1 UJosiya wayeneminyaka eyisishiyagalombili ekuqaleni kwakhe ukubusa, wabusa iminyaka engamashumi amathathu nanye eJerusalema.
2 Wenza okulungile emehlweni kaJehova, wahamba ngezindlela zikaDavide uyise, kachezukelanga ngakwesokunene nangakwesokhohlo.
3 Ngomnyaka wesishiyagalombili wokubusa kwakhe esengumfana waqala ukufuna uNkulunkulu kaDavide uyise; ngomnyaka weshumi nambili waqala ukuhlambulula uJuda neJerusalema, wasusa izindawo eziphakemeyo, nawo-Ashera,* nezithombe ezibaziweyo, nezithombe ezibunjiweyo.
4 Bawadiliza phambi kwakhe ama-altare awoBali; nama-altare empepho ayephezu kwawo wawanquma; waphula o-Ashera,* nezithombe ezibaziweyo, nezithombe ezibunjiweyo, wakucolisisa, wakuvumvuzela phezu kwamathuna ababenikele kukho.
5 Wawashisa amathambo abapristi ema-altare abo, wahlambulula uJuda neJerusalema.
6 Emizini yakwaManase, nakwa-Efrayimi, nakwaSimeyoni kwaze kwaba nakwaNafetali wacinga ezindlini zabo nxazonke.
7 Wawadiliza ama-altare, waphula o-Ashera* nezithombe ezibaziweyo kwaba luthuli, wawanquma onke ama-altare empepho ezweni lonke lakwa-Israyeli, wabuyela eJerusalema.
8 Ngomnyaka weshumi nesishiyagalombili wokubusa kwakhe esehlambululile izwe nendlu, wathuma uShafani, indodana ka-Asaliya, noMahaseya umbusi womuzi, noJowa indodana kaJowahazi, umabhalana, ukuba bayilungise indlu kaJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe.
9 Bafika kuHilikiya umpristi omkhulu, bayinikeza imali eyayilethwe endlini kaNkulunkulu iqoqwe ngamaLevi, abalindisango, esandleni sakwaManase no-Efrayimi, nakuyo yonke insali yakwa-Israyeli, nakuye wonke uJuda noBenjamini, nakwabakhileyo eJerusalema;
10 bayinikeza ezandleni zababewenza umsebenzi ababeyiphethe indlu kaJehova; bona bayinika ababesebenza umsebenzi wasendlini kaJehova ukuba bayilungise, bayiqinise indlu;
11 bayinika nababazi nabakhi ukuba bathenge amatshe abaziweyo nemithi yokuhlanganisa, benze imishayo yezindlu amakhosi akwaJuda abezichithile.
12 Amadoda enza umsebenzi wawo ngokuthembeka; ababonisi phezu kwabo babe ngoJahati no-Obadiya amaLevi, emadodaneni akwaMerari, noZakariya noMeshulamu emadodaneni amaKohati, ukuba babahole, kanye namaLevi onke ayeqonda izinto zokubethwa.
13 Ayephezu kwabathwala imithwalo, ahola bonke abenza umsebenzi wezinkonzo ngezinkonzo; kumaLevi kwakukhona nababhali, nezinduna, nabalindisango.
14 Lapho beyikhipha imali eyayilethwe endlini kaJehova, uHilikiya, umpristi, wafumana incwadi yomthetho kaJehova eyalotshwa ngesandla sikaMose.
15 UHilikiya wathatha wathi kuShafani umbhali: “Ngifumene incwadi yomthetho endlini kaJehova.” UHilikiya wayinika uShafani incwadi.
16 UShafani wayiyisa incwadi enkosini, waletha nombiko wokuthi: “Konke okwanikelwa ezandleni zezinceku zakho ziyakwenza.
17 Ziyithululile imali eyafunyanwa endlini kaJehova, zayinikeza ezandleni zababonisi nasezandleni zezisebenzi.”
18 UShafani umbhali wayitshela inkosi, wathi: “UHilikiya umpristi unginike incwadi.” UShafani wafunda kuyo phambi kwenkosi.
