2 Chronicles 34
1 Josiah was eight years old when he became the king [of Judah]. He ruled from Jerusalem for 31 years.
UJosiya waba yinkosi eleminyaka eyisificaminwembili ubudala njalo wabusa eJerusalema okweminyaka engamatshumi amathathu lanye.
2 He did things that were pleasing to Yahweh and conducted his life like his ancestor King David had done. He fully obeyed [IDM] all the laws of God.
Wenza okulungileyo phambi kukaThixo njalo wahamba ngenyathelo likayise uDavida, kazange aphambukele kwesokudla loba esokhohlo.
3 When he had been ruling for almost eight years, while he was still a young man, he began to worship God like his ancestor [King] David had done. Four years later, he began to get rid of all the pagan shrines on hilltops in Jerusalem and in [other places in] Judah, and the poles to [honor the goddess] Asherah, and the carved idols and statues of gods.
Ngomnyaka wesificaminwembili wokubusa kwakhe, elokhu esesengumntwana, waqalisa ukumdinga uNkulunkulu kakhokho wakhe uDavida. Ngomnyaka wetshumi lambili waqalisa ukuhlambulula elakoJuda laseJerusalema, wavala izindawo zokukhonzela, izinsika zika-Ashera, izithombe ezibaziweyo lezikhandiweyo.
4 While he directed them, his workers tore down the altars where people worshiped Baal. They smashed the altars that were near those altars, where people burned incense. They smashed the poles [honor the goddess] Asherah and the idols and statues. They smashed them to bits and scattered the bits over the graves of those who had offered sacrifices to them.
Ngeziqondiso zakhe kwabhidlizwa ama-alithare aboBhali; waqoba ama-alithare empepha ayengaphezu kwawo; wahlikiza izinsika zika-Ashera, izithombe kanye lemifanekiso. Lokhu wakuvadlaza wasekuchithizela phezu kwamangcwaba alabo ababenikele imihlatshelo kulezozithombe.
5 They burned the bones of the priests [who had offered sacrifices]; they burned them on their own altars. In that way Josiah caused Jerusalem and other places in Judah to be acceptable places to worship Yahweh again.
Watshisela amathambo abaphristi ema-alithareni abo, ngalokho wahlambulula elakoJuda laseJerusalema.
6 In the towns in [the tribes of] Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far [north] as [the tribe of] Naphtali and in the ruins around all those towns,
Emizini yakoManase, lako-Efrayimi lakoSimiyoni, kuze kuyefika koNafithali, lasemanxiweni aseduzane layo,
7 Josiah’s [workers] tore down the pagan altars and the poles to [honor the goddess] Asherah, and crushed the idols to powder. They also smashed to pieces all the altars for burning incense throughout Israel. Then Josiah returned to Jerusalem.
wadiliza ama-alithare lezinsika zika-Ashera njalo wahlifiza izithombe zaba yimpuphu wachithiza ama-alithare empepha kulolonke elako-Israyeli aba yizicucu. Wasebuyela eJerusalema.
8 When Josiah had been ruling for almost 18 years, he [did something else to] cause the land and the temple to be acceptable places to worship Yahweh. He sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the governor of the city and Joah the son of Joahaz, who wrote on a scroll what happened in the city, to repair the temple of Yahweh.
Ngomnyaka wetshumi lasificaminwembili wokubusa kukaJosiya, ukuze ahlambulule ilizwe kanye lethempeli, wathumela uShafani indodana ka-Azaliya loMaseya umbusi wedolobho, loJowa indodana kaJowahazi, umlobi, ukuba bavuselele ithempeli likaThixo uNkulunkulu wakhe.
9 They went to Hilkiah the Supreme Priest and gave him the money that had been brought to the temple. That was the money that the descendants of Levi who guarded the doors of the temple had collected from the people of [the tribes of] Manasseh and Ephraim and [other places in northern] Israel, and also from all the people in Jerusalem and other places in the tribes of Judah and Benjamin.
Baya kuHilikhiya umphristi omkhulu bamnika imali eyayilethwe ethempelini likaNkulunkulu, eyayiqoqwe ngabaLevi ababengabagcini beminyango beyiqoqa ebantwini bakoManase, lako-Efrayimi layo yonke insalela yabako-Israyeli lakubo bonke abantu bakoJuda labakoBhenjamini lababehlala eJerusalema.
10 Then Hilkiah gave some of the money to the men who had been appointed to supervise the work of repairing the temple. The supervisors paid the men who did the repair work.
