2 Imilando 29
1 UHezekhiya wayeleminyaka engamatshumi amabili lemihlanu ubudala ethatha ubukhosi, njalo wabusa eJerusalema okweminyaka engamatshumi amabili lasificamunwemunye. Ibizo likanina lalingu-Abhija indodakazi kaZakhariya.
Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.
2 Wenza okulungileyo phambi kukaThixo, njengalokho okwakwenziwe nguyise uDavida.
And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done.
3 Ngenyanga yakuqala ngomnyaka wakuqala wokubusa kwakhe, wavula iminyango yethempeli likaThixo wayilungisa.
In the first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah opened and repaired the doors of the house of the LORD.
4 Wamema abaphristi kanye labaLevi, wababuthanisa egumeni eliseceleni langempumalanga
Then he brought in the priests and Levites and gathered them in the square on the east side.
5 wathi: “Lalelani kimi, lina baLevi! Zihlambululeni khathesi njalo lihlambulule lethempeli likaThixo, uNkulunkulu waboyihlo. Lisuse amanyala endaweni engcwele.
“Listen to me, O Levites,” he said. “Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the house of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove from the Holy Place every impurity.
6 Obaba babengathembekanga; benza okubi emehlweni kaThixo uNkulunkulu wethu bamdela. Indawo kaThixo bayincitsha ubuso bakhangela eceleni njalo bamfulathela uThixo.
For our fathers were unfaithful and did evil in the sight of the LORD our God. They abandoned Him, turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the LORD, and turned their backs on Him.
7 Bavala njalo izivalo zomphempe bacitsha izibane. Abazange batshise impepha njalo kabalethanga iminikelo yokutshiswa endaweni engcwele kaNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli.
They also shut the doors of the portico and extinguished the lamps. They did not burn incense or present burnt offerings in the Holy Place of the God of Israel.
8 Ngakho ulaka lukaThixo selwehlele phezu kwabakoJuda laphezu kwabaseJerusalema; uThixo usebenze besabeka, bathuthumelisa baba yinto yokweyiswa, njengoba lizibonela ngawenu amehlo.
Therefore, the wrath of the LORD has fallen upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He has made them an object of terror, horror, and mockery, as you can see with your own eyes.
9 Lokhu sekubangele ukubulawa kwabo ngenkemba njalo lokuthi amadodana lamadodakazi labomkethu babe sekuthunjweni.
For behold, this is why our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and daughters and wives are in captivity.
10 Khathesi ngifuna ukwenza isivumelwano loThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, ukuze ulaka lwakhe oluvuthayo lusidedele.
Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that His fierce anger will turn away from us.
11 Madodana ami, kalingabi ngabangananziyo ngoba uThixo uselikhethile lina ukuma phambi kwakhe limkhonze, limsebenzele lokutshisa impepha.”
Now, my sons, do not be negligent, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, to minister before Him, and to burn incense.”
12 Ngakho laba abaLevi bahle baqalisa umsebenzi: KwabakaKhohathi, uMahathi indodana ka-Amasayi loJoweli indodana ka-Azariya; kwabakaMerari, uKhishi indodana ka-Abhidi lo-Azariya indodana kaJehaleleli; kwabakaGeshoni, uJowa indodana kaZima lo-Edeni indodana kaJowa;
Then the Levites set to work: Mahath son of Amasai and Joel son of Azariah from the Kohathites; Kish son of Abdi and Azariah son of Jehallelel from the Merarites; Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah from the Gershonites;
13 kwabosendo luka-Elizafani, kunguShimiri loJeyiyeli; kwabosendo luka-Asafi, kunguZakhariya loMathaniya;
Shimri and Jeuel from the Elizaphanites; Zechariah and Mattaniah from the Asaphites;
14 kwabosendo lukaHemani, kunguJehiyeli loShimeyi; kwabosendo lukaJeduthuni, kunguShemaya lo-Uziyeli.
Jehiel and Shimei from the Hemanites; and Shemaiah and Uzziel from the Jeduthunites.
