1 UHezekiya wathumela kuye wonke u-Israyeli noJuda, walobela o-Efrayimi noManase izincwadi ukuba beze endlini kaJehova eJerusalema, bamenzele uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli iphasika.
2 Ngokuba inkosi yayelulekene nezikhulu zayo nebandla lonke laseJerusalema ukuba bagcine iphasika ngenyanga yesibili.
3 Ngokuba babengenakulenza ngaleso sikhathi, lokhu abapristi bebengazingcwelisanga ngokwaneleyo nabantu bebengakabuthani eJerusalema.
4 Leyo nto yabe ilungile emehlweni enkosi nasebandleni lonke.
5 Benza isinqumo sokuhambisa izwi ku-Israyeli wonke kusukela eBeri Sheba kuze kube kwaDani ukuba bafike, bamenzele uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli iphasika eJerusalema, ngokuba babengalenzanga ebandleni njengokulotshiweyo.
6 Zase zihamba izigijimi nezincwadi eziphuma esandleni senkosi nasezikhulwini zayo, zaya kuye wonke u-Israyeli noJuda ngesiyalezo senkosi sokuthi: “Nina bantwana bakwa-Israyeli, buyelani kuJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Abrahama noka-Isaka noka-Israyeli ukuba abuyele kuyo insali yenu yabasindileyo esandleni samakhosi ase-Asiriya.
7 Ningabi njengoyihlo nabafowenu ababephambuka kuJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise, waze wabanikela encithakalweni, njengalokhu nibona.
8 Ningabi ntamo elukhuni njengawoyihlo, kepha nimnike uJehova isandla senu, ningene endlini yakhe engcwele ayingcwelisile kuze kube phakade, nimkhonze uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu ukuba ulaka lwakhe oluvuthayo lubuye kini.
9 Ngokuba ekubuyeleni kwenu kuJehova abafowenu nabantwana benu bayakuthola umusa phambi kwababathumbayo, babuyele kuleli zwe, ngokuba uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu unomusa nesihe, akayikunifulathela, uma nibuyela kuye.”
10 Izigijimi zazilokhu zidlula emizini ngemizi ezweni lakwa-Efrayimi nelakwaManase kwaze kwaba kwaZebuloni; kepha bazihleka usulu, baziklolodela.
11 Kepha abathile babakwa-Asheri nabakwaManase nabakwaZebuloni bazithoba, beza eJerusalema.
12 NakwaJuda sasikhona isandla sikaNkulunkulu ukubanika inhliziyonye ukuba benze isiyalezo senkosi nesezikhulu ngezwi likaJehova.
13 Kwabuthana eJerusalema abantu abaningi ukuba bagubhe umkhosi wesinkwa esingenamvubelo ngenyanga yesibili, ibandla elikhulu kakhulu.
14 Basuka, basusa ama-altare aseJerusalema; nawo onke ama-altare empepho bawasusa, bawaphonsa emfudlaneni iKidroni.
15 Base belihlaba iphasika ngolweshumi nane lwenyanga yesibili; abapristi namaLevi babe namahloni, bazingcwelisa, baletha iminikelo yokushiswa endlini kaJehova.
16 Bema ezindaweni zabo njengehlelo labo ngokomthetho kaMose, umuntu kaNkulunkulu; abapristi bafafaza ngegazi elalisesandleni samaLevi.
17 Ngokuba babe baningi ebandleni ababengazingcwelisanga; amaLevi ayephezu kokuhlatshwa kwamaphasika abo bonke ababengahlambulukile ukuba abangcwelisele uJehova.
18 Ngokuba isixuku sabantu, abaningi bakwa-Efrayimi nakwaManase nakwa-Isakare nakwaZebuloni, sasingazihlambululanga, salidla iphasika ngokungalotshiwe. Ngokuba uHezekiya wayebakhulekele ngokuthi: “UJehova omuhle makathethelele
19 bonke ababebhekisa izinhliziyo zabo ukufuna uNkulunkulu, uJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise, noma kungenjengokuhlanjululwa kwendlu engcwele.”
20 UJehova wamuzwa uHezekiya, wabaphilisa abantu.
21 Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ababe khona eJerusalema bawugubha umkhosi wesinkwa esingenamvubelo izinsuku eziyisikhombisa ngokuthokoza okukhulu; amaLevi nabapristi bamdumisa uJehova imihla ngemihla ngezinto zokubethwa ezizwakalayo kuJehova.
22 UHezekiya wakhuluma kahle kuwo onke amaLevi ayebonakalisa ukuqonda inkonzo kaJehova. Badla-ke iminikelo yomkhosi izinsuku eziyisikhombisa, benikela ngemihlatshelo yeminikelo yokuthula, bembonga uJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise.
23 Lonke ibandla lase livumelana ukugubha ezinye izinsuku eziyisikhombisa; bagubha ezinye izinsuku eziyisikhombisa ngokuthokoza.
24 Ngokuba uHezekiya inkosi yakwaJuda wayenikile ibandla izinkunzi eziyinkulungwane nezimvu eziyizinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa zibe yiminikelo, nezikhulu zazinikile ibandla izinkunzi eziyinkulungwane nezimvu eziyizinkulungwane eziyishumi; abapristi abaningi bazingcwelisa.
25 Lonke ibandla lakwaJuda kanye nabapristi namaLevi, nalo lonke ibandla elaphuma ku-Israyeli, nabafokazi abaphuma ezweni lakwa-Israyeli behlezi kwaJuda, bathokoza.
26 Kwakukhona-ke ukuthokoza okukhulu eJerusalema, ngokuba kusukela esikhathini sikaSolomoni indodana kaDavide, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli, akuzange kube khona okunjalo eJerusalema.
27 Base besukuma abapristi namaLevi, bababusisa abantu; izwi labo lezwakala, nomkhuleko wabo wafika endaweni yakhe engcwele ezulwini.