Basebeyiqhubela amadoda ayekhethelwe ukukhangela ukuqhubeka komsebenzi wasethempelini likaThixo. Lamadoda ayeholisa ababevuselela lokwakha kutsha ithempeli.
11 They also gave some of the money to the carpenters and builders to buy the cut stones and the timber for the joists and the beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to decay.
Eyinye bayiqhubela ababazi labakhi ukuze bathenge amatshe abaziweyo lezigodo lezintungo zezindlu ezadilika amakhosi akoJuda engananzelele.
12 The workers did their work faithfully. Their supervisors were Jahath and Obadiah, who were descendants of [Levi’s son] Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, who were descendants of [Levi’s son] Kohath. All the other descendants of Levi, those who played musical instruments well,
Amadoda ayisebenza imisebenzi yawo ngokwethembeka. Ayekhokhelwa njalo eqondiswa ngoJahathi lo-Obhadaya, abaLevi bosendo lukaMerari, uZakhariya loMeshulami abosendo lukaKhohathi. AbaLevi bonke ababengamagabazi kwezamachacho omculo,
13 supervised all the workers as they did their various jobs. Some of the descendants of Levi were secretaries and some kept records and some guarded the gates [of the temple].
babephethe izisebenzi njalo bekhangele izisebenzi kulowo lalowo umsebenzi. Abanye abaLevi babengonobhala, labalobi kanye labalindi beminyango.
14 While they were giving to the supervisors the money that had been taken to the temple, Hilkiah the [Supreme] Priest found a scroll on which were written the laws that Yahweh had told Moses to give to the people.
Besakhipha imali eyayingeniswe ethempelini likaThixo, uHilikhiya umphristi wafumana uGwalo loMthetho kaThixo owawuphiwe uMosi.
15 So Hilkiah said to Shaphan, “I have found in the temple a scroll on which are written the laws [that God gave to Moses]!” Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan.
UHilikhiya wathi kuShafani unobhala, “Sengilutholile uGwalo loMthetho ethempelini likaThixo.” Waselunika uShafani.
16 Shaphan [took the scroll] to the king and said to him, “Your officials are doing everything that you told them to do.
Ngalokho uShafani waluthatha walusa enkosini wayibikela wathi: “Izikhulu zakho ziyakwenza konke ozilaye ukuba zikwenze.
17 They have taken the money that was in the temple, and they have given it to the men who will supervise the workers who will repair the temple.”
Sebeyibhadele imali leyo eyayisethempelini likaThixo njalo sebeyitshiyele abakhangeli bomsebenzi kanye lezisebenzi.”
18 Then Shaphan said to the king, “[I have brought to you] a scroll [that] Hilkiah gave to me.” And Shaphan started to read it to the king.
Ngakho uShafani unobhala wabikela inkosi, wathi, “UHilikhiya umphristi usengiphe ugwalo.” Ngakho uShafani waselubala phambi kwenkosi.
19 When the king heard the laws [that were written in the scroll], he tore his clothes [because he was very dismayed/worried].
Inkosi yonela ukuzwa amazwi oMthetho, yadabula izembatho zayo
20 Then he gave these instructions to Hilkiah, to Shaphan’s son Ahikam, to Micah’s son Abdon, to Shaphan, and to Asaiah the king’s special advisor:
yapha leziziqondiso kuHilikhiya, lo-Ahikhami indodana kaShefani, lo-Abhidoni indodana kaMikha, loShafani unobhala kanye lo-Asaya inceku yenkosi yathi:
21 “Go and ask Yahweh for me, and for all his people who are still alive in Judah and Israel, about what is written in this scroll that has been found. Because [it is clear that] Yahweh is very angry with us because our ancestors disobeyed what Yahweh said; they did not obey the laws that are written on this scroll.”
“Hambani liyengibuzela kuThixo lensalela yako-Israyeli labakoJuda ngalokhu okulotshwe kulolugwalo olutholakeleyo. Lukhulu ulaka lukaThixo phezu kwethu ngenxa yabokhokho abangazange balilalele ilizwi likaThixo; kabenzanga ngendlela okulotshwe ngayo kulolugwalo.”
22 So Hilkiah and the others went to talk with a woman whose name was Huldah, who was a prophetess who lived in the newer part of Jerusalem. Her husband Shallum who was the son of Tikvah, took care of the robes that were worn [in the temple].
UHilikhiya lalabo ayethunywe labo yinkosi bahamba ukuba bayekhuluma loHulida umphrofethikazi owayengumkaShalumi indodana kaThokhathi, indodana kaHasira, umlondolozi wezembatho. UHulida wayehlala eJerusalema endaweni yeSiqinti Sesibili.
