1 UJosiya wamenzela uJehova iphasika eJerusalema; balihlaba iphasika ngolweshumi nane lwenyanga yokuqala.
2 Wamisa abapristi ezikhundleni zabo, wabaqinisa emsebenzini wendlu kaJehova.
3 Washo kumaLevi afundisa wonke u-Israyeli, ayengcwele kuJehova, wathi: “Bekani umphongolo ongcwele endlini ayakhayo uSolomoni indodana kaDavide, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli; akusayikubakho mthwalo emahlombe enu; khonzani manje uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu nabantu bakhe u-Israyeli.
4 Zilungiseni ngezindlu zawoyihlo ngezigaba zenu njengokubhala kukaDavide inkosi yakwa-Israyeli nanjengokubhala kukaSolomoni indodana yakhe,
5 nime endaweni engcwele njengamaqembu ezindlu zawoyise babafowenu, abantu besizwe, yilelo nalelo libe nesigaba sendlu kayise yamaLevi.
6 Lihlabeni iphasika, nizingcwelise, nilungisele abafowenu ukuba benze njengezwi likaJehova ngesandla sikaMose.”
7 UJosiya wabanika abantu besizwe bonke ababekhona emihlambini amawundlu namazinyane ezimbuzi, onke abengaweminikelo yephasika, umumo uyizinkulungwane ezingamashumi amathathu nezinkunzi eziyizinkulungwane ezintathu; lokho kwakungokwempahla yenkosi.
8 Izikhulu zakhe zabanika abantu, nabapristi, namaLevi iminikelo yesihle. OHilikiya, noZakariya, noJehiyeli, abaphathi bendlu kaNkulunkulu, babanika abapristi amawundlu ayizinkulungwane ezimbili namakhulu ayisithupha nezinkabi ezingamakhulu amathathu, kube ngokweminikelo yephasika.
9 OKhonaniya, noShemaya, noNethaneli, abafowabo, noHashabiya noJehiyeli, noJozabadi, izinduna zamaLevi, bawanika amaLevi amawundlu ayizinkulungwane eziyisihlanu nezinkabi ezingamakhulu ayisihlanu, kube ngokweminikelo yephasika.
10 Yayisilungiswa-ke inkonzo; abapristi bema ezindaweni zabo namaLevi ngezigaba zawo njengesiyalezo senkosi.
11 Balihlaba iphasika, abapristi bafafaza ngezandla zabo, amaLevi alihlinza.
12 Ayisusa iminikelo yokushiswa ukuba ayabele njengamaqembu ezindlu zawoyise babantu besizwe, ukuze banikele ngayo kuJehova njengokulotshiweyo encwadini kaMose. Enze njalo nakuzo izinkabi.
13 Alosa iphasika ngomlilo njengokomthetho, neminikelo engcwele ayosa emakhanzini, nasezocweni, nasemabhodweni, ashesha akuletha kubantu besizwe.
14 Ngasemuva azilungiselela wona nabapristi, ngokuba abapristi, amadodana ka-Aroni, babesekunikeleni iminikelo namanoni kwaze kwaba sebusuku; ngalokho amaLevi azilungiselela wona nabapristi, amadodana ka-Aroni.
15 Abahlabeleli, amadodana ka-Asafa, babe sendaweni yabo njengokwesiyalezo sikaDavide, no-Asafa, noHemani, noJeduthuni umboni wenkosi; abalindisango babengasesangweni; kwakungadingeki ukuba basuke emsebenzini wabo, ngokuba abafowabo amaLevi babalungisela.
16 Yayisilungiswa-ke inkonzo kaJehova ngalusuku lunye ukwenza iphasika nokunikela ngeminikelo yokushiswa e-altare likaJehova njengesiyalezo senkosi uJosiya.
17 Abantwana bakwa-Israyeli ababekhona balenza iphasika ngaleso sikhathi nomkhosi wesinkwa esingenamvubelo izinsuku eziyisikhombisa.
18 Alenziwanga iphasika elinjengalelo kwa-Israyeli kusukela emihleni kaSamuweli umprofethi, nawo onke amakhosi akwa-Israyeli awenzanga iphasika elinjengalelo elenziwa nguJosiya, nabapristi, namaLevi, naye wonke uJuda no-Israyeli owayekhona, kanye nabakhileyo eJerusalema.
19 Ngomnyaka weshumi nesishiyagalombili wokubusa kukaJosiya leli phasika lenziwa.
20 Emva kwakho konke lokho uJosiya eselilungisile ithempeli, uNekho inkosi yaseGibithe wenyuka ukulwa neKharikemishi ngase-Ewufrathe; uJosiya waphuma ukumhlangabeza.
21 Kepha wathuma izithunywa, wathi: “Nginamsebenzi muni nawe nkosi yakwaJuda na? Angiphambene nawe namuhla, kepha ngiphambene nendlu engilwa nayo; uNkulunkulu ungitshelile ukuba ngisheshe; mgweme uNkulunkulu onami ukuba angakuchithi.”
22 Kepha uJosiya akaphendukanga kuye, kodwa waziguqula ukuba alwe naye; akalalelanga amazwi kaNekho emlonyeni kaNkulunkulu, weza ukulwa esigodini saseMegido.
23 Abacibishelayo bacibishela inkosi; inkosi yathi ezincekwini zayo: “Ngikhipheni, ngokuba ngikhutshaziwe kakhulu.”
24 Izinceku zayo zayikhipha enqoleni, zayikhwelisa enqoleni yesibili eyayinayo, zayiyisa eJerusalema; yafa, yembelwa emathuneni awoyise. Wonke uJuda neJerusalema bamlilela uJosiya.
25 Naye uJeremiya wamlilela uJosiya; bonke abahlabeleli besilisa nabesifazane bakhuluma ngoJosiya ekulileni kwabo kuze kube namuhla; bakwenza kwaba yisimiso kwa-Israyeli; bheka, kulotshiwe eziLilweni.
26 Ezinye izindaba zikaJosiya, nezenzo zakhe ezinhle njengokulotshiweyo emthethweni kaJehova,
27 nezindaba zakhe, ezokuqala nezokugcina, bheka, zilotshiwe encwadini yamakhosi akwa-Israyeli nakwaJuda.