15 Bathi sebebuthanise abafowabo bazihlambulula bona, bangena ukuyahlambulula ithempeli likaThixo, njengokuqondisa kwenkosi, eyayilandela ilizwi likaThixo.
When they had assembled their brothers and consecrated themselves, they went in to cleanse the house of the LORD, according to the command of the king by the words of the LORD.
16 Abaphristi bangena endaweni engcwele kaThixo ukuba bayeyihlambulula. Konke okwakungcolile ethempelini likaThixo bakukhuphela egumeni lethempeli likaThixo. AbaLevi bakuthwala baya lakho eSigodini saseKhidironi.
So the priests went inside the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and they brought out to the courtyard all the unclean things that they found in the temple of the LORD. Then the Levites took these things and carried them out to the Kidron Valley.
17 Baqalisa ukwahlukanisela ngosuku lwakuqala lwenyanga yakuqala, kwathi ngosuku lwesificaminwembili lwenyanga bafika emphempeni kaThixo. Ngezinsuku ezilandelayo ezificaminwembili bangcwelisa ithempeli likaThixo uqobo, baze baqeda ngosuku lwetshumi lesithupha lwenyanga yakuqala.
They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month they reached the portico of the LORD. For eight more days they consecrated the house of the LORD itself, finishing on the sixteenth day of the first month.
18 Basebengena enkosini uHezekhiya ukuba bayembikela bathi: “Sesilihlambulule lonke ithempeli likaThixo, le-alithari lomnikelo wokutshiswa lezitsha zalo zonke, kanye lethala lokwendlalela isinkwa esingcwelisiweyo kanye lazozonke impahla zakhona.
Then they went in to King Hezekiah and reported, “We have cleansed the entire house of the LORD, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the table of the showbread with all its utensils.
19 Sesilungise sangcwelisa zonke izitsha ezasuswa yinkosi u-Ahazi ngokungathembeki kwakhe eseseyinkosi. Khathesi seziphambi kwe-alithari likaThixo.”
Moreover, we have prepared and consecrated all the articles that King Ahaz in his unfaithfulness cast aside during his reign. They are now in front of the altar of the LORD.”
20 Ekuseni ngosuku olulandelayo inkosi uHezekhiya wabuthanisa izikhulu zedolobho ndawonye wasesiya ethempelini likaThixo.
Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials and went up to the house of the LORD.
21 Baletha inkunzi eziyisikhombisa, lenqama eziyisikhombisa, lamazinyane ezimvu amaduna ayisikhombisa kanye lempongo eziyisikhombisa kungumnikelo wesono sombuso, lesendlu yokukhonzela kanye lesikaJuda. Inkosi yalaya abaphristi, abenzalo ka-Aroni, ukunikela ngalokho e-alithareni likaThixo.
They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And the king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD.
22 Ngakho babulala inkunzi, abaphristi bathatha igazi bachela ngalo e-alithareni; kwalandela inqama abazibulala bachela igazi lazo e-alithareni; basebebulala amazinyane ezimvu bachela igazi lawo e-alithareni.
So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. They slaughtered the rams and sprinkled the blood on the altar. And they slaughtered the lambs and sprinkled the blood on the altar.
23 Impongo zomnikelo wesono zalethwa phambi kwenkosi laphambi kwebandla, babeka izandla zabo phezu kwazo.
Then they brought the goats for the sin offering before the king and the assembly, who laid their hands on them.
24 Abaphristi basebebulala impongo baletha igazi lazo e-alithareni kungumnikelo wesono ukuze kwenzelwe wonke u-Israyeli indlela yokubuyisana, ngoba inkosi yayilaye ukuthi kube lomnikelo wokutshiswa lomnikelo wesono kunikelelwa wonke u-Israyeli.
And the priests slaughtered the goats and put their blood on the altar for a sin offering, to make atonement for all Israel, because the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel.
25 AbaLevi yababeka phakathi kwethempeli likaThixo belezigubhu, lamachacho lemihubhe njengalokho okwakumiswe nguDavida loGadi umboni wenkosi loNathani umphrofethi; lokhu kwakungumlayo kaThixo oweza ngabaphrofethi bakhe.