23 [When they told her what the king had said, ] she said to them, “This is what Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship], says: ‘Go back and tell the king who sent you
Wathi kubo, “Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, uthi: Tshelani umuntu olithume kimi lithi,
24 that this is what Yahweh says: “Listen to this carefully. I am going to cause a disaster to strike Jerusalem and all the people who live here. I will cause them to experience the curses that were written in the scroll that was read to the king of Judah.
‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo uthi: Ngizakwehlisela lindawo labantu bayo incithakalo lazozonke izithuko ezilotshiweyo egwalweni olufundwe phambi kwenkosi yakoJuda.
25 I will do that because they have rejected me, and they burn incense to [honor] other gods. They have caused me to become very angry because of all the idols that they have made (OR, because of all the wicked things that they have done), [and my anger is like] a fire that will not be extinguished.
Ngoba bangidelile batshisela abanye onkulunkulu impepha njalo bangithukuthelisile ngakho konke abakwenze ngezandla zabo, ulaka lwami luzakwehlela phezu kwalindawo njalo aluyikucitshwa.’
26 The king of Judah sent you to ask what I, Yahweh, want. Go and tell him that this is what I, Yahweh, the God whom you Israelis worship, say about what you read:
Tshelani inkosi yakoJuda, elithume ukuzabuza kuThixo lithi: ‘Nanku okutshiwo nguThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, mayelana lamazwi owezwileyo:
27 “Because you heeded [what was written in the scroll], and you humbled yourself when you heard what I said to warn [about what would happen to] this city and the people who live here, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you.
Njengoba uzisolile wazehlisa ngaphansi kukaNkulunkulu wezwa ukuthi utheni ngalindawo labantu bayo njalo langenxa yokuthi uzehlisile wazithoba phambi kwami wadabula izembatho zakho walila phambi kwami, ngikuzwile, utsho njalo uThixo.
28 So I will allow you to die and be buried peacefully. I will cause a great disaster to strike this place and the people who live here, but you will not [be alive to] see it.”’” So they reported her reply to the king.
Wena ngizakususa ngikuse kubokhokho bakho, njalo uzangcwatshwa ngokuthula. Amehlo akho awayikubona leyoncithakalo engizayehlisela indawo le lakulabo abahlala khona.’” Ngempela bayithatha leyompendulo baya layo enkosini.
29 Then the king summoned all the elders of Jerusalem and [other places in] Judea.
Inkosi yasibuthanisa bonke abadala bakoJuda labaseJerusalema.
30 They went up together to the temple with the leaders of Judah and many other people of Jerusalem and the priests and other descendants of Levi, from the least important to the most important ones. And while they listened, the king read to them everything that was in the scroll containing God’s laws that had been found in the temple.
Yaya ethempelini likaThixo labantu bakoJuda, kanye labaseJerusalema, labaphristi kanye labaLevi labantu bonke kusukela komncinyane kusiya komkhulu. Inkosi yabafundela wonke amazwi ayeseGwalweni lweSivumelwano, olwatholakala ethempelini likaThixo.
31 Then the king stood next to the pillar [at the entrance to the temple, where kings stood when they announced something important], and while Yahweh was listening, he repeated his promise to very sincerely and completely obey Yahweh and all his commands and regulations and decrees that were written on the scroll.
Inkosi yema ensikeni yayo yavuselela isivumelwano sayo phambi kukaThixo, ukumkhonza uThixo lokwamukela imilayo yakhe, leziqondiso, lezimiso zakhe ngenhliziyo yayo yonke langomphefumulo wayo wonke, lokulalela amazwi esivumelwano esilotshiweyo ogwalweni.
32 Then the king said that everyone who lived in Jerusalem and from [the tribe of] Benjamin should promise that they also would obey those laws. And they did that, agreeing that they would keep the agreement that God, whom their ancestors had worshiped, had made with them.
Yasifungisa bonke ababeseJerusalema labakoBhenjamini ukuba bazasigcina; abantu baseJerusalema bakwenza lokho belandela isivumelwano sikaNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho babo.
33 Josiah [instructed his workers to] remove all the detestable idols from everywhere in the land of the Israeli people, and he commanded that all the people from Israel who were there should worship [only] Yahweh their God. And as long as Josiah was alive, the people did what was pleasing to Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors [worshiped].
UJosiya wasusa zonke izithombe ezenyanyekayo ezabelweni zonke ezazingezako-Israyeli, wenza bonke abako-Israyeli bamkhonza uThixo uNkulunkulu wabo. Ngezinsuku zokuphila kwakhe kazange aphambuke endleleni kaThixo, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho babo.
