18 Mxeleleni ukumkani wakwaJuda onithume ukuba nize kubuzisa kuNdikhoyo nithi: La ngamazwi athethwe nguNdikhoyo uThixo kaSirayeli ngokunxulumene namazwi owevileyo.
19 Ke ngenxa yokuba wena uhlabekile, waza wazithoba kum wakuweva amazwi endawathethayo ngokubhekiselele kule ndawo nabantu bayo, xa ndandisithi baqalekisiwe, futhi le ndawo iya kwenziwa ibe yinkangala, wena ke ngenxa yokuba usuke walila wazikrazula izambatho zakho, mna Ndikhoyo ndithi ndikuvile.
20 Ngoko ke ndiya kukubuyisela kooyihlo, ungcwatywe ngoxolo. Awakho amehlo akasayi kusibona isithwakumbe endiza kusithoba phezu kweli lizwe.’ ”Loo mpendulo ke bâya kuyixelela ukumkani.