Hezekiah stationed the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, harps, and lyres according to the command of David, of Gad the king’s seer, and of Nathan the prophet. For the command had come from the LORD through His prophets.
26 Ngakho abaLevi balinda belamachacho kaDavida, abaphristi belamacilongo.
The Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.
27 UHezekhiya wakhupha isiqondiso sokuba kwenziwe umnikelo wokutshiswa e-alithareni. Kuthe kuqalisa umnikelo, ukuhlabelela uThixo lakho kwaqalisa, kwahamba kanyekanye lamacilongo kanye lamachacho kaDavida inkosi yako-Israyeli.
And Hezekiah ordered that the burnt offering be sacrificed on the altar. When the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD and the trumpets began as well, accompanied by the instruments of David king of Israel.
28 Ibandla lonke lakhothama lakhonza, abahlabeleli behlabela labamacilongo bewavuthela. Konke lokhu kwaqhubeka kwaze kwaphela umnikelo wokutshiswa.
The whole assembly was worshiping, the singers were singing, and the trumpeters were playing. All this continued until the burnt offering was completed.
29 Ngemva kokuphela kweminikelo inkosi labo bonke ababekhona baguqa bakhonza.
When the offerings were completed, the king and all those present with him bowed down and worshiped.
30 Inkosi uHezekhiya lezikhulu zayo yatshela abaLevi ukuba badumise uThixo ngamazwi kaDavida kanye laka-Asafi umboni. Ngakho badumisa ngokuhlabelela ngenjabulo bakhothamisa amakhanda abo bakhonza.
Then King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to sing praises to the LORD in the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped.
31 UHezekhiya wasesithi, “Selizinikele kuThixo khathesi. Wozani lilethe imihlatshelo leminikelo yokubonga ethempelini likaThixo.” Ngakho ibandla laletha imihlatshelo leminikelo, yokubonga, njalo ababelenhliziyo ezivumayo baletha iminikelo yokutshiswa.
Then Hezekiah said, “Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the LORD.” So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings.
32 Inani leminikelo yokutshiswa eyalethwa libandla kwakuzinkunzi ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa, inqama ezilikhulu lamazinyane amaduna ezimvu angamakhulu amabili, konke kungokomnikelo wokutshiswa kuThixo.
The number of burnt offerings the assembly brought was seventy bulls, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs; all these were for a burnt offering to the LORD.
33 Izifuyo ezahlukaniselwa ukuba ngumhlatshelo kwakuzinkunzi ezingamakhulu ayisithupha lezimvu lembuzi ezizinkulungwane ezintathu.
And the consecrated offerings were six hundred bulls and three thousand sheep.
34 Kodwa, abaphristi babebalutshwana kakhulu ekuhlinzeni ezomnikelo wokutshiswa; ngakho basebencediswa ngabafowabo abaLevi waze waphela umsebenzi njalo abanye abaphristi baze bangcweliswa ngoba abaLevi babekunanzelele kakhulu ukuzingcwelisa kulabaphristi.
However, since there were not enough priests to skin all the burnt offerings, their Levite brothers helped them until the work was finished and until the priests had been consecrated. For the Levites had been more diligent in consecrating themselves than the priests had been.
35 Umnikelo wokutshiswa wawumnengi, kanye lamafutha omnikelo wobudlelwano kanye lomnikelo wokunathwayo okwakuhambelana lomnikelo wokutshiswa. Ngakho lokhu kwaba yikuvuselelwa kwenkonzo ethempelini likaThixo.
Furthermore, the burnt offerings were abundant, along with the fat of the peace offerings and the drink offerings for the burnt offerings. So the service of the house of the LORD was established.
36 UHezekhiya labo bonke abantu bajabula ngababekuphiwe nguNkulunkulu ekwenzela abantu bakhe, ngoba kwakwenzakale ngokuphangisa.
Then Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had prepared for the people, because everything had been accomplished so quickly.