19 Kwathi lapho inkosi isizwile amazwi omthetho, yaziklebhula izingubo zayo.
20 Inkosi yayala oHilikiya, no-Ahikamu indodana kaShafani, no-Abidoni indodana kaMika, noShafani umbhali, no-Asaya inceku yenkosi, yathi:
21 “Hambani ningibuzele kuJehova, mina nabaseleyo kwa-Israyeli nakwaJuda ngamazwi encwadi efunyenweyo, ngokuba inkulu intukuthelo kaJehova ethululelwe phezu kwethu, ngokuba obaba abaligcinanga izwi likaJehova ukwenza njengakho konke okulotshiweyo kule ncwadi.”
22 Wayesehamba uHilikiya nabanye benkosi, baya kuHulida umprofethikazi, umkaShalumi indodana kaThokathi kaHasira, umgcinizingubo -- wahlala eJerusalema enxenyeni yesibili -- bakhuluma kuye ngokunjalo.
23 Wathi kubo: “Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Tshelani umuntu onithume kimi ukuthi:
24 ‘Usho kanje uJehova, uthi: Bhekani, ngiyakwehlisela okubi phezu kwale ndawo naphezu kwabakhileyo kuyo, zonke iziqalekiso ezilotshiweyo encwadini abayifundileyo phambi kwenkosi yakwaJuda,
25 ngokuba bangishiyile, bashisela abanye onkulunkulu impepho baze bangicunula ngayo yonke imisebenzi yezandla zabo; intukuthelo yami isithululelwe kule ndawo, ayiyikucinywa.’
26 Kepha enkosini yakwaJuda eyanithuma ukubuza kuJehova niyakusho kuyo kanje, nithi: ‘Usho kanje uJehova uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Maqondana namazwi owezwileyo,
27 ngenxa yokuba inhliziyo yakho yayithambile, wazithoba phambi kukaNkulunkulu ekuzweni kwakho amazwi akhe ngale ndawo nangabakhileyo kuyo, yebo, wazithoba phambi kwami, waziklebhula izingubo zakho, wakhala phambi kwami, mina ngikuzwile, usho uJehova.
28 Bheka, ngiyakukubuthela koyihlo, ubuthelwe ethuneni lakho ngokuthula, angaboni amehlo akho konke okubi engiyakukwehlisela phezu kwale ndawo naphezu kwabakhileyo kuyo.’ ” Babuyisela enkosini leli zwi.
29 Inkosi yayisithumela, yabutha onke amalunga akwaJuda naseJerusalema.
30 Inkosi yakhuphukela endlini kaJehova kanye nabo bonke abantu bakwaJuda nabakhileyo eJerusalema, nabapristi, namaLevi, nabantu bonke, abakhulu nabancane, wafunda ezindlebeni zabo onke amazwi encwadi yesivumelwano ebifunyenwe endlini kaJehova.
31 Inkosi yema endaweni yayo, yenza isivumelwano phambi kukaJehova ukumlandela uJehova nokugcina imiyalo yakhe, nobufakazi bakhe, nezimiso zakhe ngayo yonke inhliziyo yayo nangawo wonke umphefumulo wayo ukuba iwenze amazwi esivumelwano ayelotshwe kule ncwadi.
32 Wenza ukuba bonke abafunyanwa eJerusalema nakwaBenjamini beme kuso. Abakhileyo eJerusalema benza njengesivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu wawoyise.
33 UJosiya wazisusa zonke izinengiso emazweni onke akwa-Israyeli, wenza ukuba bonke abafunyanwa kwa-Israyeli bakhonze, bamkhonze uJehova uNkulunkulu wabo. Zonke izinsuku zakhe abasukanga ekumlandeleni uJehova uNkulunkulu wawoyise.