2 Imilando 15
1 Umoya kaNkulunkulu wehlela phezu kuka-Azariya indodana ka-Odedi.
The Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded.
2 Waphuma ukuba ayehlangabezana lo-Asa wasesithi kuye, “Lalela kimi, Asa labo bonke abakoJuda labakoBhenjamini. UThixo ulawe nxa wena ukuye. Nxa umfuna, uzamthola, kodwa nxa umlahla uzakulahla.
He went out to meet Asa, and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin! The LORD is with you while you are with him; and if you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.
3 Okwesikhathi eside abako-Israyeli babengelaye uNkulunkulu weqiniso, bengelaye umphristi wokufundisa njalo bengelawo umthetho.
Now for a long time Israel was without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law.
4 Kodwa osizini lwabo baphendukela kuThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, bamdinga bamthola.
But when in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found by them.
5 Ngalezonsuku, ngenxa yokuxokozela okukhulu kwezizwe, kwakungelula ukuhambahamba.
In those times there was no peace to him who went out, nor to him who came in; but great troubles were on all the inhabitants of the lands.
6 Kwakulencithakalo isizwe sichithwa ngesinye, umuzi uchithwa ngomunye, ngoba uNkulunkulu wabehlisela zonke inhlobonhlobo zosizi.
They were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city; for God troubled them with all adversity.
7 Kodwa wena, qina ungayekethisi, ngoba owakho umsebenzi uzakuba lomvuzo.”
But you be strong! Do not let your hands be slack, for your work will be rewarded.”
8 U-Asa wathi ewezwa lamazwi lesiphrofethi sika-Azariya indodana ka-Odedi umphrofethi, waqina waba lesibindi. Wasusa zonke izithombe ezinengisayo kulolonke ilizwe lakoJuda lelakoBhenjamini lasemizini ayeyithumbile emaqaqeni ako-Efrayimi. Wavuselela i-alithari likaThixo elaliphambi komkoto wethempeli likaThixo.
When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominations out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from the hill country of Ephraim; and he renewed the LORD’s altar that was before the LORD’s porch.
9 Wasebuthanisa bonke abakoJuda labakoBhenjamini kanye labantu ababevela ko-Efrayimi, lakoManase kanye lakoSimiyoni ababehlezi phakathi kwabo, ngoba babebanengi kakhulu abako-Israyeli ababethe ngokubona ukuthi uThixo uNkulunkulu wayelaye bathutha beza ngakuye.
He gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who lived with them out of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon; for they came to him out of Israel in abundance when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.
10 Babuthana eJerusalema ngenyanga yesithathu ngomnyaka wetshumi lanhlanu wokubusa kuka-Asa.
So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign.
11 Ngalesosikhathi benza imihlatshelo kuThixo eyezinkomo ezingamakhulu ayisikhombisa lezimvu kanye lembuzi eziyizinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa kulezo ababezithumbe babuya lazo.
They sacrificed to the LORD in that day, of the plunder which they had brought, seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep.
12 Benza isivumelwano sokuba bamdinge uThixo, uNkulunkulu wabokhokho babo, ngezinhliziyo zabo ezipheleleyo langomoya.
They entered into the covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul;
13 Bonke ababengayi kumdinga uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, babefanele babulawe, loba bebancinyane loba bebakhulu, loba kungowesilisa kumbe owesifazane.
and that whoever would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
14 Benza isifungo kuThixo ngokuvungama, bememeza njalo bevuthela lamacilongo lempondo.
They swore to the LORD with a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets, and with cornets.
15 AbakoJuda bathokoza bonke ngesifungo ngoba babesenze ngenhliziyo yabo yonke. Bamdinga uThixo ngokulangatha, wabavumela ukuthi bamthole. Ngakho uThixo wabanika ukuthula inxa zonke.
All Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found by them. Then the LORD gave them rest all around.
16 Inkosi u-Asa yasusa ugogo wayo uMahakha esikhundleni sokuba yindlovukazi ngoba wayenze insika yokukhonzela unkulunkulukazi u-Ashera oyisinengiso. U-Asa wayidiliza insika, wayiqumaquma wayitshisela eSigodini saseKhidironi.
Also Maacah, the mother of Asa the king, he removed from being queen mother, because she had made an abominable image for an Asherah; so Asa cut down her image, ground it into dust, and burned it at the brook Kidron.
17 Lanxa engasusanga izindawo zokukhonzela ko-Israyeli, u-Asa wayezinikele kuThixo ngenhliziyo yakhe yonke empilweni yakhe yonke.
But the high places were not taken away out of Israel; nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.
18 Wangenisa ethempelini likaNkulunkulu isiliva legolide lezinto lezo yena kanye loyise ababezahlukanisele uThixo.
He brought the things that his father had dedicated and that he himself had dedicated, silver, gold, and vessels into God’s house.
19 Akusazange kube lempi kwaze kwaba ngumnyaka wamatshumi amathathu lanhlanu wokubusa kuka-Asa.
There was no more war to the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.
