1 Ngaloo mini ke incwadi kaMosis yafundwa ngokuvakalayo, besiva nabantu, kwaza ke kwafumaneka kubhaliwe apho kuyo kwathiwa akukho m-Amon namMowabhi uya kuze angeniswe ebandleni likaThixo.
2 Kaloku ezi ntlanga zona zange ziwamkele ziwaphe kutya namanzi amaSirayeli, koko zasuka zawathengela uBhalam ukuba awashwabulele. Kambe ke uThixo wethu elo lishwa waliguqula walenza ithamsanqa.
3 Bathe ke abantu bakuwuva lo mthetho, basuka bamchwethela phaya wonke umntu osondele kuSirayeli kodwa engowomlibo weentlanga.
4 Ngaphambi koku ke uEliyashibhi umbingeleli yayinguye ojonge oovimba bendlu kaThixo. Wayeqhogene noTobhiya,
5 wada ke wamnika nendlu enkulu eyayinguvimba weminikelo yeenkozo, isiqhumiso kunye nezinto zendlu kaThixo. Zazilapho nezishumi zeenkozo, iwayini entsha, kunye namafutha omnquma, zinto ezo ke zazimiselwe ukuba sisabelo sabaLevi, iimvumi, nabalindi-masango, kwanemirhumo esisabelo sababingeleli.
6 Ke kaloku ngeli thuba kwenzeka ezi zinto, mna ndandingekho eJerusalem. Kaloku ngonyaka wamashumi amathathu anambini wolawulo lukakumkani uAtashasta waseBhabheli ndakhe ndabuyela komkhulu eBhabheli. Emva kwethutyana ke ndabuya ndacela,
7 ndaza ke ndabuyela eJerusalem. Ngoko ke ndaba nokubuva ububi obabenziwe nguEliyashibhi ngokunika uTobhiya indlu ephakathi enkundleni yendlu kaThixo.
8 Ndakhathazeka gqitha, ndaza ke iimpahla zendlu kaTobhiya ndazithatha ndaziphosa ngaphandle kwaloo ndlu.
9 Ndanika umyalelo wokuba ahlanjululwe loo magumbi, ndaza ke emva koko ndayibuyisela kwakuwo impahla yendlu kaThixo kunye neminikelo yeenkozo neziqhumiso.
10 Kananjalo ndafumanisa ukuba izabelo zabaLevi abasazinikwa, kuba bona kunye neemvumi ezilungiselelayo, xa bebonke babebuyele emasimini abo.
11 Ngoko ke ndawakhalimela amagosa, ndawabuza ndathi: “Ngani ukuba ingakhathalelwa kangaka indlu kaThixo?” Ndababiza ke ndabaqokelela, ndabamisa ngeendawo zabo.
12 Xa ewonke uJuda wazizisa izishumi zeenkozo, iwayini entsha, namafutha omnquma, wazifaka koovimba.
13 Ndamisa umbingeleli uShelemiya, umchazi-mthetho uZadoki, nomLevi ogama linguPedaya, bajonga oovimba, bencediswa nguHanan unyana kaZakure, kaMataniya. Kaloku la madoda ayesaziwa ngokuthembeka. Yayingawo athwele uxanduva lokwabela amawawo.
14 Thixo wam, uze undikhumbule ngale nto, ungawucimi umsebenzi ongaka endiwenze ngentembeko enje ngenxa yendlu kaThixo wam neenkonzo zayo.
15 Ngaloo mihla ke kwelakwaJuda ndabona amadoda exovula iwayini *ngoMhla wokuPhumla, ethwele ukudla okuziinkozo, ekulayisha ezidonkini kunye newayini, idiliya, amakhiwane, nezinye iindidi zemithwalo. Zonke ke ezo zinto ayezizisa eJerusalem ngoMhla wokuPhumla. Ke kaloku ndawalumkisa ukuba angathengisi kutya ngaloo mhla.
16 Amadoda aseTire awayehlala eJerusalem ayesiza neentlanzi nazo zonke izinto ezithengiswayo ezithengisa kubantu bakwaJuda apho eJerusalem ngoMhla wokuPhumla.
17 Ndazikhalimela izikhulu zakwaJuda, ndisithi kuzo: “Yinkohlakalo yani le niyenzayo – ukuxabhela uMhla wokuPhumla?
18 Andithi nooyihlo benza kwaloo nto, ukuze nje uThixo athobe esi sithwakumbe phezu kwethu nakwesi sixeko? Ngoku ke nina uSirayeli nisamqhwayela ingqumbo engaphezulu ngokuxabhela uMhla wokuPhumla.”
19 Kwakusithi xa athi rhece amathunzi kumasango aseJerusalem ngomhla owandulela uMhla wokuPhumla, ndiyalele ukuba zivalwe iingcango, ze zingavulwa ude udlule uMhla wokuPhumla. Amanye amadoda am ndawamisa emasangweni ukuze agade kungangeniswa mthwalo ngoMhla wokuPhumla.
20 Ngamathuba athile abashishini nabathengisi beendidi zonke babebuchithela ngaphandle kweJerusalem ubusuku.
21 Ke kaloku ndabakhalimela ndathi: “Ngani ukuba ubusuku nibuchithele ngaphandle kodonga? Ndiya kuniphatha ngezandla ukuba nikhe naphinda.” Ukusukela ngelo thuba ke abaphindanga beze ngoMhla wokuPhumla.
22 Ke abaLevi ndabayalela ukuba bazihlambulule, baze baye kulinda amasango, ukuze uMhla wokuPhumla uhlale ukhethekile.Nangale nto ke uze undikhumbule, Thixo wam, undenzele inceba ngokobukhulu bezibele zakho.
23 Kananjalo ke ngaloo mihla ndafumanisa ukuba kukho amaJuda athathe iintombi zaseAshodode, ezakwa-Amon, nezaseMowabhi.
24 Isiqingatha sabantwana babo sasithetha ulwimi lwaseAshdode okanye olunye lweelwimi zeentlanga, sona isiJuda bengakwazi kusithetha.
25 Ndabakhalimela ndabaqalekisa. Amanye aloo madoda ndawabetha, ndawaxhwitha iinwele amanye. Ndathi makafunge egameni likaThixo, ndisithi: “Aniyi kuzinikela iintombi zenu zithathwe ngoonyana babo, ningayi kubayeka noonyana benu bathathe iintombi zabo, ukanti nani ngokwenu.
26 Andithi na kaloku ukumkani kaSirayeli uSolomon wôna kwangale mitshato? Kuzo zonke izizwe akukho kumkani wayefana naye. Wayethandwa nguThixo wakhe, waza wamenza ukumkani phezu koSirayeli ephela, kodwa ke abafazi abaziintlanga bamrhuqela esonweni.
27 Ke ngaba nithi nathi masihambe kweli khondo lenu, senze le nkohlakalo yokungathembeki kuThixo wethu ngokuthatha abafazi abaziintlanga?”
28 Omnye koonyana bakaJoyada unyana kaEliyashibhi umbingeleli omkhulu wayethathe intombi kaSanebhalati umHoron. Ke mna ndamgxotha uJoyada.
29 Uze ubakhumbule, Thixo wam, kuba babuxabhele ububingeleli kunye nomnqophiso wobubingeleli nowobuLevi.
30 Ngoko ke ndabahlambulula ababingeleli nabaLevi kuzo zonke izidyobho zeentlanga, ndaza ke elowo nalowo kubo ndamnika umsebenzi wakhe.
31 Ndamisela amathuba okuziswa kweenkuni ndawonye nawokuziswa kolibo.Uze undikhumbule undazelelele, Thixo